Amid the last few weeks, Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks has been showered with Top-3-in-the-league linebacker kudos. Rankings are rampant during this downtime of the offseason, after mandatory minicamps but before training camp. It gives the digital stratosphere time to analyze players, position by position, establishing expectations and a pecking order for the upcoming season.
Pro Football Focus did it for linebackers a while back, and CBS Sports followed suit in June. Per both entities, Kendricks placed as the NFL’s third-best linebacker entering 2021, just behind Bobby Wagner and Fred Warner respectively.