Packers Need Linebacker; Here’s Who’s Left in NFL Free Agency
GREEN BAY, Wis. – At the Scouting Combine, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said the roster was a “little thin” at linebacker.
By a little, he means a lot. With the team transitioning to Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 base defense and having released three-year starter De’Vondre Campbell, the Green Bay Packers have a dire need at linebacker.
Former first-round pick Quay Walker led the team with 118 tackles last season and Isaiah McDuffie came off the bench to rank second with 82 tackles. That’s two spots in the lineup. But what about the third in the base defense? And what about competent depth in case of injury?
At this point, the depth chart is as thin as cheap toilet paper.
Until Kristian Welch re-signed, 2023 undrafted rookie Christian Young, who spent most of October and November on the practice squad, was the only other player under contract. Welch is back, but he’s played only 44 snaps on defense in four NFL seasons. Eric Wilson, arguably the team’s best player on special teams and a solid backup on defense, remains unsigned.
The free-agent group started strong but has been picked over. From in-their-prime standouts Patrick Queen, Frankie Luvu and Jordyn Brooks to grizzled veterans Bobby Wagner, Lavonte David and Eric Kendricks, most of the top playmakers have signed.
To personify the state of the position, former Packers draft bust Oren Burks ranks among the best available.
If Gutekunst doesn’t want to rely solely on the draft, here’s the best of who’s left, with ages as of Sept. 1.
Note: Since this story posted at 3 p.m., two of the linebackers on this list have been signed.
Jerome Baker, Miami Dolphins, 27: A third-round pick by the Dolphins in 2018, Baker spent all six seasons in Miami. A three-down player, he has three seasons of 100-plus tackles under his belt, and probably would have had another in 2023, when he had 78 tackles in 13 games. He added two interceptions. In six seasons, he has five picks and six forced fumbles. Of 66 off-the-ball linebackers who played at least 500 defensive snaps in 2023, he ranked 42nd in missed-tackle percentage (12.0 percent; 10 misses) and 15th in passer rating (92.3).
Devin White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26: A first-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2019, he went from foundational player to expendable in a hurry. He was a Pro Bowler in 2021, part of a three-year stretch in which he averaged about 130 tackles and 10 TFLs. Benched late in 2023, he finished with 83 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and five for losses. In five seasons, he has three interceptions and six forced fumbles. Whichever team signs him will betting not just on White’s talent but its coaching staff. Of 66 off-the-ball linebackers who played at least 500 defensive snaps in 2023, he ranked 34th in missed-tackle percentage (10.0 percent; nine misses) and fifth in passer rating (81.9).
Tyrel Dodson, Buffalo Bills, 26: An undrafted free agent in 2019, Dodson emerged as a frequent starter last year. A stout run defender, he finished with 74 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and eight for losses, along with one forced fumble and two passes defensed. Of 66 off-the-ball linebackers who played at least 500 defensive snaps in 2023, he ranked 55th in missed-tackle percentage (14.9 percent; 13 misses) and 44th in passer rating (105.4).
Zach Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles, 29: A second-round pick by the Titans in 2017, Cunningham led the NFL in tackles and solo tackles in 2020. In 2023, he played in 13 games with 10 starts for the Eagles. He finished with 85 tackles, including two for losses, and four passes defensed. In seven seasons, he has one interception and five forced fumbles.
Denzel Perryman, Houston Texans, 31: If the goal is to improve the run defense, Perryman should be front and center in the conversation for Green Bay. A second-round pick by the Chargers in 2015, he’s still one of the best thumpers in the league. With the Raiders, Perryman had a Pro Bowl season with a career-high 154 tackles in 2021, then followed it up with a career-high 14 tackles for losses in 2022. With Houston last year, he had 76 tackles, including six for losses, and three passes defensed. In nine seasons, he has five interceptions and four forced fumbles. Of 66 off-the-ball linebackers who played at least 500 defensive snaps in 2023, he ranked 54th in missed-tackle percentage (14.4 percent; 13 misses) and 63rd in passer rating (121.4).
Cody Barton, Washington Commanders, 27: A third-round pick in 2019 who was primarily a backup for three years, Barton started 11 games for Seattle in 2022 and 13 games for Washington in 2023. He had 136 tackles and six passes defensed in 2022 and 121 tackles in only 13 games in 2023. Of 66 off-the-ball linebackers who played at least 500 defensive snaps in 2023, he ranked third in missed-tackle percentage (5.5 percent; seven misses) and 49th in passer rating (107.3).
Shaq Leonard, Indianapolis Colts, 29: A second-round pick in 2018, Leonard was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 and a first- or second-team All-Pro in each of his first four seasons. His 2021 was incredible with eight forced fumbles and four interceptions. However, his career quickly fell off a cliff. He missed most of 2022 and saw his playing time curtailed in 2023 before he was released. He landed in Philadelphia, where he had 23 tackles in five games (three starts). In 14 total games, he had zero interceptions, pass breakups or forced fumbles. Of 66 off-the-ball linebackers who played at least 500 defensive snaps in 2023, he ranked 32nd in missed-tackle percentage (9.9 percent; nine misses) and 46th in passer rating (106.0).
Oren Burks, San Francisco 49ers, 29: A third-round pick by the Packers in 2018, Burks started seven games in four seasons in Green Bay but eight in two seasons for San Francisco, where he’s had his best seasons in terms of tackles and the only two pass breakups of his career. Had he reached our 500-snap thresholds, his missed-tackle rate of 6.3 percent and passer rating allowed of 68.6 would have ranked eighth and first, respectively.
