Best Linebacker Groups in the NFL

Today I will continue with the series I am having about which teams I believe have the best linebacker corp in the NFL. I will account not only for starting players, but also backups as well. Let us see where the top teams rank:

1. San Francisco 49'ers- This one was by far one of the easiest teams to decide upon. They have so much talent in their linebacker unit that it has to make other teams jealous. First, they have Navarro Bowman, who is extremely overlooked and is an excellent player maker. Then you have Patrick Willis, who is really good at forcing opponents to plan around him. Finally you have Aldon Smith, who struggled heavily when Justin Smith went down with an injury, but still is able to cause chaos. There is a lot of amazing depth in this group so I would never overlook this defense.

2. San Diego Chargers- Last year overall this unit was honestly average. Then Tom Telesco came into town and dumped all of the mediocre players and replaced them with better ones. Dwight Freeney is a big help to this young unit and Donald Butler is a star in the making. Jarret Johnson continues to dominate in preventing anyone from running anywhere (he was not on the field when 4th and 29 happened) and Manti Te'o I think is going to be good enough. They also signed D.J. Smith as a perfect man to backup the inside linebackers and Larry English will have one last year to prove if he has anything. Keep an eye on these guys though and do not be surprised if they impress you next year.

3. Houston Texans- I would have put them above the San Diego Chargers, but it seems like every year someone gets a major injury and is out. Even so, Brian Cushing will be great if he returns back to his normal self and the recent addition of Joe Mays will help with depth for sure. What really excites me about this group is the emergence of Whitney Mercilus because the guy helped to rush the passer a lot last season. If they can stay healthy, this is a great group.

4. Baltimore Ravens- I have to admit, losing a leader like Ray Lewis will hurt this team next year, which is why I do not think they will win the Super Bowl next year. However, the addition of Elvis Dumervil will help with the pass rush a lot and Courtney Upshaw is looking like a great player in the making. Daryl Smith will keep being the perfect depth man for this team and there are some young guys that I think can grow into good players this year. Of course they also have Suggs, so I imagine opposing quarterbacks will not want to face this team on Sunday.

5. Kansas City Chiefs- This was honestly between the Cowboys and the Chiefs, but I gave the Chiefs the edge because Tamba Hali is amazing and Justin Houston is quietly coming out as an animal in the pass rush. I love the addition of Nico Johnson in this years draft and I also like the depth this team has. It is a formidable group that I think will impress next year. I would not be surprised if under Andy Reid the Chiefs make the wild card spot because Andy Reid is a winner.