NFL Players Who Deliver the Biggest Hits

Sportswriters used to hold a romantic fascination of what it was like to be a boxer, so much that George Plimpton once took a blow from Archie Moore to know what it felt like. The NFL inspires no such curiosity—these guys hit way too hard.

But which player hits the hardest? That's a question that engenders some of the same enthusiasm that led Plimpton into the ring with a light heavyweight.

It's important to note that there comes a point with certain phenomena where measurement is merely decorative. Take temperature, for example. Is there any real difference between 105-degree heat and 115-degree heat? No, they'll both keep you inside.

Hitting in the NFL is a lot like that. All of these guys hit hard. To a casual observer, there is no difference between getting hit by former New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes and Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis. Any non-football player would emerge from a collision with either player mistaking them for the same model of Mack truck.

Still, there are a handful of NFL players capable of delivering a blow so jarring that it halts all of a game's momentum. Here are seven players to be revered, not for the fear they instill in opponents, but for the sheer force they're able to generate on any given play.  

J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans

There are two ways to view Watt's inclusion on this list.

The first is with a sense of disappointment that we don't often get to see what Watt is capable of, as defensive linemen are rarely in a position to deliver bone-jarring hits. 

The second way of looking at it is with a sense of relief that we don't often get to see what Watt is capable of, as defensive linemen are rarely in a position to deliver bone-jarring hits.

At 6'5", 289 pounds with obscene athletic tools, it's probably better that Watt seldom is allowed to get up a full head of steam before bringing down a ball-carrier. Still, most quarterbacks will agree that Watt still packs plenty of power with or without the aid of momentum. 

Donte Whitner, S, Cleveland Browns

Such is Whitner's affinity for lighting up opponents, that he proposed changing his last name to Hitner.

It may seem like nothing more than exuberance and bluster, but the nickname from which the idea was conceived is warranted. Whitner can lay some wood.

Safeties tend to dominate lists like these, and it's with good reason. They play in space, and are therefore permitted the freedom to line up their targets well in advance. Whitner is no exception to this, often playing like a heat-seeking missile. 

James Harrison, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers

It's remarkable that Harrison remains on this list at age 37, considering he's already retired once and nearly gave up on the football dream before his career truly started.

Now in his 12th NFL season, Harrison still hits like he holds the ball-carrier personally responsible for the year he spent playing for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe. 

This may be the last year we get to rank Harrison among the game's biggest hitters, but his victims will ensure his contributions to the Steelers are not soon forgotten. 

T.J. McDonald, S, St. Louis Rams

McDonald is not just the most underrated hitter on this list, he might also be the most efficient tackler of this select group.

According to Pro Football Focus, McDonald lead all safeties last year with 47 stops, meaning a tackle that led to an unsuccessful offensive play. Green Bay's Morgan Burnett finished second in that category with 37.

Big hitters are prone to whiffing on tackles though, right? Not McDonald. He missed ten tackles on the season, via Pro Football Focus, fewer than the likes of Kam Chancellor, Antrel Rolle and Kenny Vaccaro. 

McDonald may get overlooked on a loaded St. Louis defense, but he's worth keeping an eye on when the Rams play. 

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins

His proclivity for extracurricular activities aside, Suh embodies all the adjectives one associates with big hitters. He's powerful, explosive and nasty.

Suh's combination of strength and quickness packed into a 6'4", 307-pound frame ought not be allowed, and he plays with a mean streak that few can match. While it can be argued his intentions have gone too far, Suh's ruthless demeanor is perhaps as big a reason for his success as his natural ability.

If he can keep his emotions in check, Suh has every chance to go down as one of the most dominant forces the NFL has ever seen.

Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay Packers

At 29-years-old and with a lifetime of football already behind him, maybe Clay Matthews is entering the part of his career where he starts to slow down a little bit. Maybe he starts to lose a bit of flexibility. Maybe his first step just isn't as quick as it once was.

One thing that won't change, however, is his relentlessness, which is the very reason he's been one of the NFL's biggest hitters since he entered the league in 2009.

"Finishing plays" is always a big theme for head coaches. Matthews takes that to another level. He seems to unleash a little extra energy when making a tackle, just so there's no misconception that he's just gently placing the ball-carrier on the ground. 

Kam Chancellor, S, Seattle Seahawks

After his fighter Pipino Cuevas lost the welterweight title to Thomas Hearns in 1980, boxing trainer Lupe Sanchez said of the new champion, "It isn't fair. He is too big."

The same could be said of Kam Chancellor.

A 6'3", 230-pound safety who runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, it really isn't fair. Force equals mass times acceleration, and Chancellor is too big and moves too well. The enforcer of Seattle's "Legion of Boom" secondary, he's developed into the league's most fearsome hitter.

No one knows for sure what would happen if head coach Pete Carroll allowed Chancellor and Marshawn Lynch to do battle at full speed in practice, but it's possible entirely new branches of physics would pop up as a result.