Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. No. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF He knew how to make big plays. Top 10 Linebackers in Miami Dolphins history - Phin Phanatic Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. 35, Lance Briggs* (Bears) (2003-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Gil Brandt's greatest NFL linebackers of all time - NFL.com You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. The forgotten members of the legendary 1970's Steelers team Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. Countdown 119: Top 10 Linebackers in NFL History - Sports H2H He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. That is just unheard of. They surrendered only 20 points in that game, and seven of them were off a blocked punt. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. Linebacker is one of the most important and demanding positions in football. Find 1970 1979 America stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. Call 1-800-522-4700. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. 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. Ham had outstanding speed. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. Gildon was most known for his pass rushing ability, picking up 54 sacks in a 5 year span. A shot of Jameson for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. 2. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. Fredd Young went a little under the radar due to his short seven year career. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. No. Thomas' remarkable personality was also recognized by being awarded the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award in 1993. FCK Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Hamilton vs Arbroath Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Paderborn vs FC St. Pauli Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live, Andorra vs Las Palmas Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, AGF vs Horsens Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time,, Southend Utd vs Barnet Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Kawasaki vs Shonan Bellmare Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live. That suggestion from the newly appointed House . He was unstoppable in goal-line situations especially. 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. could hit like a freight train, but it was his finesse and high football IQ that helped him revolutionize the linebacker position. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. 1, Lawrence Taylor (Giants) (1981-1993) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Eight-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He had less than seven sacks in a season only once. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. He took them to the AFC Championship game in 1998, where they fell victim to John Elways Super Bowl winning Broncos. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. [3] Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. The best LB in the NFL today comes in at No. But we would be remiss to not acknowledge some of the top performers from that earlier era. He was always around the ball. How NFL Players Have Evolved | Stadium Talk The Steelers began their 1976 season 1-4 and lost their quarterback, Terry Bradshaw.For the nine games remaining in the season, the 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. Mike Singletary. Rickey Jackson doesnt always get the credit he deserves, but hes a top 10 linebacker of the modern era. He was one of the most feared players in the game. The 1970s had many great moments by individual players such as the NFL's first 2,000-yard season by O.J. But before you come to a conclusion, let's take a look at the facts. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. . He was the only good player (other than Albert Haynesworth, but even he was only good for 2-3 years) on a generally bad defense and team. No. Zachary Petrizzo. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. In the words of Vikings' head coaching legend Bud Grant, "Paul personified the term free safety.". Jul 07, 2014 at 11:02 PM. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1960s - AinsworthSports.com Sam Huff. When you see a list of greatest linebackers, Isiah Robertson very rarely even gets brought into the discussion. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. Julian Peterson has had a very well-rounded NFL career to this point, and its still going on. He tried to get in your head before you even took a step on the field of play. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. 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. Peterson is another versatile linebacker who has played both inside and outside linebacker. Please play responsibly. 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 . I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1960s Super Bowl winner. The most obvious change from 1920 to today is the size of players, but there also have been many changes in the schemes . Some of you will say hes too low. More Team Info. credit : - yahoo. 21. Defensive MVP in 2002. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. 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. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. St. In his three years at Clemson (1995-'97) Simmons recorded 486 tackles, only 29 off the school record Bubba Brown recorded in four years from 1976-'79. L.T. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. 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 . 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. Many of you will say that Keith Bulluck is way too high. Best players in Clemson history: Linebackers The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1970s No. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all-time, recording 160 sacks in his career. Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . Beason has only been in the league for three years now. . Keith Bulluck WAS the Titans defense, and has been every year hes been there. His best days were with the Bears and Redskins, but he had an impact everywhere he went. Wilber Marshall was one of the greatest pass coverage linebackers of the modern era. Top 13 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 8 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. No. Wright, Seattle Seahawks. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. Answer: Two of the three were constants for all four Super Bowls and ended up in the Hall of Fame. Chicago 1981-92. Johnson was most known for his days with the Saints. He was also the first player to have a TE or RB used for chip blocking on him, and overall changed the way offensive lineman block. Greene led the way in the pass rushing department. The entire enterprise of Notre Dame basketball, gone strange. He recently missed most of last season with surgery. These were the players who were great players, but not quite good enough to be placed inside the top 50. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. 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. The player that gives Butkus the most competition in that category would be Mike Singletary. 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. His swinging the axe celebration sums up his style of play and tenacity on the field. Greene and Greg Lloyd made one of the best pass rushing duos in NFL history with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all round linebacker. After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasnt been the same. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. 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. Top 50 Minnesota Vikings Players of All-Time - Sports Articles No. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. To stoke the nostalgia, we talked to some of the key players from the team's winningest, most . Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl-winning Ravens team. 10. Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. Top 10 Draft Picks in Broncos History | No. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Jack Ham, Linebacker. He was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. And he's still going. Pittsburgh 2002, '04-12, '14-17; Cincinnati 2013; New England 2017. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Here Are 8 Ways NBA Has Changed That Modern Fans Don't Realize. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . The thing about Derrick Thomas that is the most remarkable was how nice of a person he was off the field. 17, Brian Urlacher* (Bears) (2000-Present) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Four-time 1st Team All-Pro. In the 2017-18 NFL season, the current Buffalo Bills starting LBs and backup LBs are Lorenzo Alexander, Deon Lacey, Matt Milano, and Tanner Vallejo. 25 Greatest Linebackers in NFL History - AthlonSports.com He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. No. He was also a big hitter and very intimidating on the field of play. Thats amazing consistency. 29, Joey Porter* (Steelers/Dolphins/Cardinals) (1999-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. Thats amazing consistency. Kolen was drafted by the Dolphins in the 12 th round . Ham had outstanding speed. Voted to seven Pro Bowls, named First Team All-Pro five times. Mills was more of the tackler of the bunch, racking up 1,142 tackles in his career. 40, Bryce Paup (Packers/Bills/Jaguars/Vikings) (1990-2000) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. His sacks are the main reason hes this high, but he was also a great all-around player. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. 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Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. 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. 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 . The Minnesota Vikings did an outstanding job of drafting linebackers in 1974. Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. 1970 1979 America Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images No. Taylor is one of only two defensive players (DT Alan Page, 1971) in the history of the NFL to be named NFL MVP. No. Chip Banks was another linebacker that was solid at everything, but not great at anything. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. The versatile middle linebacker played a significant role in helping the Steelers win four Super Bowls in a span of six years in the 1970s. He had eight seasons with 10+ sacks. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. He did everything. 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 . It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. The best linebackers in Minnesota Vikings history Chicago Bears: Top 10 linebackers in franchise history - NFL Spin Zone He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. Use Isiah Robertsons name in a talk of most underrated players of all time, and youll impress your fellow football fans. He wasnt great at one aspect but was equally as good at everything he did. Linebacker finalists announced for NFL 100 All-Time Team Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Still, its an amazing number. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. Top 9 Greatest World Series Upsets of All Time, 2021 NBA Finals Phoenix Suns vs Milwaukee Bucks: Series Preview and Prediction, Esteban de Jesus, Roberto Duran y AIDS (1972-89), NFL Draft 2021: Sam Teets top 100 prospects big board, Sam Teets two-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft 5.0 with Kyle the Commish, Every NFL teams best player not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame- NFC East, Top 100 remaining 2021 NFL free agents after Day 1, Predicting the next five Pro Football Hall of Fame classes, Ranking the top 200 players in the NFL ahead of the 2021 season, Top 100 NFL free agents entering the 2021 offseason, Notable Pro Football Senior Committee Hall of Fame candidates for 2020, Active NFL players in 2019 who will make the Hall of Fame- AFC North, Top 13 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 8 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. No. The NFL is back in L.A. for the first time since 1995, as the Rams return to the Coliseum. Jason Gildon (Steelers/Jaguars): - Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 15-11. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. Anything you asked him to do, he would do. Banks was a player that any coach would want on their team. He was always around the ball. I have combined outside and inside linebackers on the list and factored in the players ability to stop the run, drop into coverage and leadership. A two-time All-American and a three-year starter for the Vols, Kiner . The Greatest Linebackers of All Time - SportsUnfold Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports. Simpson in 1973 or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP performances. It will be interesting to see how he can recover. He was unstoppable in goal line situations especially. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. He just goes out every week and hustles. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back to back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. 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. The next year at the Pro Bowl, Thomas remembered him by name. Tribute to Elvis No. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. Porter will try to continue his success in Arizona and continue to climb up this list. The 'Skins historically have had some solid inside linebackers capable of both stopping the run and being reliable in coverage. He was effective as a pass rushing OLB, tallying up 14 sacks in one season with the Dolphins, and as an inside run stopping linebacker with the Jets. No. He was also the first player to have a TE or RB used for chip blocking on, and overall changed the way offensive lineman block. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Collect, curate and comment on your files. He was the notorious leader of one of the greatest defenses to ever make its way onto a football field Pittsburghs famed Steel Curtain.. 30, Matt Blair (Vikings) (1974-1985) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. Its too bad Fredd Youngs career had to end prematurely due to injuries. 12, Randy Gradishar (Broncos) (1974-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Mike Kolen 1970-77. Gary Reasons (1984-91) Gary Reasons, a fourth-round draft pick from Northwestern State, was a key . NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. You might be thinking Top 10 already? But look at his numbers. 6, Jack Ham (Steelers) (1971-1982) *Eight-time Pro Bowler *Six-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The NFL's Top 50 Linebackers of the Modern Era - Bleacher Report 21, Patrick Willis* (49ers) (2006-Present) *Three-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. Lost Super Bowl 13-16 vs. Baltimore Colts. No. Baltimore Ravens ground game rules in NFL Week 11 and more Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. 33, Al Wilson (Broncos) (1999-2006) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. All Rights Reserved. Urlacher was an all-around great linebacker who flew around the field with reckless abandon. No. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. Jeremiah The Axeman Trotter has been a very recognizable name over the past decade. So while there were outstanding linebackers in previous years, like Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, they will not be on this list. Peppers' 159.5 career sacks rank fourth on the all-time list. The only reason Brooks isnt higher up on this list is because he had a fantastic surrounding cast which includes, most notably, Warren Sapp taking up blockers on the line. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record 41 forced fumbles. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. Top 5 Tennessee linebackers of all-time - Saturday Down South 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? Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles.