Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. The Greatest Penn State Linebackers of All Time Joey Porter. You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. *Ty Anderson, Thomasville: Anderson (6-0, 210) has been an all-state player since he was a sophomore Region 1-2A defensive co . 25 Greatest Linebackers in NFL History - AthlonSports.com Lambert won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. No. 45, Shawne Merriman* (Chargers) (2005-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. Anything you asked him to do, he would do. Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. The nine-time Pro Bowl player, two-time All-Pro, and Hall of Fame is one of the all-time sacks leaders with 126.5, and he also forced 41 fumbles during his 11-year career. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Wright, Seattle Seahawks. All Rights Reserved. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. Lambert and Ham also won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. The transition from college football to the NFL . McAdams was a two-time All-American . 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 . No. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. Bulluck was one of the best pass coverage linebackers in NFL history. He became a starter at inside linebacker for the Steelers in his second season, 1993, replacing Pro Bowler David Little. Cornerback Mel Blount was added in the . Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. Overlooked because he played alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Tippett was a big reason to why so many teams value pass rushing OLBs in todays game. Featuring some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Bills LBs include Sam Rogers, Keith Ellison, Shane Conlan, and John Holecek. K.J. 21, Patrick Willis* (49ers) (2006-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. 12. He has already had three 100 tackle seasons in his first three years, and also has already forced 10 turnovers (four INTs, six forced fumbles). Porter is mostly known as a sack master. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. 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. Eddie Johnson. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. To stoke the nostalgia, we talked to some of the key players from the team's winningest, most . No. He was selected late in the 12th Round, and nobody expected much out of him. Ranking Explanation . Jack Lambert was the teammate of Jack Ham who took the inside linebacker duties. 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. He was 73. I think hell climb up this list further in the near future. Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. SRS: 6.97 (5th of 26), SOS: 1.40. Mike Singletary was the leader of the most dominating defense the NFL has ever seenthe 1985 Bears. . 19, Harry Carson (Giants) (1976-1988) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. 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. 17, Brian Urlacher* (Bears) (2000-Present) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Four-time 1st Team All-Pro. Well have to see how he does, but he could either climb up or fall off this list based on his performance in 2010. Baltimore Ravens ground game rules in NFL Week 11 and more Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. He is most known for the neck plate he wore behind his head, but dont let that distract you from his great play on the field. (Pro Football Weekly 1975 Defensive Player of the Year, 1970s All-Decade Team, 1994 75th anniversary team), and also the team success (4 Super Bowls). 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? No. 2022 - SportsUnfold. No. NY Jets: Top 10 linebackers of all-time - The Jet Press 2) Jeff Siemon: A key player as the middle linebacker on the team's top defenses in the mid-1970's, Siemon played in 156 games, starting 123, and was selected to four Pro Bowls during his eleven year career with the Vikings. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. Holdovers from the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team were Bob Lilly, Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen, Larry Wilson, and Jim Bakken, which made them the first players to make multiple All-Decade teams in NFL history. His best days were with the Bears and Redskins, but he had an impact everywhere he went. Ham had outstanding speed. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his career. 1, Lawrence Taylor (Giants) (1981-1993) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Eight-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. No. Keith Bulluck WAS the Titans defense, and has been every year hes been there. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. 5. The two-time All-American helped the Cornhuskers win back-to-back national titles in 1970 and '71 . Joey Porter may be the most vocal linebacker on this list. Penn State football all-time defense | Who are the greatest defensive AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:30 a.m. EST No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. 50, Bryan Cox (Dolphins/Bears/Jets/Patriots/Saints) (1991-2003). But it was his style of play that made his career so short. Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. Patrick Willis has made the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team every single year hes been in the NFL. Over his nine-year career, he had 2,049 tackles, although this number is solo and assisted because he played before solo tackles were an official stat. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. The player that gives Butkus the most competition in that category would be Mike Singletary. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. Briggs does a lot of pass coverage with the Bears, and has had 53 passes deflected already in his career. The NFL's Top 50 Linebackers of the Modern Era - Bleacher Report For most other franchises, a resume like this would make Jack Ham the greatest linebacker in thier history by a wide margin. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. Born April 20 . He played for a bad team with not much of a surrounding cast, but still excelled. Johnson was most known for his days with the Saints. . Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. He should be in the Hall of Fame. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. 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. No. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record of 41 forced fumbles. 5.) No. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12 year career, which is outstanding. No. 48, Terrell Suggs* (Ravens) (2003-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Mike Kolen 1970-77. As part of the Steelers Blitzburgh defense in the 90s, Greg Lloyd was a speedy, undersized pass rusher.Sometimes, he would use his size to his advantage to disguise where he was coming from. He was a hard worker, good tackler, and had great hands. 1970 Minnesota Vikings Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: No. 5-1 - Saturday Down South