LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. He had eight seasons with 10+ sacks. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. The 'Skins historically have had some solid inside linebackers capable of both stopping the run and being reliable in coverage. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. Ham had outstanding speed. That suggestion from the newly appointed House . 18, Andre Tippett (Patriots) (1982-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Nine All-Pros. He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. Rickey Jackson could do it all. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. 10. He was the quintessential linebacker and easily the greatest of his era. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. No. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. Ill take into account Pro Bowls, All-Pros (1st and 2nd team), stats, team success, players success, intimidation factor, and reputation, along with many other factors to make this list. No. He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. He holds the NFL record for the most Pro Bowl selections by a middle linebacker (13). The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. Urlacher was the leader of those great Bears defenses of the 2000s, including when they got to the Super Bowl only to lose to Peyton Manning and the Colts. Jackson was most notable for being a pass rusher, but he really did it all. The only thing that could match his signature stare was the stellar play of Samurai Mike on the field. 9. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. In his final two seasons with the Bengals, Williams was appointed to an open seat on the Cincinnati City Council in 1988 and was elected for a second term in 1989 on the Charter Party ticket. No. Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), three-time Pro Bowl (1970-72), two . Pat Swilling. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. LT was the most intimidating player ever to put on an NFL uniform. Lambert won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. 27. 23, Isiah Robertson (Rams/Bills) (1971-1982) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. Ranking Explanation . Greene led the way in the pass rushing department. All Rights Reserved. 41, Mo Lewis (Jets) (1991-2003) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Eleven Pro Bowls. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. The nine-time Pro Bowl player, two-time All-Pro, and Hall of Fame is one of the all-time sacks leaders with 126.5, and he also forced 41 fumbles during his 11-year career. Gary Reasons (1984-91) Gary Reasons, a fourth-round draft pick from Northwestern State, was a key . Defensive MVP in 2002. 2011 Butkus Award winner for nation s best linebacker at Boston College. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. Pittsburgh 2002, '04-12, '14-17; Cincinnati 2013; New England 2017. Derrick Thomas still holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single NFL game with seven, against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990. Bet with your head, not over it. The most obvious change from 1920 to today is the size of players, but there also have been many changes in the schemes . This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all-time. Hes going into his first healthy season again in three years. 49, Vaughn Johnson (Saints/Eagles) (1986-1994) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He produced 32 sacks over the 3 seasons. When you see a list of greatest linebackers, Isiah Robertson very rarely even gets brought into the discussion. His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. 31, Tom Jackson (Broncos) (1973-1986) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 8. The Chicago Bears have the most all-time great linebackers. 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. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. NFL Defensive Rookie of the . He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. 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. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. That truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. Hes had 92 sacks and 23 forced fumbles so far in his career. 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. McAdams was a two-time All-American . Mike Kolen 1970-77. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. 22, Chris Spielman (Lions/Bills) (1988-1997) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. We started off with a rough one the wide receivers. 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 . Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. Quinto was a regular at both inside and outside linebacker for head coach Ron Gladnick's Saints. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. 3 hours ago. No. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. He was 73. 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 . Offensive Coordinator: Jim Myers. This brings us to the first night of March and a not-quite-full Purcell . Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. 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. 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. In 2008, Suggs even had two INTs, both of which he returned for touchdowns. 44, Jessie Armstead (Giants/Redskins) (1993-2003) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. [1][2] The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive, and special teams units, as well as a first- and second-team head coaches. Mike Singletary was the leader of the most dominating defense the NFL has ever seenthe 1985 Bears. Banks was a player that any coach would want on their team. Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. Some of you will say hes too low. 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 . Urlacher was the leader of those great Bears defenses of the 2000s, including when they got to the Super Bowl only to lose to Peyton Manning and the Colts. . Mar 3, 2023 Updated 4 min ago. He was a hard worker, good tackler, and had great hands. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. Two years later, the Giants sunk to 1-12-1. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. Boulware had at least seven sacks every year he played other than his last season in the NFL. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. No. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. 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). In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Its too bad Fredd Youngs career had to end prematurely due to injuries. . Shawne Lights Out Merriman was the face of NFL linebackers for a three year stretch. But, if you didnt know, Jackson was once an outstanding linebacker for the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. He was unstoppable in goal-line situations especially. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler. Mike Singletary had the whole package. Teamwork and Leadership from Karl Mecklenburg NFL Motivational Keynote Speaker. Porter will try to continue his success in Arizona and continue to climb up this list. 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. Defensive MVP in 2002. No. Bergey became one of the NFL's best linebackers in Philly, where he made five consecutive All-Pro teams and was the foundation for the "Gang Green" defense that made the playoffs in each of his last three seasons, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 1980. . Robert "Dr. Doom" Brazile is another one of those underrated linebackers. Anthony Simmons (1995-'97) is the only two-time First-Team All-American in Clemson . You might be thinking Top 10 already? But look at his numbers. Thats an amazing number as well. He came one tackle short from having five consecutive 100 tackle seasons in 2004, which is saying a lot, since he was the guy taking up blockers most of the time as well. He was a good pass rusher, having at least 5.5 sacks in 10 straight years, but he was also good against the run and in coverage. . Paul Naumoff. By 1995, he was recognized as one of the top inside linebackers in the league and had a stellar performance in Super Bowl XXX against the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the season. 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). credit : - yahoo. No. Mike Singletary had the whole package. 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. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record 41 forced fumbles. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. But Mills did much more than that. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. Thats fine, he played enough linebacker to be considered this high. (Photo: David Boss, Getty) Historians will tell you that McAdams is one of the best linebackers to ever play at The University of Oklahoma. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. The 1970s had many great moments by individual players such as the NFL's first 2,000-yard season by O.J. No. 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. No. Hardy Nickerson makes it this high on the list mainly because of one ridiculous season he had. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Their greats span the decades of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. As an outside linebacker, he put a lot of pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. He may have actually been crazy. 10. Franchise Encyclopedia. Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it. 10 Tom Jackson. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and Defensive Player of the Year two years later. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. Lawrence Taylor. He was always around the ball. Patrick Willis has made the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team every single year hes been in the NFL. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. [3] Taylor changed the way football is played today. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back to back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. But in those three years, hes racked up 328 tackles and seven INTs, all while starting every game of his career. He could do it all. 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 running back Franco Harris. Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. 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. Lewis wasnt as vocal as Cox, but his play was a little better, and lasted for a longer period of time. No. 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. The player that gives Butkus the most competition in that category would be Mike Singletary. 29, Joey Porter* (Steelers/Dolphins/Cardinals) (1999-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. The two-time All-American helped the Cornhuskers win back-to-back national titles in 1970 and '71 . Ham had outstanding . Many of you will say that Keith Bulluck is way too high. Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. Wagers only accepted in CO. For full terms and conditions, click here. 2. 26, Cornelius Bennett (Bills/Falcons/Colts) (1987-2000) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 15-11. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. The NFL is back in L.A. for the first time since 1995, as the Rams return to the Coliseum. During the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Lee posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among . He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. The exhibit features the Fleet's classic collection set in five themed galleries representing the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. 10. Tribute to Elvis Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Demarcus Ware has only played five seasons in the NFL, but already hes one of the best of this era. In that game, the Steelers defense held the Cowboys to just 15 first downs and Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys powerful running attack to just 56 yards, despite losing 27-17 in large part due to two key interceptions thrown by Steelers quarterback Neil ODonnell. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Still, its an amazing number. and Jack Ham played as . No. Fredd Young went a little under the radar due to his short seven year career. 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. Please click on "Comments" and make sure to vote in the poll. Wilber Marshall was one of the greatest pass coverage linebackers of the modern era. 10. Trotter was a complete, all-around linebacker. [3] 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. He left everything he had on the field of play, and even though he was a tenacious player on the field, he was one of the most genuine and nice guys off the field. Among linebackers, that would include two-way stars George Svendsen (1935-41), Bud Svendsen (1937, 1939) and Charley Brock (1939-47), along with Bill Forester (1953-63), Tom Bettis (1955-61) and Roger Zatkoff (1953-56).