Eight NFL Defenders Who Offer No Escape to Offenses

Four years ago, it appeared that the NFL had taken a significant and hard turn toward offense and away from defense.

It didn't stop there. Not only was the biggest emphasis on the offensive side of the ball, it was all about the passing game. Three teams—the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots—had the best offensive attacks in the league by a wide margin.

But a funny thing happened at the end of the 2011 season. None of those teams won the Super Bowl. The New York Giants, who had struggled for much of the year, came on with a rush and played hard-hitting and punishing defense. 

They beat the Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI and may have helped stem the offensive tide.

With the 2015 season around the corner, dominating defense has returned to its rightful place when it comes to building tough teams that can win key games. In this feature, we take a look at the best and most intimidating players who offer no hope and no escape to opposing offenses.

DE J.J. Watt, Houston Texans

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats: 78 tackles, 20.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries, one interception, two defensive touchdowns

Analysis

Watt may very well be the best player in the NFL, although many are hesitant to give that title to any player who is not a quarterback. He is capable of wrecking any blocking scheme, sacking the quarterback or batting a pass up in the air.

Once he does, he has the athleticism to make a play on the ball and shockingly turn a game in his team's favor. 

"

4 one-hand grabs in a row. Easy. Because.. he's @JJWatt. WATCH: http://t.co/A6vm7lqtqv (via @HoustonTexans) pic.twitter.com/tThVq98FtQ

— NFL (@NFL) August 6, 2015"

Watt is a powerful combination of athleticism, nastiness and football talent. The 6'5", 290-pound Watt was labeled as "the best pass-rusher, best run defender and an absolute game wrecker" in Pro Football Weekly's 2015 season preview magazine. 

"Man, I don’t think there’s a word that can really describe J.J," former teammate Andre Johnson told Drew Dougherty of HoustonTexans.com last year. "He affects the game in so many ways, whether it’s knocking down passes or sacking the quarterback or just even causing confusion on the play. That’s why he was rewarded the way he was. He deserves every penny of it. I’m just happy he’s on my team and I don’t have to go against him.”

CB Darrelle Revis, N.Y. Jets

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

2014 Stats (with New England Patriots): 50 tackles, two interceptions (one for TD), 16 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery

Analysis

Revis has long had the reputation of being one of the best—if not the best—cover man in the NFL. He returns to the Jets this season after playing a huge role for the Patriots last year and helping them earn their fourth Super Bowl ring. Revis can cover the opponent's top receiver and go anywhere on the field with him and keep him covered, and he shows no signs of slowing down at the age of 30.

Revis is fast enough to get the job done, but he is not a burner. His technique and instincts have helped him get to the top and stay there. 

The Jets clearly believe in Revis. They signed him to a $70 million contract that includes $39 million in guaranteed money. The Jets have never spent more on a free agent. 

New Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall told ESPN that he believes Revis is the best cornerback of all time. "I've been around great ones," Marshall said. "I practiced against Champ Bailey ... Charles (Peanut) Tillman. Played against some great guys. I didn't play against Deion (Sanders), but Darrelle Revis is the best in the league. Ever."

DT Ndamukong Suh, Miami Dolphins

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

2014 Stats (with Detroit Lions): 54 tackles, 8.5 sacks, three passes defensed

Analysis

After Watt, Suh is the most dominant defensive lineman in the NFL. He has a nonstop motor, and every piece of videotape shows Suh playing through the echo of the whistle. He does not take downs off, and he is not looking to rest on the field.

"

Since he came into the league in 2010, Ndamukong Suh leads DTs in snaps, sacks and disrupted dropbacks pic.twitter.com/BHOulAl8vw

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 10, 2015"

He pushes himself hard on every single play, and he has superb athleticism and quickness to to go along with a nasty streak that pushes him over the edge from time to time. He is a 6'4", 307-pound mass of muscle, and he cannot be blocked by one man.

Suh views himself as a team player, and he wants to make his teammates better because of his presence.  

"I think I pride myself on making people around me better and I pride myself on taking a load off of other guys to make their jobs easier," Suh told Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports. "I plan on Cameron Wake having an outstanding year. I'll take pressure off him. Same thing Olivier Vernon. I see him having a great season, more sacks than he's had in the past."

OLB Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs

John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats: 69 tackles, 22.0 sacks, five passes defensed, four forced fumbles

Analysis

Some people like to look at Houston's sack total and call him a one-dimensional player. That's simply not true, because Houston is very difficult to run against, thanks to his speed, aggressiveness and tacking instincts.

"

All of Justin Houston's 22 sacks last season https://t.co/9cGmN0t3Vr

— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) August 13, 2015"

However, he led the league in sacks last year, and he also set a franchise record for Kansas City. That's saying something on a team that has had all-time greats like Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith and Bobby Bell. 

The Chiefs rewarded him with a six-year, $101 million contract that includes $52.5 million in guaranteed money. Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said that signing Houston was essential to the team's future success.

"Justin is a great football player," Dorsey said after Houston signed his contract extension. "We've said all along if you can retain your own great football players, that helps you sustain [success]. He's young enough where he's going to have many great years with the Kansas City Chiefs organization."

CB Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats: 67 tackles, four interceptions, 11 passes defensed, one forced fumble

Analysis

Sherman is an outstanding cover man, and while he is just a notch below Revis in that category, it should not be taken as any kind of knock. Sherman is not asked to cover receivers all over the field the way Revis has throughout his career. However, that's the Seattle scheme. If Sherman were asked to perform that task, he certainly has that capability.

"

For his career Richard Sherman has allowed a 47% completion percentage, and a passer rating of just 42.5 #Shutdown pic.twitter.com/IpqnUWchQz

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 13, 2015"

Sherman has been making big plays throughout his career, and he has been a Pro Bowl performer the last two seasons and a first-team All-Pro the last three years.

Despite signing a four-year, $40 million contract extension prior to the 2014 season, Sherman says he remains a hungry player.

"I don't think you can ever plan this as part of any journey. ... It's one of those things you have to accept and really appreciate and still have the same hunger,'' Sherman told ESPN.

Safety Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats: 122 tackles, one interception, eight passes defensed, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery

Analysis

One of the major reasons the Seahawks have been to two Super Bowls in a row and won one of them is how effective the duo of Thomas and Sherman have been.

"

Even when not fully participating, Earl Thomas is always in the middle of the action. pic.twitter.com/rTG3ltUoWb

— Rob Rang (@RobRang) August 6, 2015"

The 26-year-old Thomas is the standard by which all other safeties are measured. He is a brilliant player against the run, and while he appears on the small side at 5'10" and 208 pounds, he launches himself like a missile into opposing ball-carriers and he will punish them with his hitting ability.

He also has the ability in the passing game to cut off the deep pass. You almost never see Thomas getting beaten over the top, and that's security for head coach Pete Carroll.

MLB Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats: 171 tackles, one interception, 13 passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery

Analysis

There is nothing fancy about the way Kuechly goes about his business. He is a throwback to old-school football and is simply a tackling machine. He has led the league in tackles twice in the last three years, and he finished third in the season that he did not lead the league.

Kuechly spends much of his time studying videotape, and it shows in games. He almost never gets caught out of position, and he never seems to be fooled on the field. 

New teammate Charles Tillman says Kuechly reminds him of his former Chicago Bears teammate Brian Urlacher. 

"Brian was really great in his prime," Tillman told David Newton of ESPN.com. "Father Time catches up to us all. Right now Luke is very young, very active and very explosive. He has a lot of power and speed and reminds me a lot of Brian back in the '03, '04, '05 and '06 era."

DE-OLB Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

2014 Stats: 75 tackles, 4.0 sacks, one interception, three passes defensed, one forced fumble

Analysis

If the Raiders are ever going to get things turned around, they can look back to the 2014 draft as the point that reversal finally started. The selection of Mack gave them a foundation to build their defense around, and he appears to be a future star for the Silver and Black.

"

Khalil Mack adjusting to leadership role in second year with #Raiders http://t.co/uBpyX7mw9l pic.twitter.com/3YjLYAoAAc

— Levi Damien (@LeviDamien) August 9, 2015"

The Raiders didn't ask Mack to rush the passer as a rookie last year, but that will change this season as they have moved him to defensive end.

"

Jack Del Rio: Khalil Mack will play both DE and LB #Raiders http://t.co/Pj3QMqj9g8

— Bill Williamson (@BWilliamsonESPN) August 12, 2015"

Mack has superb instincts in everything he does on the field. He is already one of the best run defenders in the league, and he is smooth when he is asked to drop into coverage. He already runs the defense for the Raiders and he makes the players around him better because he is so good at his job.

Head coach Jack Del Rio told Raiders.com that Mack would not get many plays off this season. "We’d like to keep him on the field," Del Rio said. "You end up—guys, no matter who you are, will typically get spelled occasionally. But he’s a guy that you definitely want on the field as often as possible.