The Oilers were next who committed to it after getting Curley Culp at mid-season, though they used it some in previous games and years. This list includes the tackle's accomplishments, honors, awards, records, & statistics. I also thought Jamal Williams was excellent for a few years at his peak. Raji's versatility is the foundation of Green Bay's defensive scheme. 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 was a good player, but didn't play enough to really fit in. 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. Some of these men are considered to be the best nose tackles to ever play the game, and if you're looking for a specific football player you can look for them by using the "search" function on this list. 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. 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. Jump Around This Article Click to show. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. New England is one of the greatest sports franchises of the last 20 years. Pro Football Network analyst Matt Valdovinos ranks the top 25 offensive tackles in the NFL. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. That fact that Bob Dee, who has No. 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. pounds, Wilfork was the anchor of the Patriots defensive line for more than a decade making First-team All-Pro once and second-team All-Pro four times and five Pro Bowls in his 13 seasons and earned himself two rings. Hell, I bet JJ Watt would be the best nose in the league if they lined him up there. link to 17+ Basketball Games for Kids The Ultimate List, link to What Is a Secondary in Football? Obviously, times have changed since 1963, but Buck's legacy lives on as one of the greatest defensive tackles ever. 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. Any even-numbered technique (including the 0-technique) must line up head-to-head with the offensive line. His professional football career began in 1977 when he was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles 1977. If theres a tight end on the play, a 6-technique lines up head-to-head with the tight end. Excellent article, John T! He also covers media and entertainment news on various online platforms. Randle signed with the Vikings and went on to become one of the best defensive tackles of the 1990s and definitely the mouthiest. Vince Wilfork is one of the smartest and most versatile defensive players in the game. He was a true 2 gap run stuffer. Gary Dunn/NT - 1976-1987. 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. This site is owned and operated by Coaching Kidz. 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. Wilfork frequently drew. Although used in very specific situations in the NFL, the 5-2 defensive scheme was largely phased out of pro football in the 1950s and eventually college football in the 1980s. When done correctly, the nose tackle acts as a space-eater. He was also one of the best kick blockers ever and the best of the 2000s by far with 17 blocked place kicks. + Indicates Hall of Famer. Pro Bowl: 6 times (1969, 1971, 19751978), Defensive Player of the Year: 1 time (1975). Al Amin Sagor is simply a movie freak who is passionate about writing entertainment content. Williams would rush into the offense and occupy multiple blockers to create a lane of pursuit for fellow defenders. In 1985 Pickel took over the nose tackle spot in the Raiders defense and he'd play the usual shade spot in passing downs. 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. [Family Ethnicity & Religion], Bruce Wills And Demi Moores Divorce History & Their Kids. However, here are ten players who were not just great nose tackles but also great defensive backs of all time. I realize he was mostly a part-time player but I thought Pete Kugler for the 49ers played alot of quality snaps. As one of the few proponents of the traditional, 2-gap style 3-4 leftin the game, the Steelers are absolutely reliant on a dominant nose tackle. It reached peak popularity with the Bill Parcells style in the mid 80's. He was All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro once and an All-AFC pick twice and voted to four Pro Bowls. He had great strength, along with skills and techniques. Clears the gap for the linebacker, works the left tackle, and forces the. He's a shade tackle that played all three downs and never needed to be replaced by a designated pass rusher like so many nose tackles, which accounts for his high sack total, in fact, no nose/shade tackle is even close and from film review, he was as good versus the run as any of them. Ratliff is one of the most dominant players in the league and is the key to the Cowboys multiple 3-4 scheme. 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. 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. 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. He was a Second-team All-Pro in 1977 and that was the only season he received post-season honors. To be the best in the league, one needs to be fast, athletic, dedicated, hard-working, and have exceptional talent. 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. Most defensive tackles that line up in a 4-3 defensive scheme are lining up in a 3-technique. 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. There have been many legendary nose tackles in the NFL and NCAA, and you'll find all of them on this list below. Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With 91 games played during his career, made . 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. I'll have to their cortez Kennedy into the mix for this one. Louis Rams, 1976-1995 Voted to seven Pro Bowls First player to play 20 seasons for one team Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, St. Louis Rams, 1997-2008; Chicago Bears, 2009 Voted to seven Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times One-time Super Bowl champion Started 154 consecutive games Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, 1967-1979 Voted to six Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times Two-time Super Bowl champion Started in six NFC Championship Games Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chicago Bears, 1936-1946 Three-time NFL champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First-Team All-Pro four times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Yanks, 1951; Cleveland Browns, 1954-1962 Voted to six Pro Bowls Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns, 2007-2016 Voted to 10 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times Has started all 160 games he has played in the NFL, Green Bay Packers, 1956-1970; Dallas Cowboys, 1971 Started on eight NFL championship teams Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro seven times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Minnesota Vikings, 1968-1981; Los Angeles Rams, 1982 Voted to seven Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro six times First O-lineman to be selected No. Additionally, that year, he had 14.0 run stuffs(second in NFL behind Jerome Brown's 17.0). Pro Bowl: 4 times (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001). Theyre usually the largest player and go head-to-head with the opposing center. Instead, they line up head-to-head with the offensive guards. At the time he was drafted, he was the most athletic defensive tackle of all-time. The third-year pro has the power, leverage and quickness to threaten the pocket on every play. 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. 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. This allows the defensive ends to cover the outside of the offensive line and frees up the middle linebackers to find the quarterback or running back. The quintessential 2-gap artist, Hampton is the cornerstone of the Steelers ferocious run defense. It all depends on the game situation. And he deserved it due to what he meant to those Charger defenses. I'm assuming that we're talking about a true NT as in 2 gap players. The same argument applies to Barry Cofield of the Washington Redskins. Houston Texans starter Shaun Cody has adapted well to the rigours of Wade Phillips' 1-gap 3-4. Theyre responsible for taking up space and making it hard for the center and guards to make room for the running back. 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. Michael Carter Career Highlights: Super Bowl champion: 3 times (XIX, XXIII, XXIV) First-team All-Pro: 3 times (1986, 1987, 1988) Pro Bowl: 3 times (1985, 1987, 1988) A high-motor, hustle type. Said Buchsbaum, "As good as Ball is, he'd be better if he controlled his weight. He made an unusually high number of tackles for players in his position and at times could get some rush. Throughout history, there have been several players that have revolutionized what it means to be a nose tackle. Tim Krumrie was a very active-type nose tackle, all hustle all the time. 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 First-team All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro twice and was a Pro Bowler all three of those seasons. Take a look at how they stack up. May 4, 2021 8:47 AM EDT. His tremendous upper body strength and relentless motor help Sopoaga to constantly move the pocket. I miss Jamal Williams so damn much. 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. 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. If youre a football player, you must understand what a defensive technique is. As with any list there is room for debate here and there but he's ranked about right.Let me guess, you are a Steeler's fan? But nose tackle still remains a key position and its distinctive skills perform a vital function for many defenses. Being a team player is their primary characteristic. Sometimes a nose tackle or defensive tackle will line up in a 1-technique. His 10 kick blocks rank top 10 among all NFL players. Alexander Boris Johnsons Net Worth vs Jeremy Bernard Corbyns Net Worth: Who is richer? With that said, the nose tackle position is highly respected by their teammates and is most likely going to be the defensive coordinators favorite player when things are going well. Wilfork has seamlessly transitioned to a 4-3 front and has been by far the Patriots best defensive player this season. edit* Hampton was a beast don't know how I didn't think of him! Tom LaMarre. And in that role, he recorded 24 sacks in 1985-86. His power and ferocity at the point of attack make him virtually impossible to handle one on one. With that said, Im happy to have you on the site and hope I can help you out in achieving your goals! Here are the top 25 offensive tackles for the 2021 NFL season. The nose guard, however, lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 5-2 defense. Despite being a 5-time pro bowler, he is still not in the hall of fame. John, in your opinion, and others on this site, would you put Smerlas, Krumrie or Henry Thomas in the HOF ? 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. His role into 2021 as a top defensive tackle will be to keep rookie linebacker Jamin Davis free to attack downhill. 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. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Smears was a very durable nose tackle and had played 149 consecutive matches. We've been a complete joke at NT since he left. However, his contribution to the teams victories earned him four all-pro awards. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He. In fact, he ended his career with 53 sacks with highs in 9 in 1977, 8 in 1980 and 6 in 1976. Fronts are more complex now than there were "back in the day". In this technique, the defensive player must line up over the outside shoulder of the offensive line. 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? Wills played a key role in the defense and was all-pro once and a pro bowler. The 6"1' 325 pound Hamptonis an immovable force in the middle of Pittsburgh's front seven. Tier 2: Elite 2. Washington had played for several teams in his 17-year-long career. Like Bill Wills, Pat Williams was also undrafted in 1997. If you can do that, then your coach will always have a spot for you on the defense. You have to keep in mind that offensive linemen are big players and that the nose tackle is almost always double-teamed. This comment has been removed by the author. The 3-4 had been around for years but no one committed to it on an every-down basis like the Patriots in 1974. He was drafted into the NFL in 2004 by the New England Patriots. 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. Well, a player needs to have the mentality to sacrifice himself for the teams achievement. 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. Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! When you think of the Steelers' 3-4, you think of a couple names: it starts with Casey Hampton, the best true nose tackle the team has ever had. This is because the 4-3 defensive scheme has two inside linebackers that can fill those two gaps if needed. Last year (1989) he was 20 points overweight and he was double-teamed on almost every play had nine sacks and 73 tackles". I like Davis' chances of having a productive rookie season behind Payne and the rest of this defensive line. The 0-technique is largely specific to the nose tackle but can be played by defensive tackles as well. Career stats of Henry Thomas: 6. 17. Take a look at the best portraits from the 2023 NFL Combine! The last time Donald recorded a PFF run-defense or pass-rush grade lower than 85.0 was during his rookie season in 2014. Sopoaga is such a powerful and active presence, that he demands a double team on almost every play. As it turned out, Carter found his position and Alzado went on to be an excellent 3-4 end. But the tenacious and resourcefulfourth-year prois a significant member of the Bears defensive line rotation. Moving former defensive end Isaac Sopoaga to nose tackle has made an already stout 49ers run defense even more formidable. The two-time pro bowler Hank Thomas is often underappreciated and is one of the most underrated players of recent times. 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. But the majority of the players on the list operate as the focal point ina base 3-4 defense. 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. Smears also played and started the most number of matches as a nose tackle. 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. The nose tackle is largely used in the 3-4 defensive scheme as well as a 5-2 defensive scheme. Carter was a dominant nose when motivated. NFL players are large in size. He played a total of 179 and recorded 68.5 sacks and 14 forced fumbles. In some situations, they might line up in-between the guards and center if they want to directly fill the gaps during a run play.