Introducing Blocked Tackle Rate: Evaluating how well linebackers perform when they have to shed blocks to make a tackle

• Chiefs' Leo Chenal leads the way: Chenal has made a tackle on 41% of the snaps on which he was initially blocked.

• Commanders' Bobby Wagner still producing the goods: Wagner has made the tackle on 25% of his blocked snaps, a top-six mark.

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Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

It’s never too early to start preparing for next season, and for PFF, that means looking at ways to improve PFF Premium Stats.

One exciting option is to introduce more data. And to find out which stats resonate most with you, we’ll be offering select data outside of Premium Stats to see what grabs your interest.

This week, we're introducing a metric we're calling “blocked tackle rate,” which highlights how well linebackers perform when they have to shed blocks to make a tackle.

What is blocked tackle rate? 

Every team aims to keep their linebackers clean to maximize their playmaking ability, but there are times when linebackers must take on blocks and still make an impact.

Our data allows us to evaluate how effective linebackers are when blocked compared to when they aren’t. By using a simple tackle rate stat—tackles divided by run snaps when blocked—we can identify which linebackers are the most productive when facing blocks from the offense.

Blocked tackle rate through two weeks of the 2024 NFL season (min. 20 run-defense snaps)