Defensive Lineman/Linebackers Interior Lineman (6)
Ray Lewis (2018), Sam Mills (2022), Zach Thomas (2023), Brian Urlacher (2018), Patrick Willis (2024)
Modern Positional Average
Much like with what he had in exterior lineman, we have a convulted system where we try to look at the interior run-stuffers, while recognizing what that the front seven vary depending on scheme and player. With that, we have a unique situtation in that with Sam Mills, who was a late entrant in the modern vote, is not factored into the traditional statistics as his overall numbers are not complete. This means that we have an average of the four for most stats, which exclude Mills.
Here are the statistics that we are using based on the last group of Defensive Lineman/Linebackers/Interior Lineman to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
- Games Played: 177.4
- Approximate Value: 151.8
- Approximate Value per Games Played: 0.8557
- Games Started: 174
- Approximate Value per Games Started: 0.8724
- Approximate Value per Five-Year Peak: 76.8
- Approximate Value’s Best Five Results: 83.2
- Top Five Defensive Player of the Year Finishes**: 7.8
- Pro Bowls: 7.8
- First Team All-Pros*: 4.4
- Interceptions: 16.8
- Interceptions Five-Year Peak: 8.8
- Quarterback Sacks: 28.9
- Quarterback Sacks Five-Year Peak: 15.8
- Tackles for Loss: 103.3
- Tackles for Loss Five-Year Peak: 53.5
- Forced Fumbles: 16.8
- Combined Tackles: 1,473.8
- Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak: 701.6
- Top Five Combined Tackles Finishes 14.2
- Super Bowl Wins: 0.4
- Super Bowl Appearances: 0.8
*This is an aggregate of the Top Five finishes (5th = 1, 4th = 2, 3rd = 3, 2nd = 4th, 1st = 5)
**This is a reminder that the All-Pros we use are from the AP.
Stats
- Games 177.4
- Approximate Value 151.8
- Approximate Value per Game 0.8557
- Games Started 174
- Approximate Value per Games Started 0.8724
- Approximate Value: Five-Year Peak 76.8
- Approximate Value: Best Five Years 83.2
- Top Five Aggregated MVP Finishes 7.8
- Top Five Aggregated DPOY Finishes 7.8
- Pro Bowls 7.8
- First Team AP All-Pros 4.4
- Interceptions 16.8
- Interceptions Five-Year Peak 8.8
- Quarterback Sacks 28.9
- Quarterback Sacks Five-Year Peak 15.8
- Tackles for Loss 103.3
- Tackles for Loss Five-Year Peak 53.5
- Combined Tackles 1473.8
- Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak 701.6
- Top Five Aggregated Completed Tackles Finishes 14.2
- Forced Fumbles 16.8
- Super Bowl Championships 0.4
- Super Bowl Appearances 0.8
#2 Overall, Bobby Wagner: Washington Commanders Linebacker, #1 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Interior Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #3, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #3, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #6, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #10, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #18. Peak: 2016-20
Our highest-ranked defensive player has everything a Hall of Fame player needs.
Bobby Wagner, who begins his second year with the Commanders in 2025, boasts numerous accolades, including a Super Bowl ring (with Seattle), an All-Decade Selection, ten Pro Bowls, and six First Team All-Pro honors.
At 35, Wagner is defying age and also owns impressive defensive statistics, most notably 1,838 Combined Tackles, making him the game’s active leader and fourth-place overall, trailing only Ray Lewis (2,059), London Fletcher (2,039), and Junior Seau (1,847). Wagner, who is also a natural leader on whatever team he is on, always seems to know where the ball is going to be, and is already near the top of the list of football’s best run-stoppers. However, despite that reputation, he is effective on the pass rush, owning 35 Sacks and 99 Tackles for Loss.
Even if Wagner never plays another snap, his Hall of Fame case is already built, but how much sweeter would it look with a second ring? The Washington Commanders are contenders to do just that.
Stats
- Games 202 (+24.6)
- Approximate Value 173 (+21.2)
- Approximate Value per Game 0.8564 (+0.00070000000000003)
- Games Started 200 (+26)
- Approximate Value per Games Started 0.8650 (-0.0074)
- Approximate Value: Five-Year Peak 78 (+1.2)
- Approximate Value: Best Five Years 78 (-5.2)
- Top Five Aggregated DPOY Finishes 2 (-5.8)
- Pro Bowls 10 (+2.2)
- First Team AP All-Pros 6 (+1.6)
- Interceptions 13 (-3.8)
- Interceptions Five-Year Peak 5 (-3.8)
- Quarterback Sacks 35.0 (+6.1)
- Quarterback Sacks Five-Year Peak 10.5 (-5.3)
- Tackles for Loss 99 (-4.3)
- Tackles for Loss Five-Year Peak 35 (-18.5)
- Combined Tackles 1838 (+364.2)
- Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak 711 (+9.4)
- Top Five Aggregated Completed Tackles Finishes 20 (+5.8)
- Forced Fumbles 7 (-9.8)
- Super Bowl Championships 1 (+0.6)
- Super Bowl Appearances 2 (+1.2)
#22 Overall, Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers Linebacker, #2 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Interior Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #49, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #79, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #118, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #142. Peak Period: 2020-24
When you face the San Francisco 49ers (especially over the last few seasons), opposing offenses know that there is a quick-as-a-cat Middle Linebacker named Fred Warner who will make yardage up the middle a lot harder.
As one of the man-to-man interior forces in football, Warner is cruising to an All-Decade Selection, is on a run of three straight First Team All-Pros, and is a possible Defensive Player of the Year. Producing 897 Tackles over his seven seasons, Warner’s knack for the big play has played a large part in San Francisco’s playoff success since he arrived. He has yet to miss a game, and if he remains healthy, his Hall of Fame candidacy will increase exponentially on an annual basis.
Stats
- Games 115 (-62.4)
- Approximate Value 90 (-61.8)
- Approximate Value per Game 0.7826 (-0.0731)
- Games Started 115 (-59)
- Approximate Value per Games Started 0.7826 (-0.0898)
- Approximate Value: Five-Year Peak 74 (-2.8)
- Approximate Value: Best Five Years 705 (+621.8)
- Top Five Aggregated DPOY Finishes 0 (-7.8)
- Pro Bowls 4 (-3.8)
- First Team AP All-Pros 4 (-0.4)
- Interceptions 10 (-6.8)
- Interceptions Five-Year Peak 8 (-0.8)
- Quarterback Sacks 10 (-18.9)
- Quarterback Sacks Five-Year Peak 7 (-8.8)
- Tackles for Loss 36 (-67.3)
- Tackles for Loss Five-Year Peak 26 (-27.5)
- Combined Tackles 897 (-576.8)
- Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak 655 (-46.6)
- Forced Fumbles 15 (-1.8)
- Super Bowl Championships 0 (-0.4)
- Super Bowl Appearances 2 (+1.2)
#35 Overall, Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Linebacker, #3 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Interior Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #2023 Pre-Season Rank: #53, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #63, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #83, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #94. Peak Period: 2012-16
We argued that Lavonte David was one of the most underrated players of the 2010s, and perhaps in all football history. Let's say that is true, as underrated players (in their time) have made the Hall, but it is challenging for the career Buccaneer to crack the plane that will give him Canton consideration. It doesn’t help that. David doesn’t have the sexy stats or even the Pro Bowls (he has only made one)
Hopefully, the Bucs will honor him in some capacity when his career concludes.
Stats
- Games 198 (+20.6)
- Approximate Value 119 (-32.8)
- Approximate Value per Game 0.6010 (-0.2547)
- Games Started 198 (+24)
- Approximate Value per Games Started 0.6010 (-0.2714)
- Approximate Value: Five-Year Peak 53 (-23.8)
- Approximate Value: Best Five Years 61 (-22.2)
- Top Five Aggregated DPOY Finishes 0 (-7.8)
- Pro Bowls 1 (-6.8)
- First Team AP All-Pros 0 (-4.4)
- Interceptions 13 (-3.8)
- Interceptions Five-Year Peak 9 (+0.2)
- Quarterback Sacks 39 (+10.1)
- Quarterback Sacks Five-Year Peak 18 (+2.2)
- Tackles for Loss 169 (+65.7)
- Tackles for Loss Five-Year Peak 85 (+31.5)
- Combined Tackles 1602 (+128.2)
- Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak 664 (-37.6)
- Top Five Aggregated Completed Tackles Finishes 5 (-9.2)
- Forced Fumbles 27 (+10.2)
- Super Bowl Championships 1 (+0.6)
- Super Bowl Appearances 1 (+0.2)
#39 Overall, Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens Linebacker, #4 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Interior Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #62, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #92, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #133, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #146. Peak Period: 2020-24
Smith was a Second-Team All-Pro for two years in a row (2020-21), but as good as he was, the Bears were not, and Smith and Chicago became disenchanted with each other. Chicago traded Smith to the Ravens during the season, and it started the best run of his career.
In the year he was traded (2022), Smith had career highs in Combined Tackles (169) and Solo Tackles (103), and was rewarded with his First Team All-Pro. Smith has since followed that with his second and third First Team All-Pro, and his domination of the middle has continued the stellar reputation of the Baltimore defense.
He enters the 2025 season with a four-year streak of at least 150 Tackles and is on a Super Bowl contender. A fourth First Team All-Pro and a ring will catapult his chances, and we won’t bet against the one-man heat-seeking missile.
Stats
- Games 110 (-67.4)
- Approximate Value 89 (-62.8)
- Approximate Value per Game 0.8091 (-0.0466)
- Games Started 108 (-66)
- Approximate Value per Games Started 0.8241 (-0.0483)
- Approximate Value: Five-Year Peak 73 (-3.8)
- Approximate Value: Best Five Years 73 (-10.2)
- Top Five Aggregated DPOY Finishes 0 (-7.8)
- Pro Bowls 3 (-4.8)
- First Team AP All-Pros 3 (-1.4)
- Interceptions 10 (-6.8)
- Interceptions Five-Year Peak 8 (-0.8)
- Quarterback Sacks 21.5 (-7.4)
- Quarterback Sacks Five-Year Peak 14.5 (-1.3)
- Tackles for Loss 63 (-40.3)
- Tackles for Loss Five-Year Peak 50 (-3.5)
- Combined Tackles 1005 (-468.8)
- Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak 783 (+81.4)
- Top Five Aggregated Completed Tackles Finishes 5 (-9.2)
- Forced Fumbles 3 (-13.8)
- Super Bowl Championships 0 (-0.4)
- Super Bowl Appearances 0 (-0.8)
#47 Overall, DeMario Davis, New Orleans Saints Linebacker, #5 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Interior Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #47, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #61, 2022, Pre-Season Rank #137. Peak Period: 2019-23
Davis, a veteran player, has experienced a significant rise in the second half of his career. From 2019 to 2023, Davis was an All-Pro (one First Team and four Second Team), and his versatility and leadership were the keys to some very good New Orleans defences in the early 2020s.
As good as he has been in his 30s, he turns 37 this season, and his Hall of Fame resume looks to be “too little, too late.”. Nevertheless, the Saints Hall of Fame will assuredly give him a place in their institution.
Stats
- Games 210 (+32.6)
- Approximate Value 131 (-20.8)
- Approximate Value per Game .6239 (-0.2318)
- Games Started 196 (+22)
- Approximate Value per Games Started 0.6684 (-0.204)
- Approximate Value: Five-Year Peak 74 (-2.8)
- Approximate Value: Best Five Years 74 (-9.2)
- Top Five Aggregated DPOY Finishes 0 (-7.8)
- Pro Bowls 2 (-5.8)
- First Team AP All-Pros 1 (-3.4)
- Interceptions 4 (-12.8)
- Interceptions Five-Year Peak 2 (-6.8)
- Quarterback Sacks 44.5 (+15.6)
- Quarterback Sacks Five-Year Peak 24 (+8.2)
- Tackles for Loss 110 (+6.7)
- Tackles for Loss Five-Year Peak 56 (+2.5)
- Combined Tackles 1393 (-80.8)
- Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak 615 (-86.6)
- Top Five Aggregated Completed Tackles Finishes 0 (-14.2)
- Forced Fumbles 4 (-12.8)
- Super Bowl Championships 0 (-0.4)
- Super Bowl Appearances 0 (-0.8)