2024 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Linebackers

Highlights

• Inside linebackers do not receive the same level of recognition among casual NFL fans as their predecessors.
• The best inside linebackers in the modern era defend the pass just as well, if not better, than the run.
• GIVEMESPORT presents the top 10 free agent linebackers of 2024.

The glory days of inside linebackers being the biggest defensive stars in football are behind us. The emphasis placed on edge rushers in today’s pass-happy NFL has led to Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, and Micah Parsons being more prominent household names than Roquan Smith and Fred Warner.

Any attempted punishment of trespassers through the middle of the field, akin to Ray Lewis’ heyday, would likely draw a barrage of flags. For fans of the physicality that trademarked previous eras, it’s an unfortunate reality.

In the current age, “off-ball” linebackers still need to bring bad intentions when filling gaps in the run game but also be nimble enough to defend tight ends or running backs in pass coverage, whether it’s man or zone.

The position’s 2024 free agency class boasts a number of young guns and wily vets who excel in one of those aspects more than the other, but also a few players who can provide high-level output in both areas.

There are so many quality options that some high-profile players, like Willie Gay Jr. and Shaquille Leonard, reside just outside GIVEMESPORT’s top 10 free-agent linebackers. You can find those who did earn a place on the list below.

Don’t forget to check out GIVEMESPORT’s NFL Free Agency hub for all of your NFL offseason updates.

10 Jordan Hicks

A tremendous run game asset

Hicks nearly lost his leg after suffering a hit to his shin in Week 10 but miraculously played 100% of the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive snaps in his Week 15 return. Despite sitting out four contests because of his injury, he eclipsed 100 tackles for the fifth consecutive campaign.

Prior to 2023, Hicks had not missed a game since the final year of his rookie contract with the Philadelphia Eagles (2018). Per Pro Football Focus, he has posted an 83.5 run-defense grade across the last two seasons, compared to just a 49.5 “coverage grade in the box” (referred to simply as coverage grade from this point onward).

Hicks feels better suited for an early-down role where he’s not forced to defend the pass as frequently but isn’t a complete liability against it. He will be very productive for whichever team elects to ink him to something in the neighborhood of the $5 million-per-year contract he signed with Minnesota in 2022.

9 Devin White

The high-variance, polarizing option

The yang to Lavonte David’s yin had possibly his worst professional season in 2023. White set a new career-low in tackles last year, matched his previous low in sacks, and barely surpassed his lowest number of tackles for loss and games played. His fall from the grace of a 2020 Second-Team All-Pro selection has been rather precipitous.

In addition to his sparkling sophomore year mentioned above, White has his draft pedigree – fifth overall in 2019 – working in his favor. His career-best marks in completion percentage allowed (67.4%), passer rating allowed (65.5), and missed tackle percentage (6.7%) also help. Still, any team that utilizes PFF in a significant way won’t be impressed: both his run grade (29.7) and coverage grade (42.6) over the past two seasons are dissuading.

What White is for the remainder of his career, other than a quality second-level blitzer, is anyone’s guess. Organizations know what he was in the past; one will pay up in hopes of getting him to recapture that magic in their building.

8 Drue Tranquill

An essential element in pass defense

Tranquill saw only 57% of snaps in his lone year with the Kansas City Chiefs but was integral to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s system. His tendencies essentially reflected the defense in which he played: not the sharpest against the run, but incredibly stingy versus the pass.

Like White, Tranquill is effective when blitzing. He isn’t always the most stout in traditional run fits, which is why Spagnuolo reserved him primarily for passing situations. He has recorded a PFF coverage grade greater than 70 in each of the past three seasons.

The Chiefs don’t have a crazy amount of cap space and will prioritize the retention of two brighter defensive stars with what space they do have. But, barring a more robust market for his services than he observed last year, it’d be a bit surprising if Tranquill weren’t back in 2024.

7 Josey Jewell

Solid in every aspect

The phrase, “a jack of all trades, but master of none,” could be applied to Jewell. He won’t wow you with eye-popping totals in any one statistical category but will be effective in every capacity. He embodies the blue-collar spirit that his alma mater, the University of Iowa, prides itself upon.

Jewell’s PFF grades in both run defense and coverage over the last two seasons topped 70. He is not the most high-profile player available, but whichever team signs the former Denver Broncos draft pick can sleep easy knowing the middle of their defense is in good hands.

Expect the Eagles, who have a massive need at linebacker and Jewell’s former head coach, Vic Fangio, in tow as their new defensive coordinator, to make a run at acquiring his services.

6 Azeez Al-Shaair

An explosive run defender

The presence of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw on the San Francisco 49ers’ defense limited the opportunities for Al-Shaair to strut his stuff in the Bay Area.

It wasn’t until he joined the Tennessee Titans on a one-year, $5 million contract an offseason ago that he truly had his reigns removed. All he did in response was put up the fifth-most tackles in the league and play more than 1,000 snaps in Mike Vrabel’s defense.

Based on PFF grades for the past two seasons, Al-Shaair is essentially a younger version of Jordan Hicks. He’s slightly worse against the run (76.5 grade) but slightly better in coverage (57.2). He’ll be just 27 years old when the season kicks off and a hot commodity for those who miss out on the top-tier of available linebackers discussed on the rest of this list.

5 Jordyn Brooks

A Pro-Bowler in waiting?

Brooks displayed incredible toughness, resilience, and mental fortitude by rehabbing throughout the offseason to make it back in time for Week 1 this year after tearing his ACL in Week 17 of the 2022 campaign.

He only played 72% of snaps throughout the season, which hurt his overall tackle numbers – playing next to Bobby Wagner will do that – but he did rack up a single season-best sack total.

The highest PFF pass-rush and coverage grades of Brooks’ career came in 2023. The 2021 solo tackles leader could be a tremendous value at his current $11.3 million per year Spotrac projection if he can keep up his improved play in both those areas and move his injury further into the rearview mirror.

4 Bobby Wagner

A future Hall of Famer still playing at a high level

A Seattle Seahawks legend, Wagner returned to his roots after spending his 2022 sabbatical in Los Angeles Rams colors and paced the league in tackles for the third time at 33 years old.

His 10 All-Pro selections – six First-Team accolades and four Second-Team nods spanning the last decade – are tied for the fifth-most in NFL history.

​​​​​​​Wagner is four unassisted stops away from reaching 1,000 solo tackles. He’s still decent defending the pass, great when blitzing, and truly elite against the run. He isn’t anyone’s long-term solution at this stage of his career, but he should be immensely appealing to contenders.

A 12th year in Seattle is on the table, but the Seahawks may want to bring in someone younger and more familiar with new head coach Mike Macdonald’s scheme to lead their defense.

3 Lavonte David

The perennially-underrated elder statesman

​​​​​​​Wagner’s decade of dominance has overshadowed the brilliant career David has crafted as the anchor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.

But unlike the Seahawks’ icon, David has already cracked 1,000 solo tackles and can leap into the category’s all-time top five with 72 unassisted stops in 2024. David’s coverage abilities have aged better; PFF gave him a 90.4 grade in coverage across the last two years compared to just a 66.7 for Wagner.

David could likely latch on with another team if he chose, but is reportedly considering only the Bucs or retirement ahead of his age-34 season.

2 Frankie Luvu

A fierce pass rusher

The New York Jets didn’t know what they were missing when they let Luvu sign with the Carolina Panthers three years ago. The Panthers weren’t even sure themselves initially, playing him on only 24% of defensive snaps in 2021.

​​​​​​​But as that amount climbed over 90% the last two seasons, Luvu’s production soared. Despite residing off-ball, he has 20 combined QB hits and 29 tackles for loss in that time frame.

Luvu isn’t the strongest in coverage, but his impressive pass-rushing skills outweigh that con. Those, coupled with his quality run defense, should get him a contract much larger than the two-year, $9 million deal he signed to re-up with Carolina in 2022.

1 Patrick Queen

The most well-rounded of them all

Many labeled Queen a bust following his first couple of seasons in the league. Those same critics ignored him being a 20-year-old, first-round pick who finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

He and Roquan Smith have formed perhaps the NFL’s best inside linebacker duo for the Baltimore Ravens since Smith was acquired at the 2022 trade deadline.

Queen is multi-faceted; he can defend the run, rush the passer, and play in coverage at a high level. A player of his caliber would not typically be on the open market, but Baltimore just shelled out $100 million to keep Smith in town, is high on 2023 third-round pick Trenton Simpson, and seems primed to allocate the money or franchise tag necessary for retaining Queen on breakout defensive tackle Justin Madubuike.

The 24-year-old Queen’s versatility and youth will attract many teams and lead to a bustling phone line once free agency opens. Queen could command a contract rivaling Smith’s record-setting $20 million per year pact if the bidding war is hot enough; Spotrac projects his market value to be $18.5 million annually, which trails only Smith and Fred Warner at the position.

Among numerous potential destinations, Queen’s most obvious fit is in Seattle, where former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald is now the head coach of a team whose top two inside linebackers are free agents. He’d be immensely helpful at getting everyone else on the young, talented Seahawks defense up to speed in Macdonald’s system.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.