Most Underpaid Linebackers in the NFL

• The Cleveland Browns have the lowest cap hit for linebackers at $10.1 million.
• The average NFL team has a $25.2 million cap hit for linebackers.

Linebackers are often regarded as the quarterbacks of their defenses, but some NFL teams don’t pay them like they do their signal callers.

Here’s a look at the most underpaid linebackers in the league, which can better help you put together NFL parlays.

NFL Linebacker Spending

Most Underpaid and Overpaid NFL Players

Overpaid Quarterbacks | Underpaid Quarterbacks | Overpaid Running Backs | Underpaid Running Backs | Overpaid Wide Receivers | Underpaid Wide Receivers | Overpaid Offensive Linemen | Underpaid Offensive Linemen | Overpaid Defensive Linemen | Underpaid Defensive Linemen | Overpaid Linebackers | Overpaid Defensive Backs | Underpaid Defensive Backs

Most Underpaid Linebacker Groups

Cleveland Browns

The Browns’ cap hit for linebackers is the lowest in the NFL at $10.1 million. That’s $15.1 million below the average.

The team won’t have a linebacker with more than a $2 million cap hit. Anthony Walker Jr., who tied for 19th in Pro Football Focus’ grades of linebackers who played at least 20% of the most snaps in the league, will have a cap hit of $1.8 million.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, an outside linebacker drafted in the second round last season, will have a cap hit of $1.5 million. He was 10th in PFF’s grades as a rookie.

Sione Takitaki, with a cap hit of $1.2 million, was graded 22nd by PFF. The Browns, who have Super Bowl odds of +2000, were in the top half of the league in PFF’s team grades for coverage (first), pass rush (eighth). run defense (15th) and tackling (16th).

Welcome to Cleveland, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah!#BrownsDraft | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/NOMeUyAWmh

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 1, 2021

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys had another rookie stand out last season. Micah Parsons was the Defensive Rookie of the Year after being drafted 12th overall.

He leads the team for cap hits among linebackers at $3.9 million. Dallas is sixth in the league for cap spending on linebackers at $12.6 million.

Leighton Vander Esch will have a cap hit of $2 million and was 39th in PFF’s grades while Parsons was first. No other Cowboys linebacker will have a cap hit of more than $1.2 million.

Dallas was 15th in PFF’s overall grades of defenses in 2021.

The lion is HUNGRY!!!#DALvsWAS |📺 : @NFLonFOX #ProBowlVote @MicahhParsons11 pic.twitter.com/fkQcU8ltJo

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 12, 2021

New Orleans Saints

The Saints’ linebacker cap spending last season was seventh, just behind the Cowboys, at $14.1 million. Their linebacking corps was one of the best in the league in 2021.

Demario Davis leads the team with a $5.9 million cap hit. And while he’s 33 years old, he was ninth last season in PFF’s grades.

Pete Werner was even higher on that list, as he was graded sixth. The 23-year-old will have a cap hit of $1.3 million. Zack Baun ($1.3 million) is the only other linebacker on the team with a cap hit of more than $1 million.

While it was with Kwon Alexander, the Saints’ overall defense was graded second by PFF in 2021.

Not your average 🙌 @demario__davis pic.twitter.com/7XBXlDzCcr

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 8, 2022