Sporting News: Defensive Tackles

[darklight1216]

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May 21, 2009



Scheme dictates so much of the success of NFL defensive tackles. Some are dominant players who can excel in any system. Others are versatile athletes who can fill different roles in different situations. But the ability to shut down the run game on some level is key to the performance of any interior lineman.

RealScouts, Sporting News' team of former NFL scouts, rank their top 20 defensive tackles for 2009:

1. Albert Haynesworth, Redskins. The biggest prize of the free-agent season, Haynesworth will be a dominant run defender on a defense that already did a very good job against the run. What will help his new team is his quickness and pass-rush ability from the interior.

2. Kevin Williams, Vikings. Williams uses quickness and a good initial burst off the ball to create penetration and disrupt plays in the backfield. Already a Pro Bowler, he thrived last season with the addition of RE Jared Allen to the Vikings' defensive front.

3. Vince Wilfork, Patriots. Wilfork is a big, physical nose tackle who excels at holding his ground against multiple blockers. He also has the first-step quickness to collapse the pocket from the interior. That versatility makes him the key to New England's defense.

[color="purple"][b]4. Haloti Ngata, Ravens. He's officially listed as an end, and he has the athleticism to play that spot in the Ravens' 3-4 alignment. But he is a wide-bodied run-stuffer who is tough to budge and has the raw power to push blockers into the pocket.[/color][/b]

5. Chris Canty, Giants. Canty was an end in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme, but he will play inside and out in the Giants' four-man fronts. He is equal parts run-stuffer and pass rusher and will be moved around the line depending on the situation. His versatility will give him many opportunities to shine.

[color="brown"]6. Shaun Rogers, Browns. Rogers had a big comeback season in 2008 (76 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks), though he didn't get much help from the rest of the Browns' defense. If his issues with Eric Mangini are smoothed over -- it looks like they have been for now -- and Rogers' head is right, he can be a dominating force inside.[/color]

[color="black"]7. Casey Hampton, Steelers. Hampton is a hard-nosed player who doesn't put up a big stat line in the Steelers' 3-4, but he is physical and strong and a dominating presence in the middle. The linebackers owe him for their success.[/color]

8. Marcus Stroud, Bills. Stroud is coming off a solid season, his best since 2004. As expected, he was a force inside for the Bills and immediately upgraded their run defense. Though he's not the quick penetrating pass rusher he once was, he's still able to get a push and collapse the pocket.

9. Luis Castillo, Chargers. Like Ngata, he is listed as an end but really has the responsibilities of a tackle. Stopping the run is Castillo's first job. He has the size and strength to crash the interior gaps and enough quickness to get to the quarterback on occasion.

10. Tommie Harris, Bears. Chicago's troubles on defense in 2008 started with ineffective line play, and Harris was part of that decline. Look for new line coach Rod Marinelli, who once worked with Warren Sapp, to get Harris back on track. Harris isn't Sapp, but when he is on�and Marinelli will make sure he is�he can be something close.

11. Darnell Dockett, Cardinals. Dockett is a smaller, athletic lineman who uses his quickness and agility to create havoc inside. He's the most disruptive force on the Cardinals' line and has matured into a top-flight player.

12. Jamal Williams, Chargers. At 350 pounds, Williams is an immovable object in the middle of the Chargers' 3-4. Though age and injuries have begun to take their toll, he still has great lower-body strength and is a hard-working run-stuffer who makes the San Diego defense go.

13. John Henderson, Jaguars. He was not the same player last year without Stroud lined up next to him. Henderson is a powerful bull rusher, but at this point in his career, he needs an inside sidekick to alleviate some of the protection attention on him.

14. Pat Williams, Vikings. Williams is an elite run-stuffer who has surprising quickness and power for a man his age (36) and size. As long as he stays healthy and has Kevin Williams and Allen lined up with him, he will continue to be an effective force.

15. Jay Ratliff, Cowboys. Ratliff had a breakout year in 2008, earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time. He was a disruptive pass rusher inside, and despite being relatively light (300 pounds), he has enough strength and lateral mobility to be an effective run-stopper. He's a player on the rise.

16. Amobi Okoye, Texans. Okoye took a slight step back in 2008 after a strong rookie campaign, but he is quick and athletic, and more important, extremely bright. With some added weight and strength, he can be a disruptive interior defender.

17. Rocky Bernard, Giants. Bernard had a career-high 55 tackles for Seattle in 2008, but he has lost the quickness that made him an effective interior pass rusher earlier in his career. However, look for him to thrive in the Giants' impressive rotation. He'll be fresher playing fewer snaps and should benefit from receiving less attention from protection schemes.

18. Brodrick Bunkley, Eagles. Bunkley is extremely quick off the ball and moves well laterally. Equally disruptive against the run and the pass, he is an improving player who excels in the Eagles' system.

19. Jovan Haye, Titans. Haye is a true one-gap player. He's undersized but uses his athleticism to get free on stunts and twists. He is coming off a down season in Tampa Bay, but look for a nice comeback in the Titans' active front under line coach Jim Washburn.

20. Brandon Mebane, Seahawks. Mebane is a very good pass rusher for a tackle. This year, he's moving to a 3 technique role in Seattle's attacking scheme, which means he'll be shooting gaps and getting after the quarterback. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Mebane approach double-digit sack numbers

[ROH522155]

interesting

[Alexir]

I dunno, I read the other positions and laughed. They had Beanie Wells in the top 20 and he hasn't taken a snap yet.

[#1 D]

Nice find...its just too bad that he wont get the recognition (pro-bowls) simply because of his named position...i swear tho if he and gregg switched spots (i dunno if that would work out tho but still) then haloti would be a perennial pro-bowler.

[theFRANCHISE]

The article says that Ngata is "officially listed as an end" -- since when? I know he's a DE in Madden, but NFL.com and BR.com both have him listed at his proper position as nose tackle. I know CBS Sports' telecasts have occasionally put him at DE, but I don't understand where this "official" designation of his position comes from.

[H8R]

It was OK until I saw Casey Hampton as number 7.

[darklight1216]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='195265' date='May 26 2009, 08:29 PM']The article says that Ngata is "officially listed as an end" -- since when? I know he's a DE in Madden, but NFL.com and BR.com both have him listed at his proper position as nose tackle. I know CBS Sports' telecasts have occasionally put him at DE, but I don't understand where this "official" designation of his position comes from.[/quote]
I don't know, maybe SportingNews has decided that [i]they're[/i] officially listing him as an end.

[pick-ups]

Once I saw Canty at 5,then it lost all credibility.

[RavensIQ]

No Kris Jenkins??

This list is a sham

Wilfork is not better than Haloti...and Kevin Williams is a beast but give me a break, he's not better than Haloti either.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='RavensIQ' post='195295' date='May 26 2009, 09:57 PM']Kevin Williams is a beast but give me a break, he's not better than Haloti either.[/quote]Kevin Williams is great because of Pat Williams, and vice versa. That's not a knock on either guy, but (other than their sheer size) their chemistry is what's allowed them to maximize their individual run-stopping abilities. They work well together, but that doesn't mean that Kevin is individually better than Haloti Ngata nor is miles ahead of Pat.

[CP`C-Pain`CP]

Thats two # 4's for us.

[Alexir]

[quote name='CP`C-Pain`CP' post='195300' date='May 26 2009, 10:07 PM']Thats two # 4's for us.[/quote]

I think suggs is 4 or 5 for OLB behind Ware, Harrison, Merriman and maybe another.

[SupaBwandin]

i dont see kelly gregg on this list.

[MKdave]

That list is a joke.
To start with, Ngata is the best defensive tackle in the league.
Chris Canty is not number 5 material.
Darnell Docket isn't even a tackle, he's an end.
Okoye isn't that good, yet. He's still so young, though. I think he will be.
The Williams' should be excluded, for obvious reasons (namely that they juice).
Hampton isn't what he used to be. People assume he's still doing a good job because the OLBs are racking up the sacks, but in actuality their OLBs are just really good.
Jovan Haye isn't particularly impressive. Haven't even heard of the last guy on the list.

All in all, though, great list.

[Ravensfan23]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='195265' date='May 26 2009, 08:29 PM']The article says that Ngata is "officially listed as an end" -- since when? I know he's a DE in Madden, but NFL.com and BR.com both have him listed at his proper position as nose tackle. I know CBS Sports' telecasts have occasionally put him at DE, but I don't understand where this "official" designation of his position comes from.[/quote]

Well i know last season the Pro Bowl voting had Haloti listed as a DE early on, i beleive they changed it.

As far as offical, well offically u don't have a DE in a 3-4 defense. you have 2 DT and 1 NT. But most, people just look at a defense line as having 2 DE and DTs. So when u see Ngata and Pryce lined up on the end of the line people automaticly listed them as Ends. but they are really LDT and RDT.

[RavenRage92]

[quote name='SupaBwandin' post='195322' date='May 26 2009, 11:54 PM']i dont see kelly gregg on this list.[/quote]
I think we need to see how Kelly does this season after being out for a whole season due to injury before we can add him to that list.

[Slappy]

[quote name='Alexir' post='195261' date='May 26 2009, 08:22 PM']I dunno, I read the other positions and laughed. They had Beanie Wells in the top 20 and he hasn't taken a snap yet.[/quote]

Wow, and he's not that "great" a player like a Peterson or Tomlinson ( the old LT, not the injured one).

[rastaman831226]

[quote name='Ravensfan23' post='195639' date='May 28 2009, 12:26 PM']Well i know last season the Pro Bowl voting had Haloti listed as a DE early on, i beleive they changed it.

As far as offical, well offically u don't have a DE in a 3-4 defense. you have 2 DT and 1 NT. But most, people just look at a defense line as having 2 DE and DTs. So when u see Ngata and Pryce lined up on the end of the line people automaticly listed them as Ends. but they are really LDT and RDT.[/quote]


Absolutely, Ngata played NT last season in the absence of Kelly Gregg, this coming season Ngata moves back to RDT with Kelly moving back into the middle.

[CustomUserName]

[quote name='SupaBwandin' post='195322' date='May 26 2009, 11:54 PM']i dont see kelly gregg on this list.[/quote]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I mean, Gregg is only an impossible man to move, the NT of our 3-4, and leads DT in tackles, but I guess he's boned.

[quote name='MKdave' post='195636' date='May 28 2009, 12:10 PM'][b]That list is a joke.[/b][/quote]

[quote name='MKdave' post='195636' date='May 28 2009, 12:10 PM'][b]All in all, though, great list.[/b][/quote]

[lowrider]

All i remember is being hated for saying Haynesworth was the number one DT and Gregg wasnt in the top 5 DT. I disagree with this list saying Gregg isnt in the top 20 though. But part of the reason why Gregg isnt in the top 20 is his injury. I think he will come back and have a good couple years.

[MKdave]

[quote name='CustomUserName' post='195666' date='May 28 2009, 07:12 PM'][/quote]
Sarcasm.

[Reed The D]

No Jenkins?!?!
wow what a joke hes a top 10 DT
...if not top 5

[Yatagarasu]

Too bad, both Williams of the Vikings will face suspension for the StarCap drug test.

Time for Ngata to shine.

[ChiseBack(CB)]

Don't worry, all SportingNews lists are a running joke. No one seems to take them seriously and they are just attention grabbing lists.

[Strangebru]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='195265' date='May 26 2009, 08:29 PM']The article says that Ngata is "officially listed as an end" -- since when? I know he's a DE in Madden, but NFL.com and BR.com both have him listed at his proper position as nose tackle. I know CBS Sports' telecasts have occasionally put him at DE, but I don't understand where this "official" designation of his position comes from.[/quote]
Maybe they meant Haloti Ngata is the end all beat all NT?

[Ed_Reed20]

I don't care what anyone says. To me, Ngata is the best DT in the league. I only remember him having two bad games last year and his versatility and athleticism are incredible.

[darklight1216]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' post='195819' date='May 29 2009, 12:33 PM']I don't care what anyone says. To me, Ngata is the best DT in the league. I only remember him having two bad games last year and his versatility and athleticism are incredible.[/quote]
Ehh, there's Haynesworth...

[Alexir]

[quote name='darklight1216' post='195838' date='May 29 2009, 01:34 PM']Ehh, there's Haynesworth...[/quote]

True, I would like to see Haynesworth run a 3-4 Defense though. Shoot, I want to see our defense run a 4-3 more....

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='lowrider' post='195671' date='May 28 2009, 02:34 PM']All i remember is being hated for saying Haynesworth was the number one DT and Gregg wasnt in the top 5 DT. I disagree with this list saying Gregg isnt in the top 20 though. But part of the reason why Gregg isnt in the top 20 is his injury. I think he will come back and have a good couple years.[/quote]

as people have stated their opinions, just because this list says it doesn't make it true, i would much rather have gregg as my NT than haynesworth

[lowrider]

[quote name='Reddawn36' post='195843' date='May 29 2009, 01:44 PM']as people have stated their opinions, just because this list says it doesn't make it true, i would much rather have gregg as my NT than haynesworth[/quote]
DT arent supposed to get sacks. I get that. They are supposed to suck up blockers. But when you have a DT that can suck up blockers and beat them to the QB too; thats why Haynesworth is so amazing. I value sacks more than tackles so thats why i think Haynesworth is better.