Ranking NFL’s top 5 rookie linebackers of 2022 by expected production: Don’t sleep on this former Alabama LB

It feels like linebackers aren’t nearly as important today as they once were — heck, most defenses have removed one linebacker in almost every down-and-distance situation — but most of the league’s best defenses have at least one high-caliber second-level defender. Funny how that works, isn’t it? 

With the laundry list of responsibilities linebackers have today, possessing a quality one is an incredible boost for any defense. 

So which rookie linebackers will be the most productive in Year 1? Read below to find out. 

Smith was an enormous recruit who never fully met expectations at Penn State. He does possess an enormous amount of talent in a mammoth 6-foot-3, 250 pound frame with arms that go on for days. 

And in Carolina, Smith’s type is needed. Shaq Thompson has long been the playmaking weakside linebacker. Matt Rhule’s defense needs a sizable but still athletic middle linebacker. That’s precisely what Smith is. His combine workout was one for the ages. Beyond Thompson, there’s minimal young talent in Carolina’s linebacking corps. Smith has to be a more reliable tackler in the NFL than he was in college, but the size, athleticism, natural ability, and opportunity are there for the fourth-round pick to be majorly productive in 2022. 

Walker was the first linebacker picked in the 2022 draft, but he’s lower on this because he’s playing next to a reigning All-Pro at linebacker in DeVondre Campbell. Walker isn’t just going come in and siphon his productivity. Campbell played almost 92% of the defensive snaps during the regular season a season ago. 

Walker is a lot like Campbell: a big, fast and a reliable tackler. Coverage ability? Ehhh. There is a quality defensive front…