PTF 2007 OUTSIDE LINEBACKER POWER RANKINGS
One LOLB, one ROLB — same NOVR formula on both sides, with confirmed actual starters taking priority over roster-based assumptions.
HOW THE RANKINGS WORK
Team OLB Score = 50% starting LOLB NOVR + 50% starting ROLB NOVR.
LOLB and ROLB use the exact same NOVR calculation. There is no Left_OVR adjustment.
The default method is still one listed LOLB plus one listed ROLB. If no actual lineup information is available, an extreme roster imbalance can justify moving a same-side OLB across only when the talent gap is enormous.
Confirmed actual starters override that assumption. We now have three corrections:
- Ravens: Zac Diles 58 starts at LOLB and Tim McGarigle 72 starts at ROLB.
- Bengals: Antwan Barnes 49 starts at LOLB and Takeo Spikes 98 starts at ROLB.
- Rams: Marvin Mitchell 61 starts at LOLB and Robert McCune 71 starts at ROLB.
So Nick Greisen does not count as Baltimore's starter, Jon Alston does not count for Cincinnati, and St. Louis does not move McCune across to replace Mitchell.
The only remaining unconfirmed side-switch exception in the ranking is Jacksonville, where Akin Ayodele 88 is used opposite Na'il Diggs 90 because the listed-side alternative is more than 10 NOVR lower.
League-average team OLB score: 82.67
League median team OLB score: 82.75
THE FULL LEAGUE OLB POWER RANKING
1. Bears — 95 — LOLB Joey Porter 96 | ROLB Marcus Washington 94
2. Bills — 94.5 — LOLB Julian Peterson 97 | ROLB Will Witherspoon 92
T3. 49ers — 93.5 — LOLB Channing Crowder 91 | ROLB Rosevelt Colvin 96
T3. Vikings — 93.5 — LOLB Keith Bulluck 95 | ROLB Joe Odom 92
5. Titans — 93 — LOLB Terrence Holt 89 | ROLB Tank Williams 97
6. Cardinals — 91.5 — LOLB Paul Posluszny 85 | ROLB London Fletcher 98
7. Browns — 90 — LOLB Shawn Barber 85 | ROLB Dhani Jones 95
8. Jaguars — 89 — LOLB Akin Ayodele 88 | ROLB Na'il Diggs 90
9. Lions — 87.5 — LOLB Robert Reynolds 95 | ROLB Jim Maxwell 80
10. Redskins — 87 — LOLB LaVar Arrington 97 | ROLB Calvin Pace 77
11. Giants — 86.5 — LOLB Hunter Hillenmeyer 79 | ROLB Peter Boulware 94
12. Buccaneers — 86 — LOLB Kendyll Pope 76 | ROLB Derrick Brooks 96
13. Cowboys — 85.5 — LOLB Troy Polamalu 99 | ROLB Norman LeJeune 72
14. Saints — 85 — LOLB Anthony Schlegel 80 | ROLB Victor Hobson 90
15. Steelers — 83.5 — LOLB Kevin Burnett 76 | ROLB Ian Gold 91
16. Patriots — 83 — LOLB David Pollack 74 | ROLB Matt Stewart 92
17. Packers — 82.5 — LOLB Scott Fujita 87 | ROLB Jeff Ulbrich 78
18. Broncos — 82 — LOLB Leroy Hill 78 | ROLB Jon Beason 86
T19. Colts — 81.5 — LOLB Matt McCoy 74 | ROLB David Thornton 89
T19. Texans — 81.5 — LOLB Mike Peterson 83 | ROLB Kailee Wong 80
21. Jets — 81 — LOLB Anthony Spencer 75 | ROLB Gilbert Gardner 87
22. Dolphins — 79.5 — LOLB Stephen Tulloch 74 | ROLB Morlon Greenwood 85
23. Seahawks — 79 — LOLB T.J. Slaughter 61 | ROLB E.J. Henderson 97
T24. Chiefs — 77.5 — LOLB Derrick Johnson 86 | ROLB Clint Ingram 69
T24. Falcons — 77.5 — LOLB Darryl Blackstock 74 | ROLB Demorrio Williams 81
26. Panthers — 77 — LOLB Clint Session 71 | ROLB Richard Seigler 83
27. Eagles — 75 — LOLB Lorenzo Alexander 80 | ROLB Andre Sommersell 70
28. Bengals — 73.5 — LOLB Antwan Barnes 49 | ROLB Takeo Spikes 98
29. Chargers — 73 — LOLB Rocky McIntosh 63 | ROLB James Davis 83
30. Raiders — 70 — LOLB Manny Lawson 63 | ROLB Dontarrious Thomas 77
31. Rams — 66 — LOLB Marvin Mitchell 61 | ROLB Robert McCune 71
32. Ravens — 65 — LOLB Zac Diles 58 | ROLB Tim McGarigle 72
Chicago remains #1 at 95.0, with Buffalo only half a point behind. San Francisco and Minnesota stay tied for third.
The confirmed starter corrections mostly affect the bottom half of the league. Cincinnati falls sharply because Takeo Spikes 98 is paired with actual starter Antwan Barnes 49. Baltimore also drops because the real pair is Diles 58 / McGarigle 72 rather than the more talented Greisen/McGarigle combination used in the first version.
St. Louis is similarly confirmed at Mitchell 61 / McCune 71, so the Rams do not receive the artificial boost from moving McCune to the other side.
TOP LEFT OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
1. Troy Polamalu, Cowboys — NOVR 99 — Age 27 — 207 lbs
2. Julian Peterson, Bills — NOVR 97 — Age 29 — 235 lbs
3. LaVar Arrington, Redskins — NOVR 97 — Age 29 — 253 lbs
4. Joey Porter, Bears — NOVR 96 — Age 30 — 250 lbs
5. Robert Reynolds, Lions — NOVR 95 — Age 26 — 242 lbs
6. Keith Bulluck, Vikings — NOVR 95 — Age 30 — 235 lbs
7. Channing Crowder, 49ers — NOVR 91 — Age 24 — 250 lbs
8. Terrence Holt, Titans — NOVR 89 — Age 27 — 204 lbs
9. Scott Fujita, Packers — NOVR 87 — Age 28 — 247 lbs
10. Derrick Johnson, Chiefs — NOVR 86 — Age 24 — 245 lbs
11. Paul Posluszny, Cardinals — NOVR 85 — Age 23 — 232 lbs
12. Shawn Barber, Browns — NOVR 85 — Age 32 — 245 lbs
13. Ryan Nece, Browns — NOVR 84 — Age 28 — 224 lbs
14. Mike Peterson, Texans — NOVR 83 — Age 31 — 230 lbs
15. Cato June, 49ers — NOVR 82 — Age 27 — 225 lbs
Troy Polamalu is the only 99 OLB in the entire pool. Julian Peterson and LaVar Arrington are next at 97, followed by Joey Porter at 96.
TOP RIGHT OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
1. Takeo Spikes, Bengals — NOVR 98 — Age 31 — 242 lbs
2. London Fletcher, Cardinals — NOVR 98 — Age 32 — 245 lbs
3. E.J. Henderson, Seahawks — NOVR 97 — Age 26 — 245 lbs
4. Tank Williams, Titans — NOVR 97 — Age 27 — 223 lbs
5. Rosevelt Colvin, 49ers — NOVR 96 — Age 30 — 250 lbs
6. Derrick Brooks, Buccaneers — NOVR 96 — Age 34 — 235 lbs
7. Dhani Jones, Browns — NOVR 95 — Age 29 — 240 lbs
8. Marcus Washington, Bears — NOVR 94 — Age 30 — 247 lbs
9. Peter Boulware, Giants — NOVR 94 — Age 33 — 255 lbs
10. Joe Odom, Vikings — NOVR 92 — Age 26 — 240 lbs
11. Will Witherspoon, Bills — NOVR 92 — Age 27 — 234 lbs
12. Matt Stewart, Patriots — NOVR 92 — Age 28 — 232 lbs
13. Ian Gold, Steelers — NOVR 91 — Age 29 — 223 lbs
14. Victor Hobson, Saints — NOVR 90 — Age 25 — 254 lbs
15. Nathaniel Adibi, 49ers — NOVR 90 — Age 26 — 240 lbs
Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher share the top ROLB score at 98. E.J. Henderson and Tank Williams are right behind at 97, with Rosevelt Colvin and Derrick Brooks at 96.
THE NEXT GENERATION — BEST ROSTERED OLBs AGE 25 OR YOUNGER
1. Channing Crowder, 49ers — LOLB — NOVR 91 — Age 24 — 250 lbs
2. Victor Hobson, Saints — ROLB — NOVR 90 — Age 25 — 254 lbs
3. Jon Beason, Broncos — ROLB — NOVR 86 — Age 22 — 232 lbs
4. Chad Greenway, Giants — ROLB — NOVR 86 — Age 24 — 237 lbs
5. Derrick Johnson, Chiefs — LOLB — NOVR 86 — Age 24 — 245 lbs
6. Paul Posluszny, Cardinals — LOLB — NOVR 85 — Age 23 — 232 lbs
7. James Davis, Chargers — ROLB — NOVR 83 — Age 25 — 240 lbs
8. Lorenzo Alexander, Eagles — LOLB — NOVR 80 — Age 25 — 245 lbs
9. Hunter Hillenmeyer, Giants — LOLB — NOVR 79 — Age 25 — 238 lbs
10. Thomas Davis Sr., Cowboys — LOLB — NOVR 79 — Age 25 — 235 lbs
11. Leroy Hill, Broncos — LOLB — NOVR 78 — Age 24 — 238 lbs
12. Nick Speegle, Panthers — ROLB — NOVR 78 — Age 25 — 250 lbs
13. Michael Boley, Lions — ROLB — NOVR 77 — Age 23 — 230 lbs
14. Dontarrious Thomas, Raiders — ROLB — NOVR 77 — Age 25 — 241 lbs
15. Kevin Burnett, Steelers — LOLB — NOVR 76 — Age 24 — 240 lbs
16. Kendyll Pope, Buccaneers — LOLB — NOVR 76 — Age 25 — 220 lbs
17. Anthony Spencer, Jets — LOLB — NOVR 75 — Age 23 — 265 lbs
18. Stephen Tulloch, Dolphins — LOLB — NOVR 74 — Age 22 — 245 lbs
19. Darryl Blackstock, Falcons — LOLB — NOVR 74 — Age 24 — 240 lbs
20. Matt McCoy, Colts — LOLB — NOVR 74 — Age 24 — 232 lbs
Channing Crowder leads the young group at 24/91. Victor Hobson is the only other age-25-or-younger OLB at 90, while Jon Beason, Chad Greenway and Derrick Johnson form the 86 tier.
CONFIRMED STARTER CORRECTIONS
Ravens — 65.0
Zac Diles 58 starts at LOLB and Tim McGarigle 72 starts at ROLB. The previous 75.0 estimate incorrectly treated Nick Greisen 78 as the ROLB starter and moved McGarigle across. With the real lineup, Baltimore loses 10 full room-score points.
Bengals — 73.5
Takeo Spikes is elite at 98, but actual LOLB starter Antwan Barnes is only 49 NOVR. The first version tried to solve Cincinnati's imbalance by moving Jon Alston across; the real lineup is much more one-sided.
Rams — 66.0
Marvin Mitchell 61 starts at LOLB and Robert McCune 71 at ROLB. Because those are the real starters, there is no reason to move McCune across just to improve the mathematical room score.
These corrections are a good reminder that actual lineup data beats optimization. The purpose of the article is to rank the players who are really starting, not the two OLBs we would choose ourselves.
DIVISION-BY-DIVISION BREAKDOWN
AFC EAST
1. Bills — 94.5 — League 2 — LOLB Julian Peterson 97 | ROLB Will Witherspoon 92
2. Patriots — 83 — League 16 — LOLB David Pollack 74 | ROLB Matt Stewart 92
3. Jets — 81 — League 21 — LOLB Anthony Spencer 75 | ROLB Gilbert Gardner 87
4. Dolphins — 79.5 — League 22 — LOLB Stephen Tulloch 74 | ROLB Morlon Greenwood 85
Buffalo remains the division's standout and the #2 OLB room in the league. New England is solid, while the Jets and Dolphins sit well behind the Bills.
AFC NORTH
1. Browns — 90 — League 7 — LOLB Shawn Barber 85 | ROLB Dhani Jones 95
2. Steelers — 83.5 — League 15 — LOLB Kevin Burnett 76 | ROLB Ian Gold 91
3. Bengals — 73.5 — League 28 — LOLB Antwan Barnes 49 | ROLB Takeo Spikes 98
4. Ravens — 65 — League 32 — LOLB Zac Diles 58 | ROLB Tim McGarigle 72
Cleveland now clearly owns the division. Cincinnati has the highest-rated individual player in Takeo Spikes 98, but Barnes 49 creates one of the most extreme starting imbalances in the league. Baltimore's confirmed Diles/McGarigle pair also sits near the bottom.
AFC SOUTH
1. Titans — 93 — League 5 — LOLB Terrence Holt 89 | ROLB Tank Williams 97
2. Jaguars — 89 — League 8 — LOLB Akin Ayodele 88 | ROLB Na'il Diggs 90
3. Colts — 81.5 — League T19 — LOLB Matt McCoy 74 | ROLB David Thornton 89
4. Texans — 81.5 — League T19 — LOLB Mike Peterson 83 | ROLB Kailee Wong 80
Tennessee and Jacksonville give the AFC South two top-eight rooms. Houston and Indianapolis are more ordinary but keep the division relatively strong overall.
AFC WEST
1. Broncos — 82 — League 18 — LOLB Leroy Hill 78 | ROLB Jon Beason 86
2. Chiefs — 77.5 — League T24 — LOLB Derrick Johnson 86 | ROLB Clint Ingram 69
3. Chargers — 73 — League 29 — LOLB Rocky McIntosh 63 | ROLB James Davis 83
4. Raiders — 70 — League 30 — LOLB Manny Lawson 63 | ROLB Dontarrious Thomas 77
The AFC West remains the weakest OLB division. Denver leads the group, while San Diego and Oakland both sit near the bottom of the league.
NFC EAST
1. Redskins — 87 — League 10 — LOLB LaVar Arrington 97 | ROLB Calvin Pace 77
2. Giants — 86.5 — League 11 — LOLB Hunter Hillenmeyer 79 | ROLB Peter Boulware 94
3. Cowboys — 85.5 — League 13 — LOLB Troy Polamalu 99 | ROLB Norman LeJeune 72
4. Eagles — 75 — League 27 — LOLB Lorenzo Alexander 80 | ROLB Andre Sommersell 70
Washington owns the division's best OLB room. Dallas has Troy Polamalu 99 but remains limited by the opposite-side starter.
NFC NORTH
1. Bears — 95 — League 1 — LOLB Joey Porter 96 | ROLB Marcus Washington 94
2. Vikings — 93.5 — League T3 — LOLB Keith Bulluck 95 | ROLB Joe Odom 92
3. Lions — 87.5 — League 9 — LOLB Robert Reynolds 95 | ROLB Jim Maxwell 80
4. Packers — 82.5 — League 17 — LOLB Scott Fujita 87 | ROLB Jeff Ulbrich 78
The NFC North remains the strongest OLB division. Chicago is #1, Minnesota is tied for #3, and Detroit also ranks in the top ten.
NFC SOUTH
1. Buccaneers — 86 — League 12 — LOLB Kendyll Pope 76 | ROLB Derrick Brooks 96
2. Saints — 85 — League 14 — LOLB Anthony Schlegel 80 | ROLB Victor Hobson 90
3. Falcons — 77.5 — League T24 — LOLB Darryl Blackstock 74 | ROLB Demorrio Williams 81
4. Panthers — 77 — League 26 — LOLB Clint Session 71 | ROLB Richard Seigler 83
Tampa Bay leads the group behind Derrick Brooks, with New Orleans close behind. Atlanta and Carolina pull the divisional average down.
NFC WEST
1. 49ers — 93.5 — League T3 — LOLB Channing Crowder 91 | ROLB Rosevelt Colvin 96
2. Cardinals — 91.5 — League 6 — LOLB Paul Posluszny 85 | ROLB London Fletcher 98
3. Seahawks — 79 — League 23 — LOLB T.J. Slaughter 61 | ROLB E.J. Henderson 97
4. Rams — 66 — League 31 — LOLB Marvin Mitchell 61 | ROLB Robert McCune 71
San Francisco and Arizona give the division a strong top end. The Rams fall after the confirmed Mitchell/McCune lineup, while Seattle remains very top-heavy.
DIVISION STRENGTH RANKING
1. NFC NORTH — 89.62
2. AFC SOUTH — 86.25
3. AFC EAST — 84.50
4. NFC EAST — 83.50
5. NFC WEST — 82.50
6. NFC SOUTH — 81.38
7. AFC NORTH — 78.00
8. AFC WEST — 75.62
The NFC North remains the strongest OLB division. The confirmed Cincinnati, Baltimore and St. Louis starters lower the AFC North and NFC West compared with the first version.
UNASSIGNED OLBs WORTH WATCHING
1. Sam Cowart — LOLB — NOVR 82 — Age 32 — 245 lbs
2. Eric Barton — ROLB — NOVR 81 — Age 30 — 245 lbs
3. Anthony Simmons — LOLB — NOVR 81 — Age 31 — 240 lbs
4. Mike Vrabel — ROLB — NOVR 81 — Age 32 — 261 lbs
5. Clark Haggans — ROLB — NOVR 78 — Age 30 — 243 lbs
6. Alshermond Singleton — ROLB — NOVR 75 — Age 32 — 250 lbs
7. Brandon Short — LOLB — NOVR 74 — Age 30 — 253 lbs
8. Nate Wayne — ROLB — NOVR 74 — Age 32 — 237 lbs
9. Steve Foley — LOLB — NOVR 74 — Age 32 — 265 lbs
10. Ben Taylor — ROLB — NOVR 69 — Age 29 — 245 lbs
11. Raynoch Thompson — LOLB — NOVR 69 — Age 30 — 224 lbs
12. Tommy Polley — LOLB — NOVR 68 — Age 29 — 240 lbs
13. Boomer Grigsby — ROLB — NOVR 64 — Age 23 — 237 lbs
14. LeVar Woods — ROLB — NOVR 64 — Age 29 — 244 lbs
15. Corey Jenkins — LOLB — NOVR 63 — Age 28 — 220 lbs
The free-agent pool does not have an elite OLB, but Sam Cowart 82, Eric Barton 81, Anthony Simmons 81 and Mike Vrabel 81 are all capable veteran depth or short-term starters for weaker rooms.
GM TAKEAWAYS
1. Actual starters matter more than optimized roster talent. Baltimore, Cincinnati and St. Louis all score lower once we use the players who are actually starting.
2. Chicago and Buffalo remain the league standard. Neither ranking depends on a lineup assumption or side-switch adjustment.
3. Cincinnati is the most extreme confirmed OLB pairing. Takeo Spikes is 98, but Antwan Barnes is only 49, producing a 73.5 room despite having one of the best OLBs in PTF.
4. Baltimore is younger than the first version suggested. The actual starters are 22-year-old Zac Diles and 24-year-old Tim McGarigle, but the current talent level is only 65.0.
5. St. Louis also chooses youth over the mathematically strongest pair. Marvin Mitchell is 23 and Robert McCune 25, giving the Rams a young but currently weak 66.0 room.
6. The Jacksonville side-switch should remain marked as an assumption. It is the only team where the article still overrides the listed sides without confirmed lineup information.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The corrected OLB ranking is now more lineup-driven and less theoretical.
Because LOLB and ROLB use the same NOVR formula, it is tempting to optimize every team by simply taking the best two OLBs. But that is not what this article is trying to measure. We want the quality of the players actually occupying the two starting OLB spots.
That is why Baltimore stays with Diles/McGarigle, Cincinnati with Barnes/Spikes, and St. Louis with Mitchell/McCune even though each team has a mathematically stronger alternative on the roster.
When actual starter information is unavailable, the roster-side method remains the fallback, with only very large mismatches considered for a possible switch.
ONE IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT OLB NOVR
Across the full 177-OLB NOVR pool:
- 23 OLBs are 90+
- 13 OLBs are 95+
- 1 OLB is 99
- Average NOVR: 69.32
- Median NOVR: 69
The OLB scale is much more top-heavy than some other defensive positions, but the elite talent is concentrated in relatively few team rooms. The 50/50 two-starter score therefore rewards teams that have quality on both sides rather than one superstar and a major weak link.
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