He made an unusually high number of tackles for players in his position and at times could get some rush. 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. The NFL's Top Ten Greatest Offensive Tackles of all Time he was a good player, but didn't play enough to really fit in. I think he was part of at least three of their championships, though undersized. However, until that time, he is without question the best nose tackle in the league. And he deserved it due to what he meant to those Charger defenses. A long injury layoff is the only reason that Buffalo Bills defensive linchpin Kyle Williams didn't make the list. The nose tackle is largely used in the 3-4 defensive scheme as well as a 5-2 defensive scheme. He played college football for the University. Take a look at the best portraits from the 2023 NFL Combine! After his stellar 1980 season, coaches from opposing teams would fly to Buffalo to watch how Smerlas played in the middle of the Bill defense and exported the style to their own 3-4 teams. But Garay's brute force makes him formidable at the point of attack. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. With a player like Raji over the center, Dom Capers can utilise every page of his zone blitz playbook. Team (s): Seattle Seahawks. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Super Bowl champion: 2 times (XXXIX, XLIX). It seems unfair to rank him above more versatile players like Ratliff and Wilfork, but from a purist point of view, Casey Hampton is the finest nose tackle in the game. He had great strength, along with skills and techniques. Nose tackles dont receive a lot of glamour in modern football. 10. This list below has a variety of items in it, from Casey Hampton to Jim Burt. Bill Pickel in an interesting player. He benefits from a strong and talented supporting cast, but everything the Steelers are able to do on defense, is determined by the play of Hampton. Cofield has not spent enough time anchoring a 3-4 and is plagued by inconsistency. With Sopoaga over the center, Navorro Bowman and Patrick Willis are always kept clean and remain free to chase plays down. In recent seasons the position has taken on greater significance thanks to the proliferation of 3-4 fronts. Wills was exceptionally quick for his size, and so he was nicknamed The Cat.. PFF Rankings: The NFL's top 25 interior defensive linemen ahead of the Soliai excels at drawing and occupying double teams. 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. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Patriots, a time during which he was one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL -- especially against the run. I also thought Jamal Williams was excellent for a few years at his peak. He also forced 19 fumbles and recorded three defensive touchdowns. 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. It reached peak popularity with the Bill Parcells style in the mid 80's. The over six ft tall was like a mad bull himself. Fronts are more complex now than there were "back in the day". 17+ Basketball Games for Kids The Ultimate List. The next year, Taylor was released, and this became the season Wilfork made his name known by recording 54 tackles in only 16 games. His pro career started as remaining undrafted and ended as one of the best nose tackles of all time! Top 10 NFL Defensive Tackles of All Time Rankings 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 . Many people refer to a nose tackle as a nose guard, but theyre two completely different positions in football. 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. The players Hey there! 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). A Complete Overview, What Is a Sack in Football? Corey Williams of the Detroit Lions performs an important function for Gunther Cunningham's defense. Pro Football Network analyst Matt Valdovinos ranks the top 25 offensive tackles in the NFL. Tim Krumrie was a very active-type nose tackle, all hustle all the time. 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. Any coach that wants to find success with a 3-4 defensive scheme needs a dominant nose tackle. Pittsburgh Steelers: Tackling the Defense - City of Champions We may reconsider in the future, but for now, we put him with the tackles. 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. Well, first we need to understand the 4-technique. There are players that play close to the ball and others that play further away. Bill Wills is one such example, he was undrafted in the 1946 draft! 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. The Broncos used some 3-4 for years prior to 1976 when they finally committed to it full time. Pro Bowl: 4 times (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001). But he is not experienced enough at the position to warrant a place on the list. Raji possesses a more diverse and dynamic skill set than Pouha. Bullshitter. He was First-team All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro twice and was a Pro Bowler all three of those seasons. 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. A tall nose, like Bob Baumhower, at 6-5 and began his career as an inside designated pass rusher. The Ultimate Guide, What Is the Neutral Zone in Football? 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. The third-year pro has the power, leverage and quickness to threaten the pocket on every play. This would make them more responsible for the B-gap (in-between the tackle and guard). Gil Brandt's greatest NFL tackles of all time - NFL.com Pat Williams is a perfect example that nose tackles are selfless and dedicated to the teams benefits. He was also one of the best kick blockers ever and the best of the 2000s by far with 17 blocked place kicks. Take a look at how they stack up. You simply cant run a 3-4 defensive scheme without one. 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. At the time he was drafted, he was the most athletic defensive tackle of all-time. He received a Hall of Fame induction from the New England Patriots soon after his retirement in 2017. 17. Ratliff is one of the most dominant players in the league and is the key to the Cowboys multiple 3-4 scheme. And for a nose, he was very durable. 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. Top 10 Defensive Tackles in NFL 2021 Rankings Gary Dunn/NT - 1976-1987. 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. The Pittsburgh run defense has been at or near the top of the league standings throughout Hamton's decade long tenure over the center. 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. He was solid in all aspects and could have been a terrific 3-technique if asked. Take a look at how they stack. 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. The Complete Guide, How Much Do NHL Refs Make? The more space they take up, the less of a hole the running back has to make it through the line of scrimmage. Interior Defender Rankings: The 32 best DIs entering the 2021 NFL - PFF You can guess from his career highlights how much we could write about him. Pittsburgh Steelers All-Underrated Team: Nose Tackle For the 3-technique, the defensive player is asked to line up on the outside shoulder of the offensive guard. One name that might get overlooked among some of the best defensive tackles all-time is the former Baltimore Ravens great Haloti Ngata.