Sometimes even experts fail to recognize talent. While a 3-technique refers to the outside shoulder of the offensive guard, theres also something called the 2i-technique. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. All-Time Tackles Leaders. Pittsburgh Steelers All-Underrated Team: Nose Tackle This list includes the tackle's accomplishments, honors, awards, records, & statistics. Bill Wills is one such example, he was undrafted in the 1946 draft! He possessed a freakish combo of power and speed for someone of his size. The best I have personally seen is Casey Hampton. I created this website to share my passion with all of you. Wilfork has served as the centerpiece of BillBelichick's hybrid defenses for years. This player is mostly responsible for filling the two gaps on either side of the center in-between each guard also known as the A-gaps. Just because a NT doesn't 2 gap doesn't mean he's not a true NT, that's all down to preference of scheme by the coach. The Dolphins defensive anchor is steadily building a reputation as one of the most difficult to handle nose tackles in the game. Top 10 Defensive Tackles in NFL 2022 Rankings started his career with the Detroit Lions in 1987 and later played in three more teams, including Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings. ", Minnesota Vikings, 1967-1978; Chicago Bears, 1978-1981 Played in four Super Bowls, one-time NFL champion 1971 NFL MVP Two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times NFL 1970s All-Decade Team Played in 238 consecutive games Had six seasons of double-digit sacks, including 18 in 1976; unofficially finished with 173 career sacks Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, 2014-Present Voted to three Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times 2014 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Set record for fastest recorded 40 time for DT at NFL Scouting Combine Has logged 28 sacks and 116 tackles in his three NFL seasons Voted 15th best player in NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017, Cincinnati Bengals 2010-present Voted to Pro Bowl six times, First Team All-Pro twice 290 career tackles, 61 sacks, and eight forced fumbles, Detroit Lions, 1960-1966; Los Angeles Rams, 1967-1969 Voted to six Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times Member of the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" First player in NFL history with playing weight exceeding 300 pounds Sacked Bart Starr seven times (one for a safety) in the famous 1962 "Thanksgiving Day Massacre", Kansas City Chiefs, 1968-1974; Houston Texans 1974-1980; Detroit Lions, 1980-1981 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to six Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time 1975 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Unofficially had 68 sacks and 14 forced fumbles in 14 NFL seasons Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Minnesota Vikings, 1990-2000; Seattle Seahawks, 2001-2003 Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times 1997 NFL sacks leader NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Played in 219 career NFL games, recording 137.5 sacks and 556 tackles Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kansas City Chiefs, 1963-1975 One-time Super Bowl champion, two-time AFL champion Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times, six AFL All-Star games Played in 182 career NFL games, including 166 consecutively Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Seattle Seahawks, 1990-2000 Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times 1992 NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Had 58 sacks and 568 tackles durin 11-year NFL career Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Yanks, 2948-1949; New York Giants, 1950-1953 Two-time NFL champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1995-2003; Oakland Raiders, 2004-2007 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL All-Decade Team in 1990s and 2000s Recorded 96.5 career sacks, 435 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, 1975-1988 One-time Super Bowl champion Super Bowl XII co-MVP Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro seven times NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Unofficially recorded 111 sacks (high of 16 in 1978) and 1,104 tackles in 14 NFL seasons Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Los Angeles Rams, 1962-1977 Voted to 14 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times 1962 NFL Rookie of the Year NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team,Br> Member of two NFL All-Decade Teams (1960s, 1970s) Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1969-1981 Four-time Super Bowl champion Voted to 10 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times Two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team Recorded unofficial 78.5 career sacks and 16 fumble recoveries Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, 1961-1974 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to 11 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro seven times NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team member of NFL's All-Decade Teams in 1960s and 1970s Started every game (164) of his 14-year career 29-yard sack of Bob Griese in Super Bowl VI is NFL record and one of the most memorable in Super Bowl history Scored four defensive touchdowns in career Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. he was a good player, but didn't play enough to really fit in. Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1968-1982 Voted to eight Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro two times Two-time Super Bowl champion Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns, 1946-1967 Voted to nine Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro four times Four-time NFL champion Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Buffalo Bills 2004-2008; Philadelphia Eagles 2009-present One-time Super Bowl champion (LII) Voted to Pro Bowl nine times, First Team All-Pro twice Has started 166 of 176 career games Has two career receiving touchdowns, Dallas Cowboys 2011-present Voted to Pro Bowl five times, First Team All-Pro twice Voted No. He would go on to be selected first overall by the Jimmy Johnson-led Cowboys in 1991, just the. The 6"1' 325 pound Hamptonis an immovable force in the middle of Pittsburgh's front seven. Joel Steed will come . This is because the 4-3 defensive scheme has two inside linebackers that can fill those two gaps if needed. He would also play left end on occasion, usually when Lyle Alzado was taking a series off or if he missed a game or two. The top 25 NFL offensive tackles heading into the 2020 season Said legendary writer/talent evaluator Joel Buchsbaum about Carter, "has awesome ability, strength, quickness, and explosion but is not very durable". But was a Pro Bowler in 1986, but was certainly worthy of selection in 1984 and 1985 as well. Wilfork played more than 100 games for the Patriots and is considered the best player in the nose tackle position for the Patriots. And as was normal, Long would play the three-technique in passing situations. Since the 5-technique features an odd number, that means the defensive lineman lines up on the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle. Hank Thomas is one of the more underrated players in recent NFL history in our view, right up there with Eugene Robinson, LeRoy Butler, Larry Brooks, and others. Gilbert Brown was a big piece in that loaded Packer defense. Akiem Hicks is one of the best run defenders in the NFL today. Yep, he arrived when those guys were on their way out of town. Being a team player is their primary characteristic. He loves to watch web series, and movies and write on celebrity gossip or trendy movie news. You simply cant run a 3-4 defensive scheme without one. Thomas was a solid defensive nose and could have been a terrific 3-technique. Top 10 Defensive Tackles of All Time | NFL Highlights NFL 11M subscribers Subscribe 269K views 5 years ago Former VP of Player Personnel Gil Brandt's Top 10 Defensive Tackles of All Time! Really, on a game-to-game basis, Hamilton was the NFL's first modern nose tackle. Vince Wilfork was born in 1981 in Florida. Press J to jump to the feed. He benefits from a strong and talented supporting cast, but everything the Steelers are able to do on defense, is determined by the play of Hampton. His pro career started as remaining undrafted and ended as one of the best nose tackles of all time! . 11. Other than Polamalu there wasnt a better player on those defenses. one bid wonders has more information on college football bowl game. Nonetheless, he was an inside, power player whose job it was to stop the inside running game and he did that well. Wilfork has seamlessly transitioned to a 4-3 front and has been by far the Patriots best defensive player this season. Ted Washington always amazed me. Early on it was mostly the more experimental AFC teams, including the perfect Dolphins, and was part of why the AFC dominated the NFC in the 70's. He's a shade tackle that played all three downs and never needed to be replaced by a designated pass rusher like so many nose tackles, which accounts for his high sack total, in fact, no nose/shade tackle is even close and from film review, he was as good versus the run as any of them. As it turned out, Carter found his position and Alzado went on to be an excellent 3-4 end. Peko plays with intensity, but his technique is smart and precise. But he is not experienced enough at the position to warrant a place on the list. What does that make the 5-technique? Patriots' Vince Wilfork thinks he is the best nost tackle of all time Take a look at how they. One name that might get overlooked among some of the best defensive tackles all-time is the former Baltimore Ravens great Haloti Ngata. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. pounds, Wilfork was the anchor of the Patriots defensive line for more than a decade making First-team All-Pro once and second-team All-Pro four times and five Pro Bowls in his 13 seasons and earned himself two rings. Additionally, that year, he had 14.0 run stuffs(second in NFL behind Jerome Brown's 17.0). Take a look at the best portraits from the 2023 NFL Combine! But Ball did it. He also forced 19 fumbles and recorded three defensive touchdowns. Plus he played the position until 39 years old; amazing longevity for a position where you're fighting off double teams from other 300 lb men your whole career. Klecko was a fan favorite and defensive stand out for the Jets through the 1980's. Arriving at the Jets after playing his college ball at Temple University, Klecko quickly had an impact on the . "Snacks", in our view is the top nose/shade tackle in the game today and if he continues his career arc he could move up this list quickly. Who is the best New York Jets defensive tackle ever? With Sopoaga over the center, Navorro Bowman and Patrick Willis are always kept clean and remain free to chase plays down. Carter was a dominant nose when motivated. NFL, one of the most exciting sports leagues in the world, is the gathering place of all American football legends. While many people often confuse a nose guard with a nose tackle, many fans also use the terms nose tackle and defensive tackle interchangeably. Is Pedro Pascal Related To Burt Reynolds? This comment has been removed by the author. He was the straw that stirred the drink for the 2x Champion defenses for the Steelers in the 2000s. With Hampton occluding the middle of an opposing blocking scheme, ball carriers are consistentlyforced sideways. But his place went to a division rival who doesn't benefit from quite as strong a supporting cast around him. One of his best assets is his quick first step, giving him an excellent takeoff at the snap. Likely 1988, too, but it was a crowded field in the 1980s for nose tackles. Ostensibly a 2-gapper, Raji manages to make a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. These players are often the most recognized players in the locker room especially among the defensive coordinators for helping clear up space for the rest of the team. NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history. Hopefully, Whitworth and the rest of Los Angeles can have a bounce-back year as they will look to contend in a very competitive NFC West. Fronts are more complex now than there were "back in the day". But nose tackle still remains a key position and its distinctive skills perform a vital function for many defenses. Wilfork was drafted by the Patriots with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. The Best New York Jets of All Time Fred Smerlas Tackle and Nose tackle from Waltham, Massachusetts Age: 65 Frederic Charles Smerlas (born April 8, 1957) is a former American football defensive lineman who was a 5-time NFL Pro Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with the Buffalo Bills, .more 280 Alameda Ta'amu Carter was the classic run-stopper at nose, not much of a rusher. He played a total of 179 and recorded 68.5 sacks and 14 forced fumbles. Most defensive tackles that line up in a 4-3 defensive scheme are lining up in a 3-technique. His professional football career began in 1977 when he was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles 1977. He also covers media and entertainment news on various online platforms. But Garay's brute force makes him formidable at the point of attack. Tim Goad is a very good player from start. Enter Wade Phillips who installed a 3-4 and Williams as the nose andvoila, he's in the Pro Bowl for the next three years. all the guys ahead of him were better than he was. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. I like Davis' chances of having a productive rookie season behind Payne and the rest of this defensive line. They just don't. Carter played nine seasons, 121 games with 97 starts. Gil Brandt's greatest NFL defensive tackles of all time This is a subreddit for the NFL community. List of the most famous (American) football nose tackles in the history of the sport, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. Jerry Ball was shaped like his name. Well, first we need to understand the 4-technique. Much like you have the 2i-technique, which lines up on the inside of the offensive guard, you also have the 4i-technique, which lines up on the inside of the offensive tackle opposed to the outside of the tackle. The San Francisco 49ers signed him in the 1991 NFL draft, where he was overall 25th. Soliai excels at drawing and occupying double teams. I realize he was mostly a part-time player but I thought Pete Kugler for the 49ers played alot of quality snaps. Pro Bowl: 4 times (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001). He can sometimes be a little inconsistent against the run and doesn't always bring the same fiery determination to disrupting the ground game. Pat Williams was a top nose for a long time, playing 14 seasons and was a starter in his last 10. He had the ability, strength, and quickness to be one of the top defensive backs in the tournament. 17. But the tenacious and resourcefulfourth-year prois a significant member of the Bears defensive line rotation. His 10 kick blocks rank top 10 among all NFL players. The Top Five New York Jets Defensive Tackles of All-Time - The Jet Press Domato Peko is the fulcrum of the Cincinnati Bengals aggressive 4-3 defense. Bills, in his career, became a total of a three-time pro bowler and a four times all-pro. His 61 tackles for loss or no gain against the run over that span rank third among defensive linemen, behind only Brandon Graham and Jadeveon Clowney. 10. Team (s): Seattle Seahawks. He got the do the grunt work for the guys that replaced John Randle and Warren Sapp. Many defenses are also choosing to play more nickel on first and second down. Casey Hampton Jr. (born September 3, 1977), nicknamed "Big Snack," is a former American football nose tackle who played twelve seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League, The Best Miami Football Players of All Time, The Greatest Out of Shape Athletes in Sports. This is where the defensive player lines up on the inside shoulder of the offensive guard. Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! In 1985 Pickel took over the nose tackle spot in the Raiders defense and he'd play the usual shade spot in passing downs. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. . The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. They line up with a defensive end on both sides of them, but theres a pretty large gap between them since the offensive line is made up of five players. You have entered an incorrect email address! In the game of football, every player is given a specific position both on offense and defense that determines their role when on the field. STEELERS' ALL-UNDRAFTED TEAM Quarterback: Devlin Hodges Running Back: Willie Parker Fullback: Dan Kreider Wide Receivers:. The creative direction of Super Bowl LVII was inspired by the beauty of Arizona's natural landscapes - from its grand rock formations to its vast rainbow skies. Bullshitter. Kyle Williams and Others Who Missed the Cut 1 of 11 A long injury layoff is the only reason that Buffalo Bills defensive. However, here are ten players who were not just great nose tackles but also great defensive backs of all time. Moving former defensive end Isaac Sopoaga to nose tackle has made an already stout 49ers run defense even more formidable. May 4, 2021 8:47 AM EDT. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. A Complete Overview, What Is a Sack in Football? They line up in front of the offensive center and are responsible for clogging up the two gaps on both sides of the center in-between the center and two offensive guards. First-team All-Pro: 5 times (1980, 1981, 82, 83, 88). Interior Defender Rankings: The 32 best DIs entering the 2021 NFL - PFF Instead of going head-to-head with the center, theyll line up on the outside shoulder of the center, either on the left or right. Obviously, its popularity has recovered quite a bit to now when almost half the league is using one again. Wilfork is widely considered one of the best nose tackles to play the game of football. Whitworth has been one of the top NFL offensive tackles for the majority of his career and is a true model of consistency. But the starter at nose in the first game was Lyle Alzado, not Carter. 1 Joe Greene 3,939 votes Charles Edward Greene (born September 5, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is a former American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football .more #1208 of 1,316 The Best Athletes Of All Time #11 of 25 Old Athletes You Didn't Realize Are Still Alive #1 of 146 The third-year pro has the power, leverage and quickness to threaten the pocket on every play. He was also part of the Dolphins pass rush packages for the first 2/3 of his career, totaling 9 sacks in 1981, 8 in 1978 and 1983 and 6 in 1979. Ngata played more than the shade (1-tech) for the Ravens, playing mostly over guards and even inside shoulder of a tackle (4i) technique. Team (s): Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions & Philadelphia Eagles. At 6-1 330 (350?) PFF Rankings: The NFL's top 25 interior defensive linemen ahead of the Jamal Williams was the monster in the middle. An excellent athlete for the position, Sharrif Floyd (6'3", 305 lbs, one season) has lateral quickness and moves well both along the line of scrimmage and heading upfield to make tackles. He spent his last six seasons as a backup/rotational nose for the Raiders, then the Jets. Top 5 Canes: DTs - State of The U His 47.5 sacks and 779 tackles put him easily among the best who have ever played. He ended his career with 510 tackles and 35.5 sacks and 57.5 run stuffs. 25. Gil Brandt's greatest NFL defensive tackles of all time NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history. He's pure run-stopper, he's one of the few players to actually go to a Pro Bowl in a season when he had zero sacks. That fact that Bob Dee, who has No. Super Bowl champion: 3 times (XIX, XXIII, XXIV), First-team All-Pro: 3 times (1986, 1987, 1988). Raji's versatility is the foundation of Green Bay's defensive scheme. The one season he filled in for an injured 3-tech (Keith Millard) he did will, recording 8.5 sacks and 7.5 stuffs and 82 tackles. And in that role, he recorded 24 sacks in 1985-86. These amazing nose tackles may currently be active while others have been retired for quite sometime. But he got the opportunity to join the newly formed Cleveland Browns, and there he proved how good he was. Some of these positions are universal to whatever scheme youre playing, while others are only specific to one scheme such as a nose tackle. 2022 The News Titan - All Rights Reserved, The 10 Best Nose Tackles of All Time in the NFL, The 10 Best Defensive Ends of All Time in the NFL. I think Wilfork has to be up there too but Wilfork has been used in more than 1 tech for a lot of his time on the Pats but that just shows what a good skill set he had. From his 121 games, he recorded 121 sacks. as a nose tackle, mostly a backup or part-time player. He's likely best known for a gruesome broken leg in the Super Bowl versus the 49ers but he came back from that in 1989 and had a couple solid seasons after that. The 10 Best Nose Tackles of All Time in the NFL His power and ferocity at the point of attack make him virtually impossible to handle one on one. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment industry. Tim Krumrie was a very active-type nose tackle, all hustle all the time. These Are Unarguably The 10 Greatest Defensive Tackles Of All Time In recent seasons the position has taken on greater significance thanks to the proliferation of 3-4 fronts. 1. But he did the dirty work of a shade tackle in a 4-3 under defense. But the majority of the players on the list operate as the focal point ina base 3-4 defense. It is no coincidence that with Peko disrupting the line of scrimmage, youngsters Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunalp have been able to blossom into dangerous pass rushers. He was a true 2 gap run stuffer. Well, a player needs to have the mentality to sacrifice himself for the teams achievement. WithToeaina in the lineup, there is often more space for destructive duo Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs to exploit. Theyre largely responsible for the C-gap, which is the space on the outside of the tackle, but they might try and confuse the tackle by starting outside and making a move inside. NFL Tackles Career Leaders (since 1994) - Pro-Football-Reference.com The NFL's Top Ten Greatest Offensive Tackles of all Time Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans. However, the proliferation of 3-4 fronts in recent seasons has made the position more important. He is one of the "Jewel" of The News Titan. Bill Pickel in an interesting player. This is where the defensive player lines up head-to-head with the offensive tackle. He was solid in all aspects and could have been a terrific 3-technique if asked. The over six ft tall was like a mad bull himself. Johnson played just eight years but they were mostly good some, some even very great. A NT will either be head on v a centre or on the strongside A gap, either way a NTs job is to absorb a double team and not allow either of the OL trying to move him to get downfield.