The type of reliable-backup career you just don't see much anymore. But he did the dirty work of a shade tackle in a 4-3 under defense. 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. Joe Klecko (89%, 59 Votes) Kris Jenkins (8%, 5 Votes) Jason Ferguson (3%, 2 Votes) Sione Pouha (0%, 0 Votes) Abdul Salaam (0%, 0 Votes). With a little more experience at the position, Sopoaga could beexpected to top a similar list in the near future. The best decision that Rob Ryan made when he took over stewardship of the Cowboys defense, was to leave Ratliff over the center, and defy the calls to move him to end. Everything You Need to Know, What Is a Pick 6 in Football? This player is mostly responsible for filling the two gaps on either side of the center in-between each guard also known as the A-gaps. He was an eight-time First-team All-League selection and was a Second-team selection one additional time and was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1940s Team and the owner of five championship rings. Super Bowl champion: 3 times (XIX, XXIII, XXIV), First-team All-Pro: 3 times (1986, 1987, 1988). Theyre responsible for taking up space and making it hard for the center and guards to make room for the running back. A 3-4 defensive scheme is more of a base defense that can be effective against the run and pass when performed correctly. I think he was part of at least three of their championships, though undersized. The best I have personally seen is Casey Hampton. Yep, he arrived when those guys were on their way out of town. For the most part, the nose tackle is responsible for filling up these two gaps. He spent his last six seasons as a backup/rotational nose for the Raiders, then the Jets. He was All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro once and an All-AFC pick twice and voted to four Pro Bowls. NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the best offensive tackles in NFL history. But was a Pro Bowler in 1986, but was certainly worthy of selection in 1984 and 1985 as well. If its a 2-technique, the player must line up head-to-head with the guard. He frequently drives blockers backwards and is a consistent threat to penetrate the line of scrimmage. NFL players are large in size. A Guide for Fans, NFL Practice Squad Salary Rules and Eligibility Explained, What Is a DB in Football? Any even-numbered technique (including the 0-technique) must line up head-to-head with the offensive line. Moving former defensive end Isaac Sopoaga to nose tackle has made an already stout 49ers run defense even more formidable. At 6-1 330 (350?) This list includes the tackle's accomplishments, honors, awards, records, & statistics. Take a look at all the action as the 2023 Combine gets underway in Indianapolis. We also mentioned how the 1-technique lines up on the outside shoulder of the center and the 3-technique lines up on the outside shoulder of the offensive guard. This site is owned and operated by Coaching Kidz. He was also part of the Dolphins pass rush packages for the first 2/3 of his career, totaling 9 sacks in 1981, 8 in 1978 and 1983 and 6 in 1979. Theyre usually the largest player and go head-to-head with the opposing center. Nobody is better at absorbing double teams than Hampton. However, until that time, he is without question the best nose tackle in the league. James P. Burt (born June 7, 1959 in Orchard Park, New York) is a former American football player who played for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL for 13 seasons and recorded 32.5 sacks. Then he was signed by the Buffalo Bills, but it was with Minnesota Vikings where he shined and reached his full potential. The six-time pro bowler is also an AFL and Super Bowl champion. Ratliff is one of the most dominant players in the league and is the key to the Cowboys multiple 3-4 scheme. During his stay in Kansas, Culp shined as a defensive nose tackle. Tim Krumrie was a very active-type nose tackle, all hustle all the time. Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans. Since nose tackles are largely responsible for clogging up the middle of the line of scrimmage, its almost required that they have a big body thats difficult to block. 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. Well, a player needs to have the mentality to sacrifice himself for the teams achievement. Washington has four first-round picks on its defensive line, and Jonathan Allen might have been the best in 2020. Vea had four sacks last season playing out of the nose. 89 retired in New England, is forming a one-two punch with Wilfork is simply lethal. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. One name that is well worth mentioning among the Top 10 Strong Safety All-Time list is the former Seattle Seahawks and Pro Football Hall of Famer strong safety Kenny Easley. Isaiah Wynn, New England Patriots. Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! It used to take three blockers to stop him. From his 121 games, he recorded 121 sacks. 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. The 55 Best Movies and Series on HBO Max (Where You 1968 (Denver Broncos, Round: 2 / Pick: 31), Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers, Detroit Lions, 1979 (Buffalo Bills, Round: 2 / Pick: 32), Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers, 1991 (San Francisco 49ers, Round: 1 / Pick: 25), San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, 1987 (Minnesota Vikings, Round: 3 / Pick: 72), Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots andDetroit Lions, 1984 (San Francisco 49ers, Round: 5 / Pick: 121), 1977 (Philadelphia Eagles, Round: 7 / Pick: 175), Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, 2004 (New England Patriots, Round: 1 / Pick: 21), 1987 (Detroit Lions, Round: 3 / Pick: 63), Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings. 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. From 1980 through the first six games of 1990 he played in (and started) 149 consecutive games, remarkable given the duties of his position. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. WhenToeaina is over the center, the Bears run defense is more stout. In this technique, the defensive player must line up over the outside shoulder of the offensive line. 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. By Matthew Valdovinos. He was drafted into the NFL in 2004 by the New England Patriots. Vea is the best nose tackle in the NFL and the main reason that the Buccaneers dominated the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55. Thomas was great at tackling and arguably the best among all nose tackles. Thomas played in 213 games, started 199 of them, totaled 864 tackles including 93.5 sacks and 95.0 run stuffs, totals that rival players like Warren Sapp and Bryant Young, two of the 1990s All-Decade selections. as a nose tackle, mostly a backup or part-time player. I would have thought Manu Tiuasosopo would have been in there as he was mixing it up well in the era with Sugar Bear Hamilton, Rubin Carter, Fred Smerlas, etc.And if Reggie Kinlaw makes the list then I would have put Dave Rowe in as well. I'll have to their cortez Kennedy into the mix for this one. 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 played both ways early in his career but his primary position was right over the center in 5-man lines. His 61 tackles for loss or no gain against the run over that span rank third among defensive linemen, behind only Brandon Graham and Jadeveon Clowney. Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears. This comment has been removed by the author. One of his best assets is his quick first step, giving him an excellent takeoff at the snap. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Ngata played more than the shade (1-tech) for the Ravens, playing mostly over guards and even inside shoulder of a tackle (4i) technique. link to 17+ Basketball Games for Kids The Ultimate List, link to What Is a Secondary in Football? And with Carter, he'd have his moments getting to the passer. Take a look at how they stack. You can guess from his career highlights how much we could write about him. Former New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was announced as this year's inductee into the team's Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Hell, I bet JJ Watt would be the best nose in the league if they lined him up there. Team (s): Seattle Seahawks. The over six ft tall was like a mad bull himself. That. He played college football for the University. 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? Wilfork played more than 100 games for the Patriots and is considered the best player in the nose tackle position for the Patriots. Dedicated to reporting mainstream and esoteric aspects of professional football. The San Francisco 49ers signed him in the 1991 NFL draft, where he was overall 25th. 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. Joe Nash is a glaring omission. Who is the best New York Jets defensive tackle ever? Also, played some DE. Williams became a three times pro bowler in three consecutive seasons, from 2006 to 2008. When on form, Antonio Garay is capable of regularly collapsing the pocket. Therefore, he does not have a lot of individual achievements to boast about. With Sopoaga over the center, Navorro Bowman and Patrick Willis are always kept clean and remain free to chase plays down. 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. Jerry Ball was shaped like his name. 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. He's likely best known for a gruesome broken leg in the Super Bowl versus the 49ers but he came back from that in 1989 and had a couple solid seasons after that. Super Bowl champion: 2 times (XXXIX, XLIX). There have been many legendary nose tackles in the NFL and NCAA, and you'll find all of them on this list below. Donald is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a seven-time First-Team All-Pro, Made the 2010 NFL All . Probably not over the full course of his career since he was injured so much, but I'll throw peak Kris Jenkins in the mix for top 10 best NT peaks. Defensive tackles are mostly the silent killer of a team. Any coach that wants to find success with a 3-4 defensive scheme needs a dominant nose tackle. Career stats of Henry Thomas: 6. As you learn more about football, you start to hear the term defensive technique. Its not something a normal fan has to be concerned about, but its something that gets mentioned by the announcers and commentators regularly. Team (s): Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions & Philadelphia Eagles. And for a nose, he was very durable. This is due mainly to the fact that most of the standout nose tackles in the league play for 3-4 teams. Art Shell, 1968-1982. A Complete Overview, What Is a Sack in Football? He. Nose tackle is an underappreciated and selfless position in American 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. Its generally reserved for the defensive end and theyre responsible for both the B-gap (in-between the guard and tackle) and C-gap (on the outside of the tackle). In the Bears under front,Toeaina is required to take on the center and occupy the interior, creating one on one matchups for pass rushing defensive ends and the 3-technique tackle. The crown as the best non-Donald interior defender is a tough one to claim definitively, but in 2019 it belonged to Heyward. Ive played and watched sports all my life and have coached them as well for the last few years. Lets see why these players are considered the best nose tackles of all time. Wilfork is widely considered one of the best nose tackles to play the game of football. Hopefully, Whitworth and the rest of Los Angeles can have a bounce-back year as they will look to contend in a very competitive NFC West. He was a true 2 gap run stuffer. I created this website to share my passion with all of you. He did not focus on personal achievements, which is one of the reasons that his stats are not filled with rich numbers. 16. They rank up there with the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Red Sox, and all the other teams to win several championships since the turn of the century. 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. Danny Jaillet. He was part of the good, innovative defenses of Bill Arnsbarger with the Dolphins, the 'Killer Bs' if you will. Kendall Wright looked like the perfect slot receiver for a lot of the year. A Financial Overview, What Is a Cycle in Baseball? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Sometimes a nose tackle or defensive tackle will line up in a 1-technique. STEELERS' ALL-UNDRAFTED TEAM Quarterback: Devlin Hodges Running Back: Willie Parker Fullback: Dan Kreider Wide Receivers:. The next year, Taylor was released, and this became the season Wilfork made his name known by recording 54 tackles in only 16 games. Wills played a key role in the defense and was all-pro once and a pro bowler.

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