In the offseason with its endless lists and rankings, here we are with yet another. This time, it looks at the league’s best linebackers.
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar ranked the top 11 linebackers of the NFL and, at a glance, there should be no surprise the list includes zero Arizona Cardinals.
After all, as talented as new Cardinal Jordan Hicks is, his history of injuries make it hard to include him with players like Bobby Wagner, Luke Kuechly and others.
However, with his inclusion of Lorenzo Alexander, who plays outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, it changes things.
If Farrar is going to include edge defenders like Alexander, the most productive edge defender should be among the to players. That would be the Cardinals’ Chandler Jones. He is back at inside linebacker after a year at defensive end, but his 2017 at OLB was dynamic. He led the league in sacks, tackles for loss and QB hits. There was no player more disruptive behind the line of scrimmage.
He returns to that position at linebacker and, if edge linebackers count, he should be there.
If the rankings are for off-the-ball linebackers like Hicks and Haason Reddick, Alexander shouldn’t be there. If Alexander is, then he should be replaced by Jones.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
