We are days away from the NFL's free agency negotiation window on March 13, when teams can begin discussing contracts with the league's free agents. The 31 teams that didn't win the Super Bowl will spend the coming months bolstering their rosters in order to compete with Patrick Mahomes and the champion Kansas City Chiefs during the 2023 season. 

The first major step in the offseason process is free agency. And with free agency on the horizon, we continue to look at the top availble players at each position. Here's a look at the top linebackers hitting the market, both edge rushers and traditional, inside linebackers. 

The list of available free agents and snap count percentages are via overthecap.com. 

Edge Rushers/Outside Linebackers

Player2022 TeamTypeSnapsAge

Lorenzo Carter

Falcons

UFA

81%

28

Kyle Van Noy

Chargers

UFA

70.1%

32

Yannick Ngakoue

Colts

UFA

64.3%

28

Jihad Ward

Giants

UFA

58.1%

29

Anthony Nelson

Buccaneers

UFA

56.5%

26

Al-Quadin Muhammad

Bears

SFA

55.9%

28

Charles Omenihu

49ers

UFA

53.5%

26

Jason Pierre-Paul

Ravens

UFA

53.2%

34

Samson Ebukam

49ers

UFA

52.2%

28

Rasheem Green

Texans

UFA

48.5%

26

Kentavius Street

Saints

UFA

45.8%

27

Carlos Dunlap

Chiefs

UFA

45.4%

34

Jadeveon Clowney

Browns

Void

45.3%

30

Melvin Ingram

Dolphins

UFA

44.8%

34

Oshane Ximines

Giants

UFA

44.7%

27

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

Texans

UFA

44.2%  

28

Clelin Ferrell

Raiders

UFA

43.8%

26

Marcus Davenport

Saints

Void

43.3%

27

Shaq Lawson

Bills

UFA

43.2%

29

Arden KeyJaguarsUFA40.8%27
Justin HollinsPackersUFA40.7%27
Efe ObadaCommandersUFA
37.4%
31
Malik ReedSteelersUFA37.2%27
Justin HoustonRavensUFA36.3%34
Robert QuinnEaglesUFA35.9%33
Bruce IrvinSeahawksUFA34.6%36

UFA = Unrestricted Free Agent
SFA = Street Free Agent
Void = Voidable Year Contract

There aren't any superstars in this year's group of edge players and outside linebackers, but there is a solid starter whose sack totals have him in the company of all-time greats. Yannick Ngakoue, who turns 28 in March, has recorded eight or more sacks in each of his first seven seasons, including 9.5 in 2022, his only season with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Only four others have done that since individual sacks have been recorded, since 1982: three Hall of Famers (DeMarcus Ware, Derrick Thomas, Reggie White) and Los Angeles Rams defensive Aaron Donald, a future Hall of Famer. If a team needs at least eight sacks and more juice for its pass rush, Ngakoue should be the first call. 

Players with 8+ sacks in each of first seven seasons of career (since individual sacks have been recorded in 1982):

PlayerSeasons

Yannick Ngakoue   

2016-2022

Aaron Donald

2014-2020

DeMarcus Ware*

2005-2011

Derrick Thomas*

1989-1995

Reggie White*

1985-1991

* Pro Football Hall of Famer

Lorenzo Carter could be a high-upside add on a one-year, prove-it deal at 27 years old. Samson Ebukam was the San Francisco 49ers' second-best pass-rush option opposite 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, totaling 5.0 sacks, the second-most on the team. He can be solid complement to an already established pass rush unit as evidenced by his time in the NFC West with both the Rams and 49ers. For contending teams needing help on the cheap, there's a number of established veterans to choose from in this class, including Jason Pierre-Paul, Carlos Dunlap, Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram, Justin Houston, Robert Quinn and Bruce Irvin. 

Inside Linebackers

Player2022 TeamTypeSnapsAge

Nicholas Morrow

Bears

UFA

99.8%

28

Bobby WagnerRamsUFA99.1%32

Rashaan Evans

Falcons

UFA

98.4%

28

Lavonte David

Buccaneers

Void

95.9%

33

Alex Anzalone

Lions

UFA

95.1%

29

T.J. Edwards

Eagles

Void

94.1%

27

Drue Tranquill

Chargers

UFA

93.4%

28

Bobby Okereke

Colts

UFA

85.1%

27

Cody Barton

Seahawks

UFA

77.4%

27

Kyzir White

Eagles

UFA

76.3%

27

Tremaine Edmunds

Bills

UFA

72.3%

25

Quincy WilliamsJetsUFA70%26

Germaine Pratt

Bengals

UFA

69.8%

27

Alex Singleton

Broncos

UFA

67.4%

30

Leighton Vander Esch

Cowboys

UFA

65%

27

David Long Jr.

Titans

UFA 

63.4%

27

Devin Bush

Steelers

UFA

61.9%

25

Elandon Roberts

Dolphins

UFA

59.4%

29

The inside linebacking group is headlined by the NFL's top two leaders in tackles across the last 11 seasons in Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David. The Rams recently released Wagner just one season into a five-year, $50 million contract due to salary cap issues. 

Most tackles since 2012

PlayerTackles

Bobby Wagner

1,523*  

Lavonte David

1,346*  

Demario Davis

1,136

Luke Kuechly

1,092

Harrison Smith

946

*Free agents this offseason  

Wagner, an eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro, registered a career-high 6.0 sacks in 2022 at age 32, showing he still has plenty of gas in the tank. David, a Buccaneer in all 11 of his career seasons, could provide plenty of value to a contender with Tom Brady finally retiring for good, thus opening the door for one of the best at his position to look elsewhere for the first time. David Long Jr. could be one of the best values of this class at 26 years old since he is a three-down linebacker who is strong against the run and is a surefire tackler. Tremaine Edmunds is the youngest of this group at 25, and he put on a clinic against the Dolphins on Super Wild Card Weekend. Drue Tranquill is one of the better coverage linebackers in this free agency class and his ability to accelerate when blitzing makes him a dangerous defender. Leighton Vander Esch isn't the same electrifying talent that he was during his lone Pro Bowl season as a rookie in 2018, but his ability to read and react against opposing offenses remains.