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The Dallas Cowboys utilized their acquisition of George Pickens and slightly better depth to edge out the Philadelphia Eagles at wide receiver in the first edition of "Ranking the NFC East." For Part 2, the linebacker corps will do battle.
Dallas is the only team with significant changes to its unit, having traded for one starter and signed another who could start. The Washington Commanders, New York Giants, and Eagles have the same two base starters, with Philadelphia adding a first-round pick to bolster their depth. Two of the teams have an All-Pro option from last season, but will either lift their unit to the top spot in the linebacker rankings?
The Giants have solid linebackers who will take on blocks and bring down tacklers, but they aren't All-Pro players or dynamic athletes. Bobby Okereke has consistently been an excellent run defender and a decent coverage player, but he hasn't made a significant impact as a pass rusher. He recorded two total sacks in his career with the Indianapolis Colts and has never sacked the quarterback three times in a single season. He typically plays around 1,000 snaps and has approximately 150 tackles. He isn't a playmaker behind the line of scrimmage, having only one season with over six tackles for a loss. He suffered an injury in 2024, but was playing better in coverage at the time, allowing his lowest completion percentage and QB rating against. Okereke is going into his prime, as long as he can bounce back from injury, New York has a quality starter at linebacker.
Micah McFadden is an adequate second linebacker who accumulated over 100 tackles in 670 defensive snaps. He lacks dynamic athleticism and isn't an instinctual playmaker. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him at 66 as a run defender and at 62.8 overall,. He tackles the guys in his area, but doesn't offer much beyond that.
Darius Muasau could take on the second linebacker role if he makes a significant jump in his sophomore season. He was able to start seven games as a rookie after Okereke's injury, and played solid football. His PFF run defense grade was 68.1, higher than McFadden, as he made 55 tackles in just over 400 snaps, with three tackles for a loss. Keep the Giants' linebackers clean up front, and they'll help bring down ball carriers in their area, but nothing else is a significant strength.
Dallas is likely ranked higher if DeMarvion Overshown was healthy and not coming off his second significant knee injury. Overshown started 12 games and was the second-most impactful defender aside from Micah Parsons. He had 90 tackles, eight for a loss, five sacks, four pass defenses, and a play-of-the-year candidate interception that Overshown returned for a touchdown.
He isn't a run-defense technician, playing more like a wild man who will occasionally over-run a play and miss tackles. Overshown is a defensive playmaker, but a complete unknown going into the 2025 season. He could be an impactful player or never see a snap.
Marist Liufau is the other incumbent linebacker on the team. He was drafted for Mike Zimmer last year and looked like a good prospect with a future as a green-dot defender, who calls the plays for the defense. He started nine games and accumulated 50 tackles, three pass defenses, and two forced fumbles. He will be in his second defensive scheme in as many years, and the new coaching staff didn't draft him, so his place in the rotation is unknown.
The two players who are certain to receive significant snaps are Kenneth Murray, whom Dallas traded for, and Jack Sanborn, who was signed due to his familiarity with Matt Eberflus' defense. The mix could be a good combo as Sanborn knows the details of the defense, but is also very instinctual on the field. He doesn't win with great athleticism, but rather by using excellent anticipation to make plays before the blockers can reach him. Murray, on the other hand, uses excellent athleticism to run from sideline to sideline and make tackles all over the field, but he lacks great instincts. He racked up 95 tackles, eight for a loss, and 3.5 sacks while only missing four percent of his tackle attempts.
Zack Baun was the best free agent signing from last offseason. Philadelphia stole him with a deal worth $3.5 million for one year, which he turned into an All-Pro season. Baun had 151 tackles, 11 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and an incredible five forced fumbles. He was terrific in every area a team could ask a player to be. He even had his highest PFF grade in coverage, 91.7. Baun was the best linebacker in the division from last season and ended up cashing in on a three-year deal worth $51 million, 34 of which are guaranteed.
Nakobe Dean was considered a draft-day steal when he slipped due to concerns about his size and medical issues, but steered into bust chatter after his first two years. He started only four games during that time and failed to reach 50 tackles, with less than a single sack. However, he had a breakout season in 2024, starting 15 games and playing over 850 snaps, where he accumulated 128 tackles, nine for a loss, sacking the quarterback three times. He wasn't terrific in coverage, but had a PFF grade over 80 against the run and as a pass rusher. As a second linebacker, the Eagles couldn't ask for much more, but with Dean in the final year of his contract, they drafted Jihaad Campbell in the first round to possibly replace him.
Campbell may switch to an edge rusher as a rookie to help offset the losses of Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat. Still, if he stays at linebacker, he could be groomed to be the starter in 2026, and he is already an excellent pressure player who is good in coverage. If Campbell can plug, shed, and tackle, he could be a complete three-down linebacker who would be a force with the great defensive tackles in front of him.
The Commanders have a lack of depth at linebacker, but two studs who play nearly every snap of the season. Frankie Luvu didn't miss a single game and played 98% of the defensive snaps. He excels as a pass rusher, leading all off-ball linebackers in sacks in 2024, and his highest PFF grade was also as a pass defender. In coverage, he allowed his lowest passer rating of his career by nearly 15 points, and the lowest yards per target. He defensed seven passes and added an interception. He is a good run defender too and had 99 tackles with 12 for a loss. He made his first All-Pro team last season under the former Cowboys' defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn.
Bobby Wagner seems to be a robot on the football field. The 10-time All-Pro put together another stellar season with 130 tackles and 10 for a loss. He doesn't need to leave the field because he is excellent in all areas. He received PFF grades of 89.9 overall, 90.8 against the run, and 91 as a pass rusher. Even Wagner's coverage grade was over 70 in his 14th season, allowing just a single touchdown in coverage and 215 total yards. He is a marvel at his age, 35 before the start of the season, but at what point does the play slip? He hasn't shown any signs, making this the best linebacker corps in the division.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Rankings the Cowboys LB against the NFC East competition
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Dallas is the only team with significant changes to its unit, having traded for one starter and signed another who could start. The Washington Commanders, New York Giants, and Eagles have the same two base starters, with Philadelphia adding a first-round pick to bolster their depth. Two of the teams have an All-Pro option from last season, but will either lift their unit to the top spot in the linebacker rankings?
4. New York Giants
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The Giants have solid linebackers who will take on blocks and bring down tacklers, but they aren't All-Pro players or dynamic athletes. Bobby Okereke has consistently been an excellent run defender and a decent coverage player, but he hasn't made a significant impact as a pass rusher. He recorded two total sacks in his career with the Indianapolis Colts and has never sacked the quarterback three times in a single season. He typically plays around 1,000 snaps and has approximately 150 tackles. He isn't a playmaker behind the line of scrimmage, having only one season with over six tackles for a loss. He suffered an injury in 2024, but was playing better in coverage at the time, allowing his lowest completion percentage and QB rating against. Okereke is going into his prime, as long as he can bounce back from injury, New York has a quality starter at linebacker.
Micah McFadden is an adequate second linebacker who accumulated over 100 tackles in 670 defensive snaps. He lacks dynamic athleticism and isn't an instinctual playmaker. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him at 66 as a run defender and at 62.8 overall,. He tackles the guys in his area, but doesn't offer much beyond that.
Darius Muasau could take on the second linebacker role if he makes a significant jump in his sophomore season. He was able to start seven games as a rookie after Okereke's injury, and played solid football. His PFF run defense grade was 68.1, higher than McFadden, as he made 55 tackles in just over 400 snaps, with three tackles for a loss. Keep the Giants' linebackers clean up front, and they'll help bring down ball carriers in their area, but nothing else is a significant strength.
3. Dallas Cowboys
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Dallas is likely ranked higher if DeMarvion Overshown was healthy and not coming off his second significant knee injury. Overshown started 12 games and was the second-most impactful defender aside from Micah Parsons. He had 90 tackles, eight for a loss, five sacks, four pass defenses, and a play-of-the-year candidate interception that Overshown returned for a touchdown.
He isn't a run-defense technician, playing more like a wild man who will occasionally over-run a play and miss tackles. Overshown is a defensive playmaker, but a complete unknown going into the 2025 season. He could be an impactful player or never see a snap.
Marist Liufau is the other incumbent linebacker on the team. He was drafted for Mike Zimmer last year and looked like a good prospect with a future as a green-dot defender, who calls the plays for the defense. He started nine games and accumulated 50 tackles, three pass defenses, and two forced fumbles. He will be in his second defensive scheme in as many years, and the new coaching staff didn't draft him, so his place in the rotation is unknown.
The two players who are certain to receive significant snaps are Kenneth Murray, whom Dallas traded for, and Jack Sanborn, who was signed due to his familiarity with Matt Eberflus' defense. The mix could be a good combo as Sanborn knows the details of the defense, but is also very instinctual on the field. He doesn't win with great athleticism, but rather by using excellent anticipation to make plays before the blockers can reach him. Murray, on the other hand, uses excellent athleticism to run from sideline to sideline and make tackles all over the field, but he lacks great instincts. He racked up 95 tackles, eight for a loss, and 3.5 sacks while only missing four percent of his tackle attempts.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
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Zack Baun was the best free agent signing from last offseason. Philadelphia stole him with a deal worth $3.5 million for one year, which he turned into an All-Pro season. Baun had 151 tackles, 11 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and an incredible five forced fumbles. He was terrific in every area a team could ask a player to be. He even had his highest PFF grade in coverage, 91.7. Baun was the best linebacker in the division from last season and ended up cashing in on a three-year deal worth $51 million, 34 of which are guaranteed.
Nakobe Dean was considered a draft-day steal when he slipped due to concerns about his size and medical issues, but steered into bust chatter after his first two years. He started only four games during that time and failed to reach 50 tackles, with less than a single sack. However, he had a breakout season in 2024, starting 15 games and playing over 850 snaps, where he accumulated 128 tackles, nine for a loss, sacking the quarterback three times. He wasn't terrific in coverage, but had a PFF grade over 80 against the run and as a pass rusher. As a second linebacker, the Eagles couldn't ask for much more, but with Dean in the final year of his contract, they drafted Jihaad Campbell in the first round to possibly replace him.
Campbell may switch to an edge rusher as a rookie to help offset the losses of Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat. Still, if he stays at linebacker, he could be groomed to be the starter in 2026, and he is already an excellent pressure player who is good in coverage. If Campbell can plug, shed, and tackle, he could be a complete three-down linebacker who would be a force with the great defensive tackles in front of him.
1. Washington Commanders
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The Commanders have a lack of depth at linebacker, but two studs who play nearly every snap of the season. Frankie Luvu didn't miss a single game and played 98% of the defensive snaps. He excels as a pass rusher, leading all off-ball linebackers in sacks in 2024, and his highest PFF grade was also as a pass defender. In coverage, he allowed his lowest passer rating of his career by nearly 15 points, and the lowest yards per target. He defensed seven passes and added an interception. He is a good run defender too and had 99 tackles with 12 for a loss. He made his first All-Pro team last season under the former Cowboys' defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn.
Bobby Wagner seems to be a robot on the football field. The 10-time All-Pro put together another stellar season with 130 tackles and 10 for a loss. He doesn't need to leave the field because he is excellent in all areas. He received PFF grades of 89.9 overall, 90.8 against the run, and 91 as a pass rusher. Even Wagner's coverage grade was over 70 in his 14th season, allowing just a single touchdown in coverage and 215 total yards. He is a marvel at his age, 35 before the start of the season, but at what point does the play slip? He hasn't shown any signs, making this the best linebacker corps in the division.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Rankings the Cowboys LB against the NFC East competition
Continue reading...
