Seattle Seahawks: Measuring Bobby Wagner by other great linebackers

By now everyone is aware that middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is one of the best defenders in football, but how does he stack up against recent greats?

Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2012 NFL Draft. After his first six seasons, Wagner seems like he’s on the path to greatness and maybe even football immortality. Since it’s the dead middle of the offseason, why not explore just how his growing legacy fits in when compared to other players at his position?

A few things to mention in the beginning, I’m looking at recent great middle linebackers, which means they can be retired, just not for long. So past players like Dick Butkus aren’t going to be discussed, but active players will be mentioned. I’m doing this because the game has changed over time and so have statistics and standards. It’s easier and more accurate to compare players from a similar era.

Also, I know Wagner is only six years in and that those years are a fairly small sample compared to some other players on this list. Wagner still has a lot of football left in him and will, barring some tragic fall from grace, continue to add to his résumé.

And with that, let’s get the show started.

The Highest Standard to Judge By

To begin, we need a player to set the standard for who the “best” middle linebacker is, and then we can judge every other player by comparing them to the best. The choice in this case is simple. Ray Lewis is one of the 20 greatest players in NFL history and is arguably the best middle linebacker of all time. He retired after the 2012 season, which makes him recent enough to be included.

Comparing Past Players

We’ve already set Lewis as the best and, comparatively, he outclasses Wagner by far. Tackles weren’t officially recorded until 2001, but Pro Football Reference has Lewis making 880 combined tackles in his first six seasons. Wagner has 778 through his first six.

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Lewis also had more interceptions and sacks, plus a Defensive Player of the Year award and a Super Bowl MVP. He played for 17 seasons and unofficially has over 2,000 combined tackles. There’s no way of knowing if Wagner will play that long, but 17 seasons is abnormally long, as you will come to see.

Moving on from Lewis, fellow Hall-of-Famer Brian Urlacher is another legendary middle linebacker from the 2000s. In his first six seasons, Urlacher had 699 combined tackles (125 of which are from 2000 and are unofficial), despite missing almost half of 2004. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, his sixth season.

In those six years, Urlacher more than doubled Wagner’s current sack total of 15.5. He also went to more Pro Bowls (five) and was a First Team All-Pro the same number of times (three) as Seattle’s star linebacker. He played 13 total years in the NFL. Even though the numbers are closer, Urlacher was a monster in the early 2000s and Wagner really doesn’t stack up to his ferocious play.

Another player that I think tops Wagner is Patrick Willis. Willis was in the league for just eight seasons, but his play and abilities eerily mirrored Lewis. In fact, many people thought Willis was the only player who could surpass Lewis at the middle linebacker position. Through his first six seasons, Willis had 812 combined tackles, six Pro Bowl selections, and five First Team All-Pro selections. While Wagner has played great, he’s not as instinctive or as dominant as Willis. Physically, Willis was, like Lewis, just on another level.

I relate Wagner’s playing style more to how London Fletcher played the game. Fletcher was a technical and tactical mastermind who simply was always around the ball. In his first six seasons as a starter, he didn’t start his rookie year, Fletcher had 761 combined tackles (223 of which are unofficial) and 21.5 sacks.

While their numbers and play styles are similar, Fletcher didn’t earn any honors until his 12th year in the league. I don’t see Wagner playing for as many years as Fletcher though or reaching his career total of over 2,000 tackles. After all, Fletcher is one of the league’s iron men. That being said, as evident by his First Team All-Pro selections, I believe Wagner has a higher floor and ceiling than Fletcher.

The last past player I want to compare Wagner to is Zach Thomas. I think, in terms of stats, playing style and awards, Thomas is Wagner’s closest comparison in recent history. Thomas had 805 combined tackles, unofficially, through his first six seasons, along with 10 sacks and 11 interceptions. He also missed the same number of games through that time as Wagner.

Comparing Current Players

The gold standard for active players is Luke Kuechly, who entered the NFL at the same time as Wagner. Kuechly has 818 combined tackles in his career and plays a style that is also similar to Wagner. Neither of them are utilized a lot in the pass rush and instead play coverage more because of their versatility and ability to diagnose plays.

Of the two, Kuechly caught on faster in the NFL, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and Defensive Player of the Year the next season. Because of his faster start, he also has more Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. Again, Wagner is close, but not quite as good as Kuechly. Hopefully both of these players have a lot more football in them so we can compare them again further down the line.

NaVorro Bowman does not have six starting seasons to measure because of injuries, but he a First Team All-Pro four times in his first six seasons. In the first six seasons of his career, excluding 2014 which he missed all of, Bowman had 671 tackles. Wagner is a better coverage linebacker than Bowman, but at his peak Bowman, was just as good when it came to playing the run. Wagner has the edge because of his health, and he is also a more versatile and athletic player than Bowman ever was.

The last player I want to compare Wagner with is C.J. Mosley. Mosley has only played in four seasons, but he’s become one of the game’s best linebackers during that time. Wagner had 478 tackles in his first four seasons, and Mosley had 474. Despite the close numbers, Wagner is easily the second best middle linebacker in the league and some may argue he should be the first. Mosley isn’t in that conversation yet. Besides, Wagner generally has to do more for the Seahawks, ranging all over the field in coverage and, of course, stuffing the run, than Mosley has to do for his team.

Next: NFL 2018: One breakout candidate for each team

Where Wagner Fits

In this article, nine linebackers — including Wagner — from the last two decades were discussed. If the nine were ranked based on skill and projected future success, Wagner would be fifth behind Kuechly, Urlacher, Willis and Lewis. What Wagner really needs to elevate to the next level is earn a Defensive Player of the Year award. If he wins one, then he’ll enter the conversation for Hall of Fame locks, instead of just Hall of Fame maybes.

Even if he doesn’t win defenses’ greatest individual award, he’s on the right track to enter Canton one day. His health and whether he can maintain consistent production in the second half of his career will play a big role in determining just where he ends up among the all-time greats.

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Seattle Seahawks: Bobby Wagner compared to recent great linebackers?

By Samuel Teets | Jun 1, 2018