Ever feel like you’re watching a completely different game than the guys at Pro Football Focus? You see your team’s middle linebacker rack up 15 tackles in a Sunday afternoon slugfest, but then the pro football focus lb rankings come out on Tuesday and he’s sitting with a measly 58.2 grade. It’s enough to make you want to throw your remote through the screen.
Honestly, the gap between "eye test" stats and PFF’s spreadsheet reality has never been wider. While the rest of the world is busy counting tackles, PFF is busy counting "missed assignments" and "separation allowed." They aren't looking at what happened; they’re looking at what should have happened.
The Fred Warner Wall and the Zack Baun Surge
If you’ve looked at the 2025 and early 2026 data, one name is basically permanent at the top. Fred Warner. The San Francisco 49ers’ heartbeat has become the gold standard for a reason. PFF doesn't just like him; they’re obsessed with him. And rightly so. Warner spent the last few seasons posting coverage grades north of 90.0, which is essentially unheard of for a guy who has to bang heads with 300-pound guards on the very next play.
But then there's the Zack Baun story. Talk about a curveball. Most people thought Baun was a special teams flyer when the Eagles grabbed him. Instead, he exploded into the 2025 season with a 90.1 overall grade. He wasn't just "good for a backup"—he was statistically the best linebacker in the league for a massive stretch.
That’s where the pro football focus lb rankings get interesting. They reward the "breakout" that traditional stats might miss. Baun wasn’t leading the league in interceptions, but he was winning his matchups with such consistency that the algorithm couldn't ignore him. He eventually cashed that PFF hype into a $51 million extension. Money talks.
Why the "Tackle King" Usually Ranks Poorly
We have to talk about the Roquan Smith paradox. For years, fans have seen Roquan as the undisputed king of the middle. But PFF? They’ve been hot and cold. In 2024, his grade dipped into the 60s. Fans were livid. "How can a guy with that many tackles be average?"
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Here’s the secret: PFF loathes the "cleanup tackle."
If a running back gains seven yards and the linebacker finally drags him down, the box score gives him a tackle. PFF gives him a "zero" or even a negative if he was late to the hole. They want to see the linebacker meeting the back at the line of scrimmage.
- Positive Grade: Sifting through a double team to stop a runner for a 1-yard gain.
- Neutral Grade: Making a tackle after an 8-yard completion in zone coverage.
- Negative Grade: Biting on a play-action fake, even if you eventually tackle the guy 20 yards downfield.
Basically, if you’re making "easy" tackles, you aren't moving up the board. This is why guys like Bobby Wagner—even at age 35—stay relevant in these rankings. Wagner’s 2025 run-defense grade remained elite (91.2) because he simply doesn't get moved off his spot. He might not be the sideline-to-sideline burner he was in Seattle, but he’s still a brick wall in the gaps.
The Coverage Nightmare
The modern NFL is designed to make linebackers look stupid. Offensive coordinators spend all week figuring out how to get a 4.4-speed slot receiver matched up against a 240-pound linebacker.
PFF’s new "Advanced Coverage Grade" tries to account for this. It’s not just about whether the guy you’re covering caught the ball. It’s about "separation." If you’re a linebacker and you’re stride-for-stride with a tight end down the seam, you get a massive boost even if the QB never throws the ball.
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This is why someone like Dre Greenlaw (now with the Denver Broncos) stays so high in the pro football focus lb rankings. His ability to eliminate options before the ball is even snapped is what the graders value over raw stats.
The 2026 Outlook: New Names to Watch
As we roll through the early parts of 2026, the rankings are shifting. The "old guard" is being chased by a group of hybrid monsters who look more like safeties than traditional LBs.
- Arvell Reese (Ohio State/NFL Rookie): Keep an eye on the 2026 draft class. Reese is already drawing "PFF darling" comparisons because of his pass-rushing efficiency. He isn't just a tackler; he's a weapon.
- Edgerrin Cooper: After a monster late-season push in 2025 where he posted a 91.3 grade from Week 15 onwards, he’s the trendy pick to unseat the veterans.
- Jack Campbell: The Lions’ investment is paying off. He cracked the top 10 with a 78.7 overall grade, proving he’s more than just a "thumper."
Stop Overrating the "Green Dot"
There’s a common misconception that the guy with the "green dot" (the defensive play-caller) should automatically be ranked higher. PFF doesn't care about leadership. They don't give "vibes" points.
You could be the smartest guy on the field, getting everyone into position, but if you get pancaked by a pulling guard, your grade is going into the basement. This is frustrating for coaches who value the "coach on the field" archetype, but it's the reality of a system built on individual play execution.
How to Use These Rankings Without Losing Your Mind
If you're using pro football focus lb rankings for fantasy football or just to win an argument at the bar, you have to look at the "sub-grades."
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Don't just look at the overall number. A guy might have a 75.0 overall grade but a 40.0 coverage grade. That means in third-and-long situations, he’s a liability. Conversely, a guy with a 90.0 run-defense grade is your best friend on 1st-and-10 against a heavy run team.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
- Check the snap counts: PFF grades are more reliable when a player has at least 400-500 snaps. Small samples lead to wild grade swings.
- Look for the "Elite" thresholds: Anything over 80.0 is considered "Pro Bowl" level. Anything over 90.0 is "All-Pro." If a player is consistently in the 70s, they are a solid, reliable starter.
- Ignore the "Tackle" column: If you want to know who is actually playing well, ignore the tackle leaders and look for "Stop Percentage." A "stop" is a tackle that results in a "failure" for the offense (e.g., holding a runner to 1 yard on 1st down).
The pro football focus lb rankings aren't the Bible of football, but they’re a lot better than looking at a box score and assuming the guy with 12 tackles had a great game. Football is a game of context, and while PFF isn't perfect, they're at least trying to find the "why" behind the "what."
If you really want to understand why your team's defense is struggling, stop looking at the highlight reels. Look at the guys getting "neutral" grades on plays where they should have made a splash. That's where the real story lives.
Next time you see the updated rankings, look at the "Run Defense" and "Coverage" splits separately. It’ll tell you exactly why a defensive coordinator is hiding a specific player in certain packages, even if that player is a fan favorite. That's the difference between being a fan and being a scout.