The modern NFL game is not built for defenses to thrive. Heck, even in times of “three yards and a cloud of dust,” it’s arguable the league never actually wanted defenses to win. At least, once the powers that be learned that offense sells like hotcakes.
Suffice it to say, playing defense in the NFL can be an impossible job. So the men that have courageously taken on the assignment of slowing down high-flying attacks stand out all the more.
In pro football lore, the best defenders ever are those who made offensive coordinators lose countless hours of sleep as they game-planned. They are the players who made quarterbacks quite literally see ghosts when standing in the pocket. They are pictures of reliability and dependability and are the preeminent warriors of the West’s favorite gladiator sport.
The below list examines the greatest defender in the history of all 32 NFL teams. My criteria was simple and rooted around these questions: What was their production like? Did they have a high intimidation factor? How available were they for their teammates? Did they pioneer a new way of playing their position?
It’s not easy playing defense in the NFL. But these fine gentlemen sometimes made the impossible seem like a casual task.
Also, check out:
- The best player in franchise history for all 32 NFL teams.
- The best head coach in franchise history for all 32 NFL teams.
- The best quarterback in franchise history for all 32 NFL teams.
- The best wide receiver in franchise history for all 32 NFL teams.
- The best running back in franchise history for all 32 NFL teams.
Arizona Cardinals: S Larry Wilson
Wilson not only recorded a prolific 52 interceptions in 13 seasons with the Cardinals, he is widely known for having perfected the “safety blitz.” Such a strategy of sending defensive backs up the field is now a staple for most NFL teams. A six-time First-Team All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler, and Hall of Famer — Wilson is rightfully regarded as one of the best and more influential defensive backs in football history. Oh, this isn’t an urban legend: He once caught a pick with two broken wrists and casts on his hands.
Atlanta Falcons: DE Claude Humphrey
Another no-doubt Hall of Famer from the 1970s, Humphrey is the Falcons’ all-time leader in sacks (99.5). Over the course of his time in Atlanta, the six-time Pro Bowler recorded seven seasons with double-digit sacks. An athlete ahead of his time at a then-monstrous 6-foot-4, 252 pounds, Humphrey took full advantage of his physical abilities in a different football era.
Baltimore Ravens: S Ed Reed
With all due respect to Ray Lewis — who I think is probably the best player in Ravens history — I’m fine with the inherent contradiction of rolling with Ed Reed. A freewheeling centerfielder who almost never “guessed” wrong, Reed perfected the position as perhaps the most feared ballhawk of all time. For my money, the five-time First-Team All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowler, and former Defensive Player of the Year is the greatest safety ever. Bar none.
Buffalo Bills: DE Bruce Smith
Smith is the NFL’s all-time sack leader (200) and featured for 16 seasons as the cornerstone of the late 20th-century juggernaut Bills. Few can match that kind of resume of excellence and longevity in one. Smith was also a willing ambassador for the city of Buffalo and defensive players as someone who enjoyed all the extra attention. I rest my case.
Carolina Panthers: DE Julius Peppers
A basketball player for North Carolina, the 6-foot-7 Peppers helped popularize the movement of athletes on the court taking their gifts to the gridiron. Peppers was renowned for his ability to humble offensive tackles with sheer freakish talent. In NFL lore, there might not have been a more terrifying mismatch for offensive linemen, by default, than the perennial Pro Bowler.
Chicago Bears: LB Dick Butkus
An intimidator of the highest order, Butkus prided himself on dominating offensive skill players and scaring the absolute bejeezus out of them. A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, the legendary Butkus is the arguable face of Bears defensive lore overall and, at minimum, is the preeminent entry in a rich linebacking tradition.
Cincinnati Bengals: DT Geno Atkins
Atkins was the centerpiece of Marvin Lewis’ Bengals squads that qualified for the playoffs with little actual success. But that shouldn’t diminish the prolific interior pass rusher’s brilliance. Atkins made eight Pro Bowls and was an easy pick for the 2010s All-Decade Team. With a career total of 75.5 sacks and 172 QB hits in 11 seasons, he is a not-so-sneaky pick for the Hall of Fame down the line.
Cleveland Browns: DE Bill Willis
Willis was the anchor of the Browns’ defense as they won five championships (four AAFC, one NFL). He was a four-time First-Team All-Pro and made various crucial game-sealing plays during his lone NFL title game appearance. His influence as a prominent Black player during the early days of pro football integration can also not be overstated.
Dallas Cowboys: DT Randy White
If sacks were recorded for White’s entire 14-year career in Dallas, he would likely be the team’s all-time leader. A seven-time First-Team All-Pro and co-MVP of Super Bowl 12, White was an interior pass-rushing pioneer. Few defensive tackles have had complete dominion of the middle of the line of scrimmage quite like him.
Denver Broncos: EDGE Von Miller
Don’t get me wrong, I love Champ Bailey. He’s one of the greatest and most consistent corners to ever man a boundary. But Miller is in a class all to his own at Mile High. The MVP of Super Bowl 50, Miller spent the first decade of his career racking up 110.5 sacks, 225 QB hits (!!!), and 25 forced fumbles. He achieved it with a notoriously terrifying first step and an uncanny ability to “bend” the edge. Miller will strut into Canton one day and will likely enter as a Bronco, too.
Detroit Lions: LB Joe Schmidt
Before the Lions became synonymous with the NFL’s basement, there was Schmidt carrying on a rich Honolulu Blue tradition. A 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time First-Team All-Pro, Schmidt is easily Detroit’s most decorated player in terms of individual accolades. The man in the middle was also quite the playmaker in pass coverage, snagging 24 interceptions over the course of his career.
Green Bay Packers: DE Reggie White
A purveyor of the famous “hump” pass-rushing move, White joined Green Bay at the height of their core-building around Brett Favre in the early 90s. And as one of the only true big-ticket free agents the franchise has ever signed, White was worth every penny of a then-lucrative four-year $17 million initial free-agent contract. White recorded 68.5 sacks and missed just four starts in six seasons with the Packers. He also proved he ages like fine wine when he won his second Defensive Player of the Year honor at the age of 37 in 1998.
Houston Texans: DE J.J. Watt
Health issues robbed Watt of what might have been the best extended career for a defender in NFL history. But his peak in the mid-2010s remains something to behold — a genuinely jaw-dropping achievement. From 2012 to 2015, Watt won three of four Defensive Player of the Year awards and racked up 69 sacks to go with 190 QB hits. Folks, just for emphasis: 190 QB hits in four years. A pro football defender has arguably never been more unstoppable.
Indianapolis Colts: DE Dwight Freeney
Freeney was the perfect compliment to a Peyton Manning Colts team that usually let the defense pin its ears back with a big lead. Freeney might have been a little undersized for his position at 6-foot-1, but he made up for it by being a leverage master against offensive tackles. His patented spin around the edge is still one of the more iconic, aesthetically pleasing, and unbeatable moves ever. The seven-time Pro Bowler deserves to go down in Colts history the proper way.
Jacksonville Jaguars: DL Calais Campbell
Far more known for his Cardinals exploits by the time he joined Jacksonville at the age of 31, Campbell wrote a special second act. In just three seasons with the Jaguars, Campbell recorded 31.5 sacks, 77 QB hits, and 44 tackles for loss. For his efforts in imploding pass pockets from within, Campbell was a rightful 2017 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up. He arguably should’ve gotten the nod over a younger Aaron Donald.
Kansas City Chiefs: EDGE Derrick Thomas
A pass rusher of prolific proportions, Thomas was like a fierce lightning bolt off the edge with a booming sound of thunder to match. Thomas began his career with nine straight Pro Bowl selections and an average of almost 12 sacks a season. The late Thomas is also the owner of the NFL’s single-game sack record with seven. Imagine that. Seven sacks in one regulation game. Those are patently absurd Madden numbers.
Las Vegas Raiders: DE Howie Long
Before he became a fixture of FOX’s on-air NFL coverage, Long was a Hall of Fame defensive lineman. He anchored the Raiders’ defense through the bulk of the 1980s, personifying a perfect mix of pass-rush prowess and ideal edge-setting as a run defender. Eight Pro Bowls don’t do Long’s run of greatness proper justice. Plus, he just looked like a classic Raider.
Los Angeles Chargers: LB Junior Seau
Seau was one of the most accomplished and productive linebackers ever. With the Chargers alone, Seau recorded eight seasons of over 100 tackles and he once made 12 consecutive Pro Bowls. He was the position’s gold standard and should probably be appreciated more as one of the best football players to never win a Super Bowl.
Los Angeles Rams: DT Aaron Donald
Most modern football observers will paint Donald as an all-time generational talent. He’s someone who belongs in the conversation for the top defender in history. And for good reason — the defensive tackle may have singlehandedly reinvented interior pass rushing into a worthwhile phenomenon for NFL teams. Donald is one of only three men to ever win Defensive Player of the Year on at least three occasions, and he may well break the record with a fourth trophy in the near future.
Miami Dolphins: DE Jason Taylor
A six-time Pro Bowler, three-time First-Team All-Pro, and the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year, Taylor was a picture of accomplished class in the Dolphins’ teal green and white uniforms. Taylor was not only one of the most productive edge defenders ever, he was also one of the most versatile. The defensive lineman was frequently deployed all over Miami’s front line, and he even recorded eight career interceptions in coverage. It’s no wonder he was a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.
Minnesota Vikings: DT Alan Page
A Minnesota Supreme Court justice in his life after football, Page banged his “gavel” on hapless offensive lines every Sunday during his prime. To this day, the icon has the most sacks ever for a defensive tackle (148.5). He was unquestionably the poster boy of the famed Purple People Eaters and is one of only two defenders to ever win an MVP award.
New England Patriots: LB Andre Tippett
If not for injuries, Tippett might have been regarded as one of the more gifted linebackers the game’s ever seen. Despite missing 38 career starts due to ailments over an 11-year career, Tippett still qualified for five Pro Bowls and four different All-Pro selections. His natural abilities were eventually recognized by a Hall of Fame selection in 2008.
New Orleans Saints: DE Cameron Jordan
This was a close race between Jordan and Hall of Fame linebacker Rickey Jackson, but Jordan gets the nod for longevity at a traditionally more important position. Jordan is the Saints’ all-time leader in QB hits (219) and is second only to Jackson in games played (192) and sacks (115.5). Based on his precedent of availability and production, the 34-year-old will very likely surpass Jackson in both niches during the 2023 season — further cementing himself as an all-timer in New Orleans’ black and gold.
New York Giants: LB Lawrence Taylor
Taylor understood one important assignment that not all defenders are willing to complete: You have to make offensive players fear you. A horrifying force of nature off the defensive edge, Taylor redefined what an outside linebacker is supposed to resemble. He made 10 Pro Bowls, was an eight-time First-Team All-Pro, and can boast three Defensive Player of the Year honors to go with an exceedingly rare MVP as a defender. Many would likely argue Taylor is the best defensive player ever in football annals.
New York Jets: CB Darrelle Revis
Countless men have played cornerback. Countless men have been humbled while playing cornerback on an island — one of the toughest positions to play in the sport. A First-Ballot Hall of Famer, Revis relished being isolated with the other team’s best offensive weapon every week. And when Revis was finished with them, they were the ones who felt isolated while he took ownership of one-half of the field by force. “Revis Island” was an apt nickname for the finest pure cover corner ever to don shoulder pads.
Philadelphia Eagles: S Brian Dawkins
With proper considerations for two-way player Chuck Bednarik and, also, Reggie White, Dawkins gets the nod for, to me, personifying the famous Eagle logo. The tone-setter for Philadelphia during an early 21st-century Renaissance, Dawkins made seven Pro Bowls and was a four-time First-Team All-Pro. His unique brand of punishing receivers over the middle and playing in the box was emblematic of a grimy defensive era. He recorded over 1,000 tackles, is tied for the franchise record for interceptions (37), and had 21 career sacks. Dawkins was the definition of a soaring playmaker.
Pittsburgh Steelers: DT Joe Greene
“Mean” Joe Greene was the central figure of Pittsburgh’s “Steel Curtain” defense in the 1970s. There is nothing he didn’t accomplish as a professional. Pro Bowls. All-Pros. Defensive Rookie of the Year. Defensive Player of the Year (twice). And four Super Bowl wins. Every football-loving kid in America would’ve wanted to catch his jersey in the tunnel.
San Francisco 49ers: DB Ronnie Lott
Lott was the 49ers’ primary defensive constant as they built a Super Bowl dynasty in the 1980s. He played cornerback. He played roaming safety. And he made 10 Pro Bowls while qualifying for eight First-Team All-Pro selections. The story that is perhaps most befitting of Lott’s profile is that he amputated his shattered left pinky finger in 1986 instead of enduring a long recovery process that would’ve kept him off the field. Crazy? Perhaps. But Lott would’ve sacrificed anything for his team and defense.
Seattle Seahawks: S Earl Thomas
Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor made all the headlines, but it was Earl Thomas who acted as the glue for Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense. A willing centerfielder who was no slouch in run support, Thomas steered football’s top secondary for nearly a decade at the height of a new and challenging pass-heavy era. He should be a First-Ballot Hall of Fame selection when eligible in 2025.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Derrick Brooks
In the late 20th century, a new defensive scheme took the NFL by storm — the Tampa 2. It was defined by a two-safety shell that limited big-play opportunities for quarterbacks downfield. In order to be successful, the Tampa 2 scheme needed athletic linebackers who could flat-out run and backpedal well in coverage … in addition to all of their run-game responsibilities. In many ways, Brooks became the ideal steward for this defensive style. Memories of his dominance hold firm as it makes an earnest comeback in the 2020s.
Tennessee Titans: DE Elvin Bethea
OK. I’m cheating a bit as I dig into the Oilers’ history when the Titans were located in Houston, but can you blame me? Bethea deserves his flowers. The Hall of Famer recorded over 100 sacks and qualified for eight Pro Bowls. He was the powerful anchor of a defense that helped take the franchise to back-to-back AFC title games in the late 1970s.
Washington Commanders: CB Darrell Green
Green not only played like a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback for over two decades with Washington, he rarely missed a game. His 258 career starts are the third most-ever for an NFL defender. Beyond being an accomplished Hall of Fame cornerback, he was also a terrific athlete. For example, in 2010, Green ran a 40-yard dash of 4.43 seconds…at the age of 50. Players like Green are usually made in labs, especially in a sport as brutal as football.
