2025 IDP Rankings Breakdown: Linebackers

Mike Woellert dives into his LB projections to see how the tiers shake out for 2025.

The linebacker position has evolved dramatically in recent years. While we want the LBs who play close to 100% of the snaps, those who play 80% also have value.

I've factored in all the variables—coaching changes, schemes, historical metrics, production, and projected snap counts—when building my 2025 LB projections. In this breakdown, I’ll run through the tiers and my favorite targets in each tier.

The key is patience: if you identify a tier you want to target, there’s no need to reach for the top name when the bottom player in that same tier offers similar production potentially several rounds later. Knowing which players to target is only half the battle. The other half is having a plan for when and how to attack the LB position throughout your draft. That's what this tier breakdown will help you execute.

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I’ve expanded my first tier to 12 this year, and have included two potential breakout candidates. Are they risky to be considered here? Possibly, but if they hit, they have the potential to carry your squads throughout the season. They have a role in a tackle-heavy defense and have a track record of production. Keep in mind, these are the guys who are going in the early rounds (4-7), so don’t panic if these guys are gone by the time you target the position. If I’m comfortable with my offensive lineup, I might dip my toes here (especially for Edgerrin Cooper).

Roquan Smith is one of the safest picks in IDP. He has four consecutive seasons of 150+ tackles and 21.5 career sacks. He’s produced a career 15% tackle rate, and as the green dot of the Ravens, he doesn’t leave the field. He’s appeared in 990+ snaps for 5 seasons and is a rock-solid LB1. The Ravens run one of the more tackle-friendly schemes, often deploying a mix of Cover-2. Smith recorded a 15.4% tackle rate when he dropped in zone coverage.

Zaire Franklin has been one of the most dependable tacklers since taking over a full-time role in 2022. He has three seasons of 165+ tackles, led the league in tackles last season, and is a good bet for 90+ solos. Franklin has been tough to block around the LOS, recording 10+ TFLs in two of the last three seasons. Like Roquan, Franklin’s tackle rate is above 15% with a 15.3% and has appeared in over 1,000 snaps since becoming a full-time player. And like the Ravens, the Colts have a tackle-friendly zone scheme, and he recorded a 14.2% tackle rate when in zone coverage.

Ernest Jones was passed around like the bad White Elephant gift no one wanted in 2024. Before the 2024 season, he was unexpectedly traded to the Titans. He still had a full-time role, but after 6 games, he was traded to the Seahawks. It begs the question, “Was this guy a jerk in the locker room?” Regardless, it didn’t impact his snaps nor his production. He still appeared in 995 total snaps and produced a 13.9% tackle rate, resulting in his second-straight season of 135+ tackles. He looks to have some stability as he enters his second season with the Seahawks.

Zack Baun burst onto the scene in 2024. After toiling in mediocrity thanks to a part-time role, he earned a three-down role with the Eagles and responded with 151 tackles, 11 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, and 5 FF. My only concern, and it’s minor, is that he wears the dot and is responsible for getting others into position to make plays. Nakobe Dean could miss half the season, and Jihaad Campbell is dealing with a shoulder injury that could keep him out until August. Baun is the safest Eagle LB in IDP.

I’ve got Edgerrin Cooper as the LB3 in my projections. All signs point to him with a three-down role opposite Quay Walker, and if his rookie year is any indication, there’s a lot to like from the second-year phenom. He recorded 0.36 points per snap and a 17.7% tackle rate over 491 snaps. I’d expect the efficiency to drop with more volume, but the upside is too high to ignore.

Jack Campbell appeared in just under 1,000 snaps in 2024, but didn’t take on a full-time role until Alex Anzalone got hurt. From Week 8 on, he had seven games of 8+ tackles. He finished with a 13.4% tackle rate, but only because he didn’t have any games of more than 7 tackles in the first 6 games. I’ve got him projected for 151 tackles, and I’d rather be ahead on Campbell than miss out.

Don’t let recency bias cloud your judgment in regards to Daiyan Henley. Week 17 is in the past. In one season, he has shown he’s an elite tackler. Not only that, he was productive in coverage, as he graded at a 71.3 in coverage and 65.7 in zone (which was a top-15 ranking). In zone coverage, he recorded a 13.8% tackle rate, resulting in 49 tackles. He’s all over the field and finished with a 14.8% tackle rate in 2024. He enters the 2025 season with the same role, and I don’t have any concerns for production.

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This tier of linebackers is full-time players, and in most instances, are still green dot LBs and weekly LB1s. These are guys who should still provide safe weekly floors and are considered top-24 players. They’re in roles/schemes that allow for high tackle production. These guys should start going in Round 8. This is probably where I’ll start after drafting my offensive starting lineup.

I might be higher on Devin Lloyd than most. I think he has a chance to be productive in Anthony Campanile’s defense, who might consider him his Edgerrin Cooper—an athletic, rangy off-ball LB who’s solid against the run and can interrupt the passing game. From an IDP standpoint, he’s recorded a 12.8% tackle rate, but I can see him setting a career-high. I don’t foresee Campanile messing with LB rotations and should run a strict nickel/2-LB defense.

You might be asking why I don’t have Fred Warner in the first tier. He’s always been on the outside, looking in, in some formats. And for an elite LB, he has yet to produce more than 137 tackles in a season. So, not an elite LB1, but a dependable weekly starter and tackle rate who’s not going to kill your floor. He’s produced a career 12.8% tackle rate and will contribute a few big plays.

Alex Singleton should be ready for Week 1 after sustaining a torn ACL early in the 2024 season. He’s been one of IDP’s most efficient tacklers with a career 18% tackle rate. Although Singleton saw just 190 snaps, he still produced a 16.3% tackle rate. Singleton had consecutive seasons of 100+ solos in 2022 and 2023, and he’s coming at a bit of a discount, but the ADP is going to rise. He should wear the dot again in 2025.

Blake Cashman is at the lower end of the tier because of his injury history and inability to play a full season. He’ll miss a few games here and there. He’s been a bit more durable as of late. After appearing in 14 games over the first three seasons of his career, he’s appeared in 44 over the last 3. Although in 2022, he played just 149 snaps.

Jordyn Brooks is another dependable LB1 from this tier. He’s produced 140+ tackles in three of the last four seasons and 19 TFLs over the last two. Brooks has upside in the pass rush, as he’s recorded 7.5 sacks over the last two seasons. He has a healthy 15.1% career tackle rate and has a three-down role nailed down in South Beach.

Tyrel Dodson and Tyrice Knight are both undervalued as LB2s, but have the potential for strong returns this season. Dodson played for two teams last season, and finished with 107 tackles and a 12.5% tackle rate. He’s set to remain the full-time LB2 opposite Brooks. In his second year, Knight looks to be the full-time off-ball LB opposite Ernest. Knight finished with a 16% tackle rate as a rookie and is a solid LB3.

Lavonte David is always a solid LB target, as his snaps and production are a given. He’s more of an LB2, but provides a safe floor. He’s recorded 120+ tackles over the last 3 seasons with a near 2:1 solo-to-assist ratio. He’ll also contribute a few big plays to your squad, producing a 3% big play rate in 2025.

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This tier has full-time players, but their tackle rates might not be as high as those in Tier 2. These are still solid targets, especially if you decide to go Zero-LB. Once you get past this tier, the LB dead zone begins to emerge.

I think Elandon Roberts is the LB to roster in Las Vegas, even though they signed Germaine Pratt. I think Roberts earns the dot, as Patrick Graham has hinted at that recently, so it looks like we could get the classic “Year 11 breakout.”

Roberts recorded 107 and 101 tackles, respectively, in 2022 and 2023 while playing fewer than 60% of the snaps. We’ll see how he handles a full-time workload, as he’s never played more than 680 snaps in a season. I like his mentality heading into the season. He has the attitude of a MIKE and is ready for a three-down role.

I like Jack Sanborn as the three-down LB in Dallas and the green dot given his familiarity with Matt Eberflus’ defense. I’m not expecting DeMarvion Overshown until after Thanksgiving. Kenneth Murray and Marist Liufau will probably be in the mix for LB2, but I am leaning on Sanborn as the three-down guy. In limited action, Sanborn was productive. He was mostly a base-down LB, but you could tell he could play and recorded a 16% tackle rate in his scheme.

Germaine Pratt should be the LB2 in Vegas, and whoever does get the job should see around 90% of the snaps, as that was the LB2 usage in their base/nickel defense.

I am betting on the rookie, Carson Schwesinger, to lead the Browns in tackles and wear the dot this year. I know it’s a strong take, but that’s the impact he’s already had, in a short time, on the team. His ability to pick up defenses, diagnose, and react is one of his strengths. Even though it’s just been in camp, it seems to be translating.

I’ve moved Christian Rozeboom from Tier 5 to Tier 3 based on the news of him getting the green dot. As of now, that assures him a three-down role. Last season, in 828 snaps, produced a 16.3% tackle rate. I think the efficiency should drop with more snaps, but even if he maintains a 14% tackle rate and appears in over 900 snaps, he’ll flirt with 140 tackles.

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Tier 4 is the LB dead zone. These are potential weekly starters who aren’t guaranteed a starting role, but should see enough snaps to be considered in deeper leagues.

I like Jack Gibbens the most in this tier. The Bill Belichick influence is gone, so we can’t assume the rotations/schemes of the past are going to carry over. Like with Jack Sanborn, I think Gibbens’ familiarity with Mike Vrabel’s defense puts him ahead of the competition for the LB2. Gibbens had his best year under Vrabel, as he recorded 95 tackles. He was solid in 10 games for Tennessee last season before an ankle injury ended his season after 10 games. He had recorded an 18.7% tackle rate up to that point. Gibbens and Robert Spillane could make a formidable LB duo.

I would target 2-3 LBs between the first two tiers and target Payton Wilson as an LB4.

Payton Wilson can outperform this tier. I don’t see anyone stopping him from seeing 70-75% of the snaps this year. Like Edgerrin Cooper, he made an impact in a part-time role. Although he didn’t see more than 60% of the snaps, he got more comfortable on the field and had seven games of 6+ tackles and recorded a 15.9% tackle rate. He plays quicker than Patrick Queen and earned a solid 76.4 PFF coverage grade. I would target 2-3 LBs between the first two tiers and target Wilson as an LB4.

Divine Deablo has turned some heads during his stint in OTAs. Raheem Morris recognizes the athleticism and has called out his diagnosing ability. Injuries and schemes have minimized his usage over the last few seasons, but he’ll have an opportunity to compete for a full-time role opposite Kaden Elliss. He has LB3 upside, as his 2023 season is an indicator of his production potential—recording a 13.7% tackle rate over 15 games, which resulted in 106 tackles.

Keep an eye on the LB2 battle between Dee Winters and Nick Martin in San Francisco. The winner should get the lion’s share of the snaps at the LB2 spot. The 49ers could see more man coverage, which could limit the tackle upside of the LB2 if Warner dominates the tackle share. Under Robert Saleh, the Jets deployed zone coverage just over 50% of the time. Last season, Quincy Williams, as the LB2, had 240 zone coverage snaps and produced a 13.8% tackle rate. I’m hoping for similar numbers from the LB2, and I think Martin gets the role.

Junior Colson has a chance to make an impact in 2025. An offseason injury held him back, and he never truly found his footing. He ended up playing 11 games and saw more snaps down the final weeks of the season. He’s entering camp healthy and has a chance to be the LB2 opposite Henley. The LB2 should see around 75% of the snaps.

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Tier 5 LBs bring no excitement to your roster. There’s some upside here, but by and large, these are LBs you’ll likely be cutting for hot waiver adds early in the season.

I’m skipping over Troy Reeder and taking my chances on one of Omar Speights or Chris Paul. He had five games of 7+ tackles and produced a 16% tackle rate. He was the better tackler and run defender than Reeder, as well. My concern is the LB usage, as the Rams went dime/single-LB 26% of the time, and Speights had 0 dime snaps last year. Christian Rozeboom and Jake Hummel are gone, but he still could be limited to base/nickel. Now, it’s quite possible in the range of outcomes he wins the LB1 job.

There are not many other targets in this range I’m super interested in. Maybe Teddye Buchanan if he ends up beating Trenton Simpson for the LB2 job, or ends up taking it during the regular season. Simpson lost snaps to Malik Harrison and Chris Board last season, so I’m not too optimistic this season.

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If you took zero LBs up to this point, you’re going to be questioning your whole existence and why you decided to join an IDP league in the first place after seeing this tier. These are the true dart throws or injury replacements. These guys may not be on a roster by the time the season begins, but like the RB position, injuries happen to LBs, and these guys are the “next man up” types.

DeMarvion Overshown might not see action until Thanksgiving, so he’s borderline undraftable. (Unless you’re in a 32-team all NFC East league… then maybe he’s your LB2.) If you’re in a deeper league and can IR him, he’s an end of the draft target.

Keep an eye on Eagles training camp and who’s running as the LB2. Jihaad Campbell has been dealing with a few injuries, and Vic Fangio’s been vague on his health. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. could get some looks with the first team. If Campbell misses a few games, Trotter could provide some value in deeper leagues.

Lastly, remember folks: friends don’t let friends draft EJ Speed. (Your leaguemates? Sure, go for it!) At this point, he’s nothing more than an injury replacement.

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