It seemed pretty unanimous that San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner is the best linebacker in the league. Year in and year out, Warner has dominated in every facet of the position like no other linebacker in the league. That’s typically reflected in any linebacker rankings. However, a list where Warner wasn’t at the top recently came out, and it surprisingly came from a credible voice.
Former linebacker Manti Te'o, now an NFL analyst, ranked his top 10 linebackers entering the 2025 season. Warner was second on the list, trailing veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner. Wagner is a future Hall of Famer, and has been dominant for a long time, but Te'o may be the only person willing to say he’s the No. 1 linebacker in the league over Warner.
Manti Te'o ranks Bobby Wagner over Fred Warner
Te'o didn’t dive into specifics of why one linebacker was ranked over another, instead just detailing everything the linebackers do well. However, considering his blurb on Wagner, it seems like his spot at No. 1 was a bit of a legacy pick. Te'o acknowledges the veteran has slowed down some, even though he’s still playing well, and that he even tried to emulate his game when he was playing.
"He is one of the most cerebral players at the linebacker position, which is why the 10-time Pro Bowler has been able to play at such a high level throughout his career. He's great at dissecting plays and alerting the defense pre-snap, and his post-snap reactions are precise, as he rarely takes a false step. Naturally, the 35-year-old has slowed some, recording three of his lowest Pro Football Focus coverage grades in the last four seasons, but his ability to move efficiently has allowed him to stay near the top of the league in tackling, blitzing and run-stuffing."Manti Te'o (NFL.com)
With respect to Wagner and Te'o, Warner is undoubtedly the best linebacker in the league. He’s in the prime of his career, and there aren’t any weaknesses in his game. He has demonstrated that year after year, and he’ll do it again in 2025.
