Thats amazing consistency. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. No. 28a, Pat Swilling (Saints/Lions/Raiders) (1986-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Wright has been one of the most reliable linebackers in the NFL since entering the league as a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State . Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. Top 30 Linebackers in the NFL since 1970! 1. Those are remarkable numbers, especially when he is still going strong. No. 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, '88) Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. As a pass rusher, Greene would be top 5 at least, his ability to be an every-down linebacker hurts him overall, he was not great against the run. No. The NFL is back in L.A. for the first time since 1995, as the Rams return to the Coliseum. Hes on pace to not only break, but shatter the NFL record of 41. No. . Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. He had eight seasons with 10+ sacks. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. Over his nine-year career, he had 2,049 tackles, although this number is solo and assisted because he played before solo tackles were an official stat. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. As also playing DE should tell you, he was very versatile and could play many different positions. He is most known for the neck plate he wore behind his head, but dont let that distract you from his great play on the field. Bulluck was an outstanding tackler, and was great at run support too. Briggs does a lot of pass coverage with the Bears, and has had 53 passes deflected already in his career. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. Johnson was most known for his days with the Saints. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. So while there were outstanding linebackers in previous years, like Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, they will not be on this list. Let me start out by saying that yes, I know that he was only a linebacker for half his career and DE the other half. Mills racked up 1,142 tackles in his career. Over his career, Brooking has racked up 962 tackles and 12 INTs. 12, Randy Gradishar (Broncos) (1974-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. No. Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. Dick Butkus: one of the fiercest and best linebackers the NFL has ever seen, Butkus was a Pro Bowler every year except his final season while also garnering five All-Pro selections for the Bears. ONeal should get more recognition as one of the best pass rushers to play the game. Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. Super Bowl winner. Cornerback Mel Blount was added in the . Next up on the docket for my top Redskins players series are the linebackers. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Swilling was the best pass rusher of the Dome Patrol, but he also forced 36 fumbles to go along with all the sacks. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and Defensive Player of the Year two years later. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. Joey Porter. Collect, curate and comment on your files. During the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Lee posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among . The middle linebacker also recorded 52 tackles for loss, which is fourth all-time in Clemson history. Lewis most notable accomplishment may be starting the Tom Brady era by knocking out Drew Bledsoe on a roll out, giving Tom Brady his first ever NFL action. He also took over Lloyds role in pass coverage as the only linebacker in the Steelers nickel defense. Neal Olkewicz. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. 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. 8, Demarcus Ware* (Cowboys) (2005-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 21. He should still improve this season with Ndamukong Suh in front of him to help free him up. Boulware gets overlooked a lot playing because of playing with Ray Lewis, but he was a key component in that dominating Ravens defense of the early 2000s. No. 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron, 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan, The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History, The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans. Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie #47 gets a hold of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields #1 during the second half of a game against the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium . The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week. thegruelingtruth.com is available in the following countries: The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. 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 . Still, its an amazing number. 37, Wilber Marshall (Bears/Redskins/Oilers/Cardinals/Jets) (1984-1995) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Overlooked because he played alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. Hardy Nickerson makes it this high on the list mainly because of one ridiculous season he had. 19, Harry Carson (Giants) (1976-1988) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. Bryan Cox was an all-around package at linebacker. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. He was Terrell Suggs before Suggs got to Baltimore. LaVar Arrington. He knew how to make big plays. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. No. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. T&Cs apply. The former college basketball star is considered one of the best defensive linemen to ever play in the NFL. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. NFL 100 All-Time Team (2019). 2) Jeff Siemon: A key player as the middle linebacker on the team's top defenses in the mid-1970's, Siemon played in 156 games, starting 123, and was selected to four Pro Bowls during his eleven year career with the Vikings. Briggs should only continue to move up this list, as he takes over as the star linebacker spot in Chicago. Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie #47 gets a hold of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields #1 during the second half of a game against the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium . Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. Voted to seven Pro Bowls, named First Team All-Pro five times. by Ben Watanabe. How NFL Players Have Evolved. 1970 Robert E. Lee Generals (13-0) Jim Chafin's team allowed just seven points a game and held 10 of its 13 opponents to 10 points or less. Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. Brian Urlacher is one of the greatest linebackers of this decade. 10, Junior Seau (Chargers/Dolphins/Patriots) (1990-2009) *Twelve-time Pro Bowler *Six-time All-Pro 1st Team *Three-time All-Pro 2nd Team. That game and his outstanding 1996 season earned Kirkland his first trip to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after the 1996 season. 18, Andre Tippett (Patriots) (1982-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. Won Conference Championship 17-10 vs. San Francisco 49ers. Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. . 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. Ware has made four consecutive Pro Bowls and has had three consecutive All-Pro seasons. 31, Tom Jackson (Broncos) (1973-1986) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. 1970s A 1-13 record in 1969 gave the Steelers the first overall choice in the 1970 draft, with which Noll addressed the offense by selecting quarterback Terry Bradshaw, another Hall of Famer, after the Steelers won the first selection by winning a coin toss with the Chicago Bears. Wilson doesnt have the career numbers because his career was so short, but theres no doubt when he was playing he was the most feared player on the field. He also played a big role in one of the most dominant performances by a defense in Super Bowl history. He was also a big hitter and very intimidating on the field of play. Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. Earl Campbell called Williams the toughest linebacker he ever played against. [3] In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Kevin Greene was a mad man in a football uniform. Sam Huff. But perhaps more than the star players, the decade was dominated by dynasty teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, and . 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. No. And he's still going. Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2018. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. Beason has only been in the league for three years now. Super Bowl XX champion. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . Here Are 8 Ways NBA Has Changed That Modern Fans Don't Realize. Lambert and Ham also won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. The Best of Tommy Brady at Michigan . Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. Atlante vs Raya2 Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time, Date, Team News, lineup news, Odds, Stats, Betting Tips Trends, Where To Watch Live Score Mexican Liga de Expansin MX 2023 Telecast Today Match Details March 3, Club Tijuana vs Atlas Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Wydad AC vs Vita Club Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, U Cluj vs Farul Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time,, Top 10 Best Football Agents In The World | 2023 Updates, Top 10 Most Successful Retired Soccer Players 2023, FC Magdeburg vs 1. He started his career out with the Packers, if they would have used him correctly he would have been higher on this list. When you think of Singletary, the first thing that comes to mind is intense focus. Lloyd had 54.5 sacks and 11 INTs in his career, but the most remarkable number was his 35 forced fumbles.
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