One of the least glamorous positions in the NFL is Nose Tackle, but they are still a critical position in the NFL so who are the greats? He spent his last six seasons as a backup/rotational nose for the Raiders, then the Jets. He also covers media and entertainment news on various online platforms. More teams havemoved back toa 4-3 this season and many 4-3 teams are choosing to do without a nose tackle and attack an offense with double 3-techniques. Carter played nine seasons, 121 games with 97 starts. There are players that play close to the ball and others that play further away. Chicago Bears, 1985-1993; Philadelphia Eagles, 1993-1994 One-time Super Bowl champion Recorded 29.5 sacks in 138 NFL games, Oakland Raiders, 1996; New Orleans Saints, 1997-2001; Dallas Cowboys, 2002-2005; St. Louis Rams 2006-2008 Voted to six Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL 2000s All-Decade Team 2000 NFC Defensive Player of the Year 2000 NFL sacks leader (17.5) Finished career with 433 tackles, 83.5 sacks and 16 forced fumbles, San Francisco 49ers, 1994-2007 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Had 89.5 sacks and 618 tackles in 208 career games, Cleveland Browns, 1946-1953 One-time NFL champion Voted to three Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Baltimore Ravens, 2006-2014; Detroit Lions, 2015-Present One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times Started 160 of 162 NFL games Has 29.5 sacks, 491 tackles, 6 forced fumbles and 5 interceptions in 11 NFL seasons, Baltimore Ravens, 2013-Present One of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in NFL today Became highest-paid nose tackle in the NFl by signing a five-year, $54 million deal with Ravens in March Has 4.5 sacks and 101 tackles in 55 career games, Cincinnati Bengals, 1983-1994 Voted to two Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time Recorded 34.5 sacks and 1,017 career tackles Missed only four games (out of 192) in 12-year career, Detroit Lions, 1958-1970 Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 1960s All-Decade Team Missed only one game in 12-year career, New England Patriots, 2001-2008; Oakland Raiders, 2009-2012 Three-time Super Bowl champion Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Logged 57.5 sacks and recorded 496 career tackles, Minnesota Vikings, 1985-1990; Green Bay Packers, 1992; Seattle Seahawks, 1992; Philadelphia Eagles, 1993 Voted to two Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times 1989 NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Holds NFL record for most sacks by DT in single season (18) Three double-digit sack seasons Recorded 58 career sacks, Houston Oilers, 1985-1995; Dallas Cowboys, 1996 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time NFL-record three fumble recoveries in single game Recorded 76.5 sacks, 861 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles in 12-year NFL career, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1950-1963 Two-time Super Bowl champion Voted to nine Pro Bowls (1957 Pro Bowl MVP), First Team All-Pro once NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team Recorded 23 fumble recoveries and at time of retirement was the all-time career safeties leader with three Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, San Francisco 49ers, 1950-1963 Voted to 10 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times NFL 1950s All-Decade Team 49ers' first-ever draft pick Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Baltimore Colts, 1950; New York Yanks, 1951; Dallas Texans, 1952; Baltimore Colts, 1953-1961 Two-time NFLchampion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times NFL 1950s All-Decade Team Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns, 1957-1958; Green Bay Packers, 1959-1969 Two-time Super Bowl champion, five-time NFL champion Voted to four Pro Bowls (1961 Pro Bowl MVP), First Team All-Pro five times 21 career fumble recoveries Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chicago Bears 1979-1990 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Made All-Pro as both defensive end and defensive tackle Officially credited with 57 career sacks Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Jets, 1977-1987; Indianapolis Colts, 1989 Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times 1981 AFC Player of the Year Started 145 of 155 NFL games 24 career sacks, 9 fumble recoveries in 10 NFL seasons Anthony Munoz called Klecko "the strongest guy I ever faced. Take a look at the best portraits from the 2023 NFL Combine! Unlike a nose tackle, a defensive ends main responsibility is to control the outside of the line of scrimmage and get to the quarterback. While many people often confuse a nose guard with a nose tackle, many fans also use the terms nose tackle and defensive tackle interchangeably. Its okay for a nose tackle to be smaller or bigger than the average nose tackle, so long as that player is good at taking up space and freeing up room for the rest of the defense to do what they do best. The 0-technique is generally played in the 3-4 defensive scheme, which is why its largely a nose tackle technique. For many defenses the nose tackle's performance is the most critical element of the scheme. Check out the Top 10 photos from Super Bowl LVII! 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. 1 Joe Greene 3,939 votes Charles Edward Greene (born September 5, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is a former American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football .more #1208 of 1,316 The Best Athletes Of All Time #11 of 25 Old Athletes You Didn't Realize Are Still Alive #1 of 146 From Culp to Jerry Ball, everyone featured in this article has played major roles in their teams success, which established them as the best defensive nose tackles of all time in the NFL. These amazing nose tackles may currently be active while others have been retired for quite sometime. A Complete Overview. He possessed a freakish combo of power and speed for someone of his size. He had a high of 85 tackles in 1978, 68 in 1979, and 67 in 1980. Instead, they line up head-to-head with the offensive guards. Defensive tackles rarely line up head-to-head with the center. He was not quite the size of Ted Washington, but he was more than the 315 pounds he was listed at, though. He benefits from a strong and talented supporting cast, but everything the Steelers are able to do on defense, is determined by the play of Hampton. One name that might get overlooked among some of the best defensive tackles all-time is the former Baltimore Ravens great Haloti Ngata. With that said, Im happy to have you on the site and hope I can help you out in achieving your goals! In recent seasons the position has taken on greater significance thanks to the proliferation of 3-4 fronts. He was part of the good, innovative defenses of Bill Arnsbarger with the Dolphins, the 'Killer Bs' if you will. As one of the few proponents of the traditional, 2-gap style 3-4 leftin the game, the Steelers are absolutely reliant on a dominant nose tackle. Thomas played in 213 games, started 199 of them, totaled 864 tackles including 93.5 sacks and 95.0 run stuffs, totals that rival players like Warren Sapp and Bryant Young, two of the 1990s All-Decade selections. He was a First-team All-Pro four times and voted to five Pro Bowls and was an alternate to a couple of others. Paul Soliai is one of the finest 2-gappers in the league. The same argument applies to Barry Cofield of the Washington Redskins. 3-4 Defences have only become really popular around the nfl in the last 15 years so there hasn't been that many Nose Tackles in the last 40-50 years in comparison to other positions. If youre interested in learning more about the nose tackle position in football, continue reading for a full breakdown of what a nose tackle does and what it takes to be a dominant nose tackle. started his career with the Detroit Lions in 1987 and later played in three more teams, including Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings. Well.it's more that it goes through cycles. You simply cant run a 3-4 defensive scheme without one. Excellent article, John T! profootballjournal@gmail.com. And he deserved it due to what he meant to those Charger defenses. Really, on a game-to-game basis, Hamilton was the NFL's first modern nose tackle. [Family Ethnicity & Religion], Bruce Wills And Demi Moores Divorce History & Their Kids. Wills played a key role in the defense and was all-pro once and a pro bowler. He frequently drives blockers backwards and is a consistent threat to penetrate the line of scrimmage. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. He'd done yeoman's work, playing the run, coming out of the game on likely passing downs, but never getting a sniff of Hawaii and the Pro Bowl. He did play some 3-4 end in his career and was always effective as a defensive tackle in the Chiefs 4-man lines when they went to nickel, he would routinely turn in 5, 6, or 7-sack seasons. The Dolphins defensive anchor is steadily building a reputation as one of the most difficult to handle nose tackles in the game. Take a look at the photographs that served as the artistic blueprint for Super Bowl LVII, and see how they were incorporated into the numerous event spaces throughout the state. 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 . A high-motor, hustle type. Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans. May 4, 2021 8:47 AM EDT. To be fair, Williams was a Second-team All-Pro in 2004 and then First-team in 2005 and 2006. He. 4-3 duo Terrence Knighton and Brandon Mebane do not appear on the list due to the same inconsistency. The Oilers were next who committed to it after getting Curley Culp at mid-season, though they used it some in previous games and years. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment industry. We may reconsider in the future, but for now, we put him with the tackles. In those situations, Howie Long would play the right end. Career stats: 106 games started, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 150 tackles, four-time Pro Bowler. The nose tackle is largely used in the 3-4 defensive scheme as well as a 5-2 defensive scheme. Nose tackle is an underappreciated and selfless position in American football. Like Bill Wills, Pat Williams was also undrafted in 1997. Isaiah Wynn is an interesting player. Any even-numbered technique (including the 0-technique) must line up head-to-head with the offensive line. He has played a total of 200 games and recorded 29 sacks and two interceptions. Maybe if he hadn't gone to USFL but really, except for 1983, he was a backup---someone who got to play when Carter was hurt, would play some 40 tackle in nickel/dimeHe was considered by the 36 starts was kind of a problem. I swear every time there is a discussion about nose tackles Ngata is mentioned, and Ravens fans go berserk because he doesn't play nose tackle. Ted Washington always amazed me. STEELERS' ALL-UNDRAFTED TEAM Quarterback: Devlin Hodges Running Back: Willie Parker Fullback: Dan Kreider Wide Receivers:. Carter was a dominant nose when motivated. Balls retired from the game in 1999, leaving behind a dominant legacy. He loves to watch web series, and movies and write on celebrity gossip or trendy movie news. 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. Lorenzo Neal as a fullback is one. Hell, I bet JJ Watt would be the best nose in the league if they lined him up there. Corey Williams of the Detroit Lions performs an important function for Gunther Cunningham's defense. Such is life. But on a serious note I would say wilfork or Hampton, with big Ted slightly behind those guys. Theyre responsible for taking up space and making it hard for the center and guards to make room for the running back. The 3-4 had been around for years but no one committed to it on an every-down basis like the Patriots in 1974. He was also part of the Dolphins pass rush packages for the first 2/3 of his career, totaling 9 sacks in 1981, 8 in 1978 and 1983 and 6 in 1979. He was usually the shade tackle in the Raiders 40 nickel (Bandit) defense and herecorded 6 sacks in 1983 and 12.5 in 1984. He made an unusually high number of tackles for players in his position and at times could get some rush. No nose tackle has been First-team All-Pro more or gone to more Pro Bowls than Smerlas. He ended his career with just 20.5 sacks but the main reason he was on the field was to stop the run and that he did, evidenced by his 90 run stuffs in his career (five times he had 9.0 or more). This would make them more responsible for the B-gap (in-between the tackle and guard). This is where the defensive player lines up head-to-head with the offensive tackle. Take a look at the photographs that served as the artistic blueprint for Super Bowl LVII, and see how they were incorporated into the numerous event spaces throughout the state. 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. Washington has four first-round picks on its defensive line, and Jonathan Allen might have been the best in 2020. This is where the defensive player lines up on the inside shoulder of the offensive guard. But Ball did it. He was a Second-team All-Pro once and a three-time Pro Bowler (all when playing as 1/2 of the "Williams Wall" in Minnesota. Pouha is blessed with tremendous strengthand possesses deceptive speed when working down the line. A NT will either be head on v a centre or on the strongside A gap, either way a NTs job is to absorb a double team and not allow either of the OL trying to move him to get downfield. I miss Jamal Williams so damn much. For the most part, the nose tackle is responsible for filling up these two gaps. The quintessential 2-gap artist, Hampton is the cornerstone of the Steelers ferocious run defense. Being five times first-pro and the five-times pro bowler is a rare achievement in the NFL for a nose tackle. He got the do the grunt work for the guys that replaced John Randle and Warren Sapp. Dan Saleaumua was like a rolling ball of butcher knives, moving around all the time, always seemingly around the ball. However, until that time, he is without question the best nose tackle in the league. The Best New York Jets of All Time Fred Smerlas Tackle and Nose tackle from Waltham, Massachusetts Age: 65 Frederic Charles Smerlas (born April 8, 1957) is a former American football defensive lineman who was a 5-time NFL Pro Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with the Buffalo Bills, .more 280 Alameda Ta'amu 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 ball was so dominant that the opposition had to make a change in their alignment to bring their best player in the middle to face the pressure Ball created. 25. The best I have personally seen is Casey Hampton. Raji's versatility is the foundation of Green Bay's defensive scheme. And my man Smerlas getting his due love it! 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's a shade tackle that played all three downs and never needed to be replaced by a designated pass rusher like so many nose tackles, which accounts for his high sack total, in fact, no nose/shade tackle is even close and from film review, he was as good versus the run as any of them. 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. The creative direction of Super Bowl LVII was inspired by the beauty of Arizona's natural landscapes - from its grand rock formations to its vast rainbow skies. The Pittsburgh run defense has been at or near the top of the league standings throughout Hamton's decade long tenure over the center. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. He could also expand his pass rush repertoire and become more of a rush threat for a Miami defensive line which struggles to support the efforts of Cameron Wake. With 91 games played during his career, made . They line up with a defensive end on both sides of them, but theres a pretty large gap between them since the offensive line is made up of five players. 3-4 Defences have only become really popular around the nfl in the last 15 years so there hasn't been that many Nose Tackles in the last 40-50 years in comparison to other positions. He was All-Pro once and a Second-team All-Pro once and an All-AFC pick twice and voted to four Pro Bowls. This is because four linebackers can either drop back and guard the middle of the field or play at the line of scrimmage against the run. The nose guard, however, lines up in the middle of the defensive line in a 5-2 defense. Concerns about his every down durability have persisted in recent seasons, but Ratliff is still the best pure athlete to play nose tackle in the NFL. He was an eight-time First-team All-League selection and was a Second-team selection one additional time and was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1940s Team and the owner of five championship rings. Likely 1988, too, but it was a crowded field in the 1980s for nose tackles. The one season he filled in for an injured 3-tech (Keith Millard) he did will, recording 8.5 sacks and 7.5 stuffs and 82 tackles. 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. This list includes the tackle's accomplishments, honors, awards, records, & statistics. ", Minnesota Vikings, 1967-1978; Chicago Bears, 1978-1981 Played in four Super Bowls, one-time NFL champion 1971 NFL MVP Two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times NFL 1970s All-Decade Team Played in 238 consecutive games Had six seasons of double-digit sacks, including 18 in 1976; unofficially finished with 173 career sacks Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, 2014-Present Voted to three Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times 2014 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Set record for fastest recorded 40 time for DT at NFL Scouting Combine Has logged 28 sacks and 116 tackles in his three NFL seasons Voted 15th best player in NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017, Cincinnati Bengals 2010-present Voted to Pro Bowl six times, First Team All-Pro twice 290 career tackles, 61 sacks, and eight forced fumbles, Detroit Lions, 1960-1966; Los Angeles Rams, 1967-1969 Voted to six Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times Member of the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" First player in NFL history with playing weight exceeding 300 pounds Sacked Bart Starr seven times (one for a safety) in the famous 1962 "Thanksgiving Day Massacre", Kansas City Chiefs, 1968-1974; Houston Texans 1974-1980; Detroit Lions, 1980-1981 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to six Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time 1975 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Unofficially had 68 sacks and 14 forced fumbles in 14 NFL seasons Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Minnesota Vikings, 1990-2000; Seattle Seahawks, 2001-2003 Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times 1997 NFL sacks leader NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Played in 219 career NFL games, recording 137.5 sacks and 556 tackles Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kansas City Chiefs, 1963-1975 One-time Super Bowl champion, two-time AFL champion Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times, six AFL All-Star games Played in 182 career NFL games, including 166 consecutively Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Seattle Seahawks, 1990-2000 Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times 1992 NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Had 58 sacks and 568 tackles durin 11-year NFL career Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Yanks, 2948-1949; New York Giants, 1950-1953 Two-time NFL champion Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1995-2003; Oakland Raiders, 2004-2007 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL All-Decade Team in 1990s and 2000s Recorded 96.5 career sacks, 435 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, 1975-1988 One-time Super Bowl champion Super Bowl XII co-MVP Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro seven times NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Unofficially recorded 111 sacks (high of 16 in 1978) and 1,104 tackles in 14 NFL seasons Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Los Angeles Rams, 1962-1977 Voted to 14 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times 1962 NFL Rookie of the Year NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team,Br> Member of two NFL All-Decade Teams (1960s, 1970s) Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1969-1981 Four-time Super Bowl champion Voted to 10 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times Two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team Recorded unofficial 78.5 career sacks and 16 fumble recoveries Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, 1961-1974 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to 11 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro seven times NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team member of NFL's All-Decade Teams in 1960s and 1970s Started every game (164) of his 14-year career 29-yard sack of Bob Griese in Super Bowl VI is NFL record and one of the most memorable in Super Bowl history Scored four defensive touchdowns in career Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As with any list there is room for debate here and there but he's ranked about right.Let me guess, you are a Steeler's fan? Randle signed with the Vikings and went on to become one of the best defensive tackles of the 1990s and definitely the mouthiest. Sopoaga is a disruptive force over the center. Cofield has not spent enough time anchoring a 3-4 and is plagued by inconsistency. He received a Hall of Fame induction from the New England Patriots soon after his retirement in 2017. So he ended up playing for three-techniques likeJovan Haye and Tony Williams, though he got to play some three-technique himself for a few years in the early 2000s when Fred Robbins manned the nose. John Randle Awards: 7 Pro Bowler, 6 All-Pro, 1997 NFL sacks leader, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Championships: None They need to have a big body, but they also need to have some speed and strength to make them quicker and stronger than a center and offensive guard. In this technique, the defensive player must line up over the outside shoulder of the offensive line. The 6"1' 325 pound Hamptonis an immovable force in the middle of Pittsburgh's front seven. Gilbert Brown was a big piece in that loaded Packer defense. At 6-1 330 (350?) In his first four years he was a top backup for Ted Washington forming an amazing 1-2 punch. When done correctly, the nose tackle acts as a space-eater. Check. Here is a ranking ofthe 10 best nose tackles in the game today. The six-time pro bowler is also an AFL and Super Bowl champion. Email us at: The Ultimate Guide, What Is the Neutral Zone in Football? The players Hey there! Thomas was great at tackling and arguably the best among all nose tackles. Jamal Williams was the monster in the middle. The Steelers have had some of the best nose tackles of all time and when that position is thought of, often the Steelers come to mind. Bills, in his career, became a total of a three-time pro bowler and a four times all-pro. However, his contribution to the teams victories earned him four all-pro awards. Highest single-season PFF grades since 2017 Donald's peers are the NFL's all-time greats on defense the Reggie Whites and Lawrence Taylors of the world rather than anyone else currently playing. A nose tackle has to occupy multiple blockers to create a lane of pursuit for fellow defenders. Follow us on Twitter: @NFL_Journal - Take a look at the best portraits from the 2023 NFL Combine!