<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Ranking the defensive lines, team-by-teamMichael David Smith / FootballOutsiders.comPosted: 5 hours agoWith each unit that we've reviewed here at FOXSports.com, depth becomes more and more of an issue: for quarterbacks it doesn't mean much, for the offensive line it means a lot. But depth is more important to the defensive line than it is to any other unit on a football team.Those big, fat run-stoppers would collapse if they had to stay on the field for every play, and even the sleekest defensive ends need to take a few plays off between battles with offensive tackles. So in our rankings of defensive lines, we'll give special attention to the units that have not only quality starters, but also quantity on the second string.For our ranking of offensive lines, we made heavy use of Football Outsiders proprietary stats. Those have less impact on this ranking, because when we look at those stats from the defensive perspective, they are more reflective of the performance of the front seven rather than just the defensive line on its own. For those curious, the defensive stats can be found here.1. ChicagoTackle Ian Scott doesn't get much attention, but you can bet Brian Urlacher sends him a nice fruit basket every Christmas. Scott keeps opposing guards away from Urlacher, and his fellow starting tackle, Tommie Harris, has a very good first step. No pair of ends gets off the ball more quickly than Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye. Backup tackle Tank Johnson has great talent but has had multiple scrapes with the law and multiple injuries, and the Bears' front office might have lost patience with him. Third-round pick Dusty Dvoracek could move ahead of Johnson on the depth chart.2. SeattleAs I've written before, Chuck Darby and Rocky Bernard start, and Craig Terrill and Marcus Tubbs come off the bench to give Seattle a four-tackle rotation that no team in the league could match. The Seahawks don't have quite as strong an end rotation, but Bryce Fisher had nine sacks and Grant Wistrom deserves more credit than he receives for his play against the run. Second-round draft pick Darryl Tapp should help the pass rush. Running backs averaged just 3.47 yards per carry against the Seahawks, third in the league.3. PittsburghThe loss of end Kimo von Oelhoffen could hurt the Steelers line, but even without von Oelhoffen, Pittsburgh should have the best three-man front in the league. Opposing centers almost always need help with tackle Casey Hampton, and end Aaron Smith is the rare lineman who can play the run and the pass with equal efficiency. Chris Hoke doesn't get a lot of playing time behind Hampton, but he provides excellent depth. The biggest question is whether rookie Orien Harris will be ready to contribute immediately. If he is, he'll take von Oelhoffen's place and the Steelers won't miss a beat. Pittsburgh was the most balanced front seven in the league according to the Football Outsiders stats. The Steelers opposing running backs to just 3.41 yards per carry, second in the NFL, and they ranked third in adjusted sack rate, which measures sacks per pass play adjusted for situation and opponent.4. CarolinaCan Kris Jenkins ever return to health? The last time he was 100 percent, in 2003, he was one of the best players in football. But he's played five games in the last two years. Team Jenkins with Julius Peppers, and the defensive line could dominate. Peppers is probably the best pure athlete in the NFL ... great size, great strength and great stamina. Mike Rucker is an underappreciated end who makes opposing offenses pay when they devote all of their attention to Peppers. Free-agent signing Ma'ake Kemoeatu was a great addition. He's a 350-pounder who will make the lives of the Panthers' linebackers a lot easier this year. Last year Carolina was the only NFL defense to stop the opposing offense more than half the time in power situations (runs on third or fourth down, or goal line, with 1-2 yards to go).5. New York GiantsTalk about an embarrassment of riches. Michael Strahan, who belongs on the short list of the best defensive linemen ever to play the game, is the trusty veteran who's showing three youngsters how it's done. Those youngsters, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Matthias Kiwanuka, can guarantee the Giants will have a healthy pass rush even after Strahan retires. The loss of Kendrick Clancy will hurt because the Giants' starting tackles, William Joseph and Fred Robbins, are mediocre.6. PhiladelphiaTackle Mike Patterson had a surprisingly effective rookie year, and veteran Darwin Walker is very quick on inside penetration, which makes him a perfect fit for coordinator Jim Johnson's blitz-happy defense. But when Patterson and Walker need a breather, Eagles fans will be in for a treat: Rookie tackle Brodrick Bunkley is a freak of nature who combines incredible upper-body strength with great speed. He'll look good next to "The Freak," end Jevon Kearse. End Darren Howard was a great free-agent signing. End Trent Cole is a converted linebacker and a good pass rusher.7. New EnglandRichard Seymour's talents help keep New England a winner. (Harry How / Getty Images)Richard Seymour is the best all-around lineman in the game. He's the key to the Patriots defense. Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork and Jarvis Green are all versatile players who understand exactly what is needed of them in Bill Belichick's schemes. The biggest question regards Johnathan Sullivan, whom the Patriots recently acquired in a trade with New England. No one disputes that Sullivan has natural ability, but everyone disputes whether he cares enough about football to put in the necessary work to get into shape and learn the defense. That doesn't exactly sound like a Belichick-type player.8. MiamiNick Saban has assembled a solid group of veterans. Jason Taylor is still going strong even though he's about to turn 32. Kevin Carter is a year older than Taylor and still a solid player, although he has a tendency to take plays off. Keith Traylor is still very effective against the run, and he's five years older than Taylor. Tackle Vonnie Holliday is a good inside pass-rusher, and he's the youngster of the group at 30. The key to the line's future will be how well the promising but occasionally troubled youngsters, Manuel Wright and Rodrique Wright, develop.9. TennesseeKyle Vanden Bosch is a terror. After entering last season with four sacks in his four-year, injury-plagued career, he turned into a dominant pass rusher. The Titans rewarded him handsomely with a new contract. Albert Haynesworth is very stout in the middle of the line. Five of the Titans' defensive linemen were selected in the 2004 draft: Randy Starks, Travis LaBoy, Bo Schobel, Jared Clauss and Antwan Odom. If those five can take a big step forward in their third season, the Titans will have the best depth in the league.10. WashingtonDefensive tackle Cornelius Griffin shoves his opponents aside. Just watch the way even some of the league's best guards struggle to stick with him. Griffin missed three games last year and was at less than 100 percent in a few others, but when he's healthy, he is one of the few defensive tackles in the league who is effective both against the run and at rushing the passer. Griffin is the only star on the line, but the rest of the unit has been built to fit the strengths of coordinator Gregg Williams' defense. Griffin's fellow tackle, Joe Salave'a, is strictly a run-stopper, but he's a good one. The four-end rotation consists of Andre Carter, Phillip Daniels, Renaldo Wynn and Demetric Evans, all of whom are high-motor players.11. BaltimoreKelly Gregg helps plug up the middle for the Ravens. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)Rookie tackle Haloti Ngata will make an instant impact. He should form a nice team alongside Kelly Gregg and help keep linemen away from Ray Lewis, who complains loudly when the opposing offense dares to block him. Both starting ends, Terrell Suggs and Trevor Pryce, are good pass rushers.12. Kansas CityJared Allen had a Bruce Smith-like season last year. The combination of an ability to rush the passer and an ability to stop the run is what made Smith so special, and that's who Allen most resembles. Sure, it sounds ridiculous to compare the little-known Allen, a 24-year-old from Idaho State, to one of the all-time greats. But he earned it last season. Rookie Tamba Hali has promise and could press Eric Hicks for the other starting end position. Lionel Dalton has quietly developed into one of the most effective tackles in the league, but Ryan Sims has never lived up to the potential the Chiefs thought he had when they made him the sixth overall pick in the 2002 draft.13. Tampa BaySimeon Rice is 32 but showing no signs of slowing down. He had 14 sacks last year. On the other side, end Greg Spires is a solid run-stopper. Booger McFarland and Chris Hovan are exactly the kind of small and quick tackles that fit perfectly in the Tampa 2 defense. Backup end Dewayne White is a good situational pass rusher. Until last year, Tampa was always a better pass defense than a run defense, but in 2005 they led the league by keeping opposing running backs to just 3.29 yards per carry.14. San DiegoJamal Williams is a huge and effective run-stopper in the middle, and the Chargers have big and athletic ends on either side of him in Luis Castillo and Igor Olshansky. If these ratings were based purely on the starting unit, the Chargers would rank higher, but the backups in San Diego are nothing special.15. DenverImporting the defensive line from Cleveland worked better than most observers thought, as Courtney Brown, Michael Myers and Gerard Warren all played well in their first year in Denver. Defensive end Elvis Dumervil, a rookie from Louisville, is a sleeper. Dumervil is tiny for a lineman (listed at an even six feet and 255 pounds, but is probably a bit smaller) but was the best pure pass rusher in college football last year.16. IndianapolisThe Colts have the hardest-to-evaluate defensive line in the league because they're great at rushing the passer but almost nonexistent against the run. Ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are very good at pressuring the quarterback, which is fine because the Colts get so many early leads that opposing teams are usually passing against them. But when they have to stop the run it's easy to pick them apart. The tackle rotation of Montae Reagor, Raheem Brock and Corey Simon is nothing special.17. JacksonvilleBy now every fan knows about the tackle tandem of John Henderson and Marcus Stroud. But the addition of end Reggie Hayward made a major impact on the Jags' pass rush, and Paul Spicer had his best season as a pro last year with 7.5 sacks. Jacksonville ranked first in the league last year in adjusted sack rate. On the basis of their starters, the Jags would be higher, but their bench is questionable, and they were mediocre last year at stopping the run.18. MinnesotaPat Williams' presence made a big difference on Minnesota's run defense, which improved from terrible to average, and his absence made a big difference on Buffalo's run defense, which declined from great to terrible. Many analysts called Kevin Williams a reach when the Vikings took him ninth overall in 2003, but he's developed into a very good player. Minnesota's starting ends, Kenechi Udeze and Erasmus James, haven't yet lived up to their potential. Both were first-round draft picks.19. St. LouisLa'Roi Glover has had a long and impressive career. At age 32, he's not quite the player he used to be, but he is still a dependable tackle who hasn't missed a game in eight years and was a good free-agent addition. Tackle Jimmy Kennedy was the Rams' first-round pick in 2003 and has disappointed. Leonard Little is a good pure pass rusher, but he doesn't do much against the run and his repeated problems with alcohol make it hard to say the Rams can count on him. End Tony Hargrove had a promising second season last year with 6.5 sacks. Rookie tackle Claude Wroten will be the first lineman off the bench.20. New OrleansEnd Will Smith is emerging as a good pass rusher and would have drawn a lot of attention last season if anyone had paid any attention to the Saints. Charles Grant looked like a very good young player with back-to-back double-digit sack seasons in 2003 and 2004, but last year he disappeared and finished the season with only 2.5 sacks. The Saints acquired veteran tackle Hollis Thomas in a trade with the Eagles, but coach Sean Payton has complained that Thomas is overweight and out of shape. One problem for the Saints is stopping the opposition when it really counts; last year they were 31st in preventing success in power situations (runs on third or fourth down, or goal line, with 1-2 yards to go).21. ArizonaChike Okeafor was a good pickup last season for the Cardinals. (Alfredo Estrella/AFP / Getty Images)End Chike Okeafor was a solid addition last year, recording 7.5 sacks. Bertrand Berry missed half the 2005 season, but he's a good pass rusher who has 32 sacks in his last 40 games. Third-year tackle Darnell Dockett should develop nicely now that he has free-agent acquisition Kendrick Clancy lined up next to him. Keep an eye on rookie Gabe Watson, who slipped into the fourth round but can contribute immediately if Dennis Green can motivate him to go all-out on every play.22. DallasThe starting trio of ends Marcus Spears and Greg Ellis and nose tackle Jason Ferguson looks like a talented bunch, but last year the sum was less than the parts. Opposing offenses ran up the middle against the Cowboys with ease. The key to the line might be the development of second-year end Chris Canty, an enormously talented player who is still learning the NFL game.23. DetroitThe retirement of Big Daddy Wilkinson is a much greater loss than most fans realize. Wilkinson, unlike nearly all of his Detroit teammates, has consistently played at a high level in the last few years. Shaun Rogers is a massive and surprisingly quick run-stopping tackle, but he doesn't fit the mold of the defensive linemen Rod Marinelli coached in Tampa Bay Marinelli likes smaller, quicker players like Shaun Cody, who will take over Wilkinson's starting role. Ends James Hall and Kalimba Edwards are both speed rushers who should fit nicely with the Marinelli defense.24. San FranciscoIt's simply amazing how well the 34-year-old Bryant Young played last year. Twelve years after the 49ers last won the Super Bowl, most of the contributors on that team are distant memories, but Young is still an impressive defensive end. Unfortunately, the 49ers don't have any promising youngsters to learn from Young.25. Green BayAaron Kampman is a very good end and the Packers were wise to sign him to a long-term contract this year. Kampman is a much better all-around player than the more heralded Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, a one-dimensional pass rusher. The signing of Ryan Pickett as a free agent from St. Louis won't make much difference. Pickett never did much with the Rams.26. AtlantaThe Falcons' line can rush the passer but can't stop the run, allowing opposing running backs a league-worst 4.88 yards per carry last year. The addition of John Abraham helps the Falcons' pass rush, but Abraham hasn't shown he can stop the run consistently either. The other end, Patrick Kerney, turned in a disappointing season in 2005 but will benefit from Abraham's presence. But Kerney, like Abraham, struggles when opposing offenses run directly at him. Tackle Rod Coleman is another Falcons lineman who is purely a pass rusher, which means he gets more media attention than he deserves. Tackle Chad Lavalais is the only run-stopper on the Falcons' line. He's a talented player who looks like he could take a big step forward in his third season.27. OaklandDerrick Burgess led the league in sacks. He also led the league in wild overpursuit on running plays. The Raiders' other end, Tyler Brayton, is slow off the ball and shouldn't be a starter. Speaking of players who shouldn't be starters, Warren Sapp gets pushed around on running plays, and his official listed weight of 300 pounds is the funniest thing in the NFL aside from Clinton Portis press conferences.28. ClevelandTed Washington makes Sapp look young and thin. Washington must have knees made of titanium; at age 38 with a 365-pound frame, it's incredible that he's still able to walk, let alone play football. He understands the nose tackle role in the 3-4 defense Romeo Crennel is implementing, but he's so slow getting out of his stance that he really doesn't make any impact at all anymore. Alvin McKinley is a versatile player who makes a decent 3-4 end. Orpheus Roye has never been much of a pass rusher and is only adequate against the run. Crennel has a big job on his hands turning this unit around.29. BuffaloAaron Schobel had a very good year in 2005, but on the other side, Chris Kelsay managed only 2.5 sacks. Tackle John McCargo was a first-round reach, but he still might become a starter, with Larry Tripplett and Tim Anderson ahead of him on the depth chart.30. CincinnatiLast season Marvin Lewis built his defense with small and fast linemen, which is odd considering that his greatest success came in Baltimore with two enormous tackles, Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa, on his line. Lewis signed Adams as a free agent this off-season, but the 33-year-old Adams isn't anything like the 27-year-old version who won a Super Bowl ring with Lewis in Baltimore. End Duane Clemons played well last season, but he's currently a free agent and the Bengals haven't expressed any interest in bringing him back. Starting end Robert Geathers isn't much of a pass rusher and gets lost on running plays. The other end, Justin Smith, also gets lost on running plays, but he gets good pressure on the quarterback.31. HoustonThe Texans could be much higher if Mario Williams makes an instant impact. Last year's first-round pick, tackle Travis Johnson, didn't do much of anything as a rookie. Veterans Anthony Weaver, Robaire Smith and Seth Payne don't have much left in the tank.32. New York JetsThe addition of Kimo von Oelhoffen will help the transition to a 3-4 front, but the Jets don't have any linemen who will make the opposing offense nervous in the film room. Nose tackle Dewayne Robertson was a bust as the fourth overall pick in 2003. End Shaun Ellis had a combined 23.5 sacks in 2003 and 2004, then fell to a career-low 2.5 in 2005. The Jets allowed opposing offense to convert in 83 percent of power situations last year, the worst figure in the league.</div>http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5819844?print=true
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JHair @ Jul 31 2006, 01:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Speaking of players who shouldn't be starters, Warren Sapp gets pushed around on running plays, and his official listed weight of 300 pounds is the funniest thing in the NFL aside from Clinton Portis press conferences.</div>http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5819844?print=true</div>Amen to that Like all these rankings, this is just speculation. I'm gonna take it as a compliment that we are ranked above Baltimore though
The Patriots should be ranked in the top 5, not only do we have a very good defensive line, but everyone on the d-line is still young.
Meh vikings ranking is fine. If Udeze and Erasmus James both pan out look for the vikings to be top 10 in the near future. For now... they're both young and have a long way to go. Kevin Williams and Pat Williams are unstoppable though. Oh and I don't agree with the Carolina pick. When was the last time that o-line has been fully healthy? Who says Kris Jenkins is the same Kris Jenkins? Who says he won't get injured again? Too many question marks.
WHAT?! The Eagles getting RESPECT?! I do think that Baltimore should be higher though, and I don't think Pittsburgh should be as high as they are.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GaMeTiMe @ Jul 31 2006, 10:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>WHAT?! The Eagles getting RESPECT?! I do think that Baltimore should be higher though, and I don't think Pittsburgh should be as high as they are.</div>Yea I was amazed when I saw that.
Last place for the Jets? Robertson has been looking good in camp, but hes a 'bust' , and Ellis and von Oelhoffen are perfect examples of a 3-4 Defensive End being primary run stoppers with the ability to pressure the QB at times also. Yeah, we lack depth on the line but the starters alone shouldnt have us in last place. Meanwhile they have Pittsburgh who lost Oelhoffen in the top 3 when they are starting a rookie in Orlen Harris.Something tells me they're going to be eating a ton of crow from this article...
There's no reason why Pittsburgh should be rated so highly, Casey Hampton is a big dude but he can't be the sole reason they are up so high... it's obvious they are up there because of their SB victory.Jets would be a much higher had they not lost Abraham.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JHair @ Jul 31 2006, 10:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>There's no reason why Pittsburgh should be rated so highly, Casey Hampton is a big dude but he can't be the sole reason they are up so high... it's obvious they are up there because of their SB victory.Jets would be a much higher had they not lost Abraham.</div>Why should someone who cant stop the run make that much of a difference? He might be one of the best pass rushers in the league, but he doesnt have the strength to go through Offensive Lineman and make an impact against the run, only to run around them and rush the passer.
The fact that he is one of the best in the league as a pass rusher would definitely bring your ranking higher than the very very bottom. Though, yes, while he was with you guys it would have been nice if he could of done more to stop the run, don't look down on the importance of rushing the passer.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JHair @ Jul 31 2006, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>There's no reason why Pittsburgh should be rated so highly, Casey Hampton is a big dude but he can't be the sole reason they are up so high... it's obvious they are up there because of their SB victory.Jets would be a much higher had they not lost Abraham.</div>Shaun Ellis > John Abraham. And I'm serious.
Wow, I think they might have actually OVER-rated the Titans, IMO. All we have is Kyle Vanden Bosch who may or may not turn out to be a one-year wonder (doubtful, but the possibility exists). Albert Haynesworth is one of the best DTs in the NFL, but in the past couldn't stay on the field long enough because he's sucking wind or hurt something. He's shown up to camp like 25 lbs lighter this year, maybe that will help. Other than that, we have 5 guys drafted in 2004 that all need to step it up another notch and a solid DT that we took in 2003 we just lost for the season to a torn achilles heel.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JHair @ Jul 31 2006, 04:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The fact that he is one of the best in the league as a pass rusher would definitely bring your ranking higher than the very very bottom. Though, yes, while he was with you guys it would have been nice if he could of done more to stop the run, don't look down on the importance of rushing the passer.</div>Being downright pathetic against the run has to count for something though too....And Shaun Ellis is a pretty good pass rusher also, if you look at the Stats he has had his best games stat-wise without John Abraham in the lineup. Games that John Abraham didn't play in.Shaun Ellis2003 - 9 Games - 5.5 Sacks2004 - 6 Games - 6.5 Sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumbled RecoveredTotal - 15 Games - 12 Sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumbled RecoveredGames that John Abraham did play in.Shaun Ellis 2001 - 16 Games - 5 Sacks, 1 Fumble Forced2002 - 16 Games - 4 Sacks, 1 Fumble Forced2003 - 7 Games - 7 Sacks, 1 Fumble Forced2004 - 9 Games - 4.5 Sacks2005 - 13 Games - 2.5 Sacks, 1 Fumble ForcedTotal - 61 Games - 23 Sacks, 4 Fumbles ForcedNow with the exception of 2003 when Shaun Ellis had a breakout year as a pass rusher and even made the Pro-Bowl, he has been a much more effective playmaker with Abraham off of the field then he has been with Abraham on the field.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JHair @ Jul 31 2006, 05:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>If we are talking about stopping the run...What about getting pressure on the QB though?</div>Hmm. Lets see.Past 3 seasons:Shaun Ellis:Tackles: 164; Sacks 26; FF 4; PD 4John Abraham:Tackels: 139; Sacks 26; FF 9; PD 4In the past 3 years total, Abraham and Ellis tie for 11th most sacks.Ellis is less injury prone, and when he is injured, he plays unless he can't, rather than sitting out <u>playoff </u>games in order to protect his contract status. Abraham is the more talented pass rusher, but there is a reason that he's being limited to pass rushing situations in Atlanta. Ellis can pass rush (26 sacks over 3 years) when he needs to. Ellis is versitile, he came into the league as a 3-4 DE, played some 4-3 DT, and then moved to 4-3 DE. Now he's back to 3-4 DE. He knows how to, and is willing to, play different positions in order to win. Also, as Adrop points out, his sack totals increase when Abraham isn't around. The reason for this is simple: He's not asked to pass rush when Abe is around. In Herm's D he always tried to have a strong DE, and a quick DE. It's not like the Giants where both DE's are made to be pass rushers. Herm's style is to have 1 DE tie up blockers, and leave the other 1-on-1 with their OT to blitz the QB. Abe, being a 1 trick pony who can't tie up blockers, but can (of course) get to the QB, was used as the quick DE while Ellis was used as the strong DE. When Abe was absent, someone else would play the role of strong so that Ellis could unleash his pas rushing skills. As Abe was healthy all season for the first time in 3 years, Ellis wasn't asked to Pass Rush much, thus the low sack totals.Yes. Ellis is the better DE. He is the kind of guy that can do it all. He can tie up blockers, he can play run defense, and he can pass rush. An all around kind of DE is definitely better than a 1 trick pony pass rusher.
