SB Nation Ranks Steelers Third in Best NFL Linebacking Groups

According to SB Nation's Ryan Van Bibber, the Steelers have the best safety combination of the league.

He thinks their linebackers do pretty well, too, ranking them third in the NFL, behind the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens.

As is common with these kinds of lists, it's really open to interpretation, but San Francisco's top mark won't be disputed by too many. Between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, arguments could be made for either of them being at No. 1, 2 or 3.

(Warning: You're reading a Pittsburgh Steelers web site, what follows may be considered slanted toward the Steelers).

You can make those arguments if you'd like, and they can be lucid and well-defended. That doesn't change the fact the Steelers have a stronger linebacking group than the Ravens do. A healthy LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison is still the best pair of outside linebackers in football, Lawrence Timmons is a solid player now, and is already better than Jameel McClain will ever be. Between those three players alone, it's the only group that rivals the skill of the guys San Francisco has.

The Washington Redskins are fourth, Dallas Cowboys fifth and Kansas City Chiefs sixth. The Denver Broncos are seventh, the Jacksonville Jaguars eighth and the Houston Texans ninth. The Chicago Bears round it out at 10th.