Cofield has not spent enough time anchoring a 3-4 and is plagued by inconsistency. Who is the best New York Jets defensive tackle ever? Take a look at how they stack up. He benefits from a strong and talented supporting cast, but everything the Steelers are able to do on defense, is determined by the play of Hampton. Is Pedro Pascal Related To Burt Reynolds? An odd-numbered technique must line up over the shoulder of the offensive line. LOL, really curious where you got the film to do an in-depthanalysis of Les Bingaman. An extremely aggressive player, Garay is one of the few 3-4 nose tackles who is at his best when threatening the quarterback. The Best New York Jets of All Time Fred Smerlas Tackle and Nose tackle from Waltham, Massachusetts Age: 65 Frederic Charles Smerlas (born April 8, 1957) is a former American football defensive lineman who was a 5-time NFL Pro Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with the Buffalo Bills, .more 280 Alameda Ta'amu Art Shell, 1968-1982. A long injury layoff is the only reason that Buffalo Bills defensive linchpin Kyle Williams didn't make the list. 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. Throughout history, there have been several players that have revolutionized what it means to be a nose tackle. The same argument applies to Barry Cofield of the Washington Redskins. Most of Ratliff's reputation is built on his pass rushing ability. Pro Football Network analyst Matt Valdovinos ranks the top 25 offensive tackles in the NFL. Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 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. Therefore, he does not have a lot of individual achievements to boast about. With that said, the nose tackle position is highly respected by their teammates and is most likely going to be the defensive coordinators favorite player when things are going well. Vince Wilfork is one of the smartest and most versatile defensive players in the game. A Financial Overview, What Is a Cycle in Baseball? Isaiah Wynn, New England Patriots. He played college football for the University. He frequently drives blockers backwards and is a consistent threat to penetrate the line of scrimmage. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Instead, they line up head-to-head with the offensive guards. Gil Brandt's greatest NFL defensive tackles of all time NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history. Despite being a 5-time pro bowler, he is still not in the hall of fame. Not only is Art Shell at the top of this list, but he was also among the best tackles in NFL history, and there those who believe . And as was normal, Long would play the three-technique in passing situations. View Current Leaderboard. This allows the safeties to stay deep and maintain the integrity of Chicago's preferred Tampa-2 coverage scheme. Whitworth has been one of the top NFL offensive tackles for the majority of his career and is a true model of consistency. Nonetheless, he was an inside, power player whose job it was to stop the inside running game and he did that well. 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. Bob Baumhower Baumhower was a unique player, tall (6-5) for a nose tackle and may have been better suited as a 4-3 tackle or 3-4 end. 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. Like we mentioned above, the 0-technique (and any other even-numbered technique) is asked to line up head-to-head with the offensive line. Ngata, from 2008-14 received post-season honors every season, three of those years he was a First-team All-Pro and the others Second-team or Pro Bowl or All-AFC, showing remarkable consistency. All-Time Tackles Leaders. You can guess from his career highlights how much we could write about him. Smears was an exceptional talent. Joel Steed will come . He has been an all-pro or pro bowler more than any other nose tackle. While Ngata fell to the shadows behind the likes of Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis, the former Oregon Ducks star was a force to be reckoned . Enter Wade Phillips who installed a 3-4 and Williams as the nose andvoila, he's in the Pro Bowl for the next three years. But he did the dirty work of a shade tackle in a 4-3 under defense. This is where the defensive player lines up on the inside shoulder of the offensive guard. He played a total of 200 games and recorded 20.5 sacks and 8 forced fumbles. One of his best assets is his quick first step, giving him an excellent takeoff at the snap. In his first four years he was a top backup for Ted Washington forming an amazing 1-2 punch. While most nose tackles dont receive a lot of praise from the fans (largely due to their lack of stats), some nose tackles throughout history were so good that you had to recognize them no matter what. When done correctly, the nose tackle acts as a space-eater. Alexander Boris Johnsons Net Worth vs Jeremy Bernard Corbyns Net Worth: Who is richer? Email us at: So far, weve mentioned how the 0-technique lines up head-to-head with the center, and the 2-technique lines up head-to-head with the offensive guard. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 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. Bill Pickel in an interesting player. See leaders through past seasons We may reconsider in the future, but for now, we put him with the tackles. Upon arriving in Houston, the Oilers fortunes changed, going from the bottom of the AFC to among the better teams from 1975 through 1980. And with Carter, he'd have his moments getting to the passer. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Dan Saleaumua was like a rolling ball of butcher knives, moving around all the time, always seemingly around the ball. Thomas was a solid defensive nose and could have been a terrific 3-technique. When you line up in a 3-technique, youre only responsible for the gap between the offensive guard and offensive tackle also known as the B-gap. Theyre some of the hardest-working players that are almost always double-teamed, if not triple-teamed, when on the field. By this time, he played over 200 games to record 93.3 sacks, 1007 tackles, and four touchdowns, so many for a defensive nose tackle. Defensive tackles are mostly the silent killer of a team. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. A 375-pounder as a defensive tackle is something not everyone can expect. Isaiah Wynn is an interesting player. Unlike a nose tackle, a defensive ends main responsibility is to control the outside of the line of scrimmage and get to the quarterback. Wills was exceptionally quick for his size, and so he was nicknamed The Cat.. We've been a complete joke at NT since he left. This is different from defensive ends, which are usually taller (around 65) and slimmer (285 pounds) so they can keep up with offensive tackles. With that in mind, he shared some final thoughts on his playing career. I think Wilfork has to be up there too but Wilfork has been used in more than 1 tech for a lot of his time on the Pats but that just shows what a good skill set he had. He can sometimes be a little inconsistent against the run and doesn't always bring the same fiery determination to disrupting the ground game. Of course, thats not the case with any odd-numbered technique. [Family Ethnicity & Religion], Bruce Wills And Demi Moores Divorce History & Their Kids. There are players that play close to the ball and others that play further away. Pro Bowl: 6 times (1969, 1971, 19751978), Defensive Player of the Year: 1 time (1975). NFL, one of the most exciting sports leagues in the world, is the gathering place of all American football legends. Probably the most technically sound nose tackle on this list, Wilfork's leverage and footwork are outstanding. I swear every time there is a discussion about nose tackles Ngata is mentioned, and Ravens fans go berserk because he doesn't play nose tackle. It reached peak popularity with the Bill Parcells style in the mid 80's. The more space they take up, the less of a hole the running back has to make it through the line of scrimmage. 89 retired in New England, is forming a one-two punch with Wilfork is simply lethal. They are often referred to as the anchor of the defense because their sole responsibility is to limit the amount of space an offense has down the middle of the line of scrimmage. But his place went to a division rival who doesn't benefit from quite as strong a supporting cast around him. Balls retired from the game in 1999, leaving behind a dominant legacy. Smears was a very durable nose tackle and had played 149 consecutive matches. Although used in very specific situations in the NFL, the 5-2 defensive scheme was largely phased out of pro football in the 1950s and eventually college football in the 1980s. Had he not been denied the opportunity to follow up his stellar 2010 season, Williams would certainly have merited inclusion. He is one of the "Jewel" of The News Titan. To be fair, Williams was a Second-team All-Pro in 2004 and then First-team in 2005 and 2006. Here is a ranking of the 10 best nose tackles in the game today. Fat Pat Williams is top 10 material bias aside. Well, first we need to understand the 4-technique. Jerry Ball was shaped like his name. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. A nose tackle, also known as the nose guard or middle guard, is a player that aligns themselves in the middle of the defensive line. Whether youre playing in a 3-4 defensive scheme or 4-3 defensive scheme, two defensive ends line up by the offensive tackle. Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard. May 18, 2022 9:45 am ET. Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! He was active, fast, and really stood out on film. 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. Vita is one of the best nose tackles in the NFL because he has the ability at 345-pounds to rush the passer. He. He debuted in 1968 with the Kansas City Chiefs. 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. In the 1980 season, almost 3/4ths of teams were running one. The way he singlehandedly collapsed the pocket and allows fellow Tampa pass rushers to torture Patrick Mahomes all day night long. 8. Maas was "Big, mean, strong, and nasty" according to Buchsbaum who also though Maas would have been an excellent 4-3 tackle. While many people often confuse a nose guard with a nose tackle, many fans also use the terms nose tackle and defensive tackle interchangeably. one bid wonders has more information on college football bowl game. Willis was a dynamic6-2, 213-pound middle guard for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-53. But he got the opportunity to join the newly formed Cleveland Browns, and there he proved how good he was. Best Nose Tackles in NFL History Throughout history, there have been several players that have revolutionized what it means to be a nose tackle.