Posted August 4th at 10:00am.

Linebackers are an interesting breed. The guys in the middle are typically the consistent workhorse of the defensive side of the ball. They read plays, they drop back into coverage, and they have to be where the ball is at all times Then you have your outside variety. They do a bit of the dirty work that the MLBs do, but your OLBs are more focused on the attack. Getting to the QB and stopping the play cold is what they do. Let’s take a look at the top 5 drive-stomping OLBs of Madden NFL 18.





1. Von Miller, Denver Broncos And here is the final member of Club 99 in Madden NFL 18, joining Tom Brady and Aaron Donald. There basically isn’t anything he can’t do defensively. His base stats are exceptional. What puts Miller above the rest, though, is his ability to toss blockers aside. He has a great 91 Power Move and an even greater Finesse Move rating of 97. His Block Shedding is 95 and Pursuit is 98. His skills and ratings are just not matched, hence his spot in Club 99.





2. Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders Not too far behind Von Miller is Mack, the Raiders’ star on defense. Mack is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and has won games for the team with turnovers in the final minutes. His base ratings nearly match Millers. While doesn’t have the same strength at shedding blockers as Miller, he’s still very good with a 95 Power and 90 Finesse. Mack also has a better Catch rating than Miller and an insane 94 Jump. Prepare to have your passes swatted.





3. Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs If you look at the Chiefs roster, you could easily say their defense is the best in the league. It certainly looks that way in Madden 18. And Houston is a force at OLB. His Block Shedding rating of 83 isn’t as high as the first two players listed, but he comes close to matching the base stats for both Mack and Miller. He also matches Miller’s Hit Power of 89, the best of the top 5.





4. Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys Lee is one of the more talented players on the Cowboys’ roster. He tops the rest of the elite guys with an outstanding 96 Tackle rating. However, he’s not nearly as skilled at getting passed blockers with a Power Move of 68 and 56 Finesse. The good news is, he’s one of, if not the, best OLB in coverage. His 75 Man Coverage and 84 Zone Coverage ratings pair very well with his Tackle rating. He’s more effective at attacking routes than he is the QB.





5. Chandler Jones, Arizona Cardinals Jones rounds out the top 5 at this position. He’s not as strong or fast as some of the other guys on this list, but still has some of the ratings to be a playmaker. His 92 Power Move is stronger than Miller’s and it’s paired with a 77 Finesse. Mostly a QB attacker, his 62 Man and 70 Zone Coverage ratings means he’s also handy for a short zone drop back. Honorable Mentions Along with Mack, the Raiders are the only team with three OLBs in the top 20. Mack is joined with Aldon Smith (85 OVR) and Bruce Irvin (84 OVR). If you’re looking for an OLB to watch climb the ladder, it has to be Vic Beasley Jr. At a 83 OVR, look for last season’s sack leader to climb the rankings rather quickly this season. -Daniel Williams