Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl winning Ravens team. Paul Krause | S. The NFL's all-time leader in interceptions spent 12 of his 16 years in Minnesota. Penn State football all-time defense | Who are the greatest defensive Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasnt been the same. When Indiana travels to San Antonio, it will MLB Rule Changes | Can F1 Compete With NASCAR | Froggy Talkin Sports #MLB #indianahoosiers #nascar, Indiana Basketball Postgame W/Steve Risley: Indiana vs Iowa Recap and more, Must be 21+. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. Also note that an asterisk (*) by the players name means they are still active today. Bet with your head, not over it. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. Offensive Coordinator: Jim Myers. Thats an amazing number as well. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. Super Bowl winner. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. An important part of the Las Vegas defense, the LB position includes middle or inside linebackers and outside (strong side or weakside) linebackers. He started all but one game in his last eight seasons, which is very impressive for a linebacker. Ham had arguably the most successful NFL career out of any of the names on this list as he was a star for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers had lost their emotional leader, outside linebacker Greg Lloyd, at the start of the season to a knee injury, but Kirkland took over the mantle of leadership. Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. No. ONeal should get more recognition as one of the best pass rushers to play the game. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter has returned to the NFL . Kirkland had great speed and agility for a big man. Thats an outstanding number. 35, Lance Briggs* (Bears) (2003-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. No. In 2008, Suggs even had two INTs, both of which he returned for touchdowns. Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s and 1980s. I have combined outside and inside linebackers on the list and factored in the players ability to stop the run, drop into coverage and leadership. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. No. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. Thats fine, he played enough linebacker to be considered this high. Check out the 1970 Minnesota Vikings Roster, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com. Mar 3, 2023 Updated 4 min ago. No. Undersized height wise, but an overabundance of heart made him more than a handful to deal with. 13, Greg Lloyd (Steelers/Panthers) (1988-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF 1970 Dallas Cowboys Roster & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com Many of you will say that Keith Bulluck is way too high. Lamberts signature toothless snarl struck fear into the hearts of the opposition and lends credence to his legendary status as one of the toughest players all-time. He was said to have the fastest 10 yard burst of any player on the team, and that included receivers John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, and runningback Franco Harris. Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. Holdovers from the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team were Bob Lilly, Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen, Larry Wilson, and Jim Bakken, which made them the first players to make multiple All-Decade teams in NFL history. No. The only reason Brooks isnt higher up on this list is because he had a fantastic surrounding cast which includes, most notably, Warren Sapp taking up blockers on the line. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. Super Bowl winner. Perfect Seahawks NFL Draft 2023 plan: Select C.J. Stroud if there at No Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2018. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. Eleven Pro Bowls. Please click on "Comments" and make sure to vote in the poll. After being labeled a bust by many after his first four seasons with the Jets, Farrior broke out with the Steelers and became one of the most consistent players in the league. Top 10 Linebackers in New York Giants History No. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. With rule changes being what they have been, I decided to rank the linebackers that have played since 1970. Eleven Pro Bowls. Neal Olkewicz. Georgia's top players by position: Linebackers - ajc Baltimore, with 2,038 rushing yards through its first 10 games of the season, is the seventh team since 1970 and first since the 1978 New England Patriots (2,029 rushing yards) with at least 2,000 . And he's still going. Chad Brown played a very long NFL career, especially for a linebacker. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and Defensive Player of the Year two years later. In the 2017-18 NFL season, the current Buffalo Bills starting LBs and backup LBs are Lorenzo Alexander, Deon Lacey, Matt Milano, and Tanner Vallejo. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. Thats nearly 13 sacks per season. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. Select from premium 1970 1979 America of the highest quality. He had eight seasons with 10+ sacks. 18, Andre Tippett (Patriots) (1982-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. 41, Mo Lewis (Jets) (1991-2003) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. No. Jalen Carter, top NFL prospect, posts bond in fatal crash. He led some of the greatest defenses in NFL history in both performance and spirit. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. Hes on pace to not only break, but shatter the NFL record of 41. 8. The thing about Derrick Thomas that is the most remarkable was how nice of a person he was off the field. Rickey Jackson could do it all. He was also the first player to have a TE or RB used for chip blocking on, and overall changed the way offensive lineman block. He has done it all for the Bears with his pass coverage, run support, and blitzing. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. Power Ranking the 5 Greatest Linebackers in Minnesota Vikings History Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. No. He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. The entire enterprise of Notre Dame basketball, gone strange. 20, Keith Bulluck* (Titans) (2000-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. 2022 - SportsUnfold. 10 Tom Jackson. The best linebackers in Minnesota Vikings history Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. The best LB in the NFL today comes in at No. With rule changes being what they have been, The number one pick was obvious. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all-time. The NFL is back in L.A. for the first time since 1995, as the Rams return to the Coliseum. No. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. More from Green Bay Packers. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. May 24, 2022. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. No. 25 Greatest Defensive Linemen in NFL History - AthlonSports.com Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . Top 10 Linebackers in Miami Dolphins history - Phin Phanatic Use Isiah Robertsons name in a talk of most underrated players of all time, and youll impress your fellow football fans. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. Briggs should only continue to move up this list, as he takes over as the star linebacker spot in Chicago. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. He also had 20 INTs, three of which he returned for touchdowns. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Thats right, seven. All Rights Reserved. No. A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. by Ben Watanabe. . Marshall wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker though, he also racked up 1,020 tackles during his 11 year NFL career, along with 24 forced fumbles. Sam Huff. 9. Joey Porter. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . Lambert was a Pro Bowler in all but his rookie season and his final pro season, totaling nine selections. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. He was very athletic, a great tackler, and he could cover. LSU ENDS REGULAR SEASON 27-1LSU women's basketball ties program-best season . No. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. Boulware had at least seven sacks every year he played other than his last season in the NFL. He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. Wilber Marshall had the whole package. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. You might be thinking Top 10 already? But look at his numbers. 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Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. . Top 10 Boxers of the 1990s: Was Roy Jones Jr. the best? He made five straight Pro Bowls, but the reason he doesnt rank higher on this list is because he was never a feared player like his teammate Michael Strahan was, and his stats just arent good enough. No. In 2006, he had an amazing season and won defensive MVP, which is a very high honor that most players on this list never achieved. But Mills did much more than that. As an outside linebacker, he put a lot of pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. Al Wilson was an outstanding MLB for the Broncos. He even made the Pro Bowl in a year that he only started eight games and also a year in which he only started nine games. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. Robert Brazile- Tums all time neutralizer. He even made the Pro Bowl in a year that he only started eight games and also a year in which he only started nine games. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. 5. Best players in Clemson history: Linebackers That game and his outstanding 1996 season earned Kirkland his first trip to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after the 1996 season. Gildon was most known for his pass rushing ability, picking up 54 sacks in a 5 year span. The longtime backup led the NFL in completion percentage (69.8%), set the Seahawks' single-season passing yards record (4,282) and ranked in the top five in the entire league in both passing . Lloyd will always be remembered as the lightning quick pass rusher from the Blitzburgh days. Chuck Drazenovich. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. When you ask who is the greatest MLB of all-time is, many people jump straight to Dick Butkus. Interview with Former Steeler Great levon kirkland. Anthony Simmons (1995-'97) is the only two-time First-Team All-American in Clemson . Less of a nod goes to pass rushers, linebackers and safeties. Mills was more of the tackler of the bunch, racking up 1,142 tackles in his career. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. 1970s All-decade team. Reese, GM of Titans' Super Bowl team, dies at 73 No. NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1970s - DEFENSE - pfhof He was just a great all-around player who could do it all. 8, Demarcus Ware* (Cowboys) (2005-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Minnesota Vikings reporter suggests All-Pro defender a likely 2023 cap Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. The exhibit features the Fleet's classic collection set in five themed galleries representing the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . Edmunds will have to clean up the missed tackles and improve in coverage to rise toward where most slot him currently a top-10 linebacker on this list next season. Next: A dangerous combination. During the five year stretch from 1991-1995 where he made five consecutive Pro Bowls, Lloyd was one of, if not the, most dominating linebackers in the NFL. He should still improve this season with Ndamukong Suh in front of him to help free him up. Wright, Seattle Seahawks. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position . Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. Jessie Armstead was one of the most consistent linebackers on this list. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. No. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. You decide: Ohio State football's all-decade linebackers No. Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. He would give it his all on every single down of every single play. He may have actually been crazy. He did everything. 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, '88) Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. He did it once in 1985 and again in 1988. Playing 20 seasons in the NFL is amazing at any position. LT was the most intimidating player ever to put on an NFL uniform. There is a reason the award given to the best linebacker in high school, college and the NFL each year is named after Butkus. Controversial Nights: Pernell Whitaker vs Julio Cesar Chavez, Top 11 Big Ten Basketball Teams, since 1960, Top 12 Guards in Big Ten Basketball history, NBA Pacers vs Spurs: Odds, Tips and predictions 03/02/23, NCAA Basketball Purdue vs Wisconsin: Odds, Tips and Predictions 03/02/23, NCAA Basketball Xavier vs Providence: Odds, Tips and Predictions 03/01/23, Top 20 Big Ten Basketball players of all time, Framer Fran McCaffery takes his sideshow and crybaby antics to play Indiana, NCAA Basketball Arkansas vs Tennessee: Odds, Tips and Predictions 02/28/23, The Hypocrisy of Major League Baseball, Gambling, Steroids, and Why it's Time to Put Pete Rose in the Hall. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Linebacker U Penn State Tradition Jack Ham as a Steeler. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. No. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record 41 forced fumbles. He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl w/Raiders (1991) NFL interceptions leader w/Raiders (1991) Ronnie Lott is best known for being arguably the best safety in football history. Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. Opponents thought Kirkland would not be as adept in pass coverage as the fast Lloyd, but they quickly found out that Kirkland was just as fast and quick. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. 10, Junior Seau (Chargers/Dolphins/Patriots) (1990-2009) *Twelve-time Pro Bowler *Six-time All-Pro 1st Team *Three-time All-Pro 2nd Team. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. Williams has received numerous honors, including selection to the NFL All-Rookie Team (1976), the Byron Whizzer White Award for Humanitarian Service (1985), the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (1986), and Sports Illustrateds Co-Sportsman of the Year (1987). 1970 Defensive Player of the Year 5-time first-team All-Pro 8-time Pro Bowler The best high school, college and NFL linebackers are annually presented with the Butkus Award, named in honor of . Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. The 15 Greatest NFL Linebackers of All Time - Sportscasting Chip Banks was another linebacker that was solid at everything, but not great at anything. They surrendered only 20 points in that game, and seven of them were off a blocked punt. 20 greatest linebackers in NFL history - Franchise Sports Two years later, the Giants sunk to 1-12-1. Jeff Siemon (Vikings) : Four-time Pro Bowler. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. Top 10, however, is not only a sure thing but easy as it was very tough for me to keep Levy out of the top 5 over the guy that made it. Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. Porter will try to continue his success in Arizona and continue to climb up this list. #NFL100 - Top 6 Outside Linebackers He had less than seven sacks in a season only once. Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. Coverage was definitely Bullucks claim to fame, but he was also good at other things. Jan 25, 1981; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oakland Raiders players Mickey Marvin (65), Willie Jones (90), Rod Martin (53), Ted Hendricks (83) and Raymond Chester (88) on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl XV at the Superdome. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . The Minnesota Vikings did an outstanding job of drafting linebackers in 1974. Briggs has made five straight Pro Bowls for the Bears, and that streak still continues. 7. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. Kirkland was an all-around better linebacker, he was a 300lb linebacker whose coverage skills were vastly underrated. NFL Defensive Rookie of the . He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. I think hell climb up this list further in the near future. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. Jackson was the vocal leader of the orange crush defense. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. That truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. 3, Mike Singletary (Bears) (1981-1992) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. credit : - yahoo. 10. No. John Offerdahl may have had the shortest NFL career on this list, but he made the most of it. It was tied for the best of the day with linebacker Owen Pappoe, of Auburn, and was the second-fastest time from an . He could play zone and man. He was one of a kind and will always be remembered as one of the best linebackers of all time. Those are remarkable numbers, especially when he is still going strong. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. 42, Chip Banks (Browns/Chargers/Colts) (1982-1992) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st team All-Pro. [a][4]. Lloyd had 54.5 sacks and 11 INTs in his career, but the most remarkable number was his 35 forced fumbles. Joey Porter may be the most vocal linebacker on this list. In 2006, he had an amazing season and won defensive MVP, which is a very high honor that most players on this list never achieved. Zachary Petrizzo. 24, Leslie ONeal (Chargers/Rams/Chiefs) (1986-1999) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Official list of the NFL's best players in the 1970s, National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team, National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team, https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/04/06/tom-brady-is-first-qb-to-make-two-all-decade-teams/, National Football League All-Decade Teams, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Football_League_1970s_All-Decade_Team&oldid=1132426489, National Football League records and achievements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 20:52. No. Steelers all-time 53-man roster: '70s legends, 'Killer Bs' headline 28a, Pat Swilling (Saints/Lions/Raiders) (1986-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. St. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000.
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