Nick's Lists: Top 10 Defensive Linemen in NFL History (5-1)

Sorry about the delay with this.  What can I say, the ground shook!  Anyway, great start to our countdown of the top defensive linemen in NFL history.  Sorry about the delay in getting this out.  School's starting...and fantasy football too!  Today we look at the top 5, but first, as always, we look at #'s 11-15...the honorable mentions.

Charles Mann (Washington Redskins 1983-93; San Francisco 49ers 1994)-He would always seem to jump offsides at just the wrong moment, but for the 6 years he was paired on the ends with Dexter Manley, they formed quite the sack duo.  You had to double one of them, but that meant at the same time one of them was singled up on a slow offensive tackle, and oh yeah Wilbur Marshall would blitz and say HELLOOOOOO to your quarterback too.  Linebackers are people too you know.

Warren Sapp (Tampa Bay Buccanneers 1995-2003; Oakland Raiders 2004-07)-This one is pretty simple.  Enjoy.  You'll have to fast forward to 0:34 to actually see the dance.  This is the only clip I could find of Sapp doing the "Beyonce," but since this is more actual Beyonce than "Beyonce," I'm linking the video instead of just putting it on here. 

Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis Colts 2002-)-The "Freen Machine" as he is known is the prototypical example of a new-style defensive end: smaller, quicker, more elusive.  In a day and age with big and slow 300+ pound offensive linemen, Freeney has developed a reputation of being much shorter reaction time at the snap.  Throw in a well-timed spin move, and he's on top of the quarterback in a mere 3 seconds.  Then, just when you least expect it, he'll throw in a perfectly executed bullrush putting both the quarterback AND the offensive tackle on their collective rumpus.

Jared Allen (Kansas City Chiefs 2004-07; Minnesota Vikings 2008-)-Stir up the pot, Jared.  He led the NFL in sacks in 2007, earning him a franchise player tag and eventual trade to Minnesota in exchange for a first round draft pick and two third-rounders.  He also got credit for a safety when Detroit quarterback Dan Orlovsky did this....

Gilbert Brown (Green Bay Packers 1991-2003)-Gilbert was just big...I mean REALLY big.  He playing weight was usually around 350 pounds.  This made him quite the space eater.  I wouldn't want to be around if that tree fell in the forest....

Alright...enough of that.  Let's get into the main event and the TOP 5 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN IN NFL HISTORY!

5) Deacon Jones (Los Angeles Rams 1961-71; San Diego Chargers 1972-73; Washington Redskins 1974)



From profootballhof.com

 Deac made the quarterback sack cool before it was even cool to sack the quarterback.  Nobody really knows how many sacks Deacon Jones had in his career.  It was not an official statistic until 1982, but for several years while Lawrence Taylor was the nominal record holder, Jones would always say that he had more and that the record was really his.  Now that Bruce Smith is the record holder with 200, Jones doesn't claim the record anymore, which probably means he at least thinks he's going somewhere in the 180-190 range.  Pro Football Weekly puts his career sack number at 194.5.  Many credit Jones for providing the impetus for making the quarterback sack an official statistic...and even coining the term.  Jones along with Merlin Olsen paired up to form a very formidable left side of the Rams' defensive front that made a habit of getting to the quarterback.  That defense formed the anchor of the very successful George Allen coached Rams teams of the late 60s and early 70s.  In 1972, he part of a multi-player trade to the San Diego Chargers, where he only played for two seasons, but was an impact player and a Pro Bowler in 1972.  He concluded his career back with George Allen and the Redskins in 1974. 

4) Richard Dent (Chicago Bears 1983-93; Various teams until 1997)



From chicagobears.com

 While William Perry supplied the beef on the defensive line for the Bears' 46 defense, Richard Dent supplied the muscle.  Dent was the designated sacks guy.  While Perry just ate space in the middle, commanding double teams, Perry took advantage of the one-on-one blocking he was forced to handle and made beelines for the quarterback.  What made the 46 defense so unique is the concept of overshifting the defensive line to create mismatches and using an extra linebacker to "fill in the gap" as it were on the weak side.  This put strong pass rushers such as Richard Dent in very favorable situations, either rushing against a guard or center or getting a very wide start on a tackle for a speed rush.  The result was a record setting year in 1985 (a year when the Bears set several offensive and defensive records).  Dent led the NFL that year with 17 sacks and even scored a touchdown on an interception return.  Following the Bears' big run in 1985, Dent would win a second ring with the 49ers in 1994, but played sparingly that season due to injury.

3) "Mean" Joe Greene (Pittsburgh Steelers 1969-81)

Most of us remember Mean Joe for this: 

The whole reason this ad worked was not because of the product.  Coke is Coke.  Mean Joe Greene was mean...and I mean MEAN on the football field, terrorizing opposing quarterbacks and opposing offenses.  He and Lambert were the cornerstones on the Steel Curtain defense that played the major role (not just a major role) in guiding the Steelers to 4 titles in the 70s.  The key to his success was not just his natural skills, but his technique.  He made it a habit to line up in the so-called "A-gap," the gap in the offensive line betwen the guard and center.  The norm back in those days was for the tackles to line up mano-y-mano with the guards and the center would be available to pick up any blitzers.  Greene's alignment caused confusion on the offensive line ("You got him?  No I got him!  No you got him!").  Turns out nobody got him.  He had a career high of 11 sacks in 1972 and was Defensive Player of the Year that season and in 1974, when the Steelers won the first of their four Super Bowls of the decade.  \
2) Randy White (Dallas Cowboys 1975-1988)



From profootballhof.com

 As much as loathe all things Dallas Cowboys, I do have a soft spot for Randy White because he was a Maryland Terrapin.  Back in those days with the reserve clause players had no control over where they went.  Dallas drafted him, so he had to play for them.  Might as well play well.  Play well he did.  A defensive end in college, he was eventually converted into a stalwart defensive tackle, which probably kept his sack totals down (although he did record 111 in his career), but increased his ability to disrupt offenses by plugging the middle of the line.  Having originally been a defensive end (and a linebacker for 2 years), he had a fair degree of quickness, which increased his ability to get through the initial blocking of the interior line.  He was Defensive Player of the Year in 1978 (16 sacks) in addition to being co-MVP of Super Bowl XII (a 27-10 Dallas win over Denver).  He was able to parlay his durability into playing 209 out of a possible 210 regular season games over his 14-year career.  The Washington Redskins were not sad when White finally decided to hang up the cleats in 1988. 

1) Reggie White (Philadelphia Eagles 1985-92; Green Bay Packers 1993-98)



From secsportsfan.com

 What can you say about the "Minister of Defense?"  The NFLPA certainly holds him in high regard.  He was a major player in the Freeman-McNeil Lawsuit against the NFL that finally yielded a CBA which gave the players unrestricted free agency.  White was one of the very first free agents when he signed with Green Bay after the 1992 season.  Despite his importance in the NFL's labor history, Reggie White is #1 on our list because of his superior abilities as a tackler, sack master, and all around defensive presense.  Reggie White was usually singled-up against the offensive line's best tackle, and was frequently double-teamed, but his ability to still get into opposition backfields was crucial to the success of Buddy Ryan's defensive schemes when he was the head coach of the Eagles in the late 80s and early 90s.  He had essentially left the pure 46 defense in Chicago (teams were starting to figure it out after 1985), but brought several elements of it with him to Philly, which included heavy reliance on the defensive line to get pressure, which free up the linebackers to do other things.  Reggie White got that pressure to the tune of 124 sacks in 121 games in Philadelphia.  Not many defensive ends can truly claim to be a sack per game guy.  Reggie White was that guy.  You just knew he was going to get to the quarterback at least once.  He was that good.  After signing with Green Bay, all he did was captain the Packers' #1-ranked defense all the way to Titletown's first title since Super Bowl II!  White had 3 sacks in Super Bowl XXXI.  He retired with 198 sacks in his career, blasting Lawrence Taylor's old record of 141 (Deacon Jones anybody?).  Bruce Smith may have eventually passed Reggie on the all time list, but nobody can doubt that throughout his entire career, Reggie White was truly a feared man (kind of ironic for a reverend...).  Teams had to mark him wherever he lined up, and it still didn't work.  Caputo's Corner honors the late Reggie White as the #1 defensive lineman in NFL History!

Hope you enjoyed this list.  I'll probably come back with wide receivers or tight ends or something.  I just had to show a little love to the big guys on the D-line.  Enjoy.