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. This list includes some nose tackles who operate in versions of a 4-3 frontthatrely on a powerful presence over the center. 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. 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. By its nature, nose tackle is one of the most unheralded and selfless positions in the NFL. Al Amin Sagor is simply a movie freak who is passionate about writing entertainment content. 6'5" and around 375 pounds, he was literally an immovable object in the trenches. 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. Willis was a dynamic6-2, 213-pound middle guard for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-53. Isaiah Wynn, New England Patriots. Who is the best New York Jets defensive tackle ever? You can guess from his career highlights how much we could write about him. Pro Bowl: 6 times (1969, 1971, 19751978), Defensive Player of the Year: 1 time (1975). Said Buchsbaum, "As good as Ball is, he'd be better if he controlled his weight. 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. Interior Defender Rankings: The 32 best DIs entering the 2021 NFL - PFF 17. Any even-numbered technique (including the 0-technique) must line up head-to-head with the offensive line. NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the best offensive tackles in NFL history. Smears was an exceptional talent. And he deserved it due to what he meant to those Charger defenses. He frequently drives blockers backwards and is a consistent threat to penetrate the line of scrimmage. Wilfork is widely considered one of the best nose tackles to play the game of football. The NFL's top 11 interior defensive linemen - Touchdown Wire The Top Five: Best 3-4 Nose Tackles in the NFL - Bleacher Report This is because the 4-3 defensive scheme has two inside linebackers that can fill those two gaps if needed. Ratliff is one of the most dominant players in the league and is the key to the Cowboys multiple 3-4 scheme. Sometimes even experts fail to recognize talent. In his first four years he was a top backup for Ted Washington forming an amazing 1-2 punch. He'd done yeoman's work, playing the run, coming out of the game on likely passing downs, but never getting a sniff of Hawaii and the Pro Bowl. Maryland totaled 279 tackles, with 25 for loss, and 20.5 sacks in his four dominant years for Miami. He has been an all-pro or pro bowler more than any other nose tackle. Would have put Maas and Gilbert Brown much higher, but really enjoyed this list. Sione Pouha has quietly emerged as one of the most effective run defenders in the game. These Are Unarguably The 10 Greatest Defensive Tackles Of All Time He debuted in 1968 with the Kansas City Chiefs. 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. Pittsburgh Steelers All-Undrafted Team: Nose Tackle Two slots for the Pro Bowl and at times 25 of the teams in the NFL playing a 3-4 defense. Taylor Lewan gets a lot of attention for his off-field attention-seeking antics. I created this website to share my passion with all of you. Relying on awesome strength and excellent leverage, Garay is able to create a powerful forward push, few centers can deal with. Career stats of Henry Thomas: 6. Wilfork was drafted by the Patriots with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. 25. Other than Polamalu there wasnt a better player on those defenses. NFL, one of the most exciting sports leagues in the world, is the gathering place of all American football legends. Here are the top 25 offensive tackles for the 2021 NFL season. With a player like Raji over the center, Dom Capers can utilise every page of his zone blitz playbook. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment industry. View Current Leaderboard. Maas was "Big, mean, strong, and nasty" according to Buchsbaum who also though Maas would have been an excellent 4-3 tackle. Take a look at how they stack up. 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. With Sopoaga over the center, Navorro Bowman and Patrick Willis are always kept clean and remain free to chase plays down. Take a look at the best portraits from the 2023 NFL Combine! These amazing nose tackles may currently be active while others have been retired for quite sometime. Most of Ratliff's reputation is built on his pass rushing ability. NFL Tackles Career Leaders (since 1994) - Pro-Football-Reference.com This is different from defensive ends, which are usually taller (around 65) and slimmer (285 pounds) so they can keep up with offensive tackles. 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. At 6-1 330 (350?) Till 1949, The Browns were playing in the AAFC, and then the team joined the NFL. But the tenacious and resourcefulfourth-year prois a significant member of the Bears defensive line rotation. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. In the 1980 season, almost 3/4ths of teams were running one. Best Nose Tackles in NFL History Throughout history, there have been several players that have revolutionized what it means to be a nose tackle. Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears. Casey Hampton is criminally low on this list. Ted Washington was another great nose tackle, dude was massive! 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. Williams became a three times pro bowler in three consecutive seasons, from 2006 to 2008. 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. Team (s): Seattle Seahawks. Lorenzo Neal as a fullback is one. 13. An extremely aggressive player, Garay is one of the few 3-4 nose tackles who is at his best when threatening the quarterback. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Smerlas was among the first bigger nose tackles, weighing about 290 (though often listed as less) and he also was among the first to crowd the center. Smears also played and started the most number of matches as a nose tackle. In those situations, Howie Long would play the right end. For the first half of his career, he played all downs, playing left tackle in the Bills sub defensive packages, something not all nose tackles could do. Pittsburgh Steelers: Tackling the Defense - City of Champions 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. Whitworth has been one of the top NFL offensive tackles for the majority of his career and is a true model of consistency. 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. For many defenses the nose tackle's performance is the most critical element of the scheme. Dominant against the run, Wilfork commands attention from multiple blockers. Had he not been denied the opportunity to follow up his stellar 2010 season, Williams would certainly have merited inclusion. This is due mainly to the fact that most of the standout nose tackles in the league play for 3-4 teams. Throughout history, there have been several players that have revolutionized what it means to be a nose tackle. Not only that, but theyre offensive linemans specifically the center and guards worst nightmare. My name is Steven and I love everything sports! Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. By this time, he played over 200 games to record 93.3 sacks, 1007 tackles, and four touchdowns, so many for a defensive nose tackle. 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. 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. 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. His penetration causes havoc in the running game and makes hima credible danger to the quarterback. Former New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was announced as this year's inductee into the team's Hall of Fame on Tuesday. John, in your opinion, and others on this site, would you put Smerlas, Krumrie or Henry Thomas in the HOF ? This is because the nose tackle position is one of the most physically demanding positions in all of football. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. If youre a football player, you must understand what a defensive technique is. 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. Super Bowl champion: 2 times (XXXIX, XLIX). This player is only used in a 3-4 defensive scheme, opposed to a 4-3 defensive scheme. His pro career started as remaining undrafted and ended as one of the best nose tackles of all time! Gil Brandt's greatest NFL tackles of all time - NFL.com The next year, Taylor was released, and this became the season Wilfork made his name known by recording 54 tackles in only 16 games. Danny Jaillet. 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. Thomas was a solid defensive nose and could have been a terrific 3-technique. A 375-pounder as a defensive tackle is something not everyone can expect. In recent seasons the position has taken on greater significance thanks to the proliferation of 3-4 fronts. Balls retired from the game in 1999, leaving behind a dominant legacy. I miss Jamal Williams so damn much. 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. Randle signed with the Vikings and went on to become one of the best defensive tackles of the 1990s and definitely the mouthiest. Carter was the classic run-stopper at nose, not much of a rusher. Probably the most technically sound nose tackle on this list, Wilfork's leverage and footwork are outstanding. NFL players are large in size. However, his contribution to the teams victories earned him four all-pro awards. NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history. 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 was drafted into the NFL in 1987 and remained active till 2000. Its okay for a nose tackle to be smaller or bigger than the average nose tackle, so long as that player is good at taking up space and freeing up room for the rest of the defense to do what they do best. This can either give them an advantage or disadvantage, depending on the play being called by the offense. The two-time pro bowler Hank Thomas is often underappreciated and is one of the most underrated players of recent times. The most common requirement of a nose tackle is to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the rest of the defense. Jump Around This Article Click to show. Is Pedro Pascal Related To Burt Reynolds? 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. Gilbert Brown was a big piece in that loaded Packer defense. 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. He played in the NFL for 13 seasons and recorded 32.5 sacks. The 0-technique is largely specific to the nose tackle but can be played by defensive tackles as well. Follow us on Twitter: @NFL_Journal - Take a look at the best portraits from the 2023 NFL Combine! But his place went to a division rival who doesn't benefit from quite as strong a supporting cast around him. Nose tackle is an underappreciated and selfless position in American football. You simply cant run a 3-4 defensive scheme without one. 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 also forced 19 fumbles and recorded three defensive touchdowns. A couple of years ago, Jay Ratliff would have comfortably toppeda list of this kind. Well, first we need to understand the 4-technique. Pouha is blessed with tremendous strengthand possesses deceptive speed when working down the line. Burt also helped the 49ers in their Super Bowl seasons as a rotation nose tackle. 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. He played both ways early in his career but his primary position was right over the center in 5-man lines. Its where the defender lines up head-to-head with the offensive center. 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. Like Bill Wills, Pat Williams was also undrafted in 1997. 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 . And in that role, he recorded 24 sacks in 1985-86. What does it need to be a good nose tackle? All-Time Tackles Leaders. Most defensive tackles that line up in a 4-3 defensive scheme are lining up in a 3-technique. The Pittsburgh run defense has been at or near the top of the league standings throughout Hamton's decade long tenure over the center. 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. He was a Dr. Z favorite as well. 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). And love seeing Smerlas getting recognized so high. Defensive tackles are mostly the silent killer of a team. If its a 2-technique, the player must line up head-to-head with the guard. 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. 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). WithToeaina in the lineup, there is often more space for destructive duo Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs to exploit. . Really, on a game-to-game basis, Hamilton was the NFL's first modern nose tackle. Ranking the NFL's 10 Best Nose Tackles - Bleacher Report But Ratliff is a very underrated force against the run. A coach usually elects to have two defensive tackles on the field, although one of those defensive tackles might be a versatile nose tackle. His power and ferocity at the point of attack make him virtually impossible to handle one on one. 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). Take a look at all the action as the 2023 Combine gets underway in Indianapolis. Everything You Need to Know, What Is a Pick 6 in Football? Dan Saleaumua was like a rolling ball of butcher knives, moving around all the time, always seemingly around the ball. The nose guard, however, lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 5-2 defense. 2022 NFL interior defender rankings and tiers - PFF He was All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro once and an All-AFC pick twice and voted to four Pro Bowls. 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? Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! 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'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. Ostensibly a 2-gapper, Raji manages to make a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. He was drafted into the NFL in 2004 by the New England Patriots. Enjoy! Patriots all-time 53-man roster: 'Dynasty Era' players dominate, but Ngata played more than the shade (1-tech) for the Ravens, playing mostly over guards and even inside shoulder of a tackle (4i) technique. With that said, Im happy to have you on the site and hope I can help you out in achieving your goals! We think he would have been a fine left 3-4 defensive end and inside rusher in nickel but the Raiders already had that guyHowie Long. One name that might get overlooked among some of the best defensive tackles all-time is the former Baltimore Ravens great Haloti Ngata. Wake County Recent Arrests, Articles B