WithToeaina in the lineup, there is often more space for destructive duo Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs to exploit. Bill Pickel in an interesting player. Art Shell, 1968-1982. One name that might get overlooked among some of the best defensive tackles all-time is the former Baltimore Ravens great Haloti Ngata. May 14, 2020. Isaiah Wynn, New England Patriots. A NT will either be head on v a centre or on the strongside A gap, either way a NTs job is to absorb a double team and not allow either of the OL trying to move him to get downfield. The top 25 NFL offensive tackles heading into the 2020 season 89 retired in New England, is forming a one-two punch with Wilfork is simply lethal. WATCH: Vince Wilfork just dropped the best retirement video ever These players are often the most recognized players in the locker room especially among the defensive coordinators for helping clear up space for the rest of the team. Smears also played and started the most number of matches as a nose tackle. 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. . Nose tackle is an underappreciated and selfless position in American football. The likes of Vince Wilfork, Jamal William, Haloti Ngata, Ted Williams are some of the best ever. Two slots for the Pro Bowl and at times 25 of the teams in the NFL playing a 3-4 defense. But he did the dirty work of a shade tackle in a 4-3 under defense. The nose tackle is largely used in the 3-4 defensive scheme as well as a 5-2 defensive scheme. STEELERS' ALL-UNDRAFTED TEAM Quarterback: Devlin Hodges Running Back: Willie Parker Fullback: Dan Kreider Wide Receivers:. Best Nose Tackles in NFL History Throughout history, there have been several players that have revolutionized what it means to be a nose tackle. If youre a football player, you must understand what a defensive technique is. He was not quite the size of Ted Washington, but he was more than the 315 pounds he was listed at, though. Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! 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. He also forced 19 fumbles and recorded three defensive touchdowns. Donald is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a seven-time First-Team All-Pro, Made the 2010 NFL All . Pittsburgh Steelers: Tackling the Defense - City of Champions His penetration causes havoc in the running game and makes hima credible danger to the quarterback. He was All-Pro in 1990 then made a Pro Bowl in 1995. Joel Steed will come . Maryland totaled 279 tackles, with 25 for loss, and 20.5 sacks in his four dominant years for Miami. The crown as the best non-Donald interior defender is a tough one to claim definitively, but in 2019 it belonged to Heyward. Alexander Boris Johnsons Net Worth vs Jeremy Bernard Corbyns Net Worth: Who is richer? Check. Moving former defensive end Isaac Sopoaga to nose tackle has made an already stout 49ers run defense even more formidable. The 10 Most Famous NFL Players from Florida, The 10 Best Current NFL Players Without A Ring. Sopoaga is such a powerful and active presence, that he demands a double team on almost every play. 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. The over six ft tall was like a mad bull himself. Ostensibly a 2-gapper, Raji manages to make a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. Likely 1988, too, but it was a crowded field in the 1980s for nose tackles. Nobody is better at absorbing double teams than Hampton. He was a Second-team All-Pro once and a three-time Pro Bowler (all when playing as 1/2 of the "Williams Wall" in Minnesota. 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. Johnsons primary duty was to stop the run, and he did it so well. These amazing nose tackles may currently be active while others have been retired for quite sometime. 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. Tom LaMarre. 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. He was a true 2 gap run stuffer. Coming out of Georgia, Wynn was clearly a great athlete and an accomplished player, but he was far from the prototype in terms of height and length for offensive tackles in the NFL. Take a look at how they stack. Many people refer to a nose tackle as a nose guard, but theyre two completely different positions in football. At 6-1 330 (350?) Career stats of Henry Thomas: 6. Well.it's more that it goes through cycles. Upon arriving in Houston, the Oilers fortunes changed, going from the bottom of the AFC to among the better teams from 1975 through 1980. His professional football career began in 1977 when he was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles 1977. He made an unusually high number of tackles for players in his position and at times could get some rush. 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. But he is not experienced enough at the position to warrant a place on the list. Top 10 Defensive Tackles in NFL 2022 Rankings And love seeing Smerlas getting recognized so high. 8. 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. From 1980 through the first six games of 1990 he played in (and started) 149 consecutive games, remarkable given the duties of his position. Corey Williams of the Detroit Lions performs an important function for Gunther Cunningham's defense. Former New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was announced as this year's inductee into the team's Hall of Fame on Tuesday. 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. To be the best in the league, one needs to be fast, athletic, dedicated, hard-working, and have exceptional talent. One of his best assets is his quick first step, giving him an excellent takeoff at the snap. The players Hey there! Therefore, he does not have a lot of individual achievements to boast about. 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. Such is life. 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. Wilfork has seamlessly transitioned to a 4-3 front and has been by far the Patriots best defensive player this season. Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears. 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). Top 10 Defensive Tackles of All Time | NFL Highlights NFL 11M subscribers Subscribe 269K views 5 years ago Former VP of Player Personnel Gil Brandt's Top 10 Defensive Tackles of All Time! Rogers started his career hot, playing shade most often in a 40 defense, and was playing lots of plays (36.5 run stuffs in his first four seasons) and then went to his "All-Pro-type" years from 2004-08 when he was a Second-team All-Pro once and a three-time Pro Bowler. 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. Patriots' All-Time Team: Defense - Sports Illustrated New England 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 includes the tackle's accomplishments, honors, awards, records, & statistics. Cofield has not spent enough time anchoring a 3-4 and is plagued by inconsistency. Then in 1986-87 he was still the starter but played less in passing situations and recorded just one sack in 1987 and five in 1988. Casey Hampton is criminally low on this list. The 6"1' 325 pound Hamptonis an immovable force in the middle of Pittsburgh's front seven. He has played a total of 200 games and recorded 29 sacks and two interceptions. Take a look at how they stack up. With that said, most nose tackles in the league are anywhere from 60 to 63 and weigh anywhere from 300-350 pounds. 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 nose guard, however, lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 5-2 defense. Theyre some of the hardest-working players that are almost always double-teamed, if not triple-teamed, when on the field. He. When done correctly, the nose tackle acts as a space-eater. They have a similar role, but the defensive schemes are very different. And in 1980 he got his hands up enough to pick off three passes from his nose position. Balls retired from the game in 1999, leaving behind a dominant legacy. 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.