2026 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Linebackers

NFL free agency is a year-round process, as teams scout opposing players to beat them during the season and perhaps sign them in the offseason.

As the 2025–26 NFL season comes to a close, free agency is coming into focus, and teams are beginning to evaluate potential targets to address roster deficiencies. Here are the top linebackers slated to hit free agency in 2026.

For now, each player’s profile includes three-year snap counts and three-year PFF grades, offering a broader, more stable view of performance than a single-season spike or dip.

Click here for PFF's full list of the top 250 free agents.

1. Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville Jaguars

Snaps: 2,611 | PFF grade: 88.1

Lloyd delivered a career year in the final season of his rookie contract, earning an 88.4 PFF grade that ranked third among linebackers. A complete linebacker, he ranked inside the top 10 at the position in PFF run-defense, coverage and pass-rush grades.

2. Devin Bush, Cleveland Browns

Snaps: 1,621 | PFF grade: 85.2

Bush produced just one 60.0-plus PFF grade from 2019 through 2023, but he has broken out over his two seasons with the Cleveland Brown s. He finished the 2025 season with an 87.6 PFF grade that ranked fourth among all linebackers, and his three interceptions tied for third at the position.

3. Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles

Snaps: 1,524 | PFF grade: 72.9

Dean's 2025 season was uneven due in large part to injuries, but his strong 2024 performance should still bode well for his free-agency outlook. A capable blitzer, he has generated 26 total pressures over the past two seasons.

4. Leo Chenal, Kansas City Chiefs

Snaps: 1,490 | PFF grade: 87

Chenal has never logged 600 or more defensive snaps in a season, but he has earned PFF grades above 70.0 in each of his four NFL seasons. At 25, he remains young enough to offer developmental upside and brings versatility as a blitzer, having generated 48 total pressures since 2022.

5. Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders

Snaps: 3,560 | PFF grade: 90.3

Wagner remains a high-performing veteran worth monitoring as he approaches 36, delivering elite production where it still matters most. He was the only linebacker to earn 90.0-plus PFF grades in run defense (90.3), pass rushing (92.4) and tackling (90.5) this season, extending a run of four straight years with a 90.0-plus run-defense grade. Since entering the league in 2012, Wagner has posted an 80.0-plus PFF grade in eight of 14 seasons. In 2025, he totaled 52 defensive stops while missing just eight tackles on 158 attempts.

6. Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints

Snaps: 3,243 | PFF grade: 88.7

Davis is an ageless wonder at age 37. In 2025, he recorded the highest PFF run-defense grade of his career (88.9) while racking up 39 run stops on an 8.2% stop rate. Remarkably, Davis' overall PFF grade has remained above a 73.0 in nine straight seasons, reflecting his consistently standout play.

7. Alex Anzalone, Detroit Lions

Snaps: 2,873 | PFF grade: 71.2

Anzalone has been an anchor of Detroit's defense since arriving in 2021, logging 1,000 or more snaps in three of those seasons. During that span, he has recorded 198 defensive stops and shown improvement as a tackler, missing fewer than 8.5% of his attempts in both 2024 and 2025. At 31, Anzalone can still provide starting-caliber play while bringing leadership and playmaking ability to a new linebacker group.

8. Kaden Elliss, Atlanta Falcons

Snaps: 3,281 | PFF grade: 75.5

While Elliss is somewhat limited in coverage, having never earned a 70.0 PFF coverage grade in a season, he does offer plenty in the passing game with his ability to rush the passer. He has earned PFF pass-rush grades above 80.0 in each of the past two seasons, totaling 73 pressures in that span.

9. Germaine Pratt, Indianapolis Colts

Snaps: 2,963 | PFF grade: 63

Released by the Las Vegas Raiders after just four weeks of the 2025 season, Pratt went on to have a solid second half of the year with the Indianapolis Colts. He has earned a PFF overall grade above 60.0 in four straight seasons and is good enough to start for multiple teams across the league.

10. Justin Strnad, Denver Broncos

Snaps: 1,375 | PFF grade: 60.9

Strnad put together the best season of his career in 2025, ranking 26th among linebackers with a 72.1 PFF overall grade on 607 snaps. He's solid across the board, but especially as a blitzer, where he racked up 17 pressures from just 82 pass-rushing snaps this past season.