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Agility 10

Throw out positions—Willis is one of the most athletic players in the NFL. Period.

Coverage 10

Has the speed and agility to keep up with his man over the middle and up the seam. Throwing Willis off track in coverage doesn't happen.

Pass Rush 9

Shows good success in attacking the quarterback through the guard-center gap on delayed blitzes. His burst and aggressive tackling style are a huge asset here in the pass rush.

Read & React 10

Sees the field well, reading the offensive line to determine where the ball is going and making the right calls to get the Niners defense in position.

Run Defense 7

Saw his run defense drop off a bit last season, but some of this was due to teams targeting him and letting NaVorro Bowman run free early in the year. By the playoffs, Willis was once back to form.

Shed Blocks 10

Has textbook form when taking on and discarding blockers, using his arms and hands to create space and then exploding through the blocker.

Speed 10

Willis moves like a running back in space—which is why he's so successful stopping them behind the line of scrimmage.

Strength 10

As strong as any linebacker in the NFL, Willis is impossible to block and strong enough to bring down the best backs.

Tackle 10

A violent, aggressive tackler who rarely misses tackles. Willis has a rare combination of ability here.

Health 8

Willis sat out three games in 2011.

Overall 94

The best of the best, Patrick Willis is among the best overall players in the NFL today. Whether you look at him as an athlete, his intangibles or his statistics, few can hold up to what Willis did in the 2011 regular season and playoffs. As captain of the most dominant defense in the NFL, the five-time Pro Bowler out of Ole Miss is deserving of the high praise and grade he receives here.