The first couple of posts we have done on NFL bobbleheads have focused on the best offensive players in the league’s history, which you can read about the quarterbacks here and the running backs here, but I have had a few requests about defensive players, particularly linebackers. So without further ado, here is my list of the top 12 NFL bobbleheads, linebacker edition:

Lawrence Taylor – New York Giants

One of the best to ever play the game, Taylor changed the way the game was played. His ability to rush the passer and create havoc for the opposing offense earned him 3 defensive player of the year awards and became only the second-ever defensive player to win the NFL MVP award.

Ray Lewis – Baltimore Ravens  

Ray Lewis dominated the middle of the field in Baltimore for over a decade, winning 2 Super Bowls with the Ravens. He won 2 defensive player of the year awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, which I was fortunate enough to attend.

Brian Urlacher – Chicago Bears

The real reason I was in Canton, Ohio last year was to see one of my favorite players of all time, Brian Urlacher. He was another in a great line of middle linebackers for the Chicago Bears, leading their defense for over a decade and almost winning the team’s first Super Bowl since 1985. A former NFL rookie of the year as well as a defensive player of the year, I definitely have one of these in my collection!

Mike Singletary – Chicago Bears 

Speaking of great Chicago Bear middle linebackers, Samurai Mike definitely deserves to be on any list of great linebackers. Winner of 2 defensive player of the year awards, Mike also led the Bears to their only Super Bowl Championship in 1985, which is commonly called the greatest defense of all time.

Jack Lambert – Pittsburgh Steelers

Part of the dominate Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s, Lambert was an integral part of the 4 Super Bowls that the Pittsburgh Steelers won in the decade. Also winning 2 defensive player of the year awards, but they were 16 years apart, coming in 1967 and 1983.

Derrick Brooks – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Brooks is sometimes overlooked when talking about great linebackers, having played a bulk of his career when Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher were in their primes, but Brooks was definitely one of the best, helping lead a very good Buccaneers defense to a Super Bowl victory after the 2002 season.

Luke Keuchly – Carolina Panthers

Still plenty of this linebacker’s career ahead of him, Keuchly has already made a name for himself. Winning the 2012 defensive rookie of the year award, he followed it up by being the youngest player to ever win the NFL defensive player of the year award.

Kevin Greene – Pittsburgh Steelers 

Kevin Greene played for multiple teams over his NFL career, but it did not matter which uniform he put on because he was successful everywhere he went. Finished with 160 sacks, which is more than any other linebacker in NFL history, and is third overall.

Demarcus Ware – Denver Broncos

Ware spent the first 9 years of his career in Dallas, then left to help the Denver Broncos win their first super bowl since the John Elway days in 1998. Had the second-most sacks by a linebacker, with 138.5, Demarcus Ware definitely forced the offense to work for every yard that they got when he was on the field.

Chuck Bednarik – Philadelphia Eagles 

Chuck played in a different era of the NFL, from 1949-1962. Not only did he bolster a good Philadelphia Eagles defense on a team that won two championships in his time there, he was also the team’s center. This two-way iron man never came off the field. Oh yeah, if that was not enough, he was a veteran of WWII. Truly a great man.

Von Miller – Denver Broncos

Miller has had a great career making offenses lives miserable up in Denver. With over 100 sacks, 18.5 in a single season in 2012, Von Miller has been an integral part of this defense.

Dick Butkus – Chicago Bears

I may be cheating here a little because this action figure is not actually a bobblehead, but what linebacker list would be complete without the man that has his name on the award for best linebacker each year for high school, college, and the NFL. One of the greatest to ever play the game, Butkus finished with 2 defensive player of the year awards in back-to-back years in 1969 and 1970.

There you go, my top 12 linebacker bobbleheads available through Amazon. There were a few linebackers that would have made the list, but there were no bobbleheads of those players, such as Ray Nitschke of the Green Bay Packers, Bill George of the Chicago Bears, and Junior Seau of the San Diego Chargers.

Are there any other linebackers that you would like to see on the list? Anybody that I missed? If so, please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you! Have a great day!

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