best nose tackles of all time{ keyword }

Randle signed with the Vikings and went on to become one of the best defensive tackles of the 1990s and definitely the mouthiest. He was a bit of a vagabond playing for seven different teams in his 17 years, with six for the Bills, the most of any of his stops. Like Bill Wills, Pat Williams was also undrafted in 1997. He was not quite the size of Ted Washington, but he was more than the 315 pounds he was listed at, though. I swear every time there is a discussion about nose tackles Ngata is mentioned, and Ravens fans go berserk because he doesn't play nose tackle. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. A Complete Overview. Cofield has not spent enough time anchoring a 3-4 and is plagued by inconsistency. Take a look at how they stack. One of the least glamorous positions in the NFL is Nose Tackle, but they are still a critical position in the NFL so who are the greats? Willis was a dynamic6-2, 213-pound middle guard for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-53. Pouha is blessed with tremendous strengthand possesses deceptive speed when working down the line. As it turned out, Carter found his position and Alzado went on to be an excellent 3-4 end. Vincent Lamar Wilfork (born November 4, 1981) is a former American football nose tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Check. 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. Charlie Johnson had a short career in the NFL, but he still managed to cement his preposition among the best nose tackles of all time in NFL history. You can guess from his career highlights how much we could write about him. To be fair, Williams was a Second-team All-Pro in 2004 and then First-team in 2005 and 2006. 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 Ngata, from 2008-14 received post-season honors every season, three of those years he was a First-team All-Pro and the others Second-team or Pro Bowl or All-AFC, showing remarkable consistency. For many defenses the nose tackle's performance is the most critical element of the scheme. His 47.5 sacks and 779 tackles put him easily among the best who have ever played. No nose tackle has been First-team All-Pro more or gone to more Pro Bowls than Smerlas. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Defensive tackles rarely line up head-to-head with the center. 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. He was drafted into the NFL in 2004 by the New England Patriots. There have been many legendary nose tackles in the NFL and NCAA, and you'll find all of them on this list below. 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 ended his career with 32.5 sacks and 75.5 run stuffs. But on a serious note I would say wilfork or Hampton, with big Ted slightly behind those guys. He would go on to be selected first overall by the Jimmy Johnson-led Cowboys in 1991, just the. He was First-team All-Pro twice and a Second-teamer three other seasons and went to five Pro Bowls as a nose tackle (tied with Fred Smerlas for the most-ever by a 3-4 nose). Pro Football Network analyst Matt Valdovinos ranks the top 25 offensive tackles in the NFL. Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! Gil Brandt's greatest NFL tackles of all time NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the best offensive tackles in NFL history. He used his size to his advantage and made the lives of the blockers impossible. If its a 2-technique, the player must line up head-to-head with the guard. Really, on a game-to-game basis, Hamilton was the NFL's first modern nose tackle. Burt also helped the 49ers in their Super Bowl seasons as a rotation nose tackle. And my man Smerlas getting his due love it! He was a three-time First-team All-Pro and three-time All-NFC/Pro Bowler and was part of those very good Eagles defenses from 1979-81. Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans. Now we are getting into the run-stopping specialists, though very good at that specialty. With that said, the nose tackle position is highly respected by their teammates and is most likely going to be the defensive coordinators favorite player when things are going well. Moving former defensive end Isaac Sopoaga to nose tackle has made an already stout 49ers run defense even more formidable. Any even-numbered technique (including the 0-technique) must line up head-to-head with the offensive line. 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. So it's harder to peg players. 13. Defensive techniques serve two major purposes they tell the defenders where they need to line up for that specific play and they tell the defenders what their role is when on the field. That fact that Bob Dee, who has No. The Pittsburgh run defense has been at or near the top of the league standings throughout Hamton's decade long tenure over the center. Thomas was great at tackling and arguably the best among all nose tackles. A coach usually elects to have two defensive tackles on the field, although one of those defensive tackles might be a versatile nose tackle. The goal of this website is to provide you with content that will help you get a leg up on the competition, whether thats in the realm of coaching or on the field itself. The last time Donald recorded a PFF run-defense or pass-rush grade lower than 85.0 was during his rookie season in 2014. The nose guard, however, lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 5-2 defense. Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! Sugar Bear Hamilton began his career as a defensive end in 1973 but when the Patriots moved to a 3-4 defensive full-time in 1974 he was the middle guard. One of his best assets is his quick first step, giving him an excellent takeoff at the snap. Great list -- Curley is indeed #1. Its popularity declined throughout the 90's, bottoming out in 2001 when only the Steelers were running a 34. View Current Leaderboard. Well, a player needs to have the mentality to sacrifice himself for the teams achievement. Wilfork is widely considered one of the best nose tackles to play the game of football. This list of the top nose tackles in American football includes all the greats from both the NFL and college football. Lets see why these players are considered the best nose tackles of all time. As we learned above, the nose tackle lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 3-4 defense which consists of one nose tackle and two defensive ends. Washington had played for several teams in his 17-year-long career. Unlike a nose tackle, a defensive ends main responsibility is to control the outside of the line of scrimmage and get to the quarterback. Here is a ranking of the 10 best nose tackles in the game today. A tall nose, like Bob Baumhower, at 6-5 and began his career as an inside designated pass rusher. 11. 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. Likely 1988, too, but it was a crowded field in the 1980s for nose tackles. Bill Pickel in an interesting player. 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. Pro Bowl: 6 times (1969, 1971, 19751978), Defensive Player of the Year: 1 time (1975). Smears was a very durable nose tackle and had played 149 consecutive matches. Where the 3-4 defense has two gaps in-between the nose tackle and defensive ends, those two gaps are completely covered by two defensive tackles in the 5-2 scheme, which makes it hard to run the ball. 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. In some situations, they might line up in-between the guards and center if they want to directly fill the gaps during a run play. This is where the defensive player lines up head-to-head with the offensive tackle. Casey Hampton is criminally low on this list. All-Time Tackles Leaders. Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard. Well.it's more that it goes through cycles. From Culp to Jerry Ball, everyone featured in this article has played major roles in their teams success, which established them as the best defensive nose tackles of all time in the NFL. He can sometimes be a little inconsistent against the run and doesn't always bring the same fiery determination to disrupting the ground game. This is because the nose tackle position is one of the most physically demanding positions in all of football. A 5-2 defensive scheme is extremely effective against the run, especially the inside run. Wilfork has seamlessly transitioned to a 4-3 front and has been by far the Patriots best defensive player this season. May 4, 2021 8:47 AM EDT. 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. Wilfork frequently drew. Gilbert Brown was a big piece in that loaded Packer defense. I miss Jamal Williams so damn much. This is due mainly to the fact that most of the standout nose tackles in the league play for 3-4 teams. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He ended his career with 1017 tackles, more than any other nose we can find and 34.5 sacks. This is about where we'd put Klecko if we had put him on this list, having been a guy who truly played three positions about equally in terms of years, we chose to put him with the 4-3 tackles even though his best two single seasons were as a 4-3 end and a 3-4 nose. He won the super bowl once and was named all-pro once in 2001. They have a similar role, but the defensive schemes are very different. I'm assuming that we're talking about a true NT as in 2 gap players. Plenty of other factors were there, but the move to the 3-4 defense and Culp's play in it were certainly right up there in the reasons why there was a turnaround (they were 3-31 in the previous 34 games prior to Culp's arrival.). He debuted in 1968 with the Kansas City Chiefs. The likes of Vince Wilfork, Jamal William, Haloti Ngata, Ted Williams are some of the best ever. There are always 22 football players on the field at once and they all have their own specialized roles. Pouha is the basis for the Jets swarming rush defense and his stout performances in the middle of the line ensures the schematic flexibilitycharacteristicof Rex Ryan's multiple system. Pouha has gone from a deputy to the oft-injured Kris Jenkins, to becoming a significant force at the heart of the Jets opportunistic defense. 17+ Basketball Games for Kids The Ultimate List. Curly Clip is, undoubtedly, the flag bearer for the best nose tackles of all time. There are players that play close to the ball and others that play further away. "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. He played both ways early in his career but his primary position was right over the center in 5-man lines. This is different from defensive ends, which are usually taller (around 65) and slimmer (285 pounds) so they can keep up with offensive tackles. And in that role, he recorded 24 sacks in 1985-86. . He was a 'move' guy, not a power guy and he could rush the passer very well in addition to playing his two-gap responsibilities. He is one of few nose tackles that play on all three downs. Follow us on Twitter: @NFL_Journal - This type of scheme consists of five players on the defensive line a nose guard, two defensive tackles, and two defensive ends. The type of reliable-backup career you just don't see much anymore. Along the way, Ill also answer general sports related questions. So I discount guys like Ngata who may have played in the middle of a 3 man line on occasions but were never 2 gap players. Relying on awesome strength and excellent leverage, Garay is able to create a powerful forward push, few centers can deal with. Take a look at the photographs that served as the artistic blueprint for Super Bowl LVII, and see how they were incorporated into the numerous event spaces throughout the state. He. The 34 was very popular in the 70's and 80's. A Guide for Fans, NFL Practice Squad Salary Rules and Eligibility Explained, What Is a DB in Football? He was an eight-time First-team All-League selection and was a Second-team selection one additional time and was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1940s Team and the owner of five championship rings. 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. And as was normal, Long would play the three-technique in passing situations. He did not focus on personal achievements, which is one of the reasons that his stats are not filled with rich numbers. Pro Bowl: 4 times (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001). The Dolphins defensive anchor is steadily building a reputation as one of the most difficult to handle nose tackles in the game. Super Bowl champion: 3 times (XIX, XXIII, XXIV), First-team All-Pro: 3 times (1986, 1987, 1988). At the time he was drafted, he was the most athletic defensive tackle of all-time. The ball was so dominant that the opposition had to make a change in their alignment to bring their best player in the middle to face the pressure Ball created. Vita is one of the best nose tackles in the NFL because he has the ability at 345-pounds to rush the passer. Ratliff is one of the most dominant players in the league and is the key to the Cowboys multiple 3-4 scheme. This is a subreddit for the NFL community. Wills played a key role in the defense and was all-pro once and a pro bowler. Highest single-season PFF grades since 2017 Donald's peers are the NFL's all-time greats on defense the Reggie Whites and Lawrence Taylors of the world rather than anyone else currently playing. I created this website to share my passion with all of you. Excellent article, John T! A couple of years ago, Jay Ratliff would have comfortably toppeda list of this kind. 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. Obviously, its popularity has recovered quite a bit to now when almost half the league is using one again. At 6-1 330 (350?) He possessed a freakish combo of power and speed for someone of his size. 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. Many defenses are also choosing to play more nickel on first and second down. His penetration causes havoc in the running game and makes hima credible danger to the quarterback. [Family Ethnicity & Religion], Bruce Wills And Demi Moores Divorce History & Their Kids. In his rookie year, he had to share his position with Keith Traylor. These savvy veterans and youngsters such as Knighton, Cleveland Browns rookie Phillip Taylor and Arizona Cardinals youth Dan Williams, are collectively ensuring the nose tackle remains very relevant. Nose Tackles typically don't stuff the stat sheet so it can be hard to measure their greatness unless you're watching tape but I would say that any 3-4 team with a great NT had good numbers v the run, I find your lack of Casey Hampton disturbing. Bob Baumhower Baumhower was a unique player, tall (6-5) for a nose tackle and may have been better suited as a 4-3 tackle or 3-4 end. 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. With that in mind, he shared some final thoughts on his playing career. The over six ft tall was like a mad bull himself. Take a look at how they stack up. If you can do that, then your coach will always have a spot for you on the defense. May 14, 2020. Press J to jump to the feed. started his career with the Detroit Lions in 1987 and later played in three more teams, including Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings. Upon arriving in Houston, the Oilers fortunes changed, going from the bottom of the AFC to among the better teams from 1975 through 1980. Ted Washington always amazed me. Then in 1986-87 he was still the starter but played less in passing situations and recorded just one sack in 1987 and five in 1988. They need to have a big body, but they also need to have some speed and strength to make them quicker and stronger than a center and offensive guard. 4-3 duo Terrence Knighton and Brandon Mebane do not appear on the list due to the same inconsistency. We've been a complete joke at NT since he left. Maybe if he hadn't gone to USFL but really, except for 1983, he was a backup---someone who got to play when Carter was hurt, would play some 40 tackle in nickel/dimeHe was considered by the 36 starts was kind of a problem. Domato Peko is the fulcrum of the Cincinnati Bengals aggressive 4-3 defense. In this technique, the defensive player must line up over the outside shoulder of the offensive line. While many people often confuse a nose guard with a nose tackle, many fans also use the terms nose tackle and defensive tackle interchangeably. He was solid in all aspects and could have been a terrific 3-technique if asked. 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). The number one requirement of a nose tackle is to take on and occupy blockers. Sopoaga is a disruptive force over the center. A 3-4 scheme has one nose tackle in the middle, while a 4-3 defense has two defensive tackles in-between the defensive ends. He was a Second-team All-Pro in 1977 and that was the only season he received post-season honors. Many people refer to a nose tackle as a nose guard, but theyre two completely different positions in football. With that said, most nose tackles in the league are anywhere from 60 to 63 and weigh anywhere from 300-350 pounds. Williams would rush into the offense and occupy multiple blockers to create a lane of pursuit for fellow defenders. The San Francisco 49ers signed him in the 1991 NFL draft, where he was overall 25th. 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. ", 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 also one of the best kick blockers ever and the best of the 2000s by far with 17 blocked place kicks. Paul Soliai is one of the finest 2-gappers in the league. The 3-4 had been around for years but no one committed to it on an every-down basis like the Patriots in 1974. The six-time pro bowler is also an AFL and Super Bowl champion. He had unusually large legs and Dolphin locker room lore includes the fact that even the large socks would not fully cover Baumhower's calves when stretched all the way to the top. The change of league did not have much impact on the team as the team continued to dominate, and in 19450, they became the NFL champion. Since nose tackles are largely responsible for clogging up the middle of the line of scrimmage, its almost required that they have a big body thats difficult to block. And for a nose, he was very durable. By its nature, nose tackle is one of the most unheralded and selfless positions in the NFL. From 1980 through the first six games of 1990 he played in (and started) 149 consecutive games, remarkable given the duties of his position. At 6'4" and287 pounds, Ratliff is taller and significantly lighter than the prototypical NFL nose tackle. Baumhower was a unique player, tall (6-5) for a nose tackle and may have been better suited as a 4-3 tackle or 3-4 end. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Well, first we need to understand the 4-technique. A 4-technique lines up head-to-head with the tackle. But his place went to a division rival who doesn't benefit from quite as strong a supporting cast around him. Thomas was great at tackling and arguably the best among all nose tackles. The third-year pro has the power, leverage and quickness to threaten the pocket on every play. 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 . 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. 1. New England is one of the greatest sports franchises of the last 20 years. Alexander Boris Johnsons Net Worth vs Jeremy Bernard Corbyns Net Worth: Who is richer?

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