AngusMcFife Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 (edited) Who was considered the best defensive player over a span of years? This doesn't mean who won DPOY, as for instance Gilmore won DPOY in 2019 but folks generally acknowledge that A. Donald was the best defensive player of the late 2010s. Here is my list, I am having trouble identifying the best candidate for the early 1990s and late 1970s. mid-1950s to late 1950s: Night Train Lane Early 1960s: Night Train Lane/M. Olsen? Mid-1960s: **** Butkus Late 1960s: Deacon Jones Early-mid 1970s: Joe Greene/Alan Page Late 1970s: ?? Jack Lambert/Randy White 1981-1986: L. Taylor 1987-1991: R. White 1992-1993: ?? Bruce Smith 1994-1998: D. Sanders 1999-2003: R. Lewis 2004-2008: E. Reed 2009-2011: D. Revis 2012-2015: JJ Watt 2016-2021: A. Donald Maybe Reggie White's reign should be extended to Deion Sanders, but I feel like there were a couple years there where White dipped a bit and Deion had not ascended yet. Not sure if 1992-3 years are Bruce Smith's best, though. My knowledge prior to LT drops off a bit, so my 1950s to 1970s choices could be revised for sure. Edited March 24 by AngusMcFife formatting problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWil23 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 Some omissions IMO: Ronnie Lott Derrick Thomas Derek Brooks Junior Seau Brian Urlacher Patrick Willis Charles Woodson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngusMcFife Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 On 4/1/2024 at 2:40 PM, MWil23 said: Some omissions IMO: Ronnie Lott Derrick Thomas Derek Brooks Junior Seau Brian Urlacher Patrick Willis Charles Woodson Let me see if I can find a spot for these guys. Not that they aren't all time legends, but I'm not sure any one of them was considered "the best defender in the league" in their prime. Ronnie Lott - While is possibly the greatest safety of all time, the prime of his career overlaps with LT and Reggie White. Lott won 5 All pros from 1986-1991. As much as I respect Lott, he's going against possibly the 2 greatest defenders of all time, so he doesn't get the belt. Derrick Thomas - Was a beast from 1990-1992, but I think Reggie White was more rounded and recognized as better overall. Thomas was more of a specialist. Derrick Brooks - You could make the case he had the belt in 2002, but Ray Lewis immediately takes it back in 2003 with his 2nd DPOY. Overall I'm more inclined to say Ray Lewis was the better defender from 1999-2003, even though he was injured in 2002 and the team was being rebuilt. It's hard to elevate a weak-side LB over a true MIKE like Lewis had more responsibilities in the run game. Junior Seau - This has given me pause. Was there a point in the 1990s when Seau was considered the best defender? Maybe. I have Bruce Smith from 1992-3 and Deion from 1994-1998. I'm open to revising this. Brian Urlacher - Another one to consider. His first 2 all pros were in 2001-2002, when Ray Lewis was better and Derrick Lewis was also great, but Urlacher's peak is probably 2005-2007, where I have prime Ed Reed as the best defender. I personally think Reed was a better defender than Urlacher but I am open to challenges because I'm a Ravens fan and don't want to be biased. Patrick Willis - His prime was around 2009-2012, where I have Revis as the best for 3 years and J.J. Watt for the last year. Watt is definitely better IMO, but I could see a debate between prime Willis and prime Revis. Charles Woodson - To me, Woodson was very good for a lone time, but doesn't have a great prime that ever elevated him into the conversation of best defensive player in the league. Some food for thought. Maybe I'll put some of these comparisons in a poll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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