Pro Football Focus writer Mason Cameron recently released his list of the top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Although a free agent signing from the San Francisco 49ers, Cameron selected Denver Broncos newcomer Dre Greenlaw as one of the NFL’s top linebackers.
Cameron chose Greenlaw as the fifth-best linebacker, primarily based on his play before his Achilles injury in the Super Bowl in February 2024. While he played two games in 2024, his 247 tackles combined in 2022 and 2023 will help build an impressive resume while showing his reputation as a linebacker.
Cameron quickly noted that Greenlaw, when healthy, is a top-tier linebacker; he did draw on the concern that there are questions about his health.
“Although he played just 34 snaps in 2024, Greenlaw was on his way to the upper echelon of linebacker play before his injury,” Cameron wrote for PFF. “His profile as one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL was on full display from 2022 to 2023, when he posted a combined 88.9 PFF coverage grade. While there are questions regarding the level he can return to, Greenlaw’s ceiling is high and worthy of this lofty placement.”
Denver hopes Greenlaw can help further transform the Broncos‘ defense, which was among the NFL’s best last fall. With Pat Surtain in the secondary, Greenlaw’s presence in the middle can help Denver get over the hump in 2025, health permitting.
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