Crawford I believe was 7th in sacks for a DT. D-Law was averaging a sack a game for around the second half of last year (I am sure less than 10 LDEs did that). Thorton is harder but I believe PFF said he was top 5 in run defense (the primary job of a 1-tech) last year. That enough for you
Uh your stats are all over the place. So you are going to place Tyrone Crawford over Marcel Dareus because he had more sacks than he did in
one season? Or does that make Domata Peko a top 10 DT as well since he ALSO had 5 sacks in 2015? Which one of these guys have been bumped out of top 10 by Crawford, because I am sure Domata Peko wants in too:
1. Ndamukong Suh
2. Gerald McCoy
3. Kawann Short
4. Geno Atkins
5. Marcel Dareus
6. Aaron Donald
7. Shariff Floyd
8. Haloti Ngata
9. Chris Baker
10.Tom Johnson (who???? Here by default because he had a whopping 5.5 sacks in 2015 - Ty and Domata are speechless)
And that list does not even include 3-4 DEs who play a ton of 3 technique when team goes to a 4 man front: JJ Watt, Muhammad Wilkerson, Fletcher Cox, Calais Campbell, Corey Liuget, Sheldon Richardson, Leonard Williams, Desmond Bryant (??!!??), etc.
As for DLaw being top 10 DE, Jerry Hughes had 2 seasons of double digit sacks playing alongside Marcel Dareus and opposite Mario Williams, did that make him a top 10 DE? Rob Ninkovich had THREE straight 8 sack seasons, top 10 for sure right? Jabaal Sheard also had 8 sacks in 2015, is he top 10 too?
Not to doubt you about PFF but where's the link? And Thornton only had 33 tackles in 2015, even Crawford had more than he did. But still do not see him as top 10 one technique either. Not when he was not even the best NT on his former team (Bennie Logan). Again, which of the best NTs does he displace? Forget the traditional top NTs, Thornton is not better than Damon Harrison, Ian Williams or Brandon Williams (WHO???). Would not even place him above newbies Roy Miller or Malcolm Brown who both had more tackles AND sacks.