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Top 5 NFL Defensive Linemen Ever + Fan Rankings
Create your own all-time rankings of the top 5 greatest Defensive Linemen in NFL history from Aaron Donald to Mean Joe Greene to Bob Lilly
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As Pittsburgh Steelers fans celebrate Mean Joe Greene on his 76th birthday, it’s a great time to look at the top 5 greatest NFL Defensive Linemen ever with him near the top of the list.
Despite the lack of praise and attention that may come their way, Defensive Linemen can be the backbone of a defense due to their ability to control offenses by shutting down the run game and creating pressure on the opposing Quarterback. The tone that is set by the big guys up front can often have a cascading effect on the rest of the game.
Playing Defensive Line often isn’t the most glamorous position in the NFL, both because of their big stature and lack of flashy plays, but these players take on the important role of battling offensive linemen for supremacy on the line of scrimmage. Great Defensive Linemen must bring a hard-nosed mentality to the game with their toughness, passion, and love for physicality.
Over the years, many star Defensive Linemen have surfaced, anchoring legendary defenses that led their teams to Super Bowl championships. Only a few have been blessed to be able to emerge to superstardom by posting huge sacks and tackles for loss totals as they helped their defensive unit disrupt the offensive backfield.
This list includes players from several eras of football, as Defensive Linemen’s importance has stood the test of time. Each guy put his own personality into the position, whether it be through dominant run-stopping abilities, pressuring the Quarterback, intelligence, or a combination of several playstyles, but all of them were able to forge their path to Canton as they broke many NFL records.
Honorable mention includes: Randy White, Warren Sapp, John Randle.
Here are the top 5 greatest NFL Defensive Linemen of all time. Create your own rankings below!
– 8x Pro Bowl | 7x All-Pro 1st Team | 3x NFL DPOY
– 2014 NFL DROY | 2x NFL TFL leader | 2010s All-Decade
– Most consecutive 1st Team All-Pros (7) in Super Bowl era
From the second Aaron Donald stepped onto the field in 2014, he dominated offenses to a degree rarely seen, racking up countless awards as the most unstoppable defensive player of his era.
Aaron Donald's HOF resume:
– 8x Pro Bowl
– 7x All-Pro 1st Team
– 3x NFL DPOY
– Super Bowl 56 Champ
– 2014 NFL DROY
– 2x NFL TFL leader
– 2018 NFL SK (20.5) leader
– 2010s NFL All-Decade
– Most consecutive 1st Team All-Pros (7) in Super Bowl era
pic.twitter.com/cH776v007j— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) June 8, 2022
– 10x Pro Bowl | 5x All-Pro 1st Team, 3x 2nd Team
– 4x Super Bowl Champ | 2x NFL DPOY | 1969 NFL DROY
– 1970s NFL All-Decade | 75th & 100th Anniversary Teams
True to his nickname, “Mean” Joe Greene played the game of football with such a frightening ferocity that struck fear into every offensive unit he and his Steelers defense shut down on their way to four Super Bowl titles.
Joe Greene's HOF resume:
– 10x Pro Bowl
– 5x All-Pro 1st Team, 3x 2nd Team
– 4x Super Bowl Champion
– 2x NFL DPOY (1st to win 2)
– 1969 NFL DROY
– NFL 75th & 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams
– 1970s NFL All-Decade
– #75 retired by #Steelerspic.twitter.com/7pspxA1RTe— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) September 17, 2022
– 11x Pro Bowl | 7x All-Pro 1st Team, 1972 All-Pro 2nd Team
– 1960s & 1970s NFL All-Decade Team | HOF class of 1980
– 1972 Super Bowl Champ | Started 196 consecutive games
An 11-time Pro Bowler, Bob Lilly anchored the early editions of the defense for “America’s Team”. Lilly racked up sacks and snuffed out Running Backs as he helped Dallas appear in many Playoff games and capture a Super Bowl ring.
– 9x Pro Bowl | 6x All-Pro 1st Team, 3x 2nd Team
– 2x NFL DPOY | 1971 NFL MVP | 1969 NFL Champ
– 1970s All-Decade | NFL 100 Team | #88 retired by Vikings
One of the members of the legendary “Purple People Eaters” defensive line for the Minnesota Vikings in the 1960s and 1970s, Alan Page‘s decade-long run of dominance from the Defensive Tackle position remains almost unparalleled.
A member of the Purple People Eaters and the first defensive player to win NFL MVP.
Will Alan Page make the #NFL100 All-Time Team?
📺: #NFL100 ALL-TIME TEAM | FRIDAY 8pm ET on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/GX6pQXMP7s
— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2019
– 14x Pro Bowl | 5x All-Pro 1st Team, 3x 2nd Team
– HOF class of 1982 | 1960s & 1970s NFL All-Decade Teams
– #74 retired by Rams | Started 198 consecutive games
Merlin Olsen was the NFL’s original dominant Defensive Lineman, racking up countless All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections throughout a spectacular 15-year career. This Rams legend laid the foundation for another all-time great DL on this list, Aaron Donald.
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