When you think of the top linebackers in the NFL, one Charger comes to mind right away: Khalil Mack. But, Mack’s got some competition this year, as Daiyan Henley has been projected for a third-year breakout. Otherwise, most of their linebacking corps stays under-the-radar. But, earlier this week, a former Charger and eight-year pro, Manti Te’o, included nine-year veteran Denzel Perryman in his rankings of the top 10 linebackers heading into 2025.
Perryman Ranked Just Ahead of 2024 2nd-Team All-Pro Frankie Luvu
Te’o, who spent two seasons alongside Perryman (2015-2016), ranked him as the No. 9 linebacker heading into 2025. Unsurprisingly, active tackle leader and future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner topped Te’o’s list.
While Perryman lacks the accolades of those ahead of him, his deal is among the most team-friendly in the league. According to Spotrac, his market value hovers right around $4.4 million per year.
But, the Chargers re-signed him to another one-year deal this March. This time, he received a small pay bump up to $2,655,000. That bump still leaves him at No. 96 among the highest-paid linebackers in 2025, according to Spotrac.
His unique style of play factored into his top-10 ranking, according to Te’o. Perryman is at his most effective when shooting through gaps and breaking up plays in the backfield.
Te’o even went as far as comparing Perryman’s play style to that of Hall of Famer Ray Lewis.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Ray Lewis played the same way; both enjoyed decorated college careers at Miami,” wrote Te’o.
Perryman started his career in San Diego, but played only 69 games over his first six seasons. He recorded just 5 sacks and 349 tackles during his first stint with the team. As a result, the Chargers decided not to re-sign him in 2021, allowing him to go to the Panthers.
But, he was traded to the Raiders just weeks before the 2021 season began, leading to his best year as a pro. He broke through as a rising star in Las Vegas, racking up a career-high 154 tackles and two fumble recoveries.
He set the Raiders franchise record with those 154 tackles, earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2021. A few years later, Robert Spillane broke his record with 158 tackles. But, Spillane played two more games, meaning that Perryman is still the only Raider to average 10-plus tackles per game in a season.
During that special season, Perryman ranked third with 102 solo tackles (tied with Foyesade Oluokun). Last year, Perryman’s teammate, Daiyan Henley, ranked eighth in the league with 147 total tackles.
So, if Perryman can return to Pro Bowl form in 2025, the Chargers will have a formidable linebacking trio with Perryman, Henley and Khalil Mack.
Chargers Hoping Perryman Can Return to Pro Bowl Form
Unfortunately, Perryman has played just a total of 35 games over the past three seasons. Even last year, he suffered through a nagging groin injury that cost him six of their final seven regular season games.
Just three years after recording 154 tackles, Perryman logged just 340 defensive snaps in 2024. But, Te’o believes that he’s more than capable of outplaying his ranking in 2025.
“Perryman is entering his 11th NFL season and has been an underrated player for much of his career, partially due to a lengthy injury history,” Te’o wrote.
“When his body’s right, Perryman is a reliable, hard-nosed, hard-hitting defender,” Te’o continued.
Unfortunately, Perryman has earned a reputation as an oft-injured linebacker with more potential than performance. He played a limited number of snaps (152) against the run last year. But, when he faced the run, he earned an abysmal PFF run defense grade (51.3 – 167th out of 189 linebackers).
In the two seasons prior to his arrival in LA, Perryman was “a helpful part of defenses in the run game,” according to Chargers Jr. Writer Omar Navarro.
“According to Pro Football Focus, Perryman has ranked 12th in the run defense grade among linebackers who have played at least 20 percent of the snaps in each of the last two seasons,” Navarro wrote shortly after the signing.
While Perryman won’t approach Ray Lewis’ career production any time soon, the 11th-year pro has earned his top-10 ranking. If he can carve out a significant role on the Chargers defense this year, he should be in line for more praise throughout the NFL media ecosystem.
More importantly, the Chargers linebacker unit should be able to outplay their No. 28 ranking from PFF. Only nine teams generated fewer pressures in 2024, according to Pro Football Reference. But, their trio of Mack, Henley and Perryman are well-positioned to turn that around this year.
Underrated Chargers Veteran Earns Lofty Ranking, Comparison to HOFer Ray Lewis