James Allen or Aaron Maybin? The NFL Stat Breakdown

This is as close as it gets. James Allen and Aaron Maybin split the statistical categories evenly — 2 apiece — making this one of the most genuinely contested LB comparisons in NFL history. When the numbers are this balanced, the debate comes down to which statistics matter most to you.

James Allen's Tackles of 89 compared to Aaron Maybin's 36 represents a 147.2% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Aaron Maybin falls 94% below the career average of 600 in this category while James Allen exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for James Allen's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Pass Deflections, where James Allen posts 3 against Aaron Maybin's 0 — a gap of just 100%. Aaron Maybin can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 2-2 tally suggests. In any debate, Pass Deflections is the statistical ammunition for the Aaron Maybin side.

Defensive impact in the NFL is notoriously difficult to quantify. Sacks and tackles capture individual production, but disruption, coverage grades and run-stopping ability paint the complete picture of defensive excellence.

With categories split evenly, this comparison ultimately comes down to which statistics matter most to you. James Allen claims the tiebreaker through Tackles advantage — a 147.2% edge — but reasonable people can, and do, argue both sides of this NFL debate.