New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. [Family Ethnicity & Religion], Bruce Wills And Demi Moores Divorce History & Their Kids. A tall nose, like Bob Baumhower, at 6-5 and began his career as an inside designated pass rusher. Maybe if he hadn't gone to USFL but really, except for 1983, he was a backup---someone who got to play when Carter was hurt, would play some 40 tackle in nickel/dimeHe was considered by the 36 starts was kind of a problem. His 10 kick blocks rank top 10 among all NFL players. His role into 2021 as a top defensive tackle will be to keep rookie linebacker Jamin Davis free to attack downhill. Take a look at all the action as the 2023 Combine gets underway in Indianapolis. Carter was the classic run-stopper at nose, not much of a rusher. He played in the NFL for 13 seasons and recorded 32.5 sacks. Carter played nine seasons, 121 games with 97 starts. For the first half of his career, he played all downs, playing left tackle in the Bills sub defensive packages, something not all nose tackles could do. He was also one of the best kick blockers ever and the best of the 2000s by far with 17 blocked place kicks. His professional football career began in 1977 when he was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles 1977. Another excellent piece of work by you Mr. Turney. This is because four linebackers can either drop back and guard the middle of the field or play at the line of scrimmage against the run. Nose tackles dont receive a lot of glamour in modern football. But the tenacious and resourcefulfourth-year prois a significant member of the Bears defensive line rotation. A Complete Overview, What Is a Sack in Football? We think he would have been a fine left 3-4 defensive end and inside rusher in nickel but the Raiders already had that guyHowie Long. See leaders through past seasons + Indicates Hall of Famer. Like all 4-3 nose tackles, Pekoregularly operates in a shaded alignment over the center. Taylor Lewan gets a lot of attention for his off-field attention-seeking antics. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. 16. He would also play left end on occasion, usually when Lyle Alzado was taking a series off or if he missed a game or two. 2022 The News Titan - All Rights Reserved, The 10 Best Nose Tackles of All Time in the NFL, The 10 Best Defensive Ends of All Time in the NFL. It used to take three blockers to stop him. An excellent run defender, Soliai needs to refine his technique in order to make more plays behind the line of scrimmage. Equally comfortable operating as either a 1 or 2-gap defensive tackle, Wilfork possesses both the raw power and schematic versatility to disrupt any blocking scheme. Defensive tackles are mostly the silent killer of a team. They need to have a big body, but they also need to have some speed and strength to make them quicker and stronger than a center and offensive guard. As they continue to learn the What Is a Secondary in Football? Defensive techniques serve two major purposes they tell the defenders where they need to line up for that specific play and they tell the defenders what their role is when on the field. Domato Peko is the fulcrum of the Cincinnati Bengals aggressive 4-3 defense. started his career with the Detroit Lions in 1987 and later played in three more teams, including Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings. The Pittsburgh run defense has been at or near the top of the league standings throughout Hamton's decade long tenure over the center. You can guess from his career highlights how much we could write about him. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. A couple of years ago, Jay Ratliff would have comfortably toppeda list of this kind. With a little more experience at the position, Sopoaga could beexpected to top a similar list in the near future. Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. From 1980 through the first six games of 1990 he played in (and started) 149 consecutive games, remarkable given the duties of his position. WithToeaina in the lineup, there is often more space for destructive duo Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs to exploit. Ranking of the NFL's top ten greatest offensive tackles of all time. Plus he played the position until 39 years old; amazing longevity for a position where you're fighting off double teams from other 300 lb men your whole career. I'll have to their cortez Kennedy into the mix for this one. This type of scheme consists of five players on the defensive line a nose guard, two defensive tackles, and two defensive ends. Al Amin Sagor is simply a movie freak who is passionate about writing entertainment content. Sometimes a nose tackle or defensive tackle will line up in a 1-technique. Its okay for a nose tackle to be smaller or bigger than the average nose tackle, so long as that player is good at taking up space and freeing up room for the rest of the defense to do what they do best. Houston Texans starter Shaun Cody has adapted well to the rigours of Wade Phillips' 1-gap 3-4. Enjoy! Wilfork is widely considered one of the best nose tackles to play the game of football. Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh Steelers Tuitt is the second Steelers player to find his way into the top 12, coming off another strong showing in 2020. Pouha is the basis for the Jets swarming rush defense and his stout performances in the middle of the line ensures the schematic flexibilitycharacteristicof Rex Ryan's multiple system. In the game of football, every player is given a specific position both on offense and defense that determines their role when on the field. Danny Jaillet. Raji's versatility is the foundation of Green Bay's defensive scheme. 6'5" and around 375 pounds, he was literally an immovable object in the trenches. 3-4 Defences have only become really popular around the nfl in the last 15 years so there hasn't been that many Nose Tackles in the last 40-50 years in comparison to other positions. We may reconsider in the future, but for now, we put him with the tackles. The two-time pro bowler Hank Thomas is often underappreciated and is one of the most underrated players of recent times. After his stellar 1980 season, coaches from opposing teams would fly to Buffalo to watch how Smerlas played in the middle of the Bill defense and exported the style to their own 3-4 teams. Theyre some of the hardest-working players that are almost always double-teamed, if not triple-teamed, when on the field. Louis Rams, 1976-1995 Voted to seven Pro Bowls First player to play 20 seasons for one team Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, St. Louis Rams, 1997-2008; Chicago Bears, 2009 Voted to seven Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times One-time Super Bowl champion Started 154 consecutive games Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, 1967-1979 Voted to six Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro three times Two-time Super Bowl champion Started in six NFC Championship Games Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chicago Bears, 1936-1946 Three-time NFL champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First-Team All-Pro four times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Yanks, 1951; Cleveland Browns, 1954-1962 Voted to six Pro Bowls Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns, 2007-2016 Voted to 10 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times Has started all 160 games he has played in the NFL, Green Bay Packers, 1956-1970; Dallas Cowboys, 1971 Started on eight NFL championship teams Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro seven times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Minnesota Vikings, 1968-1981; Los Angeles Rams, 1982 Voted to seven Pro Bowls; First Team All-Pro six times First O-lineman to be selected No. He was drafted into the NFL in 2004 by the New England Patriots. Instead of going head-to-head with the center, theyll line up on the outside shoulder of the center, either on the left or right. As with any list there is room for debate here and there but he's ranked about right.Let me guess, you are a Steeler's fan? This allows the defensive ends to cover the outside of the offensive line and frees up the middle linebackers to find the quarterback or running back. Johnsons primary duty was to stop the run, and he did it so well. What does that make the 5-technique? Some of these men are considered to be the best nose tackles to ever play the game, and if you're looking for a specific football player you can look for them by using the "search" function on this list. Rogers started his career hot, playing shade most often in a 40 defense, and was playing lots of plays (36.5 run stuffs in his first four seasons) and then went to his "All-Pro-type" years from 2004-08 when he was a Second-team All-Pro once and a three-time Pro Bowler. This is different from defensive ends, which are usually taller (around 65) and slimmer (285 pounds) so they can keep up with offensive tackles. Nonetheless, he was an inside, power player whose job it was to stop the inside running game and he did that well. From his 121 games, he recorded 121 sacks. Pro Bowl: 6 times (1969, 1971, 19751978), Defensive Player of the Year: 1 time (1975). They silently contribute and help their team to win. However, his play for the Titans down the stretch was . Carter knew what his job was as a nose tackle, and he did it perfectly. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 1. A 3-4 defensive scheme is more of a base defense that can be effective against the run and pass when performed correctly. I realize he was mostly a part-time player but I thought Pete Kugler for the 49ers played alot of quality snaps. Carter was a dominant nose when motivated. His power and ferocity at the point of attack make him virtually impossible to handle one on one. Ted Washington is another. Like Bill Wills, Pat Williams was also undrafted in 1997. Well.it's more that it goes through cycles. From Culp to Jerry Ball, everyone featured in this article has played major roles in their teams success, which established them as the best defensive nose tackles of all time in the NFL. Pro Bowl: 4 times (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001). And love seeing Smerlas getting recognized so high. He was a First-team All-Pro four times and voted to five Pro Bowls and was an alternate to a couple of others. They dont always receive large contracts, they generally dont run up the stat sheet, and theyre most likely not going to be a fans favorite player on the field at least not like a quarterback, running back, or wide receiver. Sometimes even experts fail to recognize talent. He was a Second-team All-Pro once and a three-time Pro Bowler (all when playing as 1/2 of the "Williams Wall" in Minnesota. He did not focus on personal achievements, which is one of the reasons that his stats are not filled with rich numbers. Being five times first-pro and the five-times pro bowler is a rare achievement in the NFL for a nose tackle. It all depends on the game situation. Sione Pouha has quietly emerged as one of the most effective run defenders in the game. Hank Thomas is one of the more underrated players in recent NFL history in our view, right up there with Eugene Robinson, LeRoy Butler, Larry Brooks, and others. Team (s): Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions & Philadelphia Eagles. He also covers media and entertainment news on various online platforms. However, here are ten players who were not just great nose tackles but also great defensive backs of all time. Just because a NT doesn't 2 gap doesn't mean he's not a true NT, that's all down to preference of scheme by the coach. Well, first we need to understand the 4-technique. The six-time pro bowler is also an AFL and Super Bowl champion. The way he singlehandedly collapsed the pocket and allows fellow Tampa pass rushers to torture Patrick Mahomes all day night long. I created this website to share my passion with all of you. May 14, 2020. In the 1980 season, almost 3/4ths of teams were running one. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Patriots, a time during which he was one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL -- especially against the run. Casey Hampton Jr. (born September 3, 1977), nicknamed "Big Snack," is a former American football nose tackle who played twelve seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League, The Best Miami Football Players of All Time, The Greatest Out of Shape Athletes in Sports. He was All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro once and an All-AFC pick twice and voted to four Pro Bowls. Washington had played for several teams in his 17-year-long career. He is comfortable using his speed to shoot gaps or lining up directly over guards and centers and overpowering them. We've been a complete joke at NT since he left. Concerns about his every down durability have persisted in recent seasons, but Ratliff is still the best pure athlete to play nose tackle in the NFL. Michael Carter Career Highlights: Super Bowl champion: 3 times (XIX, XXIII, XXIV) First-team All-Pro: 3 times (1986, 1987, 1988) Pro Bowl: 3 times (1985, 1987, 1988) Klecko was a fan favorite and defensive stand out for the Jets through the 1980's. Arriving at the Jets after playing his college ball at Temple University, Klecko quickly had an impact on the . Thomas was great at tackling and arguably the best among all nose tackles. Yep, he arrived when those guys were on their way out of town. Art Shell, 1968-1982. He received a Hall of Fame induction from the New England Patriots soon after his retirement in 2017. They just don't. Likely 1988, too, but it was a crowded field in the 1980s for nose tackles. If youre a football player, you must understand what a defensive technique is. he was a good player, but didn't play enough to really fit in. He was First-team All-Pro twice and a Second-teamer three other seasons and went to five Pro Bowls as a nose tackle (tied with Fred Smerlas for the most-ever by a 3-4 nose). With Hampton occluding the middle of an opposing blocking scheme, ball carriers are consistentlyforced sideways. Raji possesses a more diverse and dynamic skill set than Pouha. Lets see why these players are considered the best nose tackles of all time. The goal of this website is to provide you with content that will help you get a leg up on the competition, whether thats in the realm of coaching or on the field itself. It frequently took 2 or 3 linemen to block him, freeing up teammates to double-cover or blitz. He was drafted into the NFL in 1987 and remained active till 2000. Washington has four first-round picks on its defensive line, and Jonathan Allen might have been the best in 2020. Isaiah Wynn, New England Patriots. Willis was a dynamic6-2, 213-pound middle guard for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-53.