2025 Finest NFL Linebackers: Fred Warner, Roquan Smith Lead High 10 Rankings

Every great NFL defense seems to have a top-tier linebacker patrolling the field and commanding the unit, but which ones are the very best?

We polled our FOX Sports NFL writers to answer that question, with each ranking the top 10 linebackers in the league entering the 2025 season. The top two vote-getters are the exact same from last year’s top 10 list, but there are five brand-new names in the top 10.

So, let’s take a look at how our writers ranked the top 10 linebackers in the league as we begin to unveil our top players at several positions before the 2025 season kicks off. 

Best 2025 NFL Linebackers

Daiyan Henley was a big part in helping the Chargers reach the playoffs last season. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

2024 rank: Unranked

Eric D. Williams: A receiver in college, Henley has emerged as one of the NFL’s top run-and-chase linebackers and has his sights set on playing at an All-Pro level in his third season. The charismatic L.A. native finished with 142 combined tackles in 2024, tied for 11th in the league and the seventh-most by a Charger this century. One of the top athletes at his position, Henley was the only player in the league to notch at least 120 tackles and more than seven pass breakups last season.

Zaire Franklin led the NFL in tackles last season. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

2024 rank: T-10 (+1)

Ben Arthur: Playing for an Indianapolis team that generates little national interest, Franklin can slide a bit under the radar. It doesn’t help that the Colts haven’t had a great defense in at least three years, but Franklin’s production over the past few seasons is impossible to ignore. He has registered 160-plus tackles in three consecutive seasons, including an NFL-high 178 in 2024. He can be a liability at times in coverage — which is becoming increasingly important at the linebacker position — but he has a great nose for the football in the run game.

Dre Greenlaw is entering his first year with the Broncos. (Photo by Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

2024 rank: Unranked

Henry McKenna: This dude is a violent force in the middle of the field. The Broncos went out and snagged him in free agency because they wanted to toughen up their front seven — and Greenlaw can absolutely help. Even after missing most of last year while recovering from an Achilles injury, he finished his six years with the Niners with 455 tackles. It’s a safe bet to say he’s going to eclipse 100 playing in the middle of the Denver defense in 2025.

Even after 13 years in the NFL, Bobby Wagner continues to be an All-Pro standout at linebacker. (Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

2024 rank: 8th (+1)

Ralph Vacchiano: When the Commanders signed Wagner last season at age 33, it seemed like head coach Dan Quinn was mostly looking for a veteran presence to lead his young defense. He got that and a lot more. Wagner gave them his 11th consecutive All-Pro season, proving that he’s still one of the best linebackers in the game even toward the end of his career. He finished with 132 tackles (he’s topped 100 in all 13 of his NFL seasons). Most of all, he helped turn a defense that was the NFL’s worst in 2023 into a middle-of-the-pack unit. He wasn’t just there to guide the young Commanders — he was showing them how it’s done.

Frankie Luvu, alongside Bobby Wagner, helped transform the Commanders’ defense in 2024. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

2024 rank: Unranked

Vacchiano: After spending the first six years of his career toiling with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers, Luvu finally got a chance to show what he can do on a good team and with talent around him — and he didn’t disappoint. He’s an energetic, disruptive force on defense and an underrated presence in the pass rush. He had a career-high eight sacks last season, even though there really wasn’t a lot of pass-rushing help around him. He’s versatile enough to play any of the linebacker positions, and he’s still only 28 years old. He might have only scratched the surface of what he can do with a defensive-minded coach like Quinn.

Lavonte David continues to add to his Hall of Fame case as he enters his 14th season. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2024 rank: 4th (-1)

Carmen Vitali: One of these days, this man will get his due. I hope it’s with a gold jacket and bronze bust in Canton — because that’s how good David is, no matter if he has the gaudy stats or not. David has the stats that matter, like amassing the fifth-most tackles in the league since 1987. He’s somewhat of an ageless wonder, too. At age 35, he’s still conducting one of the best defenses in the league like the sideline-to-sideline maestro that he is.

The Chiefs are known for their superstars on offense, but linebacker Nick Bolton has helped them reach three straight Super Bowls by being an absolute run-stopper. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

2024 rank: Unranked

McKenna: The Chiefs have done a nice job highlighting Bolton at the center of their defense. Bolton might not get the same amount of credit as DT Chris Jones, but he has been an enormously essential part of the team’s last three runs to the Super Bowl. Bolton is as good of a run-stopper as there is in the NFL. It’s a big reason why Kansas City’s defense has been so stingy against the run since Bolton took over.

Zack Baun was arguably the biggest surprise in the NFL last season. (Kara Durrette/Getty Images)

2024 rank: Unranked

Vacchiano: It’s still remarkable that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman signed Baun to be mostly a special teams player before defensive coordinator Vic Fangio figured out he could be much more. The 28-year-old Baun became an unexpected force in the Eagles’ defense, excelling in both coverage and against the run. He finished last season with a team-high 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception. He finished fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, and that was done before his stellar Super Bowl, which included an acrobatic, diving interception. He was an absolutely perfect fit for Fangio’s defensive scheme, though his skills indicate he’s far more than just a system player. 

Roquan Smith has been one of the best linebackers in the league since he was drafted in 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

2024 rank: 2nd (no change)

Arthur: Smith is on the shortlist for top middle linebacker of his era. What he lacks in coverage ability he makes up for with his smarts, instincts and production in the run game. He’s recorded 150 tackles in five straight seasons and has three consecutive first-team All-Pro nods.

Versatile linebacker Fred Warner is a four-time first-team All-Pro, including the past three seasons. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

2024 rank: 1st (no change)

Williams: The BYU product remains the gold standard at the linebacker position in the NFL. Warner has been a first-team All-Pro three years in a row and is at the top of his class because of his ability to operate as a three-down linebacker who’s equally effective dropping back in pass coverage, running sideline to sideline as a run-stuffer and blitzing as a pass rusher. Warner had 131 tackles in 2024, joining Baltimore’s Smith and Washington’s Wagner as the only linebackers with at least 130 in each of the past four seasons. Warner also has 10.0 sacks and 10 interceptions in his career, joining 1980s linebacker Keena Turner as the only players to do that in Niners history.

Honorable mentions:

2025-26 NFL Defensive Player of the Year 

Aidan Hutchinson, Lions: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Micah Parsons, Cowboys: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Myles Garrett, Browns: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
T.J. Watt, Steelers: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
Will Anderson Jr., Texans: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Jared Verse, Rams: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Maxx Crosby, Raiders: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Nick Bosa, 49ers: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Jalen Carter, Eagles: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Trey Hendrickson, Bengals: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)

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Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him at @eric_d_williams.

Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. Follow him at @benyarthur.

Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him at @henrycmckenna. 

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him at @RalphVacchiano.

Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. Follow her at @CarmieV.