Johnsons primary duty was to stop the run, and he did it so well. He was a 'move' guy, not a power guy and he could rush the passer very well in addition to playing his two-gap responsibilities. While many people often confuse a nose guard with a nose tackle, many fans also use the terms nose tackle and defensive tackle interchangeably. But he got the opportunity to join the newly formed Cleveland Browns, and there he proved how good he was. NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the best offensive tackles in NFL history. Ted Washington's the best I've seen play. The more space they take up, the less of a hole the running back has to make it through the line of scrimmage. His professional football career began in 1977 when he was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles 1977. It seems unfair to rank him above more versatile players like Ratliff and Wilfork, but from a purist point of view, Casey Hampton is the finest nose tackle in the game. You have to keep in mind that offensive linemen are big players and that the nose tackle is almost always double-teamed. Danny Jaillet. The way he singlehandedly collapsed the pocket and allows fellow Tampa pass rushers to torture Patrick Mahomes all day night long. He was also one of the best kick blockers ever and the best of the 2000s by far with 17 blocked place kicks. Any coach that wants to find success with a 3-4 defensive scheme needs a dominant nose tackle. By this time, he played over 200 games to record 93.3 sacks, 1007 tackles, and four touchdowns, so many for a defensive nose tackle. Follow us on Twitter: @NFL_Journal - Vincent Lamar Wilfork (born November 4, 1981) is a former American football nose tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Theyre usually the largest player and go head-to-head with the opposing center. With that said, most nose tackles in the league are anywhere from 60 to 63 and weigh anywhere from 300-350 pounds. Instead of going head-to-head with the center, theyll line up on the outside shoulder of the center, either on the left or right. The quintessential 2-gap artist, Hampton is the cornerstone of the Steelers ferocious run defense. LOL, really curious where you got the film to do an in-depthanalysis of Les Bingaman. Throughout history, there have been several players that have revolutionized what it means to be a nose tackle. Early on it was mostly the more experimental AFC teams, including the perfect Dolphins, and was part of why the AFC dominated the NFC in the 70's. It reached peak popularity with the Bill Parcells style in the mid 80's. But Garay's brute force makes him formidable at the point of attack. Maas was "Big, mean, strong, and nasty" according to Buchsbaum who also though Maas would have been an excellent 4-3 tackle. He had unusually large legs and Dolphin locker room lore includes the fact that even the large socks would not fully cover Baumhower's calves when stretched all the way to the top. 13. He also forced 19 fumbles and recorded three defensive touchdowns. The San Francisco 49ers signed him in the 1991 NFL draft, where he was overall 25th. Till 1949, The Browns were playing in the AAFC, and then the team joined the NFL. Cofield has not spent enough time anchoring a 3-4 and is plagued by inconsistency. A 3-4 scheme has one nose tackle in the middle, while a 4-3 defense has two defensive tackles in-between the defensive ends. A couple of years ago, Jay Ratliff would have comfortably toppeda list of this kind. Again, these are two completely different positions in the game of football and have entirely different roles in defensive schemes. There are players that play close to the ball and others that play further away. But Ball did it. Many defenses are also choosing to play more nickel on first and second down. When done correctly, the nose tackle acts as a space-eater. Likely 1988, too, but it was a crowded field in the 1980s for nose tackles. Fat Pat Williams is top 10 material bias aside. I miss Jamal Williams so damn much. Nose tackle is an underappreciated and selfless position in American football. As it turned out, Carter found his position and Alzado went on to be an excellent 3-4 end. Willis was a dynamic6-2, 213-pound middle guard for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-53. Regular five-on-five basketball is a fun game on its own, but its always nice to have some variety in the types of games that can be played, especially with kids. The change of league did not have much impact on the team as the team continued to dominate, and in 19450, they became the NFL champion. he was a good player, but didn't play enough to really fit in. Plus he played the position until 39 years old; amazing longevity for a position where you're fighting off double teams from other 300 lb men your whole career. This article features the ten best nose tackles of all time in the NFL who set examples of how to contribute from the back. Defensive tackles are mostly the silent killer of a team. You simply cant run a 3-4 defensive scheme without one. He did not focus on personal achievements, which is one of the reasons that his stats are not filled with rich numbers. However, we are going to keep it short. Career stats of Henry Thomas: 6. Admittedly, in this period, it was less characterized by the dominating nose tackle and more by the fearsome outside linebacker, such as Lawrence Taylor. In his first four years he was a top backup for Ted Washington forming an amazing 1-2 punch. His 47.5 sacks and 779 tackles put him easily among the best who have ever played. Hell, I bet JJ Watt would be the best nose in the league if they lined him up there. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Bullshitter. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard. He debuted in 1968 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Enter Wade Phillips who installed a 3-4 and Williams as the nose andvoila, he's in the Pro Bowl for the next three years. From his 121 games, he recorded 121 sacks. With that said, the nose tackle position is highly respected by their teammates and is most likely going to be the defensive coordinators favorite player when things are going well. However, here are ten players who were not just great nose tackles but also great defensive backs of all time. Bill Wills is one such example, he was undrafted in the 1946 draft! The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Now we are getting into the run-stopping specialists, though very good at that specialty. Being five times first-pro and the five-times pro bowler is a rare achievement in the NFL for a nose tackle. Not only is Art Shell at the top of this list, but he was also among the best tackles in NFL history, and there those who believe . Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. [Family Ethnicity & Religion], Bruce Wills And Demi Moores Divorce History & Their Kids. If you can do that, then your coach will always have a spot for you on the defense. Charlie Johnson had a short career in the NFL, but he still managed to cement his preposition among the best nose tackles of all time in NFL history. Theyre responsible for taking up space and making it hard for the center and guards to make room for the running back. His 10 kick blocks rank top 10 among all NFL players. From there Peko is able to frequently split double teams and spearhead the Bengals run defense. If its a 2-technique, the player must line up head-to-head with the guard. Houston Texans starter Shaun Cody has adapted well to the rigours of Wade Phillips' 1-gap 3-4. Said legendary writer/talent evaluator Joel Buchsbaum about Carter, "has awesome ability, strength, quickness, and explosion but is not very durable". This player is only used in a 3-4 defensive scheme, opposed to a 4-3 defensive scheme. One name that is well worth mentioning among the Top 10 Strong Safety All-Time list is the former Seattle Seahawks and Pro Football Hall of Famer strong safety Kenny Easley. He was active, fast, and really stood out on film. Gilbert Brown was a big piece in that loaded Packer defense. He was a Second-team All-Pro in 1977 and that was the only season he received post-season honors. Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears. Dedicated to reporting mainstream and esoteric aspects of professional football. For the first half of his career, he played all downs, playing left tackle in the Bills sub defensive packages, something not all nose tackles could do. He could even muster some pass rushfrom 2010-2012 he had a total over 15.5 sacks, averaging just over 5 a season which is very good considering his positional responsibilities. It frequently took 2 or 3 linemen to block him, freeing up teammates to double-cover or blitz. As you learn more about football, you start to hear the term defensive technique. Its not something a normal fan has to be concerned about, but its something that gets mentioned by the announcers and commentators regularly. Much like you have the 2i-technique, which lines up on the inside of the offensive guard, you also have the 4i-technique, which lines up on the inside of the offensive tackle opposed to the outside of the tackle. List of the most famous (American) football nose tackles in the history of the sport, listed by popularity with photos of the players when available. This list below has a variety of items in it, from Casey Hampton to Jim Burt. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Rowe helped the Raiders to their first Super Bowl trophy (IMO) - I was at that Super Bowl. pounds, Wilfork was the anchor of the Patriots defensive line for more than a decade making First-team All-Pro once and second-team All-Pro four times and five Pro Bowls in his 13 seasons and earned himself two rings. He is one of few nose tackles that play on all three downs. Most defensive tackles that line up in a 4-3 defensive scheme are lining up in a 3-technique. When on form, Antonio Garay is capable of regularly collapsing the pocket. This player is mostly responsible for filling the two gaps on either side of the center in-between each guard also known as the A-gaps. The 34 was very popular in the 70's and 80's. A coach usually elects to have two defensive tackles on the field, although one of those defensive tackles might be a versatile nose tackle. A 3-4 defensive scheme is more of a base defense that can be effective against the run and pass when performed correctly. A high-motor, hustle type. Still, only a few of them are as large as Ted Washington. The goal of this website is to provide you with content that will help you get a leg up on the competition, whether thats in the realm of coaching or on the field itself.