Best LBs In The NFL: Has Fred Warner Been Dethroned As League's Best Linebacker?

No player has arguably been better than their peers at their respective position than Fred Warner since the turn of the decade.

But as the San Francisco 49ers' star returns from a gruesome ankle injury that ended his 2025 season prematurely, is Warner still the NFL's best linebacker ahead of the 2026 campaign? We ranked the 10 best linebackers in the league as we prepare for the new year.

Warner, a four-time first-team All-Pro, was one of two players to receive first-place votes in our rankings, with the Detroit Lions' Jack Campbell and the Baltimore Ravens' Roquan Smith among those vying for the top spot.

Here's a full look at our top 10 linebackers entering the 2026 season.

Greg Auman: Can takeaways be what takes Carolina’s defense from bad to good? In defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s first year in Charlotte in 2023, the Panthers had an NFL-low 11 takeaways, improving to 17 in 2024 and 21 last year.

Lloyd signed a three-year, $42 million deal after a breakout Pro Bowl year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which he had five interceptions to help his former team record 31 takeaways, second-most in the NFL.

It’s concerning that Jacksonville let Lloyd walk from the middle of its defense, but he and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips are two high-dollar additions to Carolina’s defense as they try to improve enough to repeat as NFC South champs.

Lloyd is 27 and needs to show last year’s splash plays — notably absent his previous two years — can continue as a defensive spark.

Ben Arthur: Bolton has been one of the NFL’s most steady off-ball linebackers since entering the league in 2021, helping the Chiefs win two Super Bowls.

The former second-round pick is coming off his second straight season of 100-plus tackles, six pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble.

In 2025, he tied for third in run stops (86) and 10th in hustle stops (15) among linebackers, according to Next Gen Stats.

With Kansas City’s secondary undergoing a makeover this offseason, Bolton will take on a more pronounced role in Steve Spagnuolo’s back-seven as the green dot.

Pass coverage is an area for improvement, though.

Opposing quarterbacks had a 93.8 passer rating when targeting him in coverage last season, the third time in five seasons he’s allowed a 90-plus passer rating, per NGS.