Is Fred Warner among the NFL’s Top Tier LBs?
The dirty work; it’s the jobs that require all of the grind and none of the real recognition. As guys like you take a beating from superstar RBs and slow them down, Stephen A. and all of the clowns who add to the massive YouTube library celebrate the QBs and any other drama-filled player. Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, DeShaun Watson, today is not your day. This article is to celebrate the silent but deadly workhorse. Today is a day for guys like former BYU Cougar, Fred Warner.
As I watched my Ravens struggle for the first time in multiple areas on offense, one number kept popping across the stat-line. That number was 54. With 79 tackles on the year, Fred has terrorized multiple offenses and caused coordinators headaches. According to NFL.com, Warner is ranked in the top-10 in solo tackles through week 14. He was even the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 12. Don’t just take my word for it. According to Rotoworld.com:
“In the blowout win over the Packers, Warner was buzzing all over the field with a bunch of stops in the run game, two QB hurries, one sack, and one forced fumble. He’s been a key element of DC Robert Saleh‘s defense since Kwon Alexander went down with a season-ending injury.”
Not only is this freak giving out hugs every play, Warner has also been very solid in zone coverage, blanketing speedsters like Hollywood Brown to cause 3-and-outs against the Baltimore Ravens.
To give you an idea of how good his pass-coverage is, I am going to mention a premier CB in this league and his stats. Chris Harris Jr. has 5-passes-defensed on the season for the Denver Broncos. The 9er Fred Warner has 8. People try him and extremely disappointed in the results. This young man is constantly around the ball and is the driving force behind the team’s #1 ranked defense.
Rave all you want about the Jimmy-Gs and Tevin Colemans on this hot team (even with the L yesterday), Warner is exceptional and definitely worth mentioning amongst the top tier LBs in this league.