So it's harder to peg players. See leaders through past seasons What does it need to be a good nose tackle? But on a serious note I would say wilfork or Hampton, with big Ted slightly behind those guys. ", 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. Obviously, times have changed since 1963, but Buck's legacy lives on as one of the greatest defensive tackles ever. At the time he was drafted, he was the most athletic defensive tackle of all-time. This is a subreddit for the NFL community. A 375-pounder as a defensive tackle is something not everyone can expect. He ended his career with 510 tackles and 35.5 sacks and 57.5 run stuffs. John Randle Awards: 7 Pro Bowler, 6 All-Pro, 1997 NFL sacks leader, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Championships: None New England is one of the greatest sports franchises of the last 20 years. Pro Football Hall of Fame/Associated Press, Al Messerschmidt Archive/Associated Press. LOL, really curious where you got the film to do an in-depthanalysis of Les Bingaman. More teams havemoved back toa 4-3 this season and many 4-3 teams are choosing to do without a nose tackle and attack an offense with double 3-techniques. Another big man, around 330-350 (390?) Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears. Who is the best New York Jets defensive tackle ever? If youre a football player, you must understand what a defensive technique is. 1 overall Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Seattle Seahawks, 1997-2009 Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cincinnati Bengals, 1980-1992 Voted to 11 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro nine times Started 184 of 185 NFL games Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Baltimore Ravens, 1996-2007 One-time NFL champion Voted to 11 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times Started 176 of 177 NFL games Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Baltimore Colts, 1958, 1959 Two-time NFL champion Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro eight times (five times at OT, three times at OG) Called by Woody Hayes "the best offensive lineman I've ever coached." He had great strength, along with skills and techniques. Consistently an excellent player, he had a career year for Pittsburgh when they needed to lean on him more than usual with his running mate Stephon Tuitt going down hurt. he was a good player, but didn't play enough to really fit in. Enjoy! In the Bears under front,Toeaina is required to take on the center and occupy the interior, creating one on one matchups for pass rushing defensive ends and the 3-technique tackle. He was solid in all aspects and could have been a terrific 3-technique if asked. The number one requirement of a nose tackle is to take on and occupy blockers. He did play some 3-4 end in his career and was always effective as a defensive tackle in the Chiefs 4-man lines when they went to nickel, he would routinely turn in 5, 6, or 7-sack seasons. As it turned out, Carter found his position and Alzado went on to be an excellent 3-4 end. Bullshitter. He was drafted into the NFL in 1987 and remained active till 2000. He was a First-team All-Pro in 1986-88 and was Second-team in 1985 when he had 7 sacks (he had 6.5 in 1988) and was a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion. Carter knew what his job was as a nose tackle, and he did it perfectly. Equally comfortable operating as either a 1 or 2-gap defensive tackle, Wilfork possesses both the raw power and schematic versatility to disrupt any blocking scheme. 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. A tall nose, like Bob Baumhower, at 6-5 and began his career as an inside designated pass rusher. The 0-technique is generally played in the 3-4 defensive scheme, which is why its largely a nose tackle technique. He played both ways early in his career but his primary position was right over the center in 5-man lines. His penetration causes havoc in the running game and makes hima credible danger to the quarterback. 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. 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. 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. WhenToeaina is over the center, the Bears run defense is more stout. Along the way, Ill also answer general sports related questions. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. He played a total of 200 games and recorded 20.5 sacks and 8 forced fumbles. Since the 5-technique features an odd number, that means the defensive lineman lines up on the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle. 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. When you think of the Steelers' 3-4, you think of a couple names: it starts with Casey Hampton, the best true nose tackle the team has ever had. At 6'4" and287 pounds, Ratliff is taller and significantly lighter than the prototypical NFL nose tackle. A Guide for Fans, NFL Practice Squad Salary Rules and Eligibility Explained, What Is a DB in Football? Isaiah Wynn, New England Patriots. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Last year (1989) he was 20 points overweight and he was double-teamed on almost every play had nine sacks and 73 tackles". Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The likes of Vince Wilfork, Jamal William, Haloti Ngata, Ted Williams are some of the best ever. They silently contribute and help their team to win. [email protected]. He would go on to be selected first overall by the Jimmy Johnson-led Cowboys in 1991, just the. Tier 2: Elite 2. Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was part of the good, innovative defenses of Bill Arnsbarger with the Dolphins, the 'Killer Bs' if you will. 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. The defensive tackle is largely used in the 4-3 defensive scheme as well as the 5-2 defensive scheme. Take a look at all the action as the 2023 Combine gets underway in Indianapolis. But he is not experienced enough at the position to warrant a place on the list. Ted Washington is another. My name is Steven and I have a passion for sports and staying physically active. And as was normal, Long would play the three-technique in passing situations. Pro Bowl: 6 times (1969, 1971, 19751978), Defensive Player of the Year: 1 time (1975). Although used in very specific situations in the NFL, the 5-2 defensive scheme was largely phased out of pro football in the 1950s and eventually college football in the 1980s. Joe Klecko (89%, 59 Votes) Kris Jenkins (8%, 5 Votes) Jason Ferguson (3%, 2 Votes) Sione Pouha (0%, 0 Votes) Abdul Salaam (0%, 0 Votes). He recorded 137.5 sacks over his 14-year career and was. Carter played nine seasons, 121 games with 97 starts. From his 121 games, he recorded 121 sacks. The Dolphins defensive anchor is steadily building a reputation as one of the most difficult to handle nose tackles in the game. John, in your opinion, and others on this site, would you put Smerlas, Krumrie or Henry Thomas in the HOF ? Chicago Bears, 1985-1993; Philadelphia Eagles, 1993-1994 One-time Super Bowl champion Recorded 29.5 sacks in 138 NFL games, Oakland Raiders, 1996; New Orleans Saints, 1997-2001; Dallas Cowboys, 2002-2005; St. Louis Rams 2006-2008 Voted to six Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL 2000s All-Decade Team 2000 NFC Defensive Player of the Year 2000 NFL sacks leader (17.5) Finished career with 433 tackles, 83.5 sacks and 16 forced fumbles, San Francisco 49ers, 1994-2007 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Had 89.5 sacks and 618 tackles in 208 career games, Cleveland Browns, 1946-1953 One-time NFL champion Voted to three Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Baltimore Ravens, 2006-2014; Detroit Lions, 2015-Present One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times Started 160 of 162 NFL games Has 29.5 sacks, 491 tackles, 6 forced fumbles and 5 interceptions in 11 NFL seasons, Baltimore Ravens, 2013-Present One of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in NFL today Became highest-paid nose tackle in the NFl by signing a five-year, $54 million deal with Ravens in March Has 4.5 sacks and 101 tackles in 55 career games, Cincinnati Bengals, 1983-1994 Voted to two Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time Recorded 34.5 sacks and 1,017 career tackles Missed only four games (out of 192) in 12-year career, Detroit Lions, 1958-1970 Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 1960s All-Decade Team Missed only one game in 12-year career, New England Patriots, 2001-2008; Oakland Raiders, 2009-2012 Three-time Super Bowl champion Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Logged 57.5 sacks and recorded 496 career tackles, Minnesota Vikings, 1985-1990; Green Bay Packers, 1992; Seattle Seahawks, 1992; Philadelphia Eagles, 1993 Voted to two Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times 1989 NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Holds NFL record for most sacks by DT in single season (18) Three double-digit sack seasons Recorded 58 career sacks, Houston Oilers, 1985-1995; Dallas Cowboys, 1996 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL-record three fumble recoveries in single game Recorded 76.5 sacks, 861 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles in 12-year NFL career, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1950-1963 Two-time Super Bowl champion Voted to nine Pro Bowls (1957 Pro Bowl MVP), First Team All-Pro once NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team Recorded 23 fumble recoveries and at time of retirement was the all-time career safeties leader with three Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, San Francisco 49ers, 1950-1963 Voted to 10 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times NFL 1950s All-Decade Team 49ers' first-ever draft pick Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Baltimore Colts, 1950; New York Yanks, 1951; Dallas Texans, 1952; Baltimore Colts, 1953-1961 Two-time NFLchampion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times NFL 1950s All-Decade Team Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns, 1957-1958; Green Bay Packers, 1959-1969 Two-time Super Bowl champion, five-time NFL champion Voted to four Pro Bowls (1961 Pro Bowl MVP), First Team All-Pro five times 21 career fumble recoveries Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chicago Bears 1979-1990 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Made All-Pro as both defensive end and defensive tackle Officially credited with 57 career sacks Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Jets, 1977-1987; Indianapolis Colts, 1989 Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times 1981 AFC Player of the Year Started 145 of 155 NFL games 24 career sacks, 9 fumble recoveries in 10 NFL seasons Anthony Munoz called Klecko "the strongest guy I ever faced. The two-time pro bowler Hank Thomas is often underappreciated and is one of the most underrated players of recent times. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Ive played and watched sports all my life and have coached them as well for the last few years. In those situations, Howie Long would play the right end. His pro career started as remaining undrafted and ended as one of the best nose tackles of all time! He has played a total of 200 games and recorded 29 sacks and two interceptions. Here are the top 25 offensive tackles for the 2021 NFL season. He loves to watch web series, and movies and write on celebrity gossip or trendy movie news. Its popularity declined throughout the 90's, bottoming out in 2001 when only the Steelers were running a 34. He was a Second-team All-Pro in 1977 and that was the only season he received post-season honors. 25. Vita is one of the best nose tackles in the NFL because he has the ability at 345-pounds to rush the passer. As you learn more about football, you start to hear the term defensive technique. Its not something a normal fan has to be concerned about, but its something that gets mentioned by the announcers and commentators regularly. This is where the defensive player lines up on the inside shoulder of the offensive guard. Instead, they line up head-to-head with the offensive guards. 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. 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. A nose tackle has to occupy multiple blockers to create a lane of pursuit for fellow defenders. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history. I miss Jamal Williams so damn much. His power and quick takeoff enables him to drive blockers backwards and his speed and range allow him to disengage and envelope a ball carrier. With that said, most nose tackles in the league are anywhere from 60 to 63 and weigh anywhere from 300-350 pounds. He was a First-team All-Pro four times and voted to five Pro Bowls and was an alternate to a couple of others. Vita Vea Tampa Bay Buccaneers Highlights " The Freak" Fletcher Cox Team: Philadelphia Eagles As they continue to learn the What Is a Secondary in Football? His 10 kick blocks rank top 10 among all NFL players. Relying on awesome strength and excellent leverage, Garay is able to create a powerful forward push, few centers can deal with. Besides, he had been a part of the 49ers three super bowl winning teams and a three-time first-team all-pro and three-time pro bowler. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. John Banaszak: Born in rival city Cleveland, Ohio, John Banaszak played in Pittsburgh's final three Super Bowls of the 1970s starting in Super Bowls XIII and XIV. 3-4 Defences have only become really popular around the nfl in the last 15 years so there hasn't been that many Nose Tackles in the last 40-50 years in comparison to other positions. I would have thought Manu Tiuasosopo would have been in there as he was mixing it up well in the era with Sugar Bear Hamilton, Rubin Carter, Fred Smerlas, etc.And if Reggie Kinlaw makes the list then I would have put Dave Rowe in as well. "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. Take a look at how they stack up. He played a total of 179 and recorded 68.5 sacks and 14 forced fumbles. Said Buchsbaum, "As good as Ball is, he'd be better if he controlled his weight.