The Mathematics of the Tackle: 2026 LB Efficiency Guide for IDP
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There are plenty of numbers we can use when evaluating an IDP linebacker: total tackles, snap counts, snap percentage, missed tackles, coverage grades, sacks, pressures and even the coveted green dot.
But one of my favorites is also one of the simplest: tackle rates.
At its core, tackle rate measures the percentage of a player's defensive snaps during which he records a tackle. If a linebacker plays 1,000 defensive snaps and records 150 tackles, that is roughly a 15% tackle efficiency rate.
Simple math. Potentially valuable information.
Linebacker A: 1,000 snaps at a 15% tackle rate = approximately 150 tackles.
Linebacker B: 1,000 snaps at a 10% tackle rate = approximately 100 tackles.
Same opportunity. Fifty tackles of difference.
Now flip the problem.
A linebacker with a tremendous 16% efficiency rate who only earns 500 snaps projects to roughly 80 tackles. (Eighty tackles divided by 500 snaps.) Give an average 13% tackler 900 snaps, and you are looking at roughly 117.
That is why I don't believe we should evaluate tackle points or snap percentage in isolation. Like everything else in the process, it requires context.
Volume creates opportunity. Rates convert opportunity into production.
2025 NFL LINEBACKER TACKLE RATES
Click here for my off-ball linebacker tackle rates.
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Source note: Defensive snaps are from the NFLverse 2025 snap-count release. Tackle totals are from FantasyPros' 2025 linebacker statistics.
Note 1: Tackle rate is calculated by dividing combined tackles by defensive snaps. "Every" represents the number of defensive snaps played per combined tackle.
Note 2: Jihaad Campbell, Derrick Barnes and Frankie Luvu had hybrid linebacker/edge usage.
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Once you pull and know this data, several things stand out from an IDP perspective.
1. Jordyn Brooks is in his own tier
Brooks produced a tackle on 18.6% of his defensive snaps (or one every 5.4 snaps). He combined elite efficiency with a substantial 984-snap workload. That is the profile of a true difference-making LB1.
2. Blake Cashman's efficiency was outstanding
Cashman's 18.2% rate was almost identical to Brooks'. The only concern is opportunity: he played 790 snaps. If he maintains an every-down role, his tackle ceiling is enormous.
3. Cedric Gray's breakout looks legitimate
Gray recorded 160 combined tackles on 922 snaps, good for a 17.4% tackle rate (or one tackle every 5.8 snaps). That mark was good for third among qualifying linebackers. That was not merely a product of playing every snap. He was genuinely one of the league's most productive tacklers whenever he was on the field.
4. Jack Campbell combined volume and efficiency
Campbell played 1,097 defensive snaps and still maintained a 15.1% tackle rate. That combination is especially valuable because extremely high snap totals frequently dilute efficiency. He looks like one of the safest long-term LB1s.
5. Carson Schwesinger immediately delivered
Schwesinger's rookie production stands out. On 956 snaps, he posted 145 combined tackles, doing so with a 15.2% tackle rate (one tackle every 6.6 snaps). His efficiency nearly matched Campbell's. That supports treating him as a potential foundational dynasty linebacker and not simply a rookie who benefited from volume.
6. Nick Bolton quietly remained elite
IDP managers have had a love/hate relationship with Bolton, but he seems to check out now, finishing with a 15.2% rate across 1,011 snaps. His availability has occasionally created frustration, but his tackle production remains firmly in the LB1 range when he receives a full workload.
7. Isaiah McDuffie and Christian Elliss require context
Both ranked extremely well, as McDuffie registered a 15.8% tackle rate and Elliss recorded a 15.0% rate. However, they barely cleared the 500-snap requirement. Their efficiency is exciting, but it does not automatically guarantee future fantasy production. Their 2026 roles and snap shares matter more than the raw rankings.
8. Bobby Wagner continues to beat the age curve
Wagner played 1,132 snaps, the highest total in the group, and produced a 14.4% tackle rate. Maintaining that efficiency under such a massive workload is remarkable. Age is the dynasty concern, but his production did not show a meaningful collapse.
9. Quay Walker's tackle production was legitimately strong
Walker produced 128 tackles on 900 snaps for a 14.2% rate. That supports the case for him as a strong fantasy option based on production alone. The bigger question is whether his new situation gives him the green dot and a true every-down role.
Currently, that answer is no, as Nakobe Dean is the better coverage defender. Walker's 2024 coverage grade was 48.8, ranking 70th out of 88 linebackers. Beware of this; without the volume, his coverage can be the concern. Luckily for IDP owners, the Raiders don't have much outside of these two for this one season of redraft. So volume role remains on tap.
10. Jamien Sherwood's total was more volume-driven
Sherwood recorded 154 tackles, but his efficiency was 13.9%, well below Brooks, Cashman and Gray. That is still a good rate, but his finish depended heavily on playing 1,111 snaps. Any reduction in playing time could have a noticeable fantasy impact. You should be concerned with the arrival of Demario Davis and the fact he was benched last year.
This requires a leap of faith. True, his tackles did increase, giving him 293 tackles over two seasons. However, with the increased value, his solo tackles fell from 83 to 68, meaning the increase in total tackles was driven heavily by assists. He jumped from 59 assists to 83. Meanwhile, his big-play production remained modest: just two sacks and zero interceptions. Much like a few others on this list, if he loses the three-down work, I would look to trade him immediately.
11. Some established names were surprisingly inefficient
These players had significant workloads but relatively modest rates (listed in order by player-snaps-tackle rate):
Zaire Franklin (1,112; 11.2%)
Edgerrin Cooper (1,046; 11.2%)
Lavonte David (1,023; 11.1%)
Patrick Queen (1,112; 10.8%)
Kaden Elliss (1,103; 9.7%)
Alex Anzalone (1,004; 9.5%)
Cody Barton (1,061; 7.6%)
Franklin and Queen remained usable because of enormous snap totals, but their production was much more opportunity-dependent than that of Brooks, Campbell or Bolton.
12. Cody Barton is the biggest negative outlier
Barton played 1,061 snaps but recorded only 81 combined tackles, a measly 7.6% rate, or one tackle every 13.1 snaps. That is exceptionally low for an off-ball linebacker with an every-down workload. Unless his alignment or responsibilities explain it, he represents the clearest tackle-regression or role-risk warning in the table.
The mathematics of a linebacker is not about finding the player with the most tackles; it is about finding the player most likely to keep making them. Volume tells us what happened; efficiency helps tell us what happens next.
This article originally appeared on The Huddle: The Mathematics of the Tackle: 2026 LB Efficiency Guide for IDP