Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released their 2025 NFL season linebacker rankings, with some shocking entries this year. The list had several new and unexpected names, while a range of living legends are still strong.
Roquan Smith is at the top of the list, and it's not even close. The Baltimore Ravens linebacker has dictated all season, dominating the backline in all his games. He has had some crazy good reads and an impressive range, which doesn’t give much wiggle room to question his rating.
Smith’s stats back his position in the list, as the linebacker finished 2024 with an overall 89.5 grade and conceded only one touchdown all season in coverage. Now those are some elite stats.
In the second position, PFF has named Micah Parsons, the Cowboys’ terror, who continues to produce brilliant performances. Fans have long known him as a pass-rushing player since his rookie years.
However, in the last season, Parsons proved that he has much stronger weapons in his arsenal. He has spent more time in coverage, handled mismatches, and still found creative avenues in the backfield.
PFF rates him high for such growth, as his snap distribution leaned more toward an all-purpose linebacker than an edge specialist. Parsons spent fewer snaps attacking quarterbacks, but still managed 13 sacks, with his coverage grade going up by 11 points from the previous season.
Third, we have a name that has aged like fine wine: Demario Davis. Even at 36 and one of the oldest linebackers in the NFL, he is in the top 10.
His skills on the field cannot be done justice in a handful of sentences. Davis has been the mainstay in the Saints’ defence for a long time and has anchored them efficiently.
While his stats were not flashy - he didn’t lead in any statistical category - Davis has always been a finisher who doesn’t need stats to back him up. He always stays where the play ends and is often ahead of the first down marker.
PFF also credited him for his consistent third-down performance, hailing him as one of the smartest defenders they have reviewed this season.
In fourth place, we have Logan Wilson, who deserved all the spotlight he got this year. The Bengals' linebacker was one of the most productive second-level defenders in 2024, with some extraordinary impact on the game from his blitzes, tackling, and witty zone coverage.
The linebacker has racked up over 100 tackles, five sacks, and three forced fumbles to his bag. As the PFF highlighted, his most impressive stat is leading the list in terms of early downs constantly.
The fifth entry will be a surprise to many, but none can deny that it was thoroughly deserved: Raekwon Davis. Miami Dolphins fans might have been surprised to see the name high in the rankings, as he is hailed chiefly as a defensive lineman. PFF’s view was different.
Davis has been Miami’s new stand-up interior linebacker with some creative blitz packages, which soared up his pass rush win rate, and the number of disruptions he created in the second level.
So why do these rankings matter?
Pro Football Focus has been a reputable analytical site for a long time, grading every player on each play. When PFF releases its ranking, it naturally gets some eyeballs, mainly because pure data backs it.
There’s no irrelevant hype involved in the ranking, fan voting, or accolades; PFF only calculates their ratings based on how many tackles a linebacker has made, how much pressure he has put on the quarterbacks, and other relevant statistics.
Demario Davis has been the prime example; the linebacker has no flashy highlights, but the team can count on him when a third-and-three stop is needed. PFF rates just that, and makes the ratings entirely based on the player’s ability on the field.
PFF’s grading system has the complete profile of the players and assigns some metrics for each player. If you are unaware of the system, ESPN’s NFL linebacker breakdown can be a helpful resource to look at and connect with the rankings.
These rankings help teams use them for analysis in contract negotiations and give fans a better analytical system for their betting strategies. PFF’s focus on performance cuts all the hype and shows who performs, so if a linebacker makes it up to this ranking, he is undoubtedly not going unnoticed.
While these rankings may not change the game’s outcome, they will have an impact on markets across sports betting apps during the NFL. Watch for some of the player prop bets to shorten for the names that ranked high on this list over the coming weeks.