The Top Defensive Player in the History of Every NFL Franchise
It's not an easy feat to single out one player as the best defensive player ever for a franchise, especially when you have a Pittsburgh Steelers squad that had Rod Woodson, Jack Lambert, Mean Joe Greene and Troy Polamalu.
Or a Chicago Bears squad that had Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary.
Or choosing between the New Orleans Saints' Rickey Jackson and Wayne Martin.
In fact, it actually pains me to leave some of these players off.
There have been a lot of legends in the NFL, and I think I just rifled through just about every one of them.
Here is a list naming the greatest defensive player in every NFL team's history.
Arizona Cardinals: Larry Wilson, Free Safety
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Hall of Fame Cardinals free safety Larry Wilson played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 to 1972, amassing a team-record 52 interceptions and being selected to eight Pro Bowls.
He was named to the 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Team.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978.
Atlanta Falcons: Deion Sanders, CB
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"Prime Time" played his first five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before he traveled to San Francisco and Dallas.
In his first five seasons, he amassed 24 interceptions (taking three to the house) and forced seven fumbles.
He went on to record 53 interceptions for his career with nine touchdowns as a corner.
Baltimore Ravens: Ray Lewis, LB
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One of the greatest linebackers to ever play the game and a student of Chicago Bears great Mike Singletary, Ray Lewis has played 15 seasons in the NFL. He's been selected to the Pro Bowl in 12 of these 15 seasons.
He's recorded over 1,900 tackles in his career, 30 interceptions and 38.5 sacks as a middle linebacker.
He's never had fewer than 100 tackles in a season in which he played at least 14 games.
He was also a large part of the Baltimore Ravens winning Super Bowl XXXV, as evidenced by him being named the Super Bowl MVP.
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Buffalo Bills: Bruce Smith, DE
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In my mind there's no debating Bruce Smith as the greatest defensive player to ever don a Bills jersey.
He holds the NFL record for most career sacks with a whopping 200 (that's not a misprint), he's an 11-time Pro Bowl selection and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.
One of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, defensive linemen in the history of the NFL.
Carolina Panthers: Julius Peppers, DE
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One of the great defensive ends in today's game, Julius Peppers was with the Carolina Panthers for eight seasons before joining linebacker Brian Urlacher in Chicago this year.
He's made the Pro Bowl six of his nine years in the league and has 89 sacks for his career.
He amassed 12 sacks as a rookie in 2002.
Chicago Bears: Dick Butkus, LB
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Tough call when you have one of the all-time greats in Mike Singletary too, but I have to give this one to Butkus.
When you have an award given to the top defensive linebacker in the country named after you, you know you're good.
They didn't record tackles when Butkus played for Da Bears from 1965 to 1973, but let's just say he was everywhere.
Widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time.
Cincinnati Bengals: Ken Riley, CB
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One of the great defensive backs to play in the NFL, Cincy's Ken Riley racked up 65 interceptions during his career and four All-Pro selections when he played for the Bengals from 1969 to 1983.
Not the most popular player or most recognized, but why Riley is still not in the Hall of Fame is beyond me.
One of the great oversights in NFL history.
Cleveland Browns: Len Ford, DE
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Although young Browns fans probably find it hard to believe they were once a dominant franchise, defensive lineman Len Ford was a catalyst for a Browns team in the 1950s that went to five championship games and won three.
An absolutely ferocious player who was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
Dallas Cowboys: Bob Lilly, DT/DE
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Defensive lineman Bob Lilly was an 11-time Pro Bowler and was an integral part of the the Cowboys when they won Super Bowl VI.
He was the first draft pick in Dallas Cowboys history.
Talk about getting a franchise off to the right start.
He was an extremely agile and quick player for his size.
Combined with his ferociousness, he was a force of the NFL.
Denver Broncos: Steve Atwater, Free Safety
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Tough one here; could have gone with Randy Gradishar or Champ Bailey.
But with eight Pro Bowl selections and two Super Bowls to his name, not to mention 24 interceptions, I have to go with Steve Atwater here.
He gained a reputation quickly for being a hard hitter.
Just don't run into this guy on a slant route up the middle.
Detroit Lions: Dick "Night Train" Lane, DB
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Defensive back Dick "Night Train" Lane had 68 interceptions in his career and was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times.
He set an NFL record as a rookie in 1952 with 14 interceptions.
He had 10 interceptions two seasons later.
He was ranked 19th on the Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players and has been dubbed the greatest cornerback in the first 50 years of pro football.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
Green Bay Packers: Ray Nitschke, LB
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The great Ray Nitschke played his entire career as a middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1972.
Nitschke became an anchor under coach Vince Lombardi's ferocious defense that won five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978.
Honorable mention: Herb Adderly
Houston Texans: Mario Williams, DE
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Remember when the Houston Texans got all that flak when they drafted defensive end Mario Williams over tailback Reggie Bush?
Well, you don't see anyone giving them flak now.
Williams has 48.5 sacks in his five years in the league thus far.
Selected to two Pro Bowls, Williams also has the Texans' single-season sack record with 14 in 2007.
Indianapolis Colts: Art "The Bulldog" Donovan, DT
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Colts defensive tackle Art Donovan became one of the outstanding players on a top defense when he was selected to five straight Pro Bowls from 1954 to 1958.
He won back-to-back championships with the Colts in 1958 and 1959.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968.
Honorable Mention: Gino Marchetti, Mike Curtis
Jacksonville Jaguars, Tony Brackens, DE
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Injuries limited Tony Brackens' career from 1996 to 2003, but when he was on the field, he was a beast.
Brackens had 55 career sacks, including 30.5 from 1999 to 2001.
Brackens was part of a 62-7 playoff win against the Miami Dolphins in the 2000 playoffs in which he had a sack, a fumble recovery and a touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs: Derrick Thomas, LB/DE
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A list of Chiefs records Derrick Thomas compiled in his 11 seasons with the team:
- 41 career forced fumbles
- Eight forced fumbles in one season
- 19 recovered fumbles
- 126.5 career sacks
- 20 sacks in one season
- Three career safeties
Oh yeah, and he had an NFL-record seven sacks in a single game.
Is there really any question about this?
Miami Dolphins: Nick Buoniconti, LB
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Nick Buoniconti played eight seasons for the Miami Dolphins before retiring after the 1976 season.
He was a six-time AFL All-Star, a two-time Pro Bowler and won two Super Bowls.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Honorable Mention: Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas
Minnesota Vikings: Alan Page, DT
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During Page's 15 years in the NFL, the Vikings won four conference titles.
Page himself was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and the first defensive player to receive the MVP in 1971.
Considered one of the great defensive tackles to ever play the game.
New England Patriots: Andre Tippett, LB
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Linebacking powerhouse Andre Tippett made the 1980s All-Decade Team when he was selected to five straight Pro Bowls from 1984 to 1988.
From 1984 to 1985, Tippett compiled the most sacks in a two-season period with 35.
He ended up with 100 sacks for his career, a Patriots record.
New Orleans Saints: Rickey Jackson, LB
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This was a close call, as I was also looking hard at Saints defensive end Wayne Martin, but I'm giving this one to linebacker Rickey Jackson, who was part of the Saints' fearsome "Dome Patrol."
Jackson recorded a franchise-record 128 sacks during his career, was a six-time Pro Bowler and even won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers one year before retiring in 1995.
He collected at least 10 sacks in six seasons.
New York Giants: Lawrence Taylor, LB
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Possibly the greatest defensive player in the history of the game.
Known as LT, Taylor amassed 10 Pro Bowl selections during his career, along with two Super Bowl rings.
He recorded 132.5 sacks and led the New York Giants to the playoffs 10 straight seasons.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.
New York Jets: Mark Gastineau, DE
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A five-time Pro Bowler, defensive end Mark Gastineau collected 74 official sacks in his last seven seasons in professional football.
He recorded a Jets-record 22 sacks in 1984.
He was a key part of what was dubbed "The New York Sack Exchange," a brutal defensive line of the Jets in the '80s.
Oakland Raiders: Howie Long, DE
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Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long, who played 13 seasons with the Raiders, had a rare combination of size, speed and strength.
The eight-time Pro Bowler had 84 sacks in his career and won Super Bowl XVIII with the Raiders.
A move was even named due to Long's play, called "The Rip," in which a defensive lineman uses a quick, uppercut motion to break a block on the line.
Philadelphia Eagles: Reggie White, DE
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Before being a legend with the Green Bay Packers, Reggie White was a legend with the Philadelphia Eagles in his first eight years (he played 15).
He recorded 198 sacks in his career and only recorded less than 10 sacks three times.
He also won a Super Bowl with the Packers.
One of the true greats to play the game—he was called the "Minister of Defense" for a reason.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mean Joe Greene, DT
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Mean Joe Greene wasn't called Mean Joe Greene for nothing.
He was absolutely nasty as a defensive tackle in the 1970s.
Being a 10-time Pro Bowler and a four-time Super Bowl champion attests to this.
When you're the cornerstone of the "Steel Curtain," that gets people thinking of you as the greatest defensive lineman to play the game.
San Diego Chargers: Junior Seau, LB
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Junior Seau was one of the greats to play the game, and all 12 Pro Bowl selections were warranted.
He finished with over 1,500 tackles in his career to go along with 56.5 sacks.
He also had 18 interceptions as a linebacker.
Durable, tough, relentless.
San Francisco 49ers: Ronnie Lott, DB
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Cornerback, free safety, strong safety—you name it, Ronnie Lott could handle it.
Widely considered one of best defensive backs in NFL history, Lott was a huge part of Bill Walsh's 49ers throughout the 1980s.
He recorded 63 interceptions, forced 16 fumbles and had over 1,000 tackles for his career.
A 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time Super Bowl champion, Ronnie Lott was known as much for his toughness as his skill set.
Seattle Seahawks: Cortez Kennedy, DT
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An eight-time Pro Bowl selection and the 1992 Defensive Player of the Year, defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy is widely considered the Seattle Seahawks' greatest defensive player ever.
Kennedy had 58 sacks in his career and had 14 in his biggest year in 1992.
St. Louis Rams: Deacon Jones, DE
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You don't receive the nickname the "Secretary of Defense" without being widely regarded as one of the top defensive players to ever play professional football.
Deacon Jones, an eight-time Pro Bowler, was part of the Fearsome Foursome, one of the great defensive lines ever, which included Merlin Olsen, who I also considered in this slide.
He also had the attitude you want out of a defensive lineman (from an interview during his career):
"I'm probably the toughest (expletive) here. Ain't no question about that with me. I'm the toughest guy here... I'm clean. I mean, I ain't got no marks on me. I don't know nobody else who can say that who came out of any sport. I ain't got no marks on me, so I've got to be the baddest dude I know of."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derrick Brooks, LB
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Who can forget linebacker Derrick Brooks?
I know I can't.
Brooks was an 11-time Pro Bowler in his 14 seasons with the Buccaneers until retiring after the 2008 season.
He amassed over 1,300 tackles—an absolute tackling machine.
He also helped lead the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl championship.
Extremely athletic for his size.
Tennessee Titans: Elvin Bethea, DE
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One of the most dominant and durable players in the history of the game, defensive end Elvin Bethea was an eight-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer.
He had several seasons collecting over 14 sacks (including an Oilers/Titans record 16 in 1973) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.
Washington Redskins: Darrell Green, CB
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Darrell Green was nicknamed the "Ageless Wonder" for his ability to still be a very productive player far into his career.
In his 20 seasons with the Redskins, Green made seven Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls.
He was also an extremely consistent player and a model to a lot of players that came after him, notching an interception in 19 seasons.
He had 54 interceptions in his career.
Honorable Mention: Chris Hanburger
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