NFL: Selecting the best player in each franchise’s history

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NFL and Virginia Tech Hokies former defensive end Bruce Smith watches his team during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Virginia Tech Hokies won 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Buffalo Bills – Bruce Smith

Did you think that the all-time leader in sacks wouldn’t be the choice?

In fairness, some more casual fans may lean toward the likes of Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas. But while the offensive players usually gain the accolades, Smith was easily the best player on the early-1990s Buffalo teams. His career sack mark (exactly 200) speaks for itself, but Smith was an absolute terror on the outside, constantly pestering opposing quarterbacks and forcing mistakes that led to Buffalo’s strong defense throughout that time period.

The sack numbers are nice, but Smith was also selected as a first-time All-Pro on eight (!) occasions while basically dominating for 15 consecutive years in Buffalo. We won’t talk about his brief time in Washington (yikes), but while Smith was a member of the Bills, only Reggie White was a better pass-rusher and that is exclusive company by any measure.

It is always difficult to justify, at least with statistics, an elite defensive player against high-end offensive contributors like Kelly and Thomas, but given the all-time records and the duration of his career, Smith is a fairly clear winner for me.

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