Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. Featuring 2018-2019 Raiders and some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Raiders LBs include Ted Hendricks, Khalil Mack, Rod Martin, Sam Wiliams, and Greg Biekert. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back-to-back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. 36, Jeremiah Trotter (Eagles/Redskins/Bucs) (1999-2007 & 2009) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. Kevin Greene was a mad man in a football uniform. Here is my ranking of the top 10 Giants linebackers, along with some honorable mentions. 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. He did everything. 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. Las Vegas Raiders: 15 best defensive backs of all-time - Just Blog Baby Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The Chicago Bears have the most all-time great linebackers. 20, Keith Bulluck* (Titans) (2000-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Power Ranking the 5 Greatest Linebackers in Minnesota Vikings History 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. 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. HELLO, PANDORA. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. . He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. The offense, meanwhile, scored 29 points a game. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. His best days were with the Bears and Redskins, but he had an impact everywhere he went. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. Who were the linebackers for the Steel Curtain defense? - Quora That is just unheard of. 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. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. Butkus nasty disposition and ability to blow up anyone standing in his path, made him one of the most feared players in the history of the game. Eddie Johnson. More Team Info. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. No. 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 . He knew how to make big plays. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all-time, recording 160 sacks in his career. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. Ray Lewis is the top MLB of the modern era and is easily the linebacker of the 2000s. He just goes out every week and hustles. No. Andre Tippett may have been outshined by Lawrence Taylor playing basically the same position at the same time frame, but theres no mistaking what Tippett did on the field. He was Terrell Suggs before Suggs got to Baltimore. No. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Thomas' remarkable personality was also recognized by being awarded the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award in 1993. 9. Ham had outstanding speed. Use Isiah Robertsons name in a talk of most underrated players of all time, and youll impress your fellow football fans. Zach Thomas is exactly what you want in a player and a linebacker. List of All Buffalo Bills Linebackers, Ranked Best to Worst . Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . ONeal should get more recognition as one of the best pass rushers to play the game. The most obvious change from 1920 to today is the size of players, but there also have been many changes in the schemes . Despite the bad taste he left when leaving the team, James Harrison belongs on the upper half of the top ten linebackers in Steelers history. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. Thomas was the best linebacker of the 1990s, and one of the best pass rushers of all-time. Singletary was one of the key leaders of the famous 85 Bears defense, arguably the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. . These are the newest members of GHSF Daily's Georgia Power 100. 11, Kevin Greene (Rams/Steelers/Panthers/49ers), (1985-1999) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. 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. Thats an outstanding number. An important part of the Las Vegas defense, the LB position includes middle or inside linebackers and outside (strong side or weakside) linebackers. His sacks are the main reason hes this high, but he was also a great all-around player. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. *Ty Anderson, Thomasville: Anderson (6-0, 210) has been an all-state player since he was a sophomore Region 1-2A defensive co . This season marked the end for Tittle and fellow Canton-bound star Frank Gifford. Mike Singletary. Paul Krause | S. The NFL's all-time leader in interceptions spent 12 of his 16 years in Minnesota. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. When you see a list of greatest linebackers, Isiah Robertson very rarely even gets brought into the discussion. No. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. 12 sacks and three picks. I’m only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position . May 24, 2022. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. The . Franchise Encyclopedia. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. . 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. The transition from college football to the NFL . No. T&Cs apply. Hardy Nickerson makes it this high on the list mainly because of one ridiculous season he had. He wasnt great at one aspect but was equally as good at everything he did. James Farrior* (Jets/Steelers): Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, one-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link: Top 10 Athletes past the age of 40: Where does Tom Brady rank? But it was his style of play that made his career so short. Since Donnie Shell finally cracked the Hall of Fame, I would say the . The NFL is back in L.A. for the first time since 1995, as the Rams return to the Coliseum. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. That Steelers linebacking core could easily be the best of all-time, and it was led by Jack Lambert and Jack Ham. Simpson in 1973 or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP performances. So while there were outstanding linebackers in previous years, like Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, they will not be on this list. Super Bowl XX champion. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. 5. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Chuck Drazenovich. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. 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 . Top 30 Linebackers in the NFL Since 1970 - The Grueling Truth Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. 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. Lambert and Ham also won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. Born April 20 . During the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Lee posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among . Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his career. Top 30 Linebackers in the NFL since 1970! AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:30 a.m. EST Answer: Two of the three were constants for all four Super Bowls and ended up in the Hall of Fame. The 70s were a rough decade for the Browns, but the 1980s were getting off to a great start with the franchise returning to the playoffs, despite the tragedy of " Red Right 88 " in 1981. He recently missed most of last season with surgery. LaVar Arrington. Greene and Greg Lloyd made one of the best pass rushing duos in NFL history with the Pittsburgh Steelers. No. Hes going into his first healthy season again in three years. James Harrison. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. Beason has only been in the league for three years now. 21, Patrick Willis* (49ers) (2006-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Cornerback Mel Blount was added in the . 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. The NFL's Top 50 Linebackers of the Modern Era - Bleacher Report 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. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. Ware has made four consecutive Pro Bowls and has had three consecutive All-Pro seasons. 5, Jack Lambert (Steelers) (1974-1984) *Nine-time Pro Bowlers *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Of the five LBs chosen to the 1950s All-Decade Team the others were Bednarik, Fortunato, George, and Huff Schmidt made the most Pro Bowls (nine) and the most all-pro teams (seven first-team, nine altogether). The Best of Tommy Brady at Michigan . Over the past decade, virtually every stage of the offensive evolution has increased stress on linebackers, putting them in a bind and asking them to account for multiple things on the same play. Top 5 Tennessee linebackers of all-time - Saturday Down South Voted to seven Pro Bowls, named First Team All-Pro five times. Taylor changed the way football is played today. No. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. But we would be remiss to not acknowledge some of the top performers from that earlier era. 39, Peter Boulware (Ravens) (1997-2005) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He was 73. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. From his time at USC, Lott . Brazile was drafted out of Jackson State and revolutionized linebacker play in the NFL. 20 greatest linebackers in NFL history - Franchise Sports This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. Still, its an amazing number. But, if you didnt know, Jackson was once an outstanding linebacker for the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. The exhibit features the Fleet's classic collection set in five themed galleries representing the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. No. Jack Lambert was the teammate of Jack Ham who took the inside linebacker duties. He led the team in tackles five of the 11 season he played for them. 9. 35, Lance Briggs* (Bears) (2003-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Zach Thomas. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. Brooking was the face of the Falcons defense for nearly a decade, and is a well-rounded player. Paul Naumoff. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. (Photo: David Boss, Getty) Historians will tell you that McAdams is one of the best linebackers to ever play at The University of Oklahoma. Top 10 Washington Football Team LBs of All Time - Sports Articles No. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. 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. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. The-greatest-linebackers-in-Denver-Broncos-history-series He was always around the ball. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. No. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. 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. 10. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1970s - AinsworthSports.com Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. 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. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. 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. No. With rule changes being what they have been, The number one pick was obvious. He is ninth in team history with 14 forced fumbles; he recovered 11, had 6 QB sacks, and 11 interceptions. Jackson was the vocal leader of that defense. The 15 Greatest NFL Linebackers of All Time - Sportscasting The Pittsburgh Steelers are second with all-time players in four decades. Johnson was most known for his days with the Saints. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. I think hell climb up this list further in the near future. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. . Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . More from Green Bay Packers. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. 23, Isiah Robertson (Rams/Bills) (1971-1982) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He also had 20 INTs, three of which he returned for touchdowns. Playing 20 seasons in the NFL is amazing at any position. 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. If Bulluck played on a better team, I believe his stats would be much better and his accomplishments would be a lot more. The Greatest Penn State Linebackers of All Time Jack Ham had the whole package as a linebacker. Romanowski might be overrated because of his name, but theres no doubt he was one of the most memorable and feared linebackers of the modern era. 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. Depending on the day, you might view Ham as the best player on the Steel Curtain defense or the 4th best, and it's . Regardless, he definitely deserves the respect for what he accomplished on the field. Who knows how many he wouldve had if he played in the entire 16? Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl-winning Ravens team. 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. Featuring some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Bills LBs include Sam Rogers, Keith Ellison, Shane Conlan, and John Holecek. Both . 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No. 40, Bryce Paup (Packers/Bills/Jaguars/Vikings) (1990-2000) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back to back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. Two years later, the Giants sunk to 1-12-1. . 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. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. No. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. No. He was always around the ball. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Who are the Packers' greatest defenders of all time? - Green Bay Packers He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasnt been the same. Robert "Dr. Doom" Brazile is another one of those underrated linebackers. L.T. He started all but one game in his last eight seasons, which is very impressive for a linebacker. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. 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 . Seau was the definition of consistency. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. Won Conference Championship 17-10 vs. San Francisco 49ers. Bryan Cox was an all-around package at linebacker. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. Coverage was definitely Bullucks claim to fame, but he was also good at other things. If you dont believe me, watch the film, as they say, the film doesnt lie! Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. 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. Baker recorded 19 . 18, Andre Tippett (Patriots) (1982-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Bulluck was an outstanding tackler, and was great at run support too. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. 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). 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. Ranking the 10 best linebackers in Raiders history Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. He was unstoppable in goal line situations especially. Gildon was most known for his pass rushing ability, picking up 54 sacks in a 5 year span. For a four-year span with Seattle, Young was arguably the best Seahawks linebacker of all-time. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. Super Bowl winner. Top 50 Minnesota Vikings Players of All-Time - Sports Articles St. Nine All-Pros. Matt Blair was a very intimidating linebacker, and helped the Vikings get to two Super Bowls in his career. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. Lewis, playing alongside Bryan Cox, led a very good Jets team to the closest theyve been to a Super Bowl since they won Super Bowl III. Bulluck was one of the best pass coverage linebackers in NFL history. A late 12th round pick Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. Also note that an asterisk (*) by the players name means they are still active today. Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
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