The Top Ten NFL Defensive Trios

Every NFL defense is comprised of players which comprise units; eleven players comprising three units to be exact. The position labels may change from team to team and scheme to scheme, but the units remain the same: defensive line, linebackers, and secondary.

This slideshow postulates which teams have the best trio of players on each level of the defense; basically, of a team’s best defensive lineman, best linebacker, and best defensive back, looking at the sum of those three players, which team has the best defensive trio?

Convoluted and confusing? Sure.

But this is a subjective, unnecessary, useless list about the NFL on the internet. You will read the article, you will disagree with everything, and you WILL post angry comments.

Oh, you will.

Alright, let’s get on with this.

Honorable Mentions

Packers: Their rotating defensive line doesn't allow one to stand-out, but Barnett and Woodson almost got them here.

Vikings: Winfield slipped this past season and Greenway isn't the biggest playmaker. And who's more important to their line: Jared Allen or Kevin Williams?

Raiders: Seymour and Nnamdi were almost enough, but Thomas Howard needs to become more consistent.

Bears: Peppers/Briggs/and...uh...

10) Eagles: Trent Cole/Ernie Sims/Asante Samuel

Trent Cole is an undersized and underrated defensive end who just keeps piling up sacks; 42 over the past 4 seasons. A poor man’s Dwight Freeney, Cole is only 27 and entering the prime of his career. He should continue to be the Eagles’ (sole) pass-rushing source for a few more seasons.

Ernie Sims was only acquired by Philadelphia this offseason, but he is a fast defender perfectly-suited for the weakside linebacker in their scheme. The only reason he was traded by Detroit is because he did not fit with the new regime’s defensive scheme, but he should be Philadelphia’s best linebacker on day one and thrive there.

Asante Samuel is a gambler, like Wild Bill Hickok or an investor in an American corporation. He gets spectacularly burned here and there, but all the deflections, tips, and interceptions he gets because of his gambling makes up for that occasional burn.

They get the nod over others because of Cole and Samuel's elite play coupled with Sims' very good play.

9) Patriots: Vince Wilfork/Jerod Mayo/Brandon Meriweather

Vince Wilfork was a one-man defensive line last year for the Patriots. That is both a compliment to Wilfork and an insult to the rags the Patriots were trotting out next to him. Wilfork is listed at 325 pounds, but looks to be four times that size to the naked eye, and is double-teamed as much as any nose tackle in football.

Despite missing three games the past season, Jerod Mayo recorded 103 tackles. The previous season he was the AP defensive rookie of the year and seventh in the NFL in tackles. Mayo is a three-down linebacker who recognizes plays early.

Meriweather looked like a potential bust until last season when he performed like the player New England fans expected to see when he was drafted out of Miami. With five intereceptions and a couple of forced fumbles, Meriweather ended up in his first pro bowl. If he can continue to play at that level, he should find himself in more pro bowls, and the Patriots defense should be better next season.

They get ranked here because of Mayo and Meriweather’s production (and room for improvement) and Wilfork’s continued dominance on the line.

8) 49ers: Aubrayo Franklin/Patrick Willis/Dashon Goldson

Aubrayo Franklin is one of those players whose impact on the game can’t be measured in stats. His arrival in San Francisco three years ago – along with Patrick Willis – has led to the turnaround of the 49ers’ defense and team. He holds the line of scrimmage, occupies blockers, and his contributions were a major reason the 49ers held the opposition to 3.6 yards per carry last season, third in the NFL.

Head Coach Mike Singletary has Patrick Willis playing like Singletary played for the Chicago Bears – tough, fundamental, smart football. Willis just plays a bigger, stronger, faster version. He has finished in the top two in solo tackles every year of his three-year career and led the league in solo tackles in his rookie year.

Despite being a safety, Dashon Goldson was second on the 49ers in tackles last season, his first season as a starter. He was also a playmaker in the passing game, leading the team in interceptions with four. At 6’2’’ and 200 pounds, Goldson has great size for the position and should continue to improve.

Franklin and Goldson are good, young players but Willis' excellence is what gets them into the top ten.

7) Saints: Will Smith/Jonathan Vilma/Darren Sharper

Smith is coming off his best season with 13 sacks and three forced fumbles under the aggressive style Gregg Williams uses in New Orleans. Smith holds the edge on running plays as well as any defensive end, can still get after the quarterback on the pass, and he is just entering his prime.

Jonathan Vilma is regaining his pro bowl form after injuries had derailed his career. Vilma isn’t great at anything these days, but he is very good at everything. Vilma can plug the run, cover in zones, and rush the quarterback. Vilma isn’t a liability at anything.

Darren Sharper is an ageless wonder. Two teams have chosen to not resign him because they thought he was done and the Saints didn’t want to be the third. While he makes his money in pass coverage, Sharper is an underrated run-stuffing safety. But he makes his money in pass coverage: the active leader in interceptions, and sixth all-time, with 63. Eleven of those went for touchdowns, including three this past season, giving Sharper the second most interceptions returned for touchdowns all-time.

They get ranked here because this trio is productive and intelligent, though Sharper’s best days have to be behind him now, right? Right?

6) Cardinals: Darnell Dockett/Joey Porter/Adrian Wilson

One of the more underrated defensive players in football, Darnell Dockett disrupts the line of scrimmage, the pass, and the run. Dockett is a disrupter. He is one of the best pass-rushing nose tackles in the league (20 sacks the past three years) and just as capable at stuffing the run (averaging over 50 tackles for the past four seasons).

Joey Porter does one thing and he does it well – wait, no. Joey Porter does two things and he does them well: rush the passer and talk. Oh, does Joey talk. And while his pass rushing skills are undoubtedly on the decline because of his age, he is still feared and accounted for by the opposition. His talking skills are nowhere near a decline, though.

Adrian Wilson is one of the few defensive players that can do basically anything. Like Troy Polamalu, Wilson can stay with receivers on a deep route, catch and thump running backs, and punish quarterbacks. He is a veritable swiss army knife of abilities at the safety position.

Only this low because of Porter’s declining play last season, but if he plays like he can they will be higher.

5) Colts: Dwight Freeney/Gary Brackett/Bob Sanders

Dwight Freeney is usually darting around an offensive tackle like a cruise missile aimed directly at the quarterback. Since he entered the NFL in 2002, only Jason Taylor has more sacks. Injuries have stolen some games from Freeney the past few years; yet, just last year, he had 13.5 sacks despite playing in only 14 games. He has over double-digit sacks in six of his eight years in the league. Freeney just gets sacks, plain and simple.

Gary Brackett went unheralded and unknown for far too long before a game-saving, win streak-saving interception against Joe Flacco brought his contributions to the forefront. Brackett is the brains of the Colts defense, it’s Peyton Manning. He is rarely out of position and in the middle of the action often.

Bob Sanders hasn’t seen much of the field the past few years and his absence has been a noticeable problem for the Colts (though, thanks to an improving Antoine Betha, Sanders’ absence wasn’t as detrimental this past season). Sanders is a former defensive player of the year and a wrecking ball swinging around the field in that cover-2, breaking everything in sight, including himself.

This group would be higher if not for being plagued by injuries the past few years.

4) Cowboys: Jay Ratliff/DeMarcus Ware/Mike Jenkins

In only three seasons as a starter, Jay Ratliff has made two pro bowls. Ratliff is 6’4’’, 300 pounds and incredibly agile; he was a tight end at Auburn for a little bit. He can bull-rush or make a move on a lineman at the line and he doesn’t shirk his run-stopping responsibilities. He has 13.5 sacks the past two seasons from the nose tackle position, a position that rarely yields sacks.

DeMarcus Ware is scary. A list of his accomplishments with just five years in the league: four-time pro bowler, three-time All-Pro, 64.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles, 19 passes defended. He’s had over 11 sacks his past four years, including 20 two seasons ago. One complaint: he only has one interception in his career…though he returned that for a touchdown.

Mike Jenkins rise as a top-flight cornerback coincided with the Cowboys rise as one of the best defenses in the game and it was no coincidence. He finished last season as a pro bowler with five interceptions. Jenkins will be entering his third season next year and he should continue to improve while adding to his pro bowl appearances.

With Ratliff established as one of the best defensive tackles in the game, Jenkins fast-improving on the outside, and Ware definitively one of the three or four best defensive players in the game, this group could end up as number one someday soon.

3) Jets: Kris Jenkins/Bart Scott/Darrelle Revis

Kris Jenkins can hold the line of scrimmage, collapse the pocket, track the ball, and every other clichéd play you want out of a defensive tackle. He’s coming off an injury – again – but he is still relatively young and capable of playing a high level of destructive football.

Bart Scott is Rex Ryan’s defensive Lieutenant, making sure every player is lined up right and ready to execute, and Scott is the head executioner. A play-wrecker in the run and pass game, in coverage and blitzes. Scott is a loud mouth who talks a lot and has earned the right to because of his ability to back it up.

And what more can be said of Darrelle Revis? He is where completions go to die. The good quarterbacks don’t even bother and the fools learn to not bother after only one foray. Stats: Last season against Andre Johnson, Marques Colston, Terrell Owens, Mike Sims-Walker, Steve Smith, and twice versus Randy Moss, Revis gave up just 22 catches for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns. In a league where corners get no help from the rules or refs, Revis is peerless.

Jenkins and Scott are two very good veterans who can take over a game, but it is Revis that gets them the additional cachet.

2) Ravens: Haloti Ngata/Ray Lewis/Ed Reed

Haloti Ngata is an unnaturally large and agile human being. In another age he would be justifiably feared, chased out of town with fire and pitchforks, forced to live in the swamp feeding off the animals he catches and kills with his bare hands, his name only mentioned when parents are scaring their children into behaving. In this age, he creates untold havoc on the line of scrimmage for the Ravens. I’m not sure which is more humane.

While Ray Lewis might be only 85% of the sideline-to-sideline natural disaster he once was, 85% of that is still pretty good. His instincts and intelligence are compensating for his declining athleticism, allowing him to still be one of the best middle linebackers in football.

It’s been said before but it’s true: two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water and the rest is covered by Ed Reed. His flirtation with retirement was merely the tired words of an exhausted warhorse after a long year of substantial injuries. Reed will be back and his return should mean the return of the Ravens defense we have come to expect.

If this was a couple years ago, they might be at the top of this list. Lewis and Reed are slower and older now, but even with that, this trio is still one of the best in the league.

1) Steelers: Casey Hampton/James Harrison/Troy Polamalu

Pittsburgh can blitz from all those various angles with all their various players thanks in no small part to Hampton’s ability to single-handedly plug the middle of the line. One of the defenders to play on their past two Super Bowl teams, Hampton is a veteran that has seen his best days but is still capable of making a mammoth impact on any game.

Harrison is one year removed from being defensive player of the year and having one of the great Super Bowl plays in history with his 100-yard, sideline-straddling, air-sucking, first half-ending interception for a touchdown. Some might argue that his fellow outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley has since surpassed him, but Harrison has accumulated enough pedigree to earn this spot and he is still a taxing ordeal for offensive tackles and quarterbacks.

Troy Polamalu is the Tasmanian Devil, a whirling blur of hair making astonishing plays all across the field. Jumping the snap and dropping a running back or quarterback behind the line of scrimmage, knocking the ball out of a tight end’s hands, or going step-for-step with speed on the outside, Polamalu finds every spot on the field. Yet, he is only in one spot: wherever the ball is. His absence last season highlighted just how valuable he is to Pittsburgh.

The reason Pittsburgh gets put ahead of the rest is because of their playmaking ability, game-changing ability, and championship ability. This trio has proven just a little bit more than the rest and has time to do more.