best nose tackles of all time best nose tackles of all time

What does that make the 5-technique? He weighs 375 pounds and still ran so fast. Admittedly, in this period, it was less characterized by the dominating nose tackle and more by the fearsome outside linebacker, such as Lawrence Taylor. This allows the safeties to stay deep and maintain the integrity of Chicago's preferred Tampa-2 coverage scheme. Carter was the classic run-stopper at nose, not much of a rusher. While a 3-technique refers to the outside shoulder of the offensive guard, theres also something called the 2i-technique. His 61 tackles for loss or no gain against the run over that span rank third among defensive linemen, behind only Brandon Graham and Jadeveon Clowney. It's tough to find true nose tackles. He toiled in obscurity in Seattle at a time when the league wanted to forget Seattle existed & still was a 1st team AP & Pro Bowler in 1984, and could easily have been a Pro Bowl player in 2 other seasons. However, his contribution to the teams victories earned him four all-pro awards. 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. He loves to watch web series, and movies and write on celebrity gossip or trendy movie news. 89 retired in New England, is forming a one-two punch with Wilfork is simply lethal. Bills, in his career, became a total of a three-time pro bowler and a four times all-pro. Some of these positions are universal to whatever scheme youre playing, while others are only specific to one scheme such as a nose tackle. Vita is one of the best nose tackles in the NFL because he has the ability at 345-pounds to rush the passer. My name is Steven and I have a passion for sports and staying physically active. Defensive tackles are mostly the silent killer of a team. Of course, it leaves some space right up the middle. They are often referred to as the anchor of the defense because their sole responsibility is to limit the amount of space an offense has down the middle of the line of scrimmage. It all depends on the game situation. First-team All-Pro: 5 times (1980, 1981, 82, 83, 88). 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. The best I have personally seen is Casey Hampton. He was drafted into the NFL in 1987 and remained active till 2000. Williams would rush into the offense and occupy multiple blockers to create a lane of pursuit for fellow defenders. 6'5" and around 375 pounds, he was literally an immovable object in the trenches. Most of Ratliff's reputation is built on his pass rushing ability. Again, these are two completely different positions in the game of football and have entirely different roles in defensive schemes. 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. The two-time pro bowler Hank Thomas is often underappreciated and is one of the most underrated players of recent times. His role into 2021 as a top defensive tackle will be to keep rookie linebacker Jamin Davis free to attack downhill. Williams became a three times pro bowler in three consecutive seasons, from 2006 to 2008. Tim Krumrie was a very active-type nose tackle, all hustle all the time. 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 . Balls retired from the game in 1999, leaving behind a dominant legacy. The third-year pro has the power, leverage and quickness to threaten the pocket on every play. This list includes the tackle's accomplishments, honors, awards, records, & statistics. Dedicated to reporting mainstream and esoteric aspects of professional football. Said legendary writer/talent evaluator Joel Buchsbaum about Carter, "has awesome ability, strength, quickness, and explosion but is not very durable". 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. Paul Soliai is one of the finest 2-gappers in the league. Pro Bowl: 6 times (1969, 1971, 19751978), Defensive Player of the Year: 1 time (1975). All-Time Tackles Leaders. Pat Williams is a perfect example that nose tackles are selfless and dedicated to the teams benefits. With that said, most nose tackles in the league are anywhere from 60 to 63 and weigh anywhere from 300-350 pounds. Rowe helped the Raiders to their first Super Bowl trophy (IMO) - I was at that Super Bowl. With 91 games played during his career, made . one bid wonders has more information on college football bowl game. And with Carter, he'd have his moments getting to the passer. There are always 22 football players on the field at once and they all have their own specialized roles. The over six ft tall was like a mad bull himself. He was also one of the best kick blockers ever and the best of the 2000s by far with 17 blocked place kicks. Taylor Lewan gets a lot of attention for his off-field attention-seeking antics. Any coach that wants to find success with a 3-4 defensive scheme needs a dominant nose tackle. A Financial Overview, What Is a Cycle in Baseball? He played both ways early in his career but his primary position was right over the center in 5-man lines. Super Bowl LVII: All You Need To Know About Its Results, Winner, Highlights and Half-Time Show !! 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. Would have put Maas and Gilbert Brown much higher, but really enjoyed this list. Here is a ranking of the 10 best nose tackles in the game today. The nose guard, however, lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 5-2 defense. But he is not experienced enough at the position to warrant a place on the list. 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 comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. At 6-1 330 (350?) I'll have to their cortez Kennedy into the mix for this one. Willis was a dynamic6-2, 213-pound middle guard for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-53. The dynamic 6ft 2 inches tall and 210 pounder middle and noseguard was the key player in the defensive back for the browns. Thomas was great at tackling and arguably the best among all nose tackles. Dan Saleaumua was like a rolling ball of butcher knives, moving around all the time, always seemingly around the ball. Great list -- Curley is indeed #1. He debuted in 1968 with the Kansas City Chiefs. 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. This is where the defensive player lines up on the inside shoulder of the offensive guard. Also, played some DE. 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. 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). Relying on awesome strength and excellent leverage, Garay is able to create a powerful forward push, few centers can deal with. 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. Bill Wills is one such example, he was undrafted in the 1946 draft! NFL, one of the most exciting sports leagues in the world, is the gathering place of all American football legends. With Hampton occluding the middle of an opposing blocking scheme, ball carriers are consistentlyforced sideways. Clears the gap for the linebacker, works the left tackle, and forces the. The next year, Taylor was released, and this became the season Wilfork made his name known by recording 54 tackles in only 16 games. The best decision that Rob Ryan made when he took over stewardship of the Cowboys defense, was to leave Ratliff over the center, and defy the calls to move him to end. Burt also helped the 49ers in their Super Bowl seasons as a rotation nose tackle. A coach usually elects to have two defensive tackles on the field, although one of those defensive tackles might be a versatile nose tackle. I realize he was mostly a part-time player but I thought Pete Kugler for the 49ers played alot of quality snaps. Dominant against the run, Wilfork commands attention from multiple blockers. Is The NBA Star Tyrese Maxey & Lavender Briggs In A Christian Bale Lost Five Roles to Leonardo DiCaprio in the 90s, The Legend of Maula Jatt: A Pakistani Movie Breaking Records. Till 1949, The Browns were playing in the AAFC, and then the team joined the NFL. After getting drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1984, Michael Carter remained unmoved throughout his pro football career. In fact, he ended his career with 53 sacks with highs in 9 in 1977, 8 in 1980 and 6 in 1976. Cofield has not spent enough time anchoring a 3-4 and is plagued by inconsistency. 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. There have been many legendary nose tackles in the NFL and NCAA, and you'll find all of them on this list below. When on form, Antonio Garay is capable of regularly collapsing the pocket. Ratliff is one of the most dominant players in the league and is the key to the Cowboys multiple 3-4 scheme. He got the do the grunt work for the guys that replaced John Randle and Warren Sapp. Wills was exceptionally quick for his size, and so he was nicknamed The Cat.. Lets see why these players are considered the best nose tackles of all time. One name that is well worth mentioning among the Top 10 Strong Safety All-Time list is the former Seattle Seahawks and Pro Football Hall of Famer strong safety Kenny Easley. Gary Dunn/NT - 1976-1987. NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history. However, until that time, he is without question the best nose tackle in the league. 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. We've been a complete joke at NT since he left. Wilfork played more than 100 games for the Patriots and is considered the best player in the nose tackle position for the Patriots. Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh Steelers Tuitt is the second Steelers player to find his way into the top 12, coming off another strong showing in 2020. Take a look at all the action as the 2023 Combine gets underway in Indianapolis. 1 Joe Greene 3,939 votes Charles Edward Greene (born September 5, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is a former American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football .more #1208 of 1,316 The Best Athletes Of All Time #11 of 25 Old Athletes You Didn't Realize Are Still Alive #1 of 146 But the majority of the players on the list operate as the focal point ina base 3-4 defense. I created this website to share my passion with all of you. he was a good player, but didn't play enough to really fit in. Follow us on Twitter: @NFL_Journal - 1. Lorenzo Neal as a fullback is one. 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. They silently contribute and help their team to win. He was a First-team All-Pro four times and voted to five Pro Bowls and was an alternate to a couple of others. He would go on to be selected first overall by the Jimmy Johnson-led Cowboys in 1991, just the. He could also expand his pass rush repertoire and become more of a rush threat for a Miami defensive line which struggles to support the efforts of Cameron Wake. The one season he filled in for an injured 3-tech (Keith Millard) he did will, recording 8.5 sacks and 7.5 stuffs and 82 tackles. They just don't. He did not focus on personal achievements, which is one of the reasons that his stats are not filled with rich numbers. Its generally reserved for the defensive end and theyre responsible for both the B-gap (in-between the guard and tackle) and C-gap (on the outside of the tackle). CoachingKidz.comis a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking toAmazon.com. . It used to take three blockers to stop him. He had great strength, along with skills and techniques. Obviously, its popularity has recovered quite a bit to now when almost half the league is using one again. 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. Former New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was announced as this year's inductee into the team's Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Maas was "Big, mean, strong, and nasty" according to Buchsbaum who also though Maas would have been an excellent 4-3 tackle. Matt Toeainais the most unheralded member of the Chicago Bears tough defense. 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. He received a Hall of Fame induction from the New England Patriots soon after his retirement in 2017. Danny Jaillet. From 1980 through the first six games of 1990 he played in (and started) 149 consecutive games, remarkable given the duties of his position. This is due mainly to the fact that most of the standout nose tackles in the league play for 3-4 teams. A long injury layoff is the only reason that Buffalo Bills defensive linchpin Kyle Williams didn't make the list. Akiem Hicks is one of the best run defenders in the NFL today. A 375-pounder as a defensive tackle is something not everyone can expect. [Family Ethnicity & Religion], Bruce Wills And Demi Moores Divorce History & Their Kids. A tall nose, like Bob Baumhower, at 6-5 and began his career as an inside designated pass rusher. He won the super bowl once and was named all-pro once in 2001. The next time you see a nose tackle playing well, make sure you tip your hat to them! 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. 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. He can sometimes be a little inconsistent against the run and doesn't always bring the same fiery determination to disrupting the ground game. Take a look at how they. Yep, he arrived when those guys were on their way out of town. 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. John, in your opinion, and others on this site, would you put Smerlas, Krumrie or Henry Thomas in the HOF ? 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). One of his best assets is his quick first step, giving him an excellent takeoff at the snap. And as was normal, Long would play the three-technique in passing situations. 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. But his place went to a division rival who doesn't benefit from quite as strong a supporting cast around him.