Football has gone through a lot of changes over the past decade and skill positions have had to make a lot of adjustments to keep up with the implementation of new rules. Linebackers have been affected the least by this and the job they do remains vital to the strength of a defense.
Linebackers are the journeymen of defenses. The linebacker corps is tasked with stopping the run as well as assisting in coverage against tight ends, running backs, and slot receivers. Great teams have a mix of players at the linebacker position to prepare for the uncertainty of a pass or run situation. If you can form your linebackers corps out of the ten players listed below in Madden 24, you will have a very solid defensive foundation.
Below, you will find:
- Madden 24’s best linebackers by overall rating as of August 25, 2023
- Why each linebacker poses a threat to opposing offenses in Madden 24
- 2023 stats for each of Madden 24’s best linebackers
1. Fred Warner – 96 OVR (San Francisco 49ers)
Position: Middle Linebacker
Age: 26
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 99 Play Recognition, 95 Pursuit, 92 Tackle
Fred Warner’s name topping the list of the best linebackers in Madden 24 is a surprise to no one. Warner’s ability to predict plays is unparalleled with a 99 Play Recognition rating. His 95 Defensive Pursuit and 92 Tackle Rating means that he is exceptional at chasing down ball carriers and putting their face into the dirt. Warner’s 92 Acceleration and 94 Jumping attributes further show off his athletic prowess on the field.
During the 2023 season, Warner had 130 total tackles, one interception, and forced one fumble. He was named to the Pro Bowl last year and earned first-team All-Pro honors. NFL.com ranked Fred Warner as the 15th-best player in the NFL.
2. Maxx Crosby – 94 OVR (Las Vegas Raiders)
Position: Left Outside Linebacker
Age: 26
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 96 Finesse Moves, 95 Play Recognition, 95 Pursuit
Maxx Crosby nears the top of this list for obvious reasons. He is arguably the best pass rusher in football. Crosby sports a rating of 95 for both Pursuit and Play Recognition which gives him the ability to sniff out plays quickly and stop the ball carrier. His 96 Finesse Moves and 86 Power Moves ratings require a double team every snap, but that only makes things harder for him, it never stops him. Crosby can be a liability in coverage, but his skillset as a Speed Rusher keeps the quarterback on his back.
Last year, Crosby led the league in tackles for loss. He recorded 89 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles. Crosby was ranked the 17th-best player in the league by NFL.com.
3. T.J. Watt – 94 OVR (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Position: Left Outside Linebacker
Age: 28
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 96 Pursuit, 95 Toughness, 92 Tackle
T.J. Watt is the type of linebacker that an offense has to center their game plan around just to slow him down. Watt stays in the backfield with his off-the-chart skillset. He rates 94 in Finesse Moves, 93 in Play Recognition, and 88 in Acceleration. Watt knows where the ball will be and makes sure he gets to that spot with an elite 96 Pursuit rating. He is on track to finish his career as one the best linebackers of all time. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and led the league in sacks in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Last year Watt suffered an injury in Week 1 and did not return until Week 10. Despite the setback and missed games Watt still recorded 39 tackles, two interceptions, and 5.5 sacks. He was selected to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and was also ranked as the 22nd-best player in the league.
4. Roquan Smith – 92 OVR (Baltimore Ravens)
Position: Middle Linebacker
Age: 26
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 97 Tackle, 95 Pursuit, 91 Acceleration
Roquan Smith destroys ball carriers with extremely impressive ratings: 97 Tackle, 95 Pursuit, and 91 Acceleration. This makes it hard to avoid him and once he gets close, you are guaranteed to go down. Smith’s 95 Toughness and 87 Hit Power ratings make it hard for receivers to hold on to the ball during catch attempts. He is one of the toughest linebackers in the league and also one of the few that has first-class power and speed.
Roquan Smith was traded to the Baltimore Ravens from the Chicago Bears in the middle of last season and became an instant hit. He was ranked the 24th-best player last year and finished the season with 168 total tackles (103 solo), 4.5 sacks, and three interceptions.
5. Lavonte David – 91 OVR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Position: Middle Linebacker
Age: 33
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 95 Play Recognition, 92 Tackle, 90 Pursuit
Lavonte David is the prototypical middle linebacker. He has a 95 Play Recognition, imperative as the MLB runs the defense. He has 85 Hit Power and 92 Tackle ratings, so whatever he puts down stays down. David’s power and aggression tend to wear down the opposing offense throughout the game as his 89 Toughness and 94 Stamina ratings show that he delivers punishment relentlessly.
Last year, David recorded 124 total tackles, three sacks, and forced a fumble. He is a true field general and would be great to add to a roster that needs a Ray Lewis type of enforcer to disrupt the running game.
6. Joey Bosa – 91 OVR (Los Angeles Chargers)
Position: Left Outside Linebacker
Age: 28
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 97 Play Recognition, 96 Finesse Moves, 92 Pursuit
Joey Bosa dominates the edge by his elite level of technical skill at the position. Bosa rates 97 in Play Recognition and 92 in Pursuit. He has every trick in the book at his disposal to elude and shed blocks with his 96 Finesse Moves rating. Bosa also has a rating of 89 Tackle and 82 Hit Power to further capitalize on getting in the backfield and laying out the quarterback.
Unfortunately, Bosa suffered an injury in 2022 and only played five games. He still garnered a ranking as the 70th-best player in the league. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Rookie of the Year. Bosa is expected to make a return this season and pick up where he left off.
7. Haason Reddick – 90 OVR (Philadelphia Eagles)
Position: Left Outside Linebacker
Age: 28
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 95 Awareness, 92 Play Recognition, 89 Acceleration
Haason Reddick is an extremely athletic outside linebacker rating 86 in Speed, 89 Acceleration, and 87 Jumping, which are all well above average. His 93 rating in Play Recognition keeps him in the right place at all times. Many offenses today will come out with as many as three tight ends to make mismatches with defensive ends or power linebackers. Reddick rates 92 in Finesse Moves as well as bringing power and speed. It’s hard to mismatch anyone with him.
Last year, Reddick was ranked the 48th-best player in the NFL by NFL.com. Reddick finished second in total sacks with 16 to go along with 35 tackles and five forced fumbles. Reddick makes a great addition to any roster due to his versatility; he is known to penetrate the backfield and strip the quarterback.
8. Demario Davis – 90 OVR (New Orleans Saints)
Position: Middle Linebacker
Age: 34
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 97 Awareness, 93 Play Recognition, 90 Tackle
Demario Davis has been one of the most consistent players in the NFL over the last decade. He has only missed one game over that span. If you only described him by his rating it would sound like you are speaking of a war tank. With 93 in Toughness, 88 Hit Power, 90 Tackle, 96 Stamina, and 85 in Strength, Davis will win most block challenges against receivers, tight ends, and running backs due to his size and power. Davis is also an exceptional tackler in open-field situations with a 91 Pursuit attribute.
Davis’s 2023 season was more proof of his consistency as it was his sixth season in a row with 100 tackles and double-digit tackles for loss. He also had a career-high 6.5 sacks. NFL.com ranked Demario Davis as the 43rd-best player in the league.
9. Matthew Judon – 89 OVR (New England Patriots)
Position: Left Outside Linebacker
Age: 31
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 91 Play Recognition, 89 Power Moves, 88 Acceleration
Matthew Judon is a menace for offensive linemen. Judon shreds through pass-blocking walls with a Power Moves rating of 89 and consistently finds himself in the opponent’s backfield with a 91 rating for Play Recognition. He is extremely athletic with 88 Speed and 88 Acceleration and has to be taken into account during every play. Judon has made the Pro Bowl the last four years and was in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year.
Last year was Judon’s career year and he was named the 33rd-best player by NFL.com. He had a career-high 15.5 sacks which tied for third overall as well as 56 tackles and two forced fumbles. Judon is an exceptionally well-rounded athlete with a knack for making game-changing plays.
10. Bobby Wagner – 89 OVR (Seattle Seahawks)
Position: Middle Linebacker
Age: 33
Best Ratings in Madden 24: 97 Tackle, 93 Hit Power, 92 Awareness
Bobby Wagner is one of the best run-stopping middle linebackers. Wagner is known to lay out brutal hits on ball carriers with 93 Hit Power and 97 Tackle ratings. Not only is he physically intimidating due to power, he also terrorizes offenses mentally with his 93 Play Recognition and 81 Awareness ratings.
Wagner entered the league in 2012 and has been a top-tier defender for the majority of his career. Wagner became a Super Bowl Champion in 2014 as a centerpiece of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom defense. NFL.com ranked him as the 62nd-best player in the league. Last year he played all 17 games and had 81 solo tackles, six sacks, and two picks.
There you have the top ten linebackers in Madden 24. Remember that the linebacker corps is made up of the right and left linebackers as well as the middle linebacker. Make sure that all three cover each other’s strengths and weaknesses to form a well-rounded backbone for your team’s defense.