• Lavonte David‘s dominant 2013: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB totaled 83 total stops a decade ago, pacing every other linebacker during the PFF era.

• Luke Kuechly‘s outstanding run defense: The Carolina Panthers LB set the PFF run-defense grade record in 2018 with an incredible 91.8 mark.

• Chris Borland shines in lone season: The San Francisco 49ers LB's career came to an end at 24 years old, but he was still able to set multiple PFF era records in his lone NFL season.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

The PFF database is a vast expanse of grades and statistics encompassing nearly two decades' worth of NFL action. The goal has always been to help better understand the game of football and bridge the gap between the past and present generations.

PFF data goes as far back as 2006, which may be a small sample size of the game’s entire history, but it serves as a tremendous asset in determining which performances truly stand the test of time.

These are the official PFF records for linebacker signature stats.

Other Signature Stat Position Pieces:

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | EDGE
Offense | Defense

Overall Defense

Defensive Stops

Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013) – 83

Over the past decade, David has established a reputation as one of the most complete linebackers in the league. In just his second season, David set the standard for keeping offenses behind schedule, totaling 83 combined run, coverage, and pass-rushing stops. In the PFF era, there have been just four seasons of 80-plus defensive stops in a single season. More impressively, David is the only player in PFF history to total three or more seasons of 70-plus stops. 

Total Tackles

Foyesade Oluokun, Jacksonville Jaguars (2022) – 185

While Oluokun may not be a household name around the public, he is undoubtedly turning heads in league circles. This past season, Oluokun accumulated a massive 150 tackles, breaking former-Jaguar Paul Posluszny’s 2013 record (145). This production, however, shouldn’t have come as a surprise, as Oluokun racked up 131 tackles in 2021 playing for the Falcons, the fourth most tackles recorded by any defender.