Debate: Who are the top 3 defensive players of all time

fivetwos

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Sanders was SUCH a difference maker in what offenses could and couldn't do.

LT was as well but you just had to worry about blocking him.

Sanders cut off half the field and DARED a QB to throw near him.

Taylor never dared a QB to drop back to pass, nor did Reggie, for all their greatness.
 

Hawkeye0202

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200 sacks in a career I think deserve it's dues. No one has produced more than Bruce Smith. How he fared vs Dallas in the 90's was poor but as I said so Reggie White.

Correct me if I'm wrong but what is even more impressive is he was a DE in 3-4 scheme.
 

Tussinman

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Heres a stat for you:

Aaron Donald has yet to play his age 31 season.

He already has 7
Another crazy stat.

There's 5 interior lineman (including Donald) that have 7 first team all-pros which is the current record (7) for interior lineman

3 of the 5 are fellow cowboys (Randy White, Larry Allen, Bob Lilly).
 

kskboys

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Sanders was SUCH a difference maker in what offenses could and couldn't do.

LT was as well but you just had to worry about blocking him.

Sanders cut off half the field and DARED a QB to throw near him.

Taylor never dared a QB to drop back to pass, nor did Reggie, for all their greatness.
They dared the QB to pass on every down.
 

StarOfGlory

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L.T.
Reggie White
Deacon Jones

Deion Sanders is too one-dimensional to be #3. Top 10, but not #3.

Fun fact: it was a George Young screw up that kept LT and Reggie from being on the same team.
 

Bobhaze

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I think it wiuld have to be done by eras- 1920s-40s, 1950s-70s, 1980s-2000, and 2000-present. I could not just have 3 in each era. Under those parameters, it be be something like this:
  • 20s-40s: Bronco Nagurski, Bulldog Turner, George Connor
  • 50s-70s: Night Train Lane, Dick Butkus, Deacon Jones, Bob Lily, Mean Joe Greene
  • 80s-2000- Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, Randy White, Ronnie Lott, Deion Sanders
  • 2000-present: Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Aaron Donald, Troy Palumalu, Charles Woodson
 

Jarntt

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LT
Reggie White
Deacon Jones

first alternate to get a Cowboy on there: Lilly
 

Haimerej

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I think it wiuld have to be done by eras- 1920s-40s, 1950s-70s, 1980s-2000, and 2000-present. I could not just have 3 in each era. Under those parameters, it be be something like this:
  • 20s-40s: Bronco Nagurski, Bulldog Turner, George Connor
  • 50s-70s: Night Train Lane, Dick Butkus, Deacon Jones, Bob Lily, Mean Joe Greene
  • 80s-2000- Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, Randy White, Ronnie Lott, Deion Sanders
  • 2000-present: Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Aaron Donald, Troy Palumalu, Charles Woodson

You're old enough. What did you think of Lambert or Nitchske?
 

RS12

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1) LT
2) Reggie White
3) Ronnie Lott
3b) Bob Lilly was double and triple teamed ever play and got 95 sacks, being double and triple teamed helped Jethro Pugh to get 96 sacks
 

xwalker

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Tough one but I'm going with,
  • LT
  • Deion
  • Late Reggie White
As good as Donald is, he's not even top 10 IMO



If it was based on the best 2 year period of time, DT Jerome Brown was off the charts in 1990 & 1991. Stats for DTs are meaningless. You had to watch those games to get what he meant to that team.

He was a Godfather figure to all of those great players from U of Miami when Jimmy was the HC there.

Similar to Erik Williams on offense. Maybe the most dominant 2 year stretch by any player.
 

Whyjerry

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Deion great player. Overrated though. Mel Blount was a better CB. My 3 Lilly, LT and Reggie White when he didn’t play against Erik Williams.
 
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