best nose tackles of all time
This site is owned and operated by Coaching Kidz. 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. There are players that play close to the ball and others that play further away. 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. Theyre responsible for taking up space and making it hard for the center and guards to make room for the running back. In his first four years he was a top backup for Ted Washington forming an amazing 1-2 punch. Nose tackle is an underappreciated and selfless position in American football. 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. James P. Burt (born June 7, 1959 in Orchard Park, New York) is a former American football player who played for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). The nose guard, however, lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 5-2 defense. NFL, one of the most exciting sports leagues in the world, is the gathering place of all American football legends. In this technique, the defensive player must line up over the outside shoulder of the offensive line. Sione Pouha has quietly emerged as one of the most effective run defenders in the game. Instead, they line up head-to-head with the offensive guards. + Indicates Hall of Famer. A coach usually elects to have two defensive tackles on the field, although one of those defensive tackles might be a versatile nose tackle. Such is life. Take a look at all the action as the 2023 Combine gets underway in Indianapolis. 10. The two-time pro bowler Hank Thomas is often underappreciated and is one of the most underrated players of recent times. From his 121 games, he recorded 121 sacks. Thomas was great at tackling and arguably the best among all nose tackles. All-Time Tackles Leaders. Defensive tackles rarely line up head-to-head with the center. Its where the defender lines up head-to-head with the offensive center. Obviously, times have changed since 1963, but Buck's legacy lives on as one of the greatest defensive tackles ever. As one of the few proponents of the traditional, 2-gap style 3-4 leftin the game, the Steelers are absolutely reliant on a dominant nose tackle. I think he was part of at least three of their championships, though undersized. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Like Bill Wills, Pat Williams was also undrafted in 1997. Of course, thats not the case with any odd-numbered technique. 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. But the starter at nose in the first game was Lyle Alzado, not Carter. 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. This list below has a variety of items in it, from Casey Hampton to Jim Burt. Many people refer to a nose tackle as a nose guard, but theyre two completely different positions in football. One name that might get overlooked among some of the best defensive tackles all-time is the former Baltimore Ravens great Haloti Ngata. We may reconsider in the future, but for now, we put him with the tackles. They dont always receive large contracts, they generally dont run up the stat sheet, and theyre most likely not going to be a fans favorite player on the field at least not like a quarterback, running back, or wide receiver. Carter was a dominant nose when motivated. Many defenses are also choosing to play more nickel on first and second down. A Complete Overview, What Is a Sack in Football? But Garay's brute force makes him formidable at the point of attack. Check. By its nature, nose tackle is one of the most unheralded and selfless positions in the NFL. 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. A Complete Overview. He got the do the grunt work for the guys that replaced John Randle and Warren Sapp. Likely 1988, too, but it was a crowded field in the 1980s for nose tackles. 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 same argument applies to Barry Cofield of the Washington Redskins. A long injury layoff is the only reason that Buffalo Bills defensive linchpin Kyle Williams didn't make the list. He was All-Pro in 1990 then made a Pro Bowl in 1995. Tim Goad is a very good player from start. This makes it hard for the running back to find a hole through either of the two B-gaps (in-between the guard and tackle). Johnson played just eight years but they were mostly good some, some even very great. Like we mentioned above, the 0-technique (and any other even-numbered technique) is asked to line up head-to-head with the offensive line. His pro career started as remaining undrafted and ended as one of the best nose tackles of all time! As mentioned above, the best feature of a nose tackle is that he sacrifices himself for the greater good of the team. 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. Wills played a key role in the defense and was all-pro once and a pro bowler. He debuted in 1968 with the Kansas City Chiefs. 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. [Family Ethnicity & Religion], Bruce Wills And Demi Moores Divorce History & Their Kids. Last year (1989) he was 20 points overweight and he was double-teamed on almost every play had nine sacks and 73 tackles". The Complete Guide, How Much Do NHL Refs Make? Additionally, that year, he had 14.0 run stuffs(second in NFL behind Jerome Brown's 17.0). This can either give them an advantage or disadvantage, depending on the play being called by the offense. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. He is comfortable using his speed to shoot gaps or lining up directly over guards and centers and overpowering them. 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? He had a high of 85 tackles in 1978, 68 in 1979, and 67 in 1980. The Broncos used some 3-4 for years prior to 1976 when they finally committed to it full time. Probably the most technically sound nose tackle on this list, Wilfork's leverage and footwork are outstanding. Vea had four sacks last season playing out of the nose. The six-time pro bowler is also an AFL and Super Bowl champion. He did not focus on personal achievements, which is one of the reasons that his stats are not filled with rich numbers. Paul Soliai is one of the finest 2-gappers in the league. Packers stalwart B.J. It's tough to find true nose tackles. They rank up there with the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Red Sox, and all the other teams to win several championships since the turn of the century. LOL, really curious where you got the film to do an in-depthanalysis of Les Bingaman. John, in your opinion, and others on this site, would you put Smerlas, Krumrie or Henry Thomas in the HOF ? He possessed a freakish combo of power and speed for someone of his size. 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. As Easley is often looked past due to his short career in the NFL, his play on the field was at a top level and one that had in the elite group . 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. Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard. He would go on to be selected first overall by the Jimmy Johnson-led Cowboys in 1991, just the. 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." Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! He was usually the shade tackle in the Raiders 40 nickel (Bandit) defense and herecorded 6 sacks in 1983 and 12.5 in 1984. 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. This is because the 4-3 defensive scheme has two inside linebackers that can fill those two gaps if needed. ", 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. Al Amin Sagor is simply a movie freak who is passionate about writing entertainment content. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. 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. Maas was "Big, mean, strong, and nasty" according to Buchsbaum who also though Maas would have been an excellent 4-3 tackle. Curly Clip is, undoubtedly, the flag bearer for the best nose tackles of all time. It is not easy for the nose tackles to be the best defender, but Culp did it in 1975 after joining the Houston Oilers. edit* Hampton was a beast don't know how I didn't think of him! Being five times first-pro and the five-times pro bowler is a rare achievement in the NFL for a nose tackle. Probably not over the full course of his career since he was injured so much, but I'll throw peak Kris Jenkins in the mix for top 10 best NT peaks. Michael Carter Career Highlights: Super Bowl champion: 3 times (XIX, XXIII, XXIV) First-team All-Pro: 3 times (1986, 1987, 1988) Pro Bowl: 3 times (1985, 1987, 1988) Lorenzo Neal as a fullback is one. This is a subreddit for the NFL community. This is where the defensive player lines up head-to-head with the offensive tackle. Vita Vea Tampa Bay Buccaneers Highlights " The Freak" Fletcher Cox Team: Philadelphia Eagles 18 in NFL Network's Top 100 Players list in 2017 Has started all 105 career games played, Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, 1960-1969; Oakland Raiders 1971 Voted to eight AFL all-star games, First Team All-AFL eight times Appeared in five AFL title games Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Minnesota Vikings, 1986-1992; Denver Broncos, 1993-1997 Voted to nine Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times One-time Super Bowl champion Made 169 consecutive starts Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jacksonville Jaguars, 1995-2001 Voted to five Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times Drafted with the Jaguars' first-ever pick, New Orleans Saints, 1993-2001; Kansas City Chiefs 2002-2005 Voted to 11 Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times One of 13 players to be named to multiple all-decades team (90s and 2000s) Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Giants, 1953-1965 Voted to nine Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro six times One-time NFL champion Named NFL's Lineman of Year, 1956 Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Philadelphia Eagles, 1964-1968; Los Angeles Rams, 1969-1970; Oakland Raiders, 1971-1973 Voted to six Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro five times Selected to All-Decade Team of the 1960s Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Los Angeles/St. 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. 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 Burt also helped the 49ers in their Super Bowl seasons as a rotation nose tackle. Taylor Lewan gets a lot of attention for his off-field attention-seeking antics. Nose tackles are found in the middle of the defensive line when running a 3-4 defensive scheme. He was the straw that stirred the drink for the 2x Champion defenses for the Steelers in the 2000s. Vince Wilfork is one of the smartest and most versatile defensive players in the game. But nose tackle still remains a key position and its distinctive skills perform a vital function for many defenses. Some of these men are considered to be the best nose tackles to ever play the game, and if you're looking for a specific football player you can look for them by using the "search" function on this list. 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. Obviously, its popularity has recovered quite a bit to now when almost half the league is using one again. The 0-technique is largely specific to the nose tackle but can be played by defensive tackles as well. link to 17+ Basketball Games for Kids The Ultimate List, link to What Is a Secondary in Football? Would have put Maas and Gilbert Brown much higher, but really enjoyed this list. Upon arriving in Houston, the Oilers fortunes changed, going from the bottom of the AFC to among the better teams from 1975 through 1980. A nose tackle, also known as the nose guard or middle guard, is a player that aligns themselves in the middle of the defensive line. Tim Krumrie was a very active-type nose tackle, all hustle all the time. The next time you see a nose tackle playing well, make sure you tip your hat to them! Thomas was a solid defensive nose and could have been a terrific 3-technique. With a player like Raji over the center, Dom Capers can utilise every page of his zone blitz playbook. 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. The 6"1' 325 pound Hamptonis an immovable force in the middle of Pittsburgh's front seven. 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. He has played a total of 200 games and recorded 29 sacks and two interceptions. They just don't. While most nose tackles dont receive a lot of praise from the fans (largely due to their lack of stats), some nose tackles throughout history were so good that you had to recognize them no matter what. Pro Football Network analyst Matt Valdovinos ranks the top 25 offensive tackles in the NFL. Joe Nash is a glaring omission. 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. Take a look at how they stack up. Yep, he arrived when those guys were on their way out of town. However, we are going to keep it short. 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. The crown as the best non-Donald interior defender is a tough one to claim definitively, but in 2019 it belonged to Heyward.
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