Every NFL team's greatest defensive player of all time

The NFL’s offensive players get a ton of coverage, but as the saying goes, defense wins championships. While we spend hours on who’s better between Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Joe Montana, the argument for the greatest pass rusher of all time can be just as impactful. There are 105 solely defensive players in the NFL Hall of Fame. It’s actually surprisingly split between the three levels of defense. There are 38 defensive linemen, 31 linebackers, and 36 defensive backs in the Hall. 

When looking at the greatest defensive player for each franchise, it shows that they’ve each had amazing talents in their time. Some have current players dominating the league, while others we have to go back to NFL on black and white TV to find the most dominant guy on that side of the field. Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the first team on the list; the Arizona Cardinals. Or in this example, we have to go all the way back to the Chicago Cardinals.

Arizona Cardinals
Dick “Night Train” Lane

Night Train Lane was one of the best players in the secondary ever. He has one of the hardest to beat records in the NFL, with 14 interceptions in the 1952 season. Although that one was with the Rams, he did have 10 interceptions in his first season with the Cardinals. He was given his first career Pro Bowl nod for his effort. It turned out to be one of four Pro Bowl selections while with the Cards.

The Cardinals got very lucky in that Lane wanted a major salary increase and the Rams decided that wasn’t in the “cards.” The Rams traded him that January and Lane went on to have six great seasons in Chicago. 

Lane is an obvious Pro Football Hall of Famer, a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team, and he sits in the Cardinals Ring of Honor. He finished his Cardinals career with 30 interceptions. Only three Cardinals players have had more, and they all played more than twice as many games as Lane. 

Atlanta Falcons
Deion Sanders

Finding the best defensive player in Falcons history is not an easy feat. They haven’t had that many great defensive players. They’ve had some decent stars recently like Grady Jarrett and John Abraham. However, this comes down to two players: Deion Sanders and Claude Humphrey. Humphrey was a fantastic defensive end who ended up in the Hall of Fame. However, Sanders was so great while with the Falcons, he deserves this honor.

Sanders started his career with the Falcons when they drafted him fifth overall. He’s probably the best player at the position ever. His speed was unmatched. His abilities were uncontested. Sanders was a phenom at the cornerback position, and he was incredibly impactful from day one. He returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in his NFL debut.

Sanders spent five seasons with the Falcons, playing all three phases during that time. On defense, he had 24 interceptions and three returned for touchdowns. He also forced seven fumbles and recovered six of them. He was a dominant turnover machine, giving his team the ball back over and over again. 

In his final season in Atlanta, Sanders finished with seven interceptions in just 11 games. He added a forced fumble, as he became one of the most feared defensive players in the game. He finished the year third in Defensive Player of the Year voting despite missing time. In his Falcons career, he scored 10 touchdowns four different ways (interception, punt return, kick return, and reception). 

Baltimore Ravens
Ray Lewis

This one might seem obvious, but Ed Reed has a real case for being the Baltimore Ravens greatest defensive player ever. Honestly, the Ravens are known for great defensive play. Three times since they moved from Cleveland, the Ravens led the league in points against, including that iconic 2000 team. They were second two other times, and they finished in the top six a total of 17 times. Only nine times since 1996 did the Ravens have a negative point differential, and that’s thanks to great defensive players like Ray Lewis. 

Lewis stands as one of the great linebackers in history. His big hits were as popular as his sack dances. Madden NFL Football the video game added the popular “hit stick” in the game with Lewis on the cover for a reason. This was as feared a player as this era has ever seen.

During his prime, Lewis was one of the best ever. He often had more than 150 tackles, he broke 10+ tackles for loss multiple times, and he led the league in solo and total tackles three times each. He was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and he was the top All-Pro for linebackers seven times. Add onto that 13 Pro Bowls, and this is as prolific a defensive player as we can possibly see. No linebacker has ever been to more Pro Bowls in their career than Lewis.

The cherry on top is Lewis’ performance in the postseason. He is a two-time Super Bowl winner, taking home the MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXV. He recorded five tackles and deflected four passes and the Ravens stifled the Giants offense en route to an easy victory. 

Buffalo Bills
Bruce Smith

When a team goes to four straight Super Bowls, they are going to have great players. However, there is only one player who has ever recorded 200 sacks in a career, and that is Bruce Smith. He spent 15 of his 19 years in Buffalo, recording 171 sacks along the way. Even if you only counted his time in Buffalo, he’d be the second best sack artist of all time, with only Reggie White ahead of him. 

Smith was more than just a spam sack player. He was a dominant defensive artist that could destroy an offensive lineman with one move. Whether it is the swim move, the rip, or a spin move, Smith could deliver a massive hit. However, for the most part, Smith’s best move was literally just running past the offensive lineman. His speed was not only deceptive, but even the linemen who knew what they were in for, they could not stop Smith.

In the grand scheme of things, Smith should be considered one of the best of all time. However, he doesn’t seem to get the praise that Lawrence Taylor or Reggie White seem to get. 

Carolina Panthers
Luke Kuechly

The Carolina Panthers haven’t been around very long, but they have two all-time great defensive players. Julius Peppers was just named to the Hall of Fame. Luke Kuechley was the best linebacker of this generation. How do you choose between two greats? We made the choice, and impact is the reason we went with Kuechly. 

Peppers was an accumulator of stats, finishing with the fourth-most sacks and second-most forced fumbles in history. However, he did it over 17 seasons. Meanwhile, Kuechly played just eight seasons, but in every single one of them, he was one of the best players, if not the best player in his position. Kuechly played in the Pro Bowl every year except his rookie year. Yet, he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year that season and led the league in tackles with 164. 

Kuechly was a five-time first-team All-Pro and the 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. That season, he broke an NFL record with 26 tackles in one game. He joined Lawrence Taylor as the only player to win DROY and DPOY in consecutive seasons. 

He was a run-stopping general, helping the Panthers, especially in the 2015 season when they went 15-1 and took a trip to the Super Bowl. Teams could not run on the Panthers specifically because of Kuechly. He had just one missed tackle all season against a running play. He was incredibly efficient, and it constantly made for a simple game plan for the Panthers' defensive coordinator. He was great in the playoffs that year, picking off Russell Wilson in the Divisional Round and returning it for a touchdown. That touchdown ended up being the difference. He also had a pick-six in the NFC Championship Game against the Arizona Cardinals. He even recorded a sack in Super Bowl 50 despite playing with a torn labrum. Kuechly was great, and this list is about greatness over anything else. 

Chicago Bears
Dick Butkus

There are dozens of players to choose from for the Chicago Bears. Just look at the 1985 Chicago Bears roster. The Bears have more Hall of Famers than any franchise in the NFL. Of their 39 players enshrined, names like Mike Singletary, Steve "Mongo" McMichael, and Brian Urlacher will always come up in this argument, but one name stands above all. Dick Butkus is the name many think of when we consider old-time defensive greats.

Butkus is riddled with awards, including a back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year in 1969 and 1970. He made an immediate impact, causing 11 turnovers (five interceptions and six fumbles recovered) in his rookie season. He was succeeding the great Bill George at middle linebacker, so he had Hall of Fame shoes to fill. Butkus did it, and then some. 

He’s known as possibly the greatest hitter of all time. Deacon Jones once said he wasn’t trying to put you in the hospital; he was trying to put you in a funeral. Today, Butkus is considered the middle linebacker tentpole. If you compare players to MLBs from yesteryear, Butkus is ahead of everyone else. 

Butkus’ career was cut short by knee injuries, and he was out of football by the age of 31. He did have to sue the Bears to get compensation for his injury, which amounted to four years of his contract being paid out despite him ending his career. 

Cincinnati Bengals
Geno Atkins

The Cincinnati Bengals have a complicated defensive history. There just haven’t been many great players on that side of the ball. While offensively, they have some players like Chad Johnson, Boomer Esiason, and now Joe Burrow, the defensive side doesn’t have that luxury. Honestly, when asked who the best player on that side of the ball is, some might even say Vontaz Burfict, but that’s just to show who was getting headlines for those decent mid-2000s teams. 

Geno Atkins is the best defensive player in the Bengals' history. The defensive tackle has been able to take over games from the interior, something only a select few can do each season. He was a behemoth that couldn’t be stopped. It is crazy to think the Bengals got Atkins in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, with 11 DTs ahead of him. 

Atkins played 11 seasons in Cincinnati, recording 10+ sacks in three of those seasons. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler and made the All-Pro team twice. He regularly got in the backfield, recording 20+ hits four times and adding 10+ tackles for loss six times. 

Atkins had a strange end to his Bengals tenure, seeing himself lose his starting job in 2020, the strange COVID year, and then the Bengals cut him that offseason after shoulder surgery. He’s suffered more injuries, and he hasn’t played a game since. He technically hasn’t retired, but he was always one to skip making big proclamations. 

Cleveland Browns
Myles Garrett

The Cleveland Browns have a long, storied history of decent players. Especially in the years of their championships, Len Ford and Bill Willis deserve their flowers. They played next to each other in the 40s and 50s, helping the Browns win their first championship. However, Myles Garrett is already the best defensive player to ever play in Cleveland. 

At just 28 years old, Garrett already has three All-Pro selections and is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He has 10+ sacks every year besides his rookie year, and he’s hit a peak of 16 sacks in 2021 and 2022. 

Garrett was the number-one overall pick in 2017, which is going down as one of the great drafts of all time. He joins superstars like Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Marshon Lattimore, Haason Reddick, T.J. Watt, Budda Baker, Alvin Kamara, Cooper Kupp, Chris Godwin, George Kittle, and current Browns teammates Deshaun Watson and David Njoku. Outside of Mahomes, Garrett is the standout of one of the great drafts ever. His rivalry with T.J. Watt is really fun to watch as they trade the moniker “best of the AFC North.” 

If Garrett stays healthy, he should break 100 sacks in 2024. He has a long way to get to Bruce Smith’s record, but it’s definitely not out of the question. He just needs to average 12.5 sacks over the next nine seasons, and he would break the record. That doesn’t seem out of the question (especially if he breaks 15 for the next four or five seasons). Garrett is a dominant pass rusher who is the reigning best defensive player in the league. 

Dallas Cowboys
Bob Lilly

When someone is nicknamed “Mr. Cowboy,” it is hard to deny him this type of recognition. Bob Lilly had stunning good looks, and he was a fantastic defensive tackle. He wasn’t like today's defensive tackles, which have to have a ton of weight on them. Lilly was 6’5 and 260 lbs., but he was built like a brick house. Just his natural ability gave him an advantage over everyone else. 

Lilly had a ton of great seasons, but the statistics for this era are hard to find. He did have four defensive touchdowns throughout his career, showing his affinity for playmaking. He was a seven-time All-Pro first-teamer and an 11-time Pro Bowler. Every year, he was considered one of the best defensive players in the league. On top of that, he never missed time. Out of 211 career games, he’s missed one. 

It helps that Lilly is so historically relevant to the Cowboys (he was their first-ever draft pick), but he was also dominant. There have been some great Cowboys defensive players, like DeMarcus Ware, Randy White, and Ed “Too Tall” Jones, but Lilly stands alone as the best of the best. He was America’s Team, and his ability to make a name for himself and his team is still felt today.

Lilly helped the Cowboys win their first of five Super Bowls, taking home co-MVP honors in Super Bowl VI. Teams were putting triple teams on him, and he was still beating them. This might remind you of someone on the field today. Micah Parsons has a good chance of taking this crown eventually, but for now, Lilly takes it. 

Denver Broncos
Von Miller

The Denver Broncos have plenty of great players to choose from. Champ Bailey, Steve Atwater, and John Lynch come to mind. However, Von Miller was dominant for such a long time in Denver. Off the field issues aside, Miller was a sack master. He has 110 sacks in 10 seasons with Denver. And this was after missing the entire 2020 season with an ankle injury.

Miller is the franchise leader in sacks, forced fumbles, and Approximate Value from a defensive player. Only John Elway and Rod Smith are considered better from a value standpoint. He also had 225 QB hits in his Broncos career, a newish stat showing the impact pass rushers have on opposing offenses. Even when he didn’t get an official sack, Miller was forcing the opposing quarterback to make a quick decision.

Things went from good to great with more 112 million people watching. Miller’s Super Bowl 50 performance was insane. He recorded 2.5 sacks, six tackles, two quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and one pass defensed. He won Super Bowl MVP for his efforts, bringing another title to Denver. Despite being Peyton Manning’s last game, Miller’s dominant night is still what people remember from that game against the Carolina Panthers. 

Miller left Denver and won another Super Bowl with the Rams, and now he’s with the Buffalo Bills, but he will always be known for his contribution in Denver. 

Detroit Lions
Joe Schmidt

The Lions are like many of the teams who have been around for a while. They have a long history of losing now, but back in the days of old-time football, they had these dominant defensive players that helped them win championships. Joe Schmidt was at the top of the list for Detroit. 

What’s wild is the Lions didn’t think Schmidt would be good enough to start right off the bat. He was a seventh-round pick, coming onto the reigning NFL Champions in 1952. However, he played so well in the preseason he earned a spot on the roster and eventually in the starting lineup. He helped the Lions win back-to-back championships in his rookie year, showcasing what was yet to come.

His most impressive stat came in the Lions worst season. After Bobby Layne got hurt and Les Bingaman retired in 1955, Schmidt was basically the only star left. Yet, he still led the league with eight fumble recoveries. Two years later, he had his best season in 1957. Not only was he dominant during the regular season, but he won the NFL Championship for the first time as his team’s captain.

He was beyond decorated as an athlete. Schmid made the first or second-team All-Pro every year from 1954 to 1963. He was one of the smartest players on the field at all times, taking on play calling duties in the huddle. Schmidt also was the Lions first player representative in the NFL Player’s Union. 

Green Bay Packers
Reggie White

There have been so many great players in Green Bay over the years, but nobody touches Reggie White. Before we talk about White’s on-field dominance, let’s talk about how he ended up in Green Bay. He was one of the key members of a class-action lawsuit against the league, looking to get more rights for players to choose where they play, especially after their first contract. That lawsuit led to the start of free agency, a period that White took advantage of in 1993. He shocked the NFL world by signing in Green Bay, a small, midwestern town that hadn’t been relevant in almost three decades. 

In six years in Green Bay, White received Defensive Player of the Year votes four times. He won the award in 1998 when he recorded 16 sacks, the most he’s had since he led the league in 1988. He was finally playing on a team with legit championship aspirations. The Packers finally made it to the promised land, winning Super Bowl XXXI. 

White might be the best defensive player ever. He wasn’t just a dominant pass rusher from the defensive end position; he was a game changer on the defensive line. White could get past anyone. He finished with 198 sacks, literally two behind Bruce Smith, who holds the all-time record. If he just played football in 1999, he would hold the record by a large number. Remember, he was coming off a 16-sack season in 1998.

To this day, is there another free agent signing as impactful as Reggie White? With things like the franchise tag and five-year rookie contracts, superstars aren’t able to sign with other teams. We’ve seen stars like Deion Sanders and Charles Woodson, but White was the first and the best. He changed the culture in Green Bay. Along with Brett Favre, he brought a winning mentality to the cheese heads. That, more than anything, was as impactful as his performance on the field. 

Houston Texans 
J.J. Watt

Is there a more obvious choice on this list? J.J. Watt is one of the greats, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award three times. In every single one of those years, he led the league in tackles for loss, and in two of those seasons, he also led the league in sacks. He might have the greatest prime we’ve ever seen. 

Only Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald have won the DPOY award as much as Watt, with both also securing three selections. Watt is in an esteemed class. He finished his career with 114.5 sacks, which is officially 24th all-time. He’s fifth all-time in sacks per game with .79. Two players (his brother TJ and Myles Garrett) are in their prime, so their number should drop as their careers progress. Watt was a force every game. 

In 2014, Watt put up a season for the record books, posting 20.5 sacks (one off the record), 29 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, an interception, and two defensive touchdowns (and three offensive ones). He also became maybe the best at swatting passes at the line of scrimmage. Every week, it seemed like he made Sportscenter by jumping over his offensive tackle to knock down a pass. 

The only thing that keeps Watt out of the conversation for best of all time is injuries. What made it worse is it seemed like a different injury every year. He suffered a devastating back injury in 2015, but that wasn’t before he tore his abdomen muscle. Watt broke his leg in 2017 and suffered a hip injury in 2020. This isn’t even all the injuries that started all the way back in 2012. Literally, Watt’s biggest challenge was overcoming his own body. It makes it even more impressive how great he was over his career. 

Indianapolis Colts
Dwight Freeney

Of course, the Indianapolis Colts have been a team of offensive superstars. Peyton Manning is at the top of the list as the best Colts player ever, but even going down the line, the Colts had Marvin Harrison, Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, and Johnny Unitas. Because of this, it’s easy to stand out as a superstar defensive player, and Dwight Freeney did just that. The recent Hall of Famer was getting the ball back for Manning with volume. 

In his rookie season, Freeney was an immediate star. He helped the Colts go from the 29th-ranked defense to the eighth-ranked defense. Only two players in NFL history had more sacks in their rookie season than Freeney’s 13. He also led the league with 20 tackles for loss, showing how he could get into the backfield with ease. He ended up losing the Defensive Rookie of the Year award to another great pass rusher; Julius Peppers. That was just the start. 

Freeney would go on to accumulate more than 100 sacks in a Colts uniform. He led the league in sacks in 2004. He was a first-team All-Pro and likely would have been Defensive Player of the Year if he put up the same stats with a different team. There was a time when the Colts' defense was just as feared as its offense thanks to Freeney, Bob Sanders, and Robert Mathis.

Freeney was also an absolute hawk when it came to turnovers. He is fourth all-time with 47 forced fumbles. Whether he was coming off the edge on an unsuspecting quarterback or ripping at a running back in the middle of the pile, Freeney could break the ball loose. He forced at least one fumble in every year of his Colts career. 

Jacksonville Jaguars
Tony Brackens

There were so many great defensive Jacksonville Jaguars players, but they never lasted. Jalen Ramsey was there for three and a half seasons and was the best cornerback in the NFL for a while. Marcus Stroud was in Jacksonville longer, but his prime was only about three seasons. It was about the same for John Henderson and Myles Jack. Rashean Mathis was in Jacksonville forever, but he was never truly great. 

We landed on Tony Brackens. He was a second-round draft pick in 1996, putting him in north Florida in the team’s second season. He was always a decent pass rusher, and his best season came with the Jaguars' best season in 1999. That was no coincidence. 

Brackens finished that season with 12 sacks, his career high. Brackens has 55 sacks over his career, much more than anyone else wearing teal. While he wasn’t one of the feared greats of this era (he did only make one Pro Bowl), his ability to be as good as he was for so long is the reason he sees himself here.

Brackens would have had a better career if he wasn’t slowed by leg injuries in the early 2000s. His first knee injury came in 2002, and he was released by the Jaguars in 2004. He then retired, citing major changes in NFL rules hurting his “style” of play. 

Kansas City Chiefs
Derrick Thomas

Like many other dynasties, the defensive players tend to take a backseat to the offensive stars. Players like Patrick Mahomes will send a guy like Chris Jones off the headlines (unless, of course, he’s trying to get a new deal). However, the pre-dynasty Chiefs still had some great players on both sides of the ball. Yet, there was one player who came to mind next to Jones as the greats in KC.

Derrick Thomas was one of the great pass-rushers of the 1990s. He’s one of only a few players who can say they sacked the quarterback 20+ times in one season, hitting the milestone in 1990. That season, he was voted to his first All-Pro team. It was also his second of nine consecutive Pro Bowl selections to start his career. Those early '90s Chiefs teams weren’t the best, but Thomas was a clear standout. 

He had a method of tackling that made it so hard to break. That’s why more than 90 percent of his tackles were solo tackles. His teammates didn’t have time to join in on the fun before Thomas had dragged the ball carrier to the ground. On November 11, 1990, Thomas broke the NFL record by sacking Seattle Seahawks QB Dave Krieg seven times in one game. It’s a record that hasn’t been matched since. 

Thomas only played until he was 33 years old because he unfortunately passed away due to complications from a car crash. He was originally diagnosed with paralysis from the chest down, but during his early rehab, he suffered a blood clot that took his life. His legacy is one of greatness from a position that is as highly regarded as any not under center today. 

Las Vegas Raiders
Charles Woodson

It might sound crazy now, but the Las Vegas Raiders once had a top-five legacy in the league. It was a franchise that everyone wanted to play for, and fans from across the world wore silver and black in honor of the NFL team. While that has changed over the last decade or so, it was still very much true in the 90s and early 2000s. This is when Charles Woodson reigned in secondaries year in and year out.

After years of dominating at the University of Michigan, Woodson was the fourth-overall pick to the Raiders in the 1998 NFL Draft. Even the highest draft picks are usually picked on in their rookie years, but Woodson proved that was a mistake. He had five interceptions and returned them for a total of 118 yards. He also forced two fumbles and recorded 64 tackles as a cornerback, winning him the Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

Woodson would go on to produce in every situation. He was the man who sacked Tom Brady, causing a fumble in the snow in the second-year pro’s first playoff game. Well, we all thought it was a fumble, but it ended up getting overturned due to the “Tuck Rule.” Woodson didn’t let it affect him, helping his team make it to the Super Bowl next year. He cracked his fibula late in the 2002 season, but he returned for the playoffs and played less than 100 percent. He even recorded an interception, but a no-show by Rich Gannon was ultimately the demise for Oakland.

After an injury in 2005 ended his season, Woodson decided to sign with the Green Bay Packers, but that wasn’t the end of his Raiders tenure. He returned in 2013, spending the final three seasons of his career as a free safety with the team that drafted him. There, he scored a fumble recovery for a touchdown, which tied the NFL career record with 14. He even moved to strong safety in his final season despite his age, making him one of only a handful of players who have played in every possible position in the secondary. 

Los Angeles Chargers
Junior Seau

This one wasn’t hard, but we don’t want to disrespect some of the absolute studs who have donned a Chargers bolt on their helmet, whether it was in San Diego or Los Angeles. Rodney Harrison was as feared a safety in a time when every safety was laying out receivers. Shawne Merriman was “lights out” as one of the best pass rushers for a short time. Antonio Cromartie was really fun and Eric Weddle was really reliable. However, Junior Seau was legit one of the best at his position ever, and he spent most of his career in Southern California. 

Seau joined the Chargers after they selected him with the fifth-overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft. He was good in his rookie season, but his sophomore campaign started his greatness. He was named to the All-Pro team, his first of six consecutive selections and eight total times being ranked as the best at his position. He meant even more for the Chargers, who were desperately looking for a star. Seau played that role for his entire Chargers career.

He tackled everyone. Seau is actually underrated when looking back at his career. He should have won the Defensive Player of the Year award at some point, and the fact voters found four guys who were “better” in 1994 is preposterous (he did win the UPI DPotY award in 1992). He led the league in solo tackles (124), added 5.5 sacks and was responsible for five turnovers. 

Tragically, Seau ended his own life in 2012. He was diagnosed postmortem with CTE from chronic head injuries. However, his legacy will always be this smiling surfer vibe in a massive linebacker who was always representing the league well. 

Los Angeles Rams
Aaron Donald

There was no team that had two better players at the top of the board. The Los Angeles Rams just said goodbye to Aaron Donald, who will go down as the best defensive tackle of all time. Yet, even as it’s said, we must mention Deacon Jones, one of the greatest defensive ends ever and another member of the Rams organization. Sacks weren’t an official stat, but upon looking back, Jones ended up leading the league in sacks five times. However, this is still Donald by a hair. 

Donald is one of the best ever, but before we get into the totality of it, let’s talk about 2018. That season, Donald had 20.5 sacks despite playing primarily DT. That feels like it should be impossible. Getting to the QB that often, despite playing a position that in practice is facing double teams or even triple teams on every snap, should lessen the possibility of quarterback pressure. He added a league-leading 25 tackles for loss, a career-high 41 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Donald won his second of three Defensive Player of the Year awards that season.

Donald quickly saw himself in conversations that involved players like Lawrence Taylor and Ronnie Lott as the most impactful defensive players ever. The Rams have had an interesting stretch of contention and non-contention while Donald was there, but the man in the middle never wavered. He was always loyal to Los Angeles, and he always saw himself in the conversation for best in the league, if not ever. 

Miami Dolphins
Jason Taylor

This is yet another two-horse race, but this one involves teammates. Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas were superstars on the Miami Dolphins, playing together from 1997 when Taylor was drafted until 2007 when both left in free agency (Taylor to Washington and Thomas to Dallas). However, when looking at them both, we’re going with the high-impact plays over the sustained impact. That leaves us with Taylor, who had 131 sacks in his 13-year Dolphins career. 

Taylor and Thomas were the Dolphins' tie to the end of the Dan Marino era for a long time. They brought an expectation of winning every season despite the issues Miami had on offense once Marino was gone. Taylor was so good, he won Defensive Player of the Year during the Nick Saban era. That season (2006), Taylor had 13.5 sacks, a league-leading nine forced fumbles, and he intercepted two passes that he brought both back for a touchdown. 

This was the big difference between Taylor and Thomas: Taylor was the playmaker. When the Dolphins needed a stop, they went to Thomas. When they NEEDED a play, Taylor was that dude. 

One thing that’s underrated about his impact was his ability to knock down passes from the line of scrimmage. He did that 94 times over his career. That is 24 more than J.J. Watt had, someone who is known for knocking down passes. Taylor was in highlight reels all the time, scoring nine defensive touchdowns in his career. He deserved the praise and he deserved the headlines. 

Minnesota Vikings
Alan Page

We don’t like to overrate some of these great defensive fronts of the early ages of football, but the Purple People Eaters need to be represented here, and there is only one defensive tackle ever to win MVP. That’s Alan Page. In 1971, he was named the league MVP, and he probably deserved it. We don’t have all the stats, but we know he recovered seven fumbles and took them back a total of 77 yards. He also had an interception he returned for 27 yards. This is on top of his insane pass-rushing abilities. 

Page unofficially had 173 sacks in his career. Other numbers have him at 148 sacks. Since it’s not an official stat, there will always be an argument for which number is right. However, either number gets him into the top ten all-time. Another number that’s impressive is the expert's assessment that he blocked 28 kicks in his career. Most players get one or possibly two, but 28? Teams needed to put half their team on Page for field goals. 

This was a player with an on-field IQ that exceeded everyone else. He was able to assess what an offensive lineman was doing, and he could quickly pivot to make the move that got him passed. He also never stopped working, whether that was during a play or off the field. Page was obsessed with getting better, and he never really slowed down. 

His greatness extended into the postseason. During Page's tenure, the Vikings won four of the five title games in which they played, getting themselves to Super Bowl IV, VIII, IX, and XI. He, unfortunately, was never able to get the Vikings over the hump, but he was hardly the issue there. 

New England Patriots
Andre Tippett

When a team has a dynasty like the New England Patriots did starting in 2002, there will be fantastic players coming in and out. The Patriots won six Super Bowls and appeared in three others over a 20-year period. The best of the best would come to New England or build their profile under the best defensive coach ever, Bill Belichick. However, this pick isn’t going to Ty Law, Vince Wilfork, Tedy Brushci, or Willie McGinest. We’re going back to before the “Flying Elvis” days and giving Andre Tippett the recognition he deserves. 

Tippett is the Patriots all-time sacks leader. He has 100 while playing in Massachusetts. The next closest Patriots player is McGinest, and he’s more than 20 sacks behind him for his career. Tippett put fear in opposing quarterbacks and made offensive tackles look silly. He did so too often in 1984 and 1985 when he combined for 35 sacks in those two seasons.

The five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was named to the All-Decade team for the 1980s. He really was a fantastic player in his era. Sure, the Patriots only made it to that one Super Bowl in that time, and the Super Bowl Shuffle was pretty embarrassing, but his career is defined by more than that.

Only three linebackers ever have more sacks per game than Tippett. He changed the position, alongside Lawrence Taylor. It’s crazy to say, but seeing one guy be a freak just makes teams look for freaks of nature. Seeing two players do it makes teams think there’s a formula to this. Tippett could be plucked and thrown into any era and dominate. If he was on those dynasty Patriots teams, they’d probably win even more. 

New Orleans Saints
Cameron Jordan

The New Orleans Saints have a long history of ineptitude, and that usually impacts who wants to play for your team. So, we’re really only looking at players from more recent eras, basically the post-Drew Brees signing, as great defensive players who deserve this honor. No offense to Doug Atkins, Rickey Jackson, and Sam Mills, but the best player in this franchise’s history comes down to Marshon Lattimore and Cameron Jordan. However, Lattimore was an insane height that puttered out. 

Meanwhile, Jordan has been with the Saints for 13 seasons, and he made the Pro Bowl in eight of them. He was the first-team All-Pro in 2017. That season, he was fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He had 13 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 11 passes deflected. 

Jordan is still playing with the Saints, putting up 117.5 sacks and counting. That is already the Saints franchise record and is good for 23rd all-time on the official list (32nd on the unofficial list which includes early era NFL players). He’s wildly still playing despite many in his draft class (J.J. Watt, Aldon Smith, Robert Quinn, and others) retiring. It was an all-time class for pass rushers (also including Von Miller, Ryan Kerrigan, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Cam Heyward), but Jordan still stands out as a great pick. 

Jordan fell off considerably last season, only posting two sacks all year. An ankle injury hampered his performance despite him playing all 17 games last season. This might be his last season in New Orleans, so we expect to see a much better performance to say goodbye.

New York Giants
Lawrence Taylor

We’ve mentioned Lawrence Taylor multiple times on this list already, and there is a good reason for that. There are few players ever who could even compare, let alone say they are better. There are few GOAT players in any sport who seem to have the space between one and two that LT has from everyone else.

You want massive impact? Lawrence Taylor impacted the game possibly more than any offensive player in the 80s. He’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and the last defensive player to win MVP of the league. His 20.5 sack season in 1986 probably isn’t even his best season. He had better advanced statistics in 1985, and his 1989 and 1990 seasons were fantastic as well. 

Taylor made 10 straight Pro Bowls to start his career, and he added first-team All-Pro in eight of them (he was second team in the other two). Teams would literally change game plans to stop him. They still couldn’t. He was stronger than everyone on the field. He was faster than anyone on the field. This combination was basically why he was able to put up video game numbers for years. 

Again, LT is the best to ever put on pads. We haven’t even mentioned how this impacted the New York Giants. He was playing in the biggest media market in the country in a sport looking to take baseball’s spot as the country’s number one sport. Taylor had a huge impact on families coming together in NYC to see Big Blue take over the league. He helped the team win two Super Bowls, only adding to his already insane legacy. 

New York Jets
Darrelle Revis

There are many defensive greats for the “other” New York team. The New York Sack Exchange led by Joe Klecko should be right up there with anyone. However, Darrelle Revis had such a hold over the league from a position trying to adjust to new NFL rules that made it harder to stop passing plays and deter wide receivers. 

Revis Island became the moniker because of how easily Revis would separate a team’s wide receiver from his offense. While players like Richard Sherman would stick to his side, Revis would play all over the field. His stretch from 2008 to 2011 is untouched by any cornerback ever. This stretch was impossible. He faced some of the best in the league, and he always came out the winner. 

Revis wasn’t just a great cover corner. He could knock your socks off. Whether at the line of scrimmage or in the open field, Revis could lay a hit that would leave a memory. That’s also why he was such a great cover corner. Leaving that mark made receivers think twice about making the wrong move. He pounced on that hesitation. 

His greatest feat might be when he was the All-Pro corner in 2010 despite getting zero interceptions. Voters knew he was the best at his position because quarterbacks wanted nothing to do with him. He made it easier for every single other defensive player because they no longer had to worry about one player on the field. It became a job to cover just four players in passing plays, giving the Jets the advantage every time.

Philadelphia Eagles
Reggie White

Going from one all-time great to another, Reggie White is the only player on this list who appears twice. While a player like Charles Woodson comes close for his work with the Raiders and Packers, nobody split their career so evenly and was so impactful as Reggie White. He started his career in Philadelphia, and he’s one of the reasons we still love seeing the Kelly Green.

There was nobody with their hand in the dirt who’s ever played the game who impacted each snap like White. Teams would double and triple-team him, and he’d still get through. He won his first Defensive Player of the Year award when he recorded 21 sacks (one off from the NFL record) in 1987. He followed that up with 18 sacks in 1988. 

The sack numbers were well known, but did you know how many tackles White was getting on top of it? He was putting up middle linebacker numbers from the defensive end position. He often had over 100 total tackles in a season, especially in Philadelphia. 

White was a six-time All-Pro in his eight seasons in Philadelphia. In the other two years, he was second in Rookie of the Year voting in one and a second-team All-Pro in the other. He was consistently dominant, making offenses panic whenever Philadelphia was on the schedule.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Joe Greene

Yet another all-time great, “Mean” Joe Greene was the anchor of “Steel Curtain” defenses. He dominated the 1970s, both on the field and off of it. While many know him today for the famous Coca-Cola commercial, what he really should be known for is his intense style and big hits. 

Greene was a 10-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro, and two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year. He turned a Steelers franchise that was floundering in the Steel City into one of the great franchises in football. They now hold the record for Super Bowl championships. This was a team on the level of the Browns when Greene arrived. By the time he left, they were arguably the one team everyone wanted to play for. 

The reason the Steelers are tied for the Super Bowl record is Greene’s teams winning four championships in six years. These were some of the best defenses of all time, and Greene was their star. That 1976 team was especially good, posting five shutouts in the final nine games of the season. In eight of those nine games, their opponent couldn’t even score a touchdown. 

Greene retired after 13 years in Pittsburgh. The awards were no longer coming, and Greene was contemplating what to do as he turned 36 years old. Still, finishing his career as one of the best at your position is nothing to snuff at. He is the reason we see Pittsburgh as we do today, and why the Rooney family is considered the gold, or should we say steel standard of the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers
Ronnie Lott

The San Francisco 49ers are another team with superstar offensive players who changed the game, but Ronnie Lott might be the best of the bunch. It’s an insane thought since Jerry Rice played his prime with this team, but Lott was the best safety ever. We really don’t see a legit denial to that claim. Of course, we see hits differently today now that we know more about concussions, but in Lott’s day, his job was to hurt people. There are no hits in any sport that look like they hurt like Lott’s.

Lott ironically started his career at the same time as LT, allowing us to watch these two players simultaneously. Taylor barely beat him out for Rookie of the Year, and they were in a pseudo-competition forever after that. 

Lott actually started his career as a cornerback, and he was darn good at it, too. He had three interceptions for touchdowns in his rookie year. He led the league with 10 interceptions in 1986. Only one person (Trevon Diggs in 2021) has had a season with more than 10 interceptions since Lott’s 1986 marvel. 

Yet somehow, Lott was mostly left off many of the awards at the end of his career. While he was a six-time All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowler, Lott never finished even close to the Defensive Player of the Year. It does show a flaw in that process, as voters likely devalued secondary players over players in the front seven. However, Lott was as impactful as anyone in this era. Yes, even LT who was the most impactful player ever.

Seattle Seahawks
Cortez Kennedy

Bobby Wagner versus Cortez Kennedy is this franchise’s matchup for the undisputed defensive champion of the Seattle Seahawks. Kennedy wins this one by a nose. They were both great players who were decorated unlike any other in franchise history, but we went with Kennedy for his peaks and avoiding valleys. Kennedy was the 1992 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. This was just two years after the Seahawks drafted him third overall. He did that in a season where the Seahawks won two games. That’s how impressive Kennedy was on a team with nothing to fight for. 

Kennedy was a 300 lb. machine on the defensive line. He could flip offensive linemen. He was so strong, that it was sometimes hard to remember just how fast he was for a big man. That is, until he used it to the best of his ability, and that led to a pretty quick move toward the quarterback. 

It’s hard to talk about defense and Seattle and not talk about the Legion of Boom. They deserve a shout-out, as we saw the combination of Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, and Brandon Browner possibly become the best secondary unit ever, but Kennedy was such a specimen on the field. He gave you that feeling you get when the circus is in town. He was a one-man show on a Seattle team that gave nothing else to show up for. 

It’s unfortunate we lost Kennedy so soon, who died a few years after his retirement due to heart failure. However, we still remember his days on the field fondly. Even when Seattle finally became a contender in the NFC West and an eventual Super Bowl champion, it only reminded us more about the greatness that was Cortez Kennedy.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Warren Sapp

The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t get enough love for how great that defense was. Like, we know it was a great defense, even an all-time great, but it’s regularly seen as behind the 2000 Ravens and 1985 Bears (along with some 70s Steelers units). The anchor to that 2002 squad was Warren Sapp. There were others who were awesome (Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber deserve mention on this list), but Sapp was just different.

There weren’t any men as big as Sapp who could do the things Sapp could do. Many defensive tackles could stuff a line, but nobody was as athletic in doing so as Sapp. So, this allowed him to not only plug holes, but he could slip through those holes and make tackles as well. 

Sapp could disrupt opposing offenses just like a defensive end. However, he did it will weighing well over 300 pounds. There’s just something about the presence of a man like Sapp. He could get through a line with too much ease. Teams couldn’t even game plan for it. As soon as they’d think they had Sapp figured out, he was able to change his process slightly to make it harder to keep up with.

Sapp made seven Pro Bowls, earned first-team All-Pro honors four times, and helped the Bucs win Super Bowl XXXVII. That game is famous for turning the Oakland Raiders, who boasted the NFL’s best offense, into salt. The Buccaneers destroyed Rich Gannon and company. Sapp’s ability to get through that line forced Gannon to make mistakes (along with Brooks) and is the reason there’s a shiny ring on his finger.

Tennessee Titans
Jevon Kearse

Jevon Kearse was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. He was the team’s first pick after moving from Houston and changing their name. Boy, what a pick he became. Kearse is the team’s all-time defensive player. 

Kearse spent his entire career with double teams. He was the game plan, as “The Freak” had the athleticism of a linebacker with the body of a defensive lineman. His natural abilities alone would make him a great football player, but his tenacity and work ethic took it to that next level. 

He started immediately as one of the best at his position. In his rookie year, he had 14.5 sacks, which is more than any rookie has recorded then and since. The record stands today 25 years later and an extra game was added to the schedule. He continued his pass-rushing abilities, putting up 47.5 sacks in five seasons (which included one where he barely played due to injury).

Kearse played five seasons of dominant ball in Tennessee before moving on to the Eagles. He returned to the Titans later in his career, but he was a shell of himself. Sure, we could have put a player with longevity like Keith Bullock in this slot, but Kearse was a freak of nature, no pun intended. His impact was felt for much longer than those five years.

Washington Commanders
Sean Taylor

We end this list on a somber but celebratory note. Sean Taylor might have been the greatest safety in league history if it wasn’t for his murder that happened while he was in his prime. Honestly, it was before his prime, but he showed the inklings of a natural superstar. Taylor could do everything on the field. That’s why the Washington team took him with the fifth overall pick. 

In his three and a half seasons in the league, Taylor went to two Pro Bowls. He made his presence known immediately, taking the starting strong safety job from Andrew Lott just two weeks into his professional career. He didn’t let it go until the untimely end of his career. 

Taylor could play in coverage, knock out a running back behind the line, and every so often, he could even blitz. This was the ideal football player playing a position that has often been undervalued. Washington showed they valued Taylor, though, with the pick they used to take him. He delivered on the pick, becoming the most feared safety in the league. His peers often voted him as the hardest hitter in football.

This might be projecting just a little, as Washington has had some fantastic defensive players over the years. However, Taylor was going to be a phenom at his position. Losing him at 24 years old is a tragedy that is hard to get over, and he already showed he was one of the best in this franchise’s history.