Green Bay Packers: Is B.J. Raji the NFL's Latest Dominant Defensive Tackle?

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Green Bay Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji has taken the league by storm, and he heads into Super Bowl XLV as one of the stars of a very strong Packers defense that will be looking to slow down Ben Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

What's most remarkable is that Raji is in the midst of his very first full year of playing inside on the defensive line, after lining up at defensive end during his uneventful and injury-plagued rookie season. As a nose tackle in Dom Capers' defense here in 2010, Raji came into his own as a dominant pass rusher and offensive disrupter.

No play better exemplified Raji's rise to national fame than his athletic, impressive interception of Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie in the NFC title game, which Raji returned for a touchdown and punctuated with a ridiculous touchdown celebration.

Is Raji the next in line for the crown of the league's most dominant defensive tackle? There are still some great DTs out there in the league, but he is quickly rising up the ranks after a great 2010 regular season and equally impressive playoff run.

It's a travesty that Raji wasn't elected to the Pro Bowl, passed over for Jay Ratliff and Darnell Dockett who are both deserving entrants, but Raji's season deserved the notoriety. Undoubtedly he's pleased to be playing in the Super Bowl while those two players remain at home, but still, Raji deserves his due as a dominant pass rusher and highly entertaining personality (as evidenced by the photo accompanying this post, I mean...wow.)

For more on who to watch in the Super Bowl, check out Super Bowl XLV: 10 Unsung Heroes Who Could Snag Super Bowl MVP Honors.

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