Alex Anzalone

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pos LB

Updated October 8, 2026

Compare Alex Anzalone LB rankings →

Model Score

81.5 MODEL

2020

71.7

2021

77.5

2022

83.5

2023

80.5

2024

74.2

2025

87.2

2026

81.5

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

Four straight tier 2-3 STTM finishes (#21, #17, #12, #10) puts Anzalone in the small group of stable elite linebackers with consistent production. The Florida SEC 3rd-round origin plus five years of Lions starter reps under Dan Campbell gives him real structural anchor value. The 2026 question is whether Anzalone earns his first Pro Bowl plus crosses into tier 1 territory or whether the structural tier 2 ceiling caps below Pro Bowl voting.

Anzalone came out of Florida as the New Orleans Saints' 3rd-round pick (76th overall) in 2017 and spent four years in New Orleans before signing with the Detroit Lions in 2021. He has anchored the Lions' linebacker corps for five seasons. His STTM career runs tier 7 (#50) in 2021, tier 3 (#21) in 2022, tier 3 (#17) in 2023, tier 2 (#12) in 2024, and tier 2 (#10) in 2025.

Strengths

Four straight top-21 STTM finishes confirms the structural top-15 LB ceiling exists across multiple seasons.
Florida SEC pedigree plus five years of Lions structural anchor reps gives him real veteran market value.

Concerns

No Pro Bowl recognition yet despite four straight top-21 STTM finishes flags a real gap between metric production and broader voting.
Detroit's broader defensive identity around the Hutchinson primary pass-rush priority puts continued Anzalone production partly dependent on team-fit.

What to watch: Whether Anzalone earns his first Pro Bowl in 2026 plus holds tier 2 or better, the threshold for confirming the STTM dominance translates.