He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. The Pittsburgh Steelers are second with all-time players in four decades. He also is the only linebacker to ever win a Super Bowl MVP and be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (2000). Steve Kiner (1966-69): Tennessee fans didn't have to wait long after Emanuel left to find the next superstar linebacker. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. 10. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. Zach Thomas would be the perfect linebacker, no matter what style of defense you play.
Baltimore Ravens ground game rules in NFL Week 11 and more Jackson was most notable for being a pass rusher, but he really did it all. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. Demarcus Ware has only played five seasons in the NFL, but already hes one of the best of this era. 41, Mo Lewis (Jets) (1991-2003) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. [3] . 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. He was selected late in the 12th Round, and nobody expected much out of him. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. In this Article .
Countdown 119: Top 10 Linebackers in NFL History - Sports H2H Las Vegas Raiders: 15 best defensive backs of all-time - Just Blog Baby The National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team is a list of National Football League (NFL) players selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. No. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. 14, Hardy Nickerson (Steelers/Bucs/Jaguars/Packers) (1987-2002) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. No. Known as quite possibly the most sound tackler in school history, Ham was an extremely fundamental linebacker who was the captain of the 1970 Penn State defense. Lewis wasnt as vocal as Cox, but his play was a little better, and lasted for a longer period of time. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. 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. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? He was the type of player that you would want your kids to look up to.
Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it. Hes on pace to not only break, but shatter the NFL record of 41. Many of you will say that Keith Bulluck is way too high. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. 27. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. 25. He has done it all for the Bears with his pass coverage, run support, and blitzing. Hes going into his first healthy season again in three years. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record 41 forced fumbles. As also playing DE should tell you, he was very versatile and could play many different positions. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. 1, Lawrence Taylor (Giants) (1981-1993) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Eight-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter has returned to the NFL . Also note that an asterisk (*) by the players name means they are still active today. In only five seasons, Wares already totaled up 64.5 sacks, including 20 in 2008. Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. Coverage was definitely Bullucks claim to fame, but he was also good at other things. 16, Robert Brazile (Oilers) (1975-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Tippett was a big reason to why so many teams value pass rushing OLBs in todays game. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. The next year at the Pro Bowl, Thomas remembered him by name. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. 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. 30, Matt Blair (Vikings) (1974-1985) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record of 41 forced fumbles. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . Chad Brown played a very long NFL career, especially for a linebacker. The Steelers began their 1976 season 1-4 and lost their quarterback, Terry Bradshaw.For the nine games remaining in the season, the Steelers . Pat Swilling was an outstanding pass rusher in his career, totaling up 107 sacks in his career and 101.5 sacks in a 10 year period throwing out his rookie year and last season of his career. Their greats span the decades of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. Of course, prior to 1970, there was only one captain chosen; since 1970, we've had as many as four chosen in a single season. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses.
The 15 Greatest NFL Linebackers of All Time - Sportscasting 25, Karl Mecklenburg (Broncos) (1983-1994) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro Karl "The Albino Rhino" Mecklenburg was the definition of a blue collar player. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. Quinto was a regular at both inside and outside linebacker for head coach Ron Gladnick's Saints. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. Mike Kolen 1970-77. He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his career. Top 10 Draft Picks in Broncos History | No.
The forgotten members of the legendary 1970's Steelers team Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. Thomas' remarkable personality was also recognized by being awarded the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award in 1993. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. No.
Perfect Seahawks NFL Draft 2023 plan: Select C.J. Stroud if there at No Being a linebacker makes that feat that much more impressive. Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. He has speed, size, toughness, instincts, vision, patience, and football smarts. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. He had four interceptions that season, a high number for an inside linebacker, to go along with four sacks and 114 tackles. Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. 8, Demarcus Ware* (Cowboys) (2005-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Bill Parcells considered Carson the best all-around linebacker he ever coached, which is very high praise from someone who has coached a ton of linebackers in his day. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. Zach Thomas. No. Chip Banks was another linebacker that was solid at everything, but not great at anything. 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The only thing that could match his signature stare was the stellar play of Samurai Mike on the field. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. He did everything. These were the players who were great players, but not quite good enough to be placed inside the top 50. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles.
2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. I’m only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. He was unstoppable in goal-line situations especially. They surrendered only 20 points in that game, and seven of them were off a blocked punt. Franchise Encyclopedia. Seau was the definition of consistency. 50, Bryan Cox (Dolphins/Bears/Jets/Patriots/Saints) (1991-2003). 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+. This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all time. NFL Strength Of Schedule Rankings 2022-2023, NFL 2022 season finisher picture, standings: Chargers can secure billet on Monday, Packers stay alive for trump card, Cardinals versus Marauders score, focal points: Tom Brady directs late rebound as Tampa Sound moves beyond Arizona in OT, NFL would need to pay a robust $12MILLION to switch all its counterfeit fields over completely to grass as association faces developing commotion from players to switch all arenas to normal surfaces, NFL takes action against utilization of electronic gadgets during games, Packers versus Lions score: Detroit plays spoiler, closes Green Straights offered for postseason compartment, Top 10 Hottest NFL Wives In 2023 | NFL WAGs, The Best Quarterbacks In The NFL Right Now, The Coolest Players in the NFL Right Now, Ranked, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, 88), 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1967, 83).