C.J. Mosley Is Already One Of The Best Linebackers In The NFL

Sep 21, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens knew that they had a special talent on their hands the day they selected linebacker C.J. Mosley in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.  They spent the offseason giving Mosley as many snaps as they could, trying to get the rookie up to game speed as quickly as possible.  And now the trust they placed in the young linebacker is beginning to pay dividends.

t’s safe to say that we haven’t reached the ceiling yet, and it will be exciting to see just how good Mosley can be.

Mosley had three OK performances in weeks one through three as he adjusted to the speed of a real NFL game, but by no means played terribly.  Then, in week four against the Carolina Panthers, Mosley truly broke out, recording 8 tackles (7 of which were defensive stops), one batted pass, and one quarterback hurry.

But C.J. Mosley hadn’t peaked yet.  He followed last Sunday’s performance by absolutely going nuts against the Indianapolis Colts in week five, recording a career high 14 tackles (11 solo), one quarterback hit, 6 stops, an interception, and a deflected pass which resulted in another interception.

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Mosley was literally the best Ravens defensive player on the field Sunday, in real life and Pro Football Focus’ rankings.  The Ravens know what they have in Mosley, which is why he has played on 99.4% of total snaps through five games.  He is a true three down linebacker that is equally good against the run and the pass.

Through five games, Mosley is not only leading the Ravens defense, he currently ranks as the 2nd best 3-4 inside linebacker in the entire NFL, behind only Luke Kuechly.  He is fourth in total tackles with 44 and is second in defensive stops.  And he is markedly better in coverage (14th) than Kuechly (47th).

So after only five NFL games, C.J. Mosley is already one of the best linebackers in the NFL, right up there with some pretty lofty company.  It’s safe to say that we haven’t reached the ceiling yet, and it will be exciting to see just how good Mosley can be.  He is not only pacing the NFL in a bunch of categories, he is setting an example for the rest of the Raven’s defense as well.