[3] For a four-year span with Seattle, Young was arguably the best Seahawks linebacker of all-time. Seau was the definition of consistency. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. Doc's TML: Lock out the MLB owners, players. No TV, radio, fans Mills was more of a complete player than Swilling, although the two are too close to separate one from the other. NFL WAGS: 10 Hottest NFL Wives & Girlfriends 2023. Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. Their greats span the decades of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back to back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Taylor changed the way football is played today. All while being tasked with avoiding blocks and keeping tabs on the opposing quarterback. 1970 Robert E. Lee Generals (13-0) Jim Chafin's team allowed just seven points a game and held 10 of its 13 opponents to 10 points or less. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasnt been the same. No. Born April 20 . I’m only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Chuck Drazenovich. He was just a great all-around player who could do it all. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all-time. 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. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. Jack Ham, Linebacker. Lawrence Taylor. Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . Well have to see how he does, but he could either climb up or fall off this list based on his performance in 2010. He led the Eagles in tackles in his time with the team. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Mike Singletary had the whole package. Andy Russell 7x Pro Bowl, 4x All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl Champion Linebacker '63, 1966-1976 Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images. No. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. [3] Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. Bulluck was one of the best pass coverage linebackers in NFL history. Franchise Encyclopedia. 17, Brian Urlacher* (Bears) (2000-Present) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Four-time 1st Team All-Pro. Swilling was the best pass rusher of the Dome Patrol, but he also forced 36 fumbles to go along with all the sacks. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. It may be a bit early to put Jon Beason on this list, but I think his play warrants the selection. 32, John Offerdahl (Dolphins) (1986-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position . Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. He led the team in tackles five of the 11 season he played for them. 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. PFF Rankings: The NFL's top 25 linebackers ahead of the 2020 NFL season For most other franchises, a resume like this would make Jack Ham the greatest linebacker in thier history by a wide margin. Julian Peterson has had a very well-rounded NFL career to this point, and its still going on. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. Detroit Lions History: Top 5 Linebackers - SideLion Report In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record of 41 forced fumbles. 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. 14, Hardy Nickerson (Steelers/Bucs/Jaguars/Packers) (1987-2002) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Featuring some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Bills LBs include Sam Rogers, Keith Ellison, Shane Conlan, and John Holecek. He was very athletic, a great tackler, and he could cover. Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. He was Terrell Suggs before Suggs got to Baltimore. Johnson was most known for his days with the Saints. He wasnt great at just one aspect he was equally great at everything he did. He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his career. 30, Matt Blair (Vikings) (1974-1985) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. The NFL's Top 50 Linebackers of the Modern Era - Bleacher Report Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. Earl Campbell called Williams the toughest linebacker he ever played against. He made five straight Pro Bowls, but the reason he doesnt rank higher on this list is because he was never a feared player like his teammate Michael Strahan was, and his stats just arent good enough. He ran a 4.6 40 yard dash, which is outstanding for a linebacker, especially at that time period. 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. But Mills did much more than that. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1960s 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. Brown was a very versatile linebacker. The Chicago Bears have the most all-time great linebackers. Zach Thomas. 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. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. Super Bowl XX champion. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. Gildon was most known for his pass rushing ability, picking up 54 sacks in a 5 year span. Ham had outstanding . Over the course of his career he racked up over 1,000 tackles, 52.5 sacks, and 14 INTs, all of which are very good numbers. The NFL started in 1920 and commemorated its 100th season in 2019 with a season-long celebration of "NFL 100." The game has come a long way in 100 years. In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. He has done it all for the Bears with his pass coverage, run support, and blitzing. 6 - Carl McAdams. Rickey Jackson could do it all. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. Countdown 119: Top 10 Linebackers in NFL History - Sports H2H 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. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. 20 greatest linebackers in NFL history - Franchise Sports Jackson was most notable for being a pass rusher, but he really did it all. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. No. 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. Sam Huff. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. Interview with Former Steeler Great levon kirkland. His swinging the axe celebration sums up his style of play and tenacity on the field. 1970, slow dancing in Mark Wooldridge's basement with my first girlfriend, Karen Frey, who wore white high-top . The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. Trotter was a complete, all-around linebacker. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. 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. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. Paul Krause | S. The NFL's all-time leader in interceptions spent 12 of his 16 years in Minnesota. No. In that game, the Steelers defense held the Cowboys to just 15 first downs and Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys powerful running attack to just 56 yards, despite losing 27-17 in large part due to two key interceptions thrown by Steelers quarterback Neil ODonnell. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. 10. 40, Bryce Paup (Packers/Bills/Jaguars/Vikings) (1990-2000) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. 10 Best Linebackers in Steelers History (+Honorable Mentions) This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all-time. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. A truly great linebacker must be able to read the offense, set the defensive scheme, play the run with cat-like instincts and defend the pass with the utmost precision. When you ask who is the greatest MLB of all-time is, many people jump straight to Dick Butkus. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. Here's a list of the Packers' top 10 all-time defensive players since 1950, when unlimited substitution was restored to the NFL, paving the way for two-platoon football. Mo Lewis was another very consistent and solid player. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. Cornerback Mel Blount was added in the . Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter has returned to the NFL . He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. He was one of a kind and will always be remembered as one of the best linebackers of all time. Seau was the definition of consistency. Playing 20 seasons in the NFL is amazing at any position. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. 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. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. If Bulluck played on a better team, I believe his stats would be much better and his accomplishments would be a lot more. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. Over his career, Brooking has racked up 962 tackles and 12 INTs. Among linebackers, that would include two-way stars George Svendsen (1935-41), Bud Svendsen (1937, 1939) and Charley Brock (1939-47), along with Bill Forester (1953-63), Tom Bettis (1955-61) and Roger Zatkoff (1953-56). Lloyd will always be remembered as the lightning quick pass rusher from the Blitzburgh days. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. Simpson in 1973 or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP performances. Brazile was drafted out of Jackson State and revolutionized linebacker play in the NFL. 15, Zach Thomas (Dolphins/Cowboys) (1996-2008) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. When you see a list of greatest linebackers, Isiah Robertson very rarely even gets brought into the discussion. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. 45, Shawne Merriman* (Chargers) (2005-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 1970 Dallas Cowboys Roster & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com Some of you will say hes too low. No. A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. 25. He could play zone and man. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. No. 35, Lance Briggs* (Bears) (2003-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. No. In this Article . 12 sacks and three picks. He was always good enough for Pro Bowls, but was never an All-Pro Player. Mike Singletary was the leader of the most dominating defense the NFL has ever seenthe 1985 Bears. Jack Lambert played middle linebacker.