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A trio of Wisconsin Badgers appeared on ProFootballFocus’ list of the top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2025 NFL season on Wednesday.
Headlined by San Francisco 49ers superstar linebacker Fred Warner, PFF's annual hierarchy included former Badgers Zack Baun, T.J. Edwards and Leo Chenal.
Baun, who emerged as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive anchor throughout their Super Bowl-winning 2024 season, earned the outlet's No. 2 designation behind Warner. He landed ahead of Washington Commanders veteran Bobby Wagner, Baltimore Ravens star Roquan Smith and Denver Broncos star Dre Greenlaw in the top 5.
In 16 starts for the Eagles, the UW alumnus tallied 151 tackles, 11 for loss, five quarterback hits, 3 1/2 sacks, four pass deflections, five forced fumbles and an interception. The superstar-caliber performance earned him first-team All-Pro honors, as well as a spot on the Pro Bowl roster. The Brown Deer, Wisconsin, native was joined T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson and Patrick Surtain II (winner) as finalists for the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Baun also accumulated 33 total tackles (20 solo), two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one forced fumble across four playoff games, which included a team-best seven tackles (three solo) and a crucial interception in the Eagles' Super Bowl 59 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Baun's action-packed year culminated in a three-year, $51 million extension with Philadelphia, which is poised for another dominant defensive season with eyes on a second straight Lombardi trophy.
Here's what PFF's staff said about Baun's place in the ranking.
The second former Badger to earn a spot on the list was Chicago Bears starter T.J. Edwards, who spent five years in Madison from 2014-18. The Lake Villa, Illinois, native landed at No. 10 on the hierarchy behind two division foes -- Detroit Lion Jack Campbell (No. 8) and Green Bay Packer Edgerrin Cooper (No. 9).
Like Baun, Edwards signed a contract extension this offseason for his contributions during the 2024-25 campaign. His new deal is worth $10 million per year with $16.6 million fully guaranteed.
Edwards has started 34 consecutive contests for the team dating back to 2023 and has registered 284 total tackles (170 solo), 20 tackles for loss, 6 1/2 sacks, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries in that time. In 2024 alone, Edwards finished with 129 tackles, 12 for loss, four sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Here's PFF's analysis on Edwards ahead of his third season with the Chicago Bears:
The final Badger to appear on the preseason list was two-time Super Bowl champion Leo Chenal. The linebacker has tallied 160 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, five sacks and three forced fumbles in three years with Kansas City. Last year, he recorded 60 total tackles and forced a career-best three fumbles en route to a third straight Super Bowl bid.
With two trophies already positioned atop his list of NFL accomplishments, PFF believes Chenal has even more room for growth.
Baun, Edwards and Chenal will all look to add to their impressive resumes when the 2025 season kicks off in September.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Three Wisconsin football greats make PFF's top NFL linebacker ranking
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Headlined by San Francisco 49ers superstar linebacker Fred Warner, PFF's annual hierarchy included former Badgers Zack Baun, T.J. Edwards and Leo Chenal.
Baun, who emerged as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive anchor throughout their Super Bowl-winning 2024 season, earned the outlet's No. 2 designation behind Warner. He landed ahead of Washington Commanders veteran Bobby Wagner, Baltimore Ravens star Roquan Smith and Denver Broncos star Dre Greenlaw in the top 5.
In 16 starts for the Eagles, the UW alumnus tallied 151 tackles, 11 for loss, five quarterback hits, 3 1/2 sacks, four pass deflections, five forced fumbles and an interception. The superstar-caliber performance earned him first-team All-Pro honors, as well as a spot on the Pro Bowl roster. The Brown Deer, Wisconsin, native was joined T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson and Patrick Surtain II (winner) as finalists for the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Baun also accumulated 33 total tackles (20 solo), two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one forced fumble across four playoff games, which included a team-best seven tackles (three solo) and a crucial interception in the Eagles' Super Bowl 59 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Baun's action-packed year culminated in a three-year, $51 million extension with Philadelphia, which is poised for another dominant defensive season with eyes on a second straight Lombardi trophy.
Here's what PFF's staff said about Baun's place in the ranking.
The second former Badger to earn a spot on the list was Chicago Bears starter T.J. Edwards, who spent five years in Madison from 2014-18. The Lake Villa, Illinois, native landed at No. 10 on the hierarchy behind two division foes -- Detroit Lion Jack Campbell (No. 8) and Green Bay Packer Edgerrin Cooper (No. 9).
Like Baun, Edwards signed a contract extension this offseason for his contributions during the 2024-25 campaign. His new deal is worth $10 million per year with $16.6 million fully guaranteed.
Edwards has started 34 consecutive contests for the team dating back to 2023 and has registered 284 total tackles (170 solo), 20 tackles for loss, 6 1/2 sacks, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries in that time. In 2024 alone, Edwards finished with 129 tackles, 12 for loss, four sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Here's PFF's analysis on Edwards ahead of his third season with the Chicago Bears:
The final Badger to appear on the preseason list was two-time Super Bowl champion Leo Chenal. The linebacker has tallied 160 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, five sacks and three forced fumbles in three years with Kansas City. Last year, he recorded 60 total tackles and forced a career-best three fumbles en route to a third straight Super Bowl bid.
With two trophies already positioned atop his list of NFL accomplishments, PFF believes Chenal has even more room for growth.
Baun, Edwards and Chenal will all look to add to their impressive resumes when the 2025 season kicks off in September.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Three Wisconsin football greats make PFF's top NFL linebacker ranking
Continue reading...