June 26th, 2011 
Adam Warwas 
Posted in Over the course of Leslie Frazier’s tenure with the Vikings as defensive coordinator, plenty of Vikings fans have complained that the team hasn’t been aggressive enough in sending their linebackers on blitzes.
Regardless of whether or not they have blitzed often enough or not, Pro Football Focus has conducted a comprehensive look into the subject of the NFL’s best rushing linebackers, and the Vikings linebackers come through looking pretty darn good.
The lists created include only traditional 4-3 linebackers and also inside linebackers from 3-4 defenses, and linebackers must have taken enough snaps to qualify for each list. They utilize a somewhat complicated formula to decide how these players are ranked, and for more info on that you can click here.
In 2010, Desmond Bishop of the Packers was the top pass rushing linebacker (remember, traditional linebackers) in the NFL while D.J. Williams of the Broncos was ranked second on their list. Third, was Vikings franchise player Chad Greenway with 91 pass rushing snaps with 16 quarterback pressures.
Twelfth on the list was E.J. Henderson who rushed the passer on 105 snaps with 14 quarterback pressures. Ben Leber didn’t make the list (lack of snaps) in 2010.
However, they decided to take a look at linebackers over the course of the last three years, and guess who was the best pass rushing linebacker of the whole bunch?
Ben Leber.
On 204 pass rushing snaps, Leber contributed 45 quarterback pressures. Greenway was listed fifth on the list, with 285 pass rushing snaps and 45 pressures.
PFF went out of their way to note that Henderson also would have made the top five (ahead of Greenway, actually) if he had qualified. He didn’t have enough qualifying snaps to make their list, however, mainly because of injury keeping him off the field in 2009.
There are a few points that can be taken away from their article (read the whole thing here) with the main one being that the Vikings are efficient blitzers under Frazier’s defense, even if they don’t blitz most often.
I have to say, the vikings have to work on their blitzing if they ever get a chance. thanks to the argument their having.
On another note, don’t let Leber get away…
[...] recently mentioned an article in which Pro Football Focus pins Ben Leber as the best pass rushing linebacker in the league over [...]