Outside Linebacker (OLB) Draft History
446 OLBs drafted in the NFL Draft
Since 1980, NFL teams have drafted 1,657 linebackers in the NFL Draft, 148 of them in the first round. 14 of those picks are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Lawrence Taylor (1981), Mike Singletary (1981), Rickey Jackson (1981), Andre Tippett (1982), Kevin Greene (1985) and Derrick Thomas (1989), plus 8 more. By career Approximate Value, the most productive pick was Ray Lewis (LB, Miami (FL)), taken in round 1 of the 1996 draft. The biggest value pick was Zach Thomas, a round-5 selection in 1996 who made 7 Pro Bowls. Of the picks made through 2025, 162 (10%) made at least one Pro Bowl and 85% appeared in at least one NFL game. The most common school was Penn St., with 42 picks. nflverse groups most inside and outside linebackers under "LB", so these figures cover all linebackers.
Figures cover the 1980–2026 drafts. Source: nflverse.
Top Outside Linebackers by Career Sacks
| #▼ | Player▼ | Draft Year▼ | Pick▼ | Sacks▼ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Greene | 1985 | #113 | 160 |
| 2 | Lawrence Taylor | 1981 | #2 | 142 |
| 3 | Jason Taylor | 1997 | #73 | 139.5 |
| 4 | Terrell Suggs | 2003 | #10 | 139 |
| 5 | Von Miller | 2011 | #2 | 138.5 |
| 6 | DeMarcus Ware | 2005 | #11 | 138.5 |
| 7 | John Abraham | 2000 | #13 | 133.5 |
| 8 | Derrick Thomas | 1989 | #4 | 126.5 |
| 9 | Robert Mathis | 2003 | #138 | 123 |
| 10 | T.J. Watt | 2017 | #30 | 115 |
| 11 | Khalil Mack | 2014 | #5 | 113 |
| 12 | Justin Houston | 2011 | #70 | 112 |
| 13 | Andre Tippett | 1982 | #41 | 100 |
| 14 | Joey Porter | 1999 | #73 | 98 |
| 15 | Trent Cole | 2005 | #146 | 90.5 |
| 16 | Tamba Hali | 2006 | #20 | 89.5 |
| 17 | Ken Harvey | 1988 | #12 | 89 |
| 18 | Willie McGinest | 1994 | #4 | 86 |
| 19 | Shaun Phillips | 2004 | #98 | 81.5 |
| 20 | Cornelius Bennett | 1987 | #2 | 71.5 |