5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Branching off from our five best QB, RB, WR thread, let's address the D. Who are your 5 best you've seen at defensive line, linebacker, and defensive back, NON-Skins?

Mine in no particular order:

Defensive line:
Reggie White
Bruce Smith
John Randle
Howie Long
Warren Sapp

Linebacker:
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Lewis
Derrick Thomas
Mike Singletary
Junior Seau

Defensive backs:
Ronnie Lott
Deion Sanders
Rod Woodson
Champ Bailey
Ed Reed

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Choosing to forget Smith's, Deion's and Champ's time with the skins?

[B]DL[/B]

Reggie White
Richard Dent
John Randle
Dwight Freeney
Charles Haley

[B]LB[/B]

Same as Matty

[B]DB[/B]

Hanford Dixon
Rod Woodson
Everson Walls
Ronnie Lott
Nnamdi

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Here are mine...

Defensive line:
Reggie White
Bruce Smith
Warren Sapp
Charles Haley
Dwight Freeney

Linebacker:
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Lewis
Derrick Thomas
Mike Singletary
Junior Seau

Defensive backs:
Ronnie Lott
Deion Sanders
Rod Woodson
Ed Reed
Troy Polamalu
_________

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[B]DB[/B]

Mike Haynes (prob the best ever)
Ronnie Lott
Ed Reed
Everson Walls
Lester Hayes

[B]LB[/B]

Lawrence Taylor
Mike Singletary
Andre Tippet
Ray Lewis
Derrick Thomas

[B]DL[/B]

Reggie White
Bruce Smith
Richard Dent
Fred Dean
Dallas' Doomsday (Randy White, Too Tall Jones, Harvey Martin, xxxx)

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

ah hello Darrell Green people...

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=mredskins;730155]ah hello Darrell Green people...[/quote]

Not sure who I'd replace on my list to include Green. These guys were dominant. But if I had to, maybe Sean Taylor.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=SmootSmack;730148]Choosing to forget Smith's, Deion's and Champ's time with the skins?[/quote]

Yeah I debated about Champ, but he's played in Denver longer. Deion and Smith had their glory years elsewhere.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Dang, so non-Skins. Didn't read that part. I'll edit mine and remove Taylor.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[B]DL [/B]
Warren Sapp
Dwight Freeny
Michael Strahan
Richard Seymoure
Simeon Rice


[B]LB[/B]
Ray Lewis
London Fletcher
Brian Urlacher
Lawrence Taylor
DeMarcus Ware

[B]DB[/B]
Ed Reed
Troy Polamalu
Darrell Green
Darren Sharper
Sean Taylor

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=Mattyk;730163]Yeah I debated about Champ, but he's played in Denver longer. Deion and Smith had their glory years elsewhere.[/quote]

True, though Smith put up better numbers and was here longer than most remember.

Guess I misunderstood your rule, thought it was that they could never had played for the skins

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=SmootSmack;730169]True, though Smith put up better numbers and was here longer than most remember.

Guess I misunderstood your rule, thought it was that they could never had played for the skins[/quote]

Guess there's no point in the rule, most don't play along any way :Smoker:

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

D-Line
Carl Eller
Deacon Jones
Bob Lilly
Doug Atkins
Rosevelt Grier

LB's
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Nitchie
Dick Butkus
Derrick Thomas
Mike Singletary

DB's
Willie Wood
Johnny Sample
Ronnie Lott
Richard "Night Trane" Lane
Herb Adderley

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Was kind of hoping you'd have Jim Thorpe on there, Longtimefan

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

D Line: Mean Joe Green, Dwight White. LC Greenwood, Ernie Fats Holmes (the steel curtin) + Bruce Smith + Randy White + Too Tall Jones.

LB: Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, LT, Ray Lewis

DB: Deion Sanders, Mel Blount, Ronnie Lott, Donnie Shell, Lester Hayes

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=Mattyk;730146]Branching off from our five best QB, RB, WR thread, let's address the D. Who are your 5 best you've seen at defensive line, linebacker, and defensive back, NON-Skins?

Mine in no particular order:

Defensive line:
Reggie White
Bruce Smith
John Randle
[B]Howie Long[/B]
Warren Sapp

Linebacker:
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Lewis
Derrick Thomas
Mike Singletary
Junior Seau

Defensive backs:
Ronnie Lott
Deion Sanders
Rod Woodson
Champ Bailey
Ed Reed[/quote]

I've always thought Howie Long was overrated -- some made the case that his entry into the HOF was largely due to his popularity as a broadcaster/TV personality.

I'd replace him with Clyde Simmons -- 121 career sacks to Long's 84. I just remember the Simmons/White duo wreaking havoc when they were with the Eagles.