Hello, friends and enemies, and welcome to the eleventh installment of the Grand List, or: the top 1000 robust gentlemen ever to participate in gridiron activities. It’s been a while. With everything going on in the country over the past month, I haven’t found any joy thinking about something as trivial as football. Many use sports as an escape from the slings and arrows of the world, but I’ve never been able to do that. For me, football has always been more of a mirror than a door. When I began this project, my goal was to finish this series by the beginning of the 2020 regular season, and I still plan to make it – even if my heart isn’t really in it. I hope you enjoy reading it more than I enjoy writing it. ^[1]I was kind of banking on a long season postponement to help me out. Aside from jobs affected by it, in a pure abstract sense, I think it would be neat to have a one year break in action after the … Continue reading

Question for those reading along: what is the ideal number of entries in a single article? I’ve done as few as ten and as many as fifty. A small number would theoretically result in more frequent posting, while larger articles take more time but give you more to chew on. I don’t plan to write more than a paragraph for any single player, because a thousand is a big number, and I’m a lazy guy (and how many different ways can you say a tackle blocked well or a corner covered well?).

Previous articles in the series

The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.
The Grand List, part 7: Includes players 850-810.
The Grand List, part 8: Includes players 809-780.
The Grand List, part 9: Includes players 779-750.
The Grand List, part 10: Includes players 749-700.

Without further ado, let’s endeavor to find meaning in the meaningless.

The Grand List, Continued

699. Chris Johnson (2008-2017)
Running Back
Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets

In his second season, Johnson rushed for over 2000 yards. For his effort, he earned the nickname CJ2K. He also earned the derision of fans and commentators far and wide when he did the obvious: he failed to live up to the lofty standards he set for himself early in his career. We see this fairly often in the NFL (and probably other places, but I don’t watch other sports) – a guy will peak at a young age and henceforth be compared to what he did at his best rather than appreciated for the good work he still does. Frankly, it’s unfair. I’d go as far as to say it’s intellectually dishonest. Johnson didn’t reach 2000 yards again. Of course he didn’t. No one has ever reached that mark twice. Only Eric Dickerson (3) and Barry Sanders (2) have ever gone over 1800 rushing yards more than once. It was always an unrealistic expectation for him to repeat. So how about what he accomplished outside of that season (in which he happened to gain 503 receiving yards, bringing him to a record 2509 yards from scrimmage)? Well, Johnson preceded his historic season by putting up 1488 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. He followed his monster season with a 1609 yard, 12 touchdown campaign. After that, he has three straight seasons over 1400 yards (though he only reached double digit touchdowns once more in his career). Then he bounced around the league with a few lackluster seasons prior to retiring. In his first six seasons, Johnson averaged 1679 yards and 10 touchdowns per 16 games. He wasn’t a one hit wonder, and he can only honestly be viewed as a disappointment when compared to his best season – a test almost every runner in history fails.

698. Joey Galloway (1995-2010)
Wide Receiver
Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Washington

Galloway is an interesting player because he was a speed burner who remained effective in his downfield role for over a decade. He put up pretty good numbers and nearly always jumped off the screen with his explosiveness, but he never made it to a single Pro Bowl. Galloway was remarkably consistent, especially for a deep threat, with eight seasons with over 1000 True Receiving Yards (TRY), including one over 1500. ^[2]Galloway’s top eight seasons by TRY: 1551, 1253, 1147, 1146, 1140, 1135, 1115, 1040. He managed this while annually rating among the premier receivers in yards per catch, leading the league once and appearing in the top ten thrice more. His ability to beat defenders over the top allowed him to amass 78 receiving touchdowns in his career. That may not sound like a great many, but it becomes more impressive when you consider that quarterbacks are the primary drivers of receiving touchdowns, and when Galloway wasn’t playing with flotsam at the position he was playing with jetsam. Not content to damage opponents through the air, Galloway threw in 496 yards on the ground ^[3]A great number for a wideout. Most of it came in his first two seasons. and five punt return scores.

697. Sam Madison (1997-2008)
Cornerback
Miami Dolphins, New York Giants

Madison was the rare talent who could lock down receivers with tight man coverage and also make plays on the ball to force turnovers. From 1998 to 2000, he had 20 interceptions; in the first two years in that span, he ranked second and first in the category. From then on, quarterbacks learned not to test him, and his numbers tailed off. However, Madison remained a standout cover man for the next three seasons, earning all pro selections in two of them. In fact, from 1998 through 2002, it is fair to call him the top man coverage specialist in the NFL. At a position where it is difficult to maintain a consistent level of play from year to year, Madison’s ability to stay at or near the top for six years is noteworthy. ^[4]No, he isn’t Deion or Aeneas, but he also isn’t ranked as highly as they are.

696. David DeCastro (2012-Present)
Offensive Guard
Pittsburgh Steelers

In his eighty-year career, DeCastro has added to his résumé five Pro Bowls and three all pros, and they were actually based on his performance instead of his draft position and city of employment. In a general sense, guards tend to gain recognition for their run blocking. On tape, nothing stands out quite as much as driving a 300 pound man out of the play. However, the real value to a team comes from pass protection, and that is where DeCastro has made his name. Sure, for a few good years he and his linemates were able to make running back’s patience seem like a virtue, but he has been merely average as a mauler almost as often as he was good. But he has been a stellar pass blocker in every season but his first, which is no easy feat when tasked with protecting a quarterback known for wanting to hang in there as long as he can to make a big play. DeCastro’s career year came in 2017, when I graded him as the top offensive lineman in football based on his typical excellence in the passing game and a more consistent performance winning battles on the ground.

695. Leonard Little (1998-2009)
Defensive End
St. Louis Rams

Little had some trouble staying on the field, but when he was healthy, he was a holy terror. He had good quickness off the ball and rare closing speed that he used to get to passers before they released or to drag them down from behind. Because he typically lined up over the left tackle, he had to make plays in the quarterback’s field of vision. Despite this, he managed to average 11.5 sacks and 4.5 forced fumbles per 16 games during his prime (2001-06). That includes three seasons in which he separated the ball from the carrier six or more times. ^[5]That doesn’t sound like a high number, but only John Abraham, Robert Mathis, and James Harrison have matched the feat since those stats have been recorded. Although Little was primarily a pass rush specialist, he wasn’t a liability against the run, using sound leverage and plenty of functional strength to hold up on the edge.

694. Trevor Pryce (1997-2010)
Defensive Tackle
Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets

Pryce was a stud interior lineman who could play both the pass and run at a high level. Although he nominally played a lot of end in a thirty front, he spent most of his time on the inside (even as an end, he would sink to tackle to provide a pass rush up the gut on passing downs). A sometimes forgotten, but no less important, member of two Denver title teams, he combined for 21.5 sacks across the team’s two championship seasons during Elway’s last ride. ^[6]Aaron Donald and J.J. Watt have taken interior rushing to a new level and made that number look small, but it was elite at the time. In terms of production, Pryce had a few down years that make him look a bit like a compiler, but he managed to average 9.7 sacks per season over his top eight years.

693. Carl Hairston (1976-1990)
Defensive End
Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Phoenix Cardinals

Similar to Pryce, Hairston played a lot of 3-4 end and would sink inside on passing downs. Whereas Pryce played a lot of tackle, Hairston spent almost his entire career on the outside in base. From 1976 to 1981 (the pre-official sack era), he recorded 48 sacks, peaking at 15 in 1979. He also had three quarterback takedowns during the Eagles’ 1980 playoff run before both he and the team were shut down in the big game. In the sack era, Hairston picked up 47.5 more sacks, including a pretty impressive 34.5 after turning 33. Not drafted until the seventh round out of fear that he didn’t have the size to compete in the pros, Big Daddy ended up thriving at the 30 end position, ultimately becoming one of the top players ever to star in that role. He wasn’t big, but he had excellent speed (reportedly running a 4.65 forty) and the type of sideline to sideline range you’d expect to see from a middle linebacker.

692. Steve McMichael (1980-1994)
Defensive Tackle
Chicago Bears, Green Bay packers, New England Patriots

With five all pro selections, 95 sacks (100.5 including playoffs), and a spot on perhaps the greatest team in football history, McMichael’s career is at once storied and overlooked. Historians and Bears fans wax poetic about Mongo, but the general public focuses on the Hall of Famers and the guy named after a kitchen appliance. But McMichael was a key cog for those Midway Monsters, providing a consistent interior pass rush or holding his place at nose and letting others pick up the pressure, depending on his assignment. Others may have been bigger or more athletic, but few were ever as downright mean and nasty. He made every blocker work for every inch of ground while treating every play like bareknuckle brawl.

691. Doug English (1975-1985)
Defensive Tackle
Detroit Lions

English wasn’t a big guy, even for his era, but he was fast and athletic, capable of making a ton of plays against the run. His speed also made him a pretty good pass rusher. Despite missing a year of his prime with a neck injury (and never really being quite the same when he returned, despite the stats) English retired with 59 sacks, which is a solid number for a defensive tackle. He didn’t really seem to have any real weaknesses on the field, and his style and production were reminiscent of a lower-middle-class man’s Randy White. Despite being two season removed from his neck injury, he notched 13 sacks and two safeties in 1983, giving him four safeties for his career and moving him into a tie with Ted Hendricks for the most by any defender in history. ^[7]Jared Allen would later join them. Another neck injury ultimately ended his career in 1985, adding him to a long list of tackles with legendary peaks in careers marred by injury.

690. Homer Jones (1964-1970)
Wide Receiver
New York Giants, Cleveland Browns

With a big body and sprinter speed, Jones is one of the top big play threats ever to play. He retired with 22.3 yards per catch for his career – no one else with at least 200 receptions even reaches the 21 mark. Jones only scored 36 receiving touchdowns in his career, but he scored them in spectacular fashion. With his average score coming from 49 yards out (and his median coming from 51 yards out), he is arguably the top homerun hitter in the league’s history. His most remarkable season came in 1967, when he caught 49 passes for 1209 yards (24.7 average) and 13 touchdowns, good for 1717 TRY. ^[8]Jones’s top TRY seasons: 1717, 1471, 1377, 1053.

689. Warren Wells (1964-1970)
Wide Receiver
Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions

Wells only had three years of good play, but those three years were transcendent. From 1968-70, averaged 54 catches for 1269 yards (23.3) and 14 touchdowns per 16 games. His TRY figures in those years were 1754, 1695, and 1462, and his 4911 TRY ranks 35th among all receivers’ best three seasons. ^[9]The year before he broke out, he caught just 13 passes but scored on six of them! Then a string of bad choices brought his career to an end and saw him spending time in prison. But this isn’t a list of the top 1000 nicest guys, it’s about what they did on the field; and on the field, Wells was (briefly) among the very best in history at the receiver position

688. Brian Westbrook (2002-2010)
Running Back
Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers

After easing his way into the starting lineup his first two seasons, Westbrook exploded into an offensive machine who for half a decade threatened defenses by land and by air. In the five years spanning 2004 to 2008, he had a 16-game average of 1140 yards and 7 touchdowns rushing and 740 yards and 6 touchdowns through receiving – good for 1880 yards and 12 scores. ^[10]Numbers look wonky due to rounding. Westbrook was an efficient runner who could almost always be counted on to produce successful runs. He had a low center of gravity and superb balance, which allowed him to shed tacklers despite his diminutive stature. His speed wasn’t world class, and he didn’t have moves that left defenders looking silly, but he had a knack for manipulating angles with his eyes and putting defenses at a leverage disadvantage with subtle moves, similar to a prime Floyd Little. As a receiver, Westbrook was among the best. The fact that he is Donovan McNabb’s leading receiver speaks to his talent almost as much as it speak the Philly’s lack of weapons on the perimeter. He didn’t just take dumpoff passes against soft defenses, as do most backs who put up numbers in the passing game. Instead, he was capable of running pretty good routes and getting open downfield. One of his most special attributes was his ability to freelance and earn targets on broken plays, with McNabb buying time with his legs.

687. Arian Foster (2009-2016)
Running Back
Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins

As an undrafted free agent, Foster faced an uphill battle to earn a starting spot. When he finally did, he put up the second most rushing yards ever through three starts, and, despite struggling with injuries, averaged over 120 scrimmage yards per game for 71 games with the Texans. His entire career lasted just 80 regular season games, but he posted 51 with at least 100 yards and 59 with at least 80 yards. He was remarkably consistent, with a high peak and a high floor. Whether as a runner or as a receiver, Foster just produced, game after game, until his body failed him. With so much time lost to injury, his dominance must be understood using per-16 game averages. For his entire career, including the games before he became a starter and after he was on his last legs with a new team, Foster averaged 1775 yards and 14 touchdowns per 16 games. Isolating it to just his time in Houston after becoming a starter, those figures jump to 1939 and 15. Toiling for teams that were generally lucky to make the playoffs, he was only able to play in four postseason games. He never had a bad one, eclipsing the 100 scrimmage yard mark and scoring in each and averaging 166 yards and 1.5 touchdowns per contest.

686. Maurice Jones-Drew (2006-2014)
Running Back
Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders

Maurice Jones-Drew carried the sin of being two inches too short in a league that was mistrustful of undersized running backs. For this offense, he spent a year too long backing up the talented Fred Taylor. Jones-Drew was versatile and electric, dominant in short-yardage and through the air, totaling nearly 4000 yards, 150 catches, and 40 touchdowns through his first three seasons despite receiving just four starts. But this only fueled speculation that he wasn’t built to handle a full load. He was. He averaged more than 20 carries per game over the next three seasons, gaining over 1800 yards per year and eventually leading the league in carries and rushing yards on an otherwise brutal offense to secure consensus All Pro honors. Jones-Drew ran like a bowling ball made of butcher knives and blocked with liquid malice, as if determined to punish the entire world for ever doubting him. ^[11]Thanks to my pal Adam Harstad for writing about MJD.

685. Wilbert Montgomery (1977-1985)
Running Back
Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions

After Wilbert Montgomery set what was then the all-time college record for touchdowns at Abilene Christian, the Eagles drafted him in the sixth round in 1977 and used him as a kick returner as a rookie, where he finished second in the NFL in average return. In the final game of the year against the Jets, Dick Vermeil said he “finally got smart enough to start him at running back,” and Montgomery responded with 103 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-0 victory. He was a full-time starter from then on, going to the Pro Bowl in 1978 and 1979 and clearing 1200 rushing yards three times in four years. A strong receiving threat out of the backfield, in 1979 Montgomery became just the third man in NFL history (after O.J. Simpson and Walter Payton) to gain 2000 yards from scrimmage. In the 1981 NFC championship game, Montgomery – playing on a bad knee – gained 194 yards to beat the Cowboys and put the Eagles in their first-ever Super Bowl. ^[12]Thanks to Tom Nawrocki for this section on Montgomery.

684. Kawann Short (2013-present)
Defensive Tackle
Carolina Panthers

An excellent 3 tech in the Warren Sapp mold, Short has been among the best defensive tackles in the league since his rookie season. He has great snap explosion and accurate hands that he uses to shock blockers and gain control of the line of scrimmage. This enables him to shed offensive linemen and penetrate regularly, and he has a knack for making first contact with ball carriers at or behind the line. While he doesn’t put up historically great sack numbers, he does generate consistent pressure. ^[13]He did have 11 sacks in 2015, which is excellent for a defensive tackle. Short has been named to two Pro Bowls and two all pro teams, and that number would likely be higher were it not for the presence of Aaron Donald (who sets so high a bar that it is sometimes best to ignore him completely when rating other tackles).

683. Jordy Nelson (2008-present)
Wide Receiver
Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders

Nelson is one of many players whose play far exceeded his acclaim, and once the acclaim finally caught up, his production fell off and had people wondering why he got so much attention. Sports are weird, and people are dumb, and that’s been true forever. On the field, rather than in the news, Nelson became one of the best receivers in football in 2011 and continued to play at a high level through 2016. As an outside receiver, he was perhaps the best since Cris Carter at contorting his body to make tough catches at the boundary. His body control is rare for a receiver his size. Both outside and in the slot, he was adept at quickly gaining separation and giving his quarterback easy throws. You can explain away his impact on his offense, but it is at least notable that the with/without splits for Nelson make the difference between Aaron Rodgers looking like the most efficient quarterback in history and looking like a journeyman (a dropoff in production of a full yard per pass).

682. Michael Thomas (2016-present)
Wide Receiver
New Orleans Saints

Thomas has only been in the league for four years, but in that timeframe, he has gone over 1000 TRY four times, including three straight seasons over 1500, ^[14]Thomas’s four TRY seasons: 1802, 1529, 1519, 1110. broken Marvin Harrison’s single season receptions record, shattered the record for caches in a player’s first four years, ^[15]He actually trails only Jarvis Landry (by 11) for the record for catches in a player’s first five years. broken Randy Moss’s record for receiving yards through four years, and (probably) set the more esoteric catch rate record when he caught 85% of his targets in 2018. ^[16]Since 1986. Also, it probably helps having the most accurate passer in history throwing the ball to you, compared with what someone like Larry Fitzgerald has dealt with for much of his career. It remains to be seen how he can fare given a full season without Drew Brees, but Thomas is currently off to a Hall of Fame start.

681. DeSean Jackson (2008-present)
Wide Receiver
Philadelphia Eagles, Washington, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lightning fast and electric with the ball in his hands, Jackson is the greatest deep threat receiver of his generation. He led the league in receiving average four times, which is remarkable considering how much that stat is subject to outlier plays and just how many qualifying receivers there are in the modern era. His speed is the most obvious thing that stands out on tape, with him blowing by defenders with seeming ease, beating secondaries over the top. But DJax was more than just speed – he is among the best in history at tracking the ball in the air like a centerfielder and adjusting his body to make the catch. In many ways, he is a small guy who plays like a big guy, making plays in coverage and beating backs on contested catches. Jackson wasn’t a high volume guy, but he did break the thousand yard mark seven times in his career (one of just 29 receivers to have done so). For his entire career, his presence on the field has forced defenses to pay more attention to the long ball and opened up the underneath stuff for his teammates. He also began his career as a top notch punt returner, as Giants fans know too well. ^[17]Jackson’s top TRY seasons: 1521, 1283, 1211, 1137, 1069, 973, 967

680. Walt Kiesling (1926-1938)
Offensive Guard (pre-modern)
Chicago Cardinals, Duluth, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Bears, Pottsville Maroons

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the 1920s all-decade team, Big Kies made his mark on seemingly half the teams in the league. He was a mastodon for his era, at 6’3″ 260 pounds, but he possessed rare speed for a man of his stature. His speed enabled him to excel as a pulling guard to lead block as well as chase down ball carriers and rush the passer on defense. His greatest personal success came with the Cardinals, where earned four first team all pro honors and once paved the way for Ernie Nevers to score six touchdowns in a game. While he was at his best with the Cards, the team didn’t do much winning. However, Kiesling helped the Bears achieve an undefeated regular season in 1934, and he won a title with the Packers in 1936.

679. John Gordy (1957-1967)
Offensive Guard
Detroit Lions

Agile and powerful, with a hint of nastiness, Gordy made an impact from day one. As a rookie, he helped pave the way for Tobin Rote to lead Detroit to its last championship win. A contract dispute saw him accept a coaching job at Nebraska, but he returned the following year and made up for lost time, improving his play seemingly every season. He was an all pro in each of his last four seasons and showed no signs of slowing before a knee injury in the 1968 preseason ended his career at its peak. Not just a big tough guy, Gordy was smart and highly respected by teammates and opponents alike. He was named president of the NFLPA when they had their first major player strike and subsequently negotiated the league’s initial collective bargaining agreement – the first in major American professional sports.

678. Rodney Hudson (2011-2019)
Offensive Center
Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs

Hudson isn’t the best all around player ever to grace his position, but he has an argument for the title of best in pass protection. In his nine seasons as a pro, he has played 4543 snaps in pass protection and allowed nine sacks. That’s a 0.2% sack rate for those interested. Obviously sacks aren’t everything, and pressure still matters. Well, he has ceded just nine hits and 37 hurries, giving him a total of 55 pressures allowed in his career (or 7.7 per year since he entered the starting lineup). For reference, since Hudson became a starter, the average first team AP all pro center has allowed 20.9 pressures per season. ^[18]In case you wondered: 2013 – Ryan Kalil, 17 2014 – Maurkice Pouncey, 22 2015 – Ryan Kalil, 30 2016 – Travis Frederick, 9 2017 – Jason Kelce, 22 2018 – Jason Kelce, … Continue reading His run blocking has much room for improvement, which is why he isn’t a hundred spots higher, but pass protection is the most valuable thing an offensive lineman has to do, and Hudson is the best at it.

677. Brandon Brooks (2012-present)
Offensive Guard
Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans

Brooks has finally started to garner the recognition he deserves in the last few years, but he has been one of the top guards in football for a long time. Probably among the best athletes ever to play the position, Brooks is a behemoth who can move like the wind in the open field and has high end short area quickness. He is a dominant run blocker capable of putting a defensive tackle on the ground and tossing a linebacker into the bleachers on the same play, but he began his career with a tendency to whiff. He has corrected the whiffing problem and now wins plays more consistently. Over the course of his career, Brooks has gotten better and better at protecting the quarterback as well. In his eight years in the league, he has allowed just seven sacks, including two seasons with shutouts. One of his top games happened to occur in the Super Bowl, when he kept defenders from getting anywhere close to Nick Foles and helped Eagles ball carriers average over six yards per tote.

676. Tom Banks (1971-1984)
Offensive Center
St. Louis Cardinals, Birmingham Stallions

As you’ll see is a theme with centers on this portion of the list, Banks was on the smallish side but made up for his lack of beef with a surplus of athleticism and technical prowess. His size did result in some troubles against larger shade tackles, but he excelled against even the best under tackles. The Wolfman was a first class pass blocker who was part of arguably the greatest pass blocking line of all time. Between 1974 and 1978, the Cardinals boasted the best sack rate in the league every year, including a ridiculous 2.2% rate in the depths of the dead ball era (1975). Teaming with Dobler and Dierdorf, Banks helped St. Louis field a right side nearly as dominant (but far less celebrated) as the legendary left side of the early seventies Raiders.

675. Len Hauss (1964-1977)
Offensive Center
Washington

For 14 seasons, Hauss steadfastly assumed the role of the man in the middle for the Washington offense. He came into the league blocking for wildman Sonny Jurgensen, toiling away with little team success. Later, he blocked for worse passers but experienced more team success, including a Super Bowl appearance. Through it all, Hauss was the constant. He earned postseason honors when the team was bad. He kept getting accolades when the team became good. In all, he earned four all pro nods and five trips to the Pro Bowl. While he wasn’t big or particularly powerful, he was quick and agile, adept at getting in position on reach blocks or cutting off linebackers at the second level. To compare him to a modern play most readers would know better, Hauss was stylistically similar to Jeff Saturday. He was a tough country boy who played in all 203 possible games of his career, despite six knee operations and a complication from phlebitis that nearly took his life. An unquestioned leader on and off the field, his role in the NFLPA saw him help broker a collective bargaining agreement with the league that created some semblance of peace.

674. Jeff Van Note (1969-1986)
Offensive Center
Atlanta Falcons

Another smaller, quick guy in the middle of the offensive line, Van Note brought rare athletic ability to the position. He played running back and defensive end in college and was drafted to play linebacker before converting to center, so that should provide some idea of the caliber of athlete he was. Van Note played a brutal position for nearly two full decades and didn’t appear to lose a step until he was nearly forty years old. He earned six trips to the Pro Bowl and two all pro nods and was able to stand out as a late round draft pick on bad offenses and without a premier passer. Among his biggest claims to fame is his 226 regular season games started. Only six other offensive linemen have bested that mark. ^[19]That’s:
Bruce Matthews – 293
Lomas Brown – 251
Mike Kenn – 251
Mick Tingelhoff – 240
Kevin Mawae – 238
Ray Donaldson – 228

673. Larry Warford (2013-2019)
Offensive Guard
Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints

Warford was unheralded coming out of college, and he doesn’t possess the speed of McDaniel or the power of Allen. Because of this, it has taken a while for people to notice how fantastic he has been at actually stepping onto the field and playing the game. His rookie year is among the best a guard has ever had and was easily on par with fellow rookie and highly celebrated star Zack Martin. While Warford hasn’t achieve the same heights as Martin since then, he has nevertheless been an excellent guard who has proven to succeed with several quarterbacks and in different schemes. His run blocking has been sporadic throughout his career, and bulldozing run blocks are often what make highlight reels for offensive linemen. Warford has been more of a pass pro specialist who keeps his quarterbacks upright. He began playing his career with a good passer, but it wasn’t until moving to a team with a historically great passer (who consistently leads strong offenses) that he began getting accolades for his play. That’s how it goes for linemen sometimes.

672. Howard Mudd (1964-1970)
Offensive Guard
San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears

Mudd is probably best known for his coaching career, which spanned four decades and earned him universal respect as one of the greatest offensive line coaches the game has ever seen. But prior to that, Mudd spent seven years as one of the best offensive linemen in football before a knee injury prematurely ended his playing career. So acclaimed was his play that, despite playing only half the decade, he earned a spot on the all-decade team of the sixties. Mudd earned three Pro Bowls and two all pros at right guard before switching sides and, ultimately, hurting his leg. His greatest strength as a player is exactly what allowed him to transition to coaching so seamlessly: emphasis on technique. For his era, before the youth football camps and financial investments that enabled players to hone their craft for years before even turning twenty, Mudd was as close to technically perfect as it got. His footwork could have seen him star at the Bolshoi Theatre, he didn’t have any tells to tip off defenders, and he understood how to exploit angles to erase bigger or faster defenders.

671. Cedrick Hardman (1970-1983)
Defensive End
San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Oakland Invaders

Hardman is the prototype for the pass rush specialist. Smaller than the typical defensive end, but capable of setting his sights on the quarterback and shooting out of his stance like a bullet from a gun, with the closing speed to bring down his target. He couldn’t stop the run worth a lick, but that wasn’t really his job. His job was to pillage passers, and no one did it more in the seventies (107) than Hardman. It was a joy seeing him in his second season, still getting duped on traps but firing off the ball and bring down opposing quarterbacks 18 times in 14 games. When I say firing off the ball, I mean I don’t think anyone matched his first step off the edge until Derrick Thomas entered the league.

670. Herman Moore (1991-2002)
Wide Receiver
Detroit Lions, New York Giants

Moore’s prime spanned the seven seasons from 1992 to 1998. Over that time, he trailed only Jerry Rice and Cris Carter in receptions and touchdown catches, and he trailed only Rice and Michael Irvin in receiving yards. Moore went over 1000 TRY in each of those years, the pinnacle of which was his incredible 1995 performance: 123 catches for 1686 yards and 14 touchdowns. He didn’t have the sustained success of some of his contemporary receivers who will appear much higher on this list, but for those seven years, he looked up only to a small group of inner circle legends at the position.

669. Demaryius Thomas (2010-present)
Wide Receiver
Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, New York Jets

Earlier, I wrote that DeSean Jackson is a small guy who plays like a big guy. Well, Thomas is a big guy who plays like a small guy. That isn’t meant as a pejorative, but rather a simple qualitative assessment. Rather than overpowering defenders like Irvin or going over their heads like Moss, Thomas relied heavily on getting the ball in space and outmaneuvering defenders with the ball in his hands. I’d say it worked well for him. During his six year peak, he put up 98 catches for 1374 yards and 9 touchdowns per season. The peak didn’t last very long, but its summit was pretty high. Consider this: among all players’ best TRY seasons, his top season ranks 47th; among all players’ second best seasons, his second ranks 17th; among all players’ third best seasons, his ranks 22nd. The list of receivers with higher cumulative TRY in their best three years is populated entirely by other guys on this list. Thomas put in a heroic effort in the 2011 postseason while catching passes from a semi-pro shot putter, and he put up numbers on par with the best ever when paired with a real quarterback.

668. Ray Rice (2008-2013)
Running Back
Baltimore Ravens

Before effectively getting himself kicked out of the league, Rice spent his six years in the league as Baltimore’s best offensive player outside of Marshal Yanda. Small, compact, and powerful, he was capable of weaving his way through defenders and converting in short yardage with equal success. He rarely lost yardage on plays, constantly moving forward rather than dancing to try to find an opening that didn’t exist. His lack of mass may have hurt him against powerful defensive linemen, as he tended to break or evade tackles against defensive backs after the catch far more often than he did against box defenders on runs, despite having many more rushes (of course, this could also be explained by the condenses field he worked with on run plays, especially in Baltimore’s vanilla offense). Rice averaged over a hundred yards from scrimmage per game for his career (helped, undoubtedly, by its abrupt ending), but his peak came between 2009 and 2012. During that time, he was a true workhorse who proved small backs could stand up to a heavy load, putting up 1877 yards and 10 touchdowns per year. And he almost never fumbled. ^[20]Except in the playoffs. And he fumbled away his career, if you want to get all philosophical about it.

667. Jamal Lewis (2000-2009)
Running Back
Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns

Lewis was a size-speed freak who spent most of his career crashing headlong into stacked boxes, waiting to be cut down like the French at Agincourt. While the Ravens usually sported a solid offensive line, the scheme was suboptimal for rushing efficiency. Nevertheless, Lewis churned out tough yards season after season, and he continued to do so after landing on a hapless Cleveland squad. In 2003, he ran for 2066 yards, just 39 shy of the single season record. That figure ranked second ever, ^[21]It has since been eclipsed by Adrian Peterson’s 2012. and his 129.1 yards per game ranked sixth. Among backs within 200 yards of that figure, only Jim Brown and Earl Campbell are within twenty pound of Lewis’s 245. That sort of production out of a man his size is incredible. He fought his way to a thousand yard season every year until an arrow finally found him on his last charge.

666. Ahman Green (1998-2009)
Running Back
Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks

For the pass-happy Packers of the late Brett Favre era, Ahman Green was the ultimate back, gaining 1000 yards out of the backfield six times with a high of 1,883. Over the course of the years 2000 through 2004, Green led the NFL in both rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage. A home-run hitter out of the backfield, Green is one of only two players in NFL history to have scoring runs of 90 or more yards, along with Bo Jackson. He was also a dangerous pass-catcher, bringing in 50 or more receptions four straight years and twice leading the Pack in catches. Despite the fact that he spent just seven seasons in Green Bay, Green remains the all-time leading rusher for that storied franchise. ^[22]Thanks to Tom Nawrocki for this section on Green.

665. Horace Gillom (1947-1956)
Punter, End
Cleveland Browns

When Dante Lavelli went down with an injury in 1948, Gillom entered the lineup and did a fine job filling in for the Hall of Fame receiver. From the beginning of that season through the end of 1949, he ended up trailing only Lavelli and recent Canton inductee Mac Speedie in receiving yards. But that’s not why Gillom is on this list. He was the greatest punter the game had seen until Ray Guy came along. His reference sheet doesn’t look particularly impressive: six championships and zero all pros. However, he played in an era in which all pro teams didn’t have a special designation for punters. Had it been a possibility, Gillom likely would have had a handful of all pro nods – or an all pro in half the seasons he played. He aided in the evolution of the position by standing farther behind the line than normal, giving himself more space to blast kicks and avoid blocks. In addition, he was an early proponent of hangtime, opting to send the ball high into the air to force fair catches rather than allow returns in the easiest era ever for returners. Gillom was an integral member of those habitually victorious Browns squads, and he should be remembered as such.

664. Ruben Brown (1995-2007)
Offensive Guard
Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears

As a rookie, Brown found his way on Dr. Z’s all pro team. For the next eight seasons, he found himself on the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster, earning another four all pro nods along the way. Yet Brown remains relatively anonymous outside of Buffalo, from a historical perspective. Little fanfare. Only the most modest suggestions that he should, maybe, someday, perhaps entire the Hall of Fame. But consider this: there have been 79 players in history to make it to at least nine Pro Bowls. Of them, 63 are in the Hall of Fame, 10 aren’t yet eligible but will certainly join the gold jackets, ^[23]That’s: Charles Woodson, Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, Joe Thomas, Julius Peppers, Jason Peters, Jason Witten, Larry Fitzgerald, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady. two (John Lynch and Alan Faneca) are recently eligible and have been close to getting in, and three have the AFL stigma (one of whom was also a murderer, which tends to sour perceptions). That leaves Brown, who has not reached the semifinal round since becoming eligible. And that’s a shame. He was a smart, athletic player who was always improving. Brown was a powerhouse, capable of manhandling most any defensive tackle. He wasn’t as quick off the ball in pass pro, which led to too many false starts, but the good certainly outweighed the bad sevenfold.

663. Chris Snee (2004-2013)
Offensive Guard
New York Giants

Snee was an absolute mauler. A tough guy type player who imposed his will upon defensive linemen in the rushing attack. He held a little too much early in his career, but he developed self control as he matured. In the old-school type offenses the Giants preferred during his tenure, execution in the run game was critical because their pre-snap formations often left little room for error. Snee and his linemates worked as a cohesive unit, helping Tiki Barber post his three best seasons and getting guys like Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw over the thousand yard mark. His pass pro wasn’t nearly as good as his run blocking, but it was still good (it’s just that he run blocked like a madman). He rarely allowed sacks or hits on either of his Hall of Fame quarterbacks. His 2007 campaign was among the best in recent memory, culminating in an excellent performance in New York’s upset title win. While he slumped in 2011, he managed to save one of his best performances of the season for the biggest game – another upset of the Patriots. Like many linemen, Snee started making Pro Bowls two years after he deserved it and made one Pro Bowl a year after he stopped deserving it.

662. Levon Kirkland (1992-2002)
Linebacker
Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles

Kirkland didn’t look like your typical inside linebacker. Standing 6’1″ 270 (and up to 300 some years), he looked more like a fullback who could run block and do absolutely nothing else. In some ways, he was like a run blocking fullback on the defensive side, as he plugged holes in the line and blew up plays for no gain regularly. At home near the line of scrimmage, Kirkland wasn’t a liability in coverage, but he wasn’t exactly Derrick Brooks either. Highlight reels will show him making plays in coverage down field, but full games will show plenty of plays where his lack of speed in the open field hurt him. However, he is among the best in history in short yardage, and had he taken his particular set of skills to the 1940s, when running headlong into a pile of robust gentlemen was commonplace for offenses, he’d be a Hall of Famer.

661. Damon Harrison (2012-present)
Nose Tackle
New York Jets, New York Giants, Detroit Lions

Snacks would be higher on the list if the thing he was best at was not the least important thing a defensive tackle can do. Defending the run simply isn’t nearly as valuable as rushing the passer. With that said, when a guy is as good at run defense as Harrison is, it deserves praise. When it comes to the traditional nose/shade tackle role, there has been no one in his class since he became a starter in his second season. Among interior defenders, he lapped the field twice over in run stops. Pro Football Focus is often criticized by fans for reasons, but they are spot on in their assessment of Harrison. Their run defense (out of 100, with 85+ usually being great) grades for him from 2013-2018: 93.0, 87.1, 92.2, 91.6, 92.0, 93.7. ^[24]Among all seasons from interior linemen with at least 250 snaps on run defense, those performances rank 3, 53, 9, 12, 8, 1. So great was his work against the run that he actually earned first team all pro honors in 2016, despite having just 2.5 sacks. The thing that makes him special is that, unlike many nose tackles who gobble up blockers to allow others to make plays, Harrison can eat those blockers but also finishes plays himself at an inordinate rate. He has the mass and lower body strength to anchor against blockers, and he has the upper body power to control them and toss them aside at will.

660. Darryl Talley (1983-1996)
Linebacker
Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings

Talley was a do it all linebacker similar to Seth Joyner or Wilber Marshall. He was excellent in coverage at a time when cover backers didn’t get nearly enough recognition by the general public or those deciding on postseason honors. ^[25]I’m only kidding. They still don’t get their due. While he only had 12 interceptions in his career, that low number can be explained partly by his ability to dissuade passes in his direction. He wasn’t an every down rusher, but he was an effective blitzer when his number was called, picking up a sack in each of his first eleven seasons and 38.5 for his career. In the playoffs, Talley added another 6.5 sacks and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a score.

659. Bobby Boyd (1960-1968)
Cornerback
Baltimore Colts

Boyd could hold his own with anyone in man, but he was superb in zone coverage. With great instincts and a preternatural sense of timing, he was capable of closing in on the ball and getting it back to his offense. He had at least six interceptions in seven separate seasons, and he hauled in another two in the postseason. Few were as strong in run support, which was actually important back then. Moreover, he contributed on special teams, and he was a particularly sure-handed holder on placekicks. With five all pro nods and an all decade selection, Boyd’s recognition from a modern perspective isn’t as high as it should be. He remains one of four defenders from the 1960s all decade team to be left out of the Hall of Fame. ^[26]Others include Tommy Nobis, Larry Morris, and Eddie Meador. Had the guarantee game gone the other, we might be talking about a man with a bronze bust in a small Ohio town right now.

658. Pat Fischer (1961-1977)
Cornerback
Washington, St. Louis Cardinals

Standing just 5’9″ and barely cracking 170 pounds, Fischer didn’t have a frame that would intimidate a high school receiver. That is, until the incredulous receiver ran one route against the tough and physical little firecracker (if he could even get off the line at all, with Fischer doing his best Jimmy Snuka impression at the snap). An early adapter of bump and run coverage, the diminutive corner assaulted receivers from the snap of the ball till the sound of the whistle, up and down the route, play after play. His battles with 6’8″ Harold Carmichael are the stuff of legend serve as a microcosm of his whole career: physically outmatched, he had to play with controlled fury in order to offset his obvious disadvantages. If a quarterback was brazen enough to throw at him, Fischer had the leaping ability and ball skills to make him pay. They didn’t track pass breakups when he played, but he would have likely ranked near the top most years. And for a guy whose size made him a long shot to even reach the league, he played an awful lot of years.

657. Ray Hamilton (1973-1981)
Defensive Tackle
New England Patriots

Probably the first player to assume the role of nose tackle as a regular position, Sugar Bear was a mainstay along the New England line for eight seasons. Over that time, he was able to see his team transform from one that allowed O.J. Simpson to gain nearly 500 of his then-record ^[27]And still yards per game record, by a full ten yards. 2003 rushing yards to a squad that consistently fielded winners. Hamilton was fast and explosive with fine pass rushing talent. In fact, he notched 53.5 sacks as a nose tackle, which is a strong number for the position. Not a stand your ground and wait type of nose, he was always on the attack, looking to penetrate the line to make plays for a loss. Among recent nose tackles, think of him as a much better Jay Ratliff.

656. Bruce Armstrong (1987-2000)
Offensive Tackle
New England Patriots

Armstrong was a physically imposing tackle who could dominate in the run game and was effective in pass protection. He was able to garner some recognition early in his career, despite playing in front of a who’s who of who cares under center. After injury cut his 1992 season short, he managed to come back but wasn’t quite as effective as before, occasionally appearing a little out of shape. However, he maintained his trademark power, and his pass pro taking a hit happened to coincide with Drew Bledsoe joining the team and helping mask some deficiencies along the offensive line. That isn’t to diminish Armstrong’s play, but rather give some context to how he was perceived. Four of his six Pro Bowl invitations came with Bledsoe on the team, while two of his three all pro nods came before the stud passer arrived.

655. Chris Hinton (1983-1995)
Offensive Line
Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings

While much of pop history has relegated Hinton to a footnote in John Elway’s power play, it must be noted that Hinton was a hell of a player for a long time. By nature of the positions they play, he didn’t bring the value of a quarterback, but he did play four different positions across the line at a high level for a dozen years. As a rookie, he earned a trip to the Pro Bowl for his play at left guard. At 32, he earned all pro honors as a right guard. In between, Hinton made five Pro Bowls at left tackle and another at right tackle. But those are just awards. What about his actual play? As an athlete, he rivaled anyone the position has ever seen, and if his skill matched his raw talent, he’d be in the top 200 of this list. On passing downs, he had the movement abilities to mirror speed rushers and the power to stand up to anyone’s bull rush. Hinton was explosive out of his stance and generated movement almost immediately in the run game. In the open field, he was nearly on the level of Randall McDaniel blocking smaller players in space. But he was inconsistent. It might be fair to say he was 100% of a Hall of Fame lineman 70% of the time.

654. Jack Stroud (1953-1964)
Offensive Guard
New York Giants

Jack Stroud anchored the offensive line during what was, meaning no disrespect to Eli Manning, the glory years of the New York Giants. Stroud stepped in at right guard for the Giants in 1953 and helped them reach six NFL title games in the next decade, winning it all in 1956. He was named to three Pro Bowls – the first in 1955, when the Giants were just 6-5-1 – and was second-team All-Pro in six different seasons. Known for his mean streak and his boundless energy, Stroud was one of the first players to take weightlifting seriously, and was considered one of the strongest men in the NFL. The Giants would often add him to a stacked defensive line for their goal-line defense. ^[28]Thanks to Tom Nawrocki for this section on Stroud.

653. Frank Bausch (1934-1941)
Offensive Center
Chicago Bears, Boston, Philadelphia Eagles

Bausch was a big, tough brawler who fought – sometimes literally – for every yard his offense gained. At 6’3″ 220, he cut an imposing figure, and he had the power to back it up. But more than power, it was his attitude and occasionally dirty play that struck fear in the hearts of his opponents. Despite playing in an era when it was pretty hard to get kicked out of a game, Bausch managed to get himself kicked out of two – both for being a bit too much on the pugnacious side. But when he wasn’t punching defenders in the jaw, he was using his massive frame to move them out of the way, sometimes two at a time, on running plays. During his career, Bausch made three all pro teams (as well as a third team selection in 1935 and an honorable mention in 1939), including 1936 when he usurped a prime Mel Hein. Considering how completely and utterly Hein dominated the position, that’s saying something. ^[29]I’d argue that no center has ever dominated the position like Hein, although a guy in the eighties came close in a much tougher era to stand out.

652. Tamba Hali (2006-2017)
Rushbacker
Kansas City Chiefs

Hali didn’t put up jaw-dropping sack totals (though 89.5 is certainly a solid total), and that kept him from receiving the type of acclaim his play merited. Like Howie Long before him, he wasn’t a closer. But he got into the backfield and hit or hurried the passer at a high rate, often making the quarterback move off his spot to take a sack from another player or throw off balance and risk an interception. Hali didn’t just generate a lot of pressure for a guy who has no shot at the Hall of Fame – he outpaced nearly everyone in the league. From 2006-17, only DeMarcus Ware (709) had more pressures than Hali’s 681. ^[30]Yes, this is partly because Von Miller and J.J. Watt didn’t appear in enough games to challenge that number, but it’s still an incredible figure.

651. Mike Stratton (1962-1973)
Linebacker
Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers

Stratton came into the league as a tight end, but a rash of injuries saw him fill in at linebacker. He quickly won the weakside role and patrolled the field as one of the top Will backers in the game for over a decade. Putting in the effort and focus to perfect his technique, he became a sure tackler, an efficient pass rusher, and a sticky coverage artist. If a ball came his way, he used those soft tight end hands to snatch it out of the air. As a well-rounded backer without holes in his game, Stratton is comparable to Steelers legend Jack Ham. Dobre Shunka reached greater heights, and sustained them longer, but Stratton was nonetheless similar in style and substance. He finished his career with 31.5 sacks, 21 interceptions, and two championship victories. In his first title win, he secured an interception in a close game. The following year, he picked up a sack in the title game. During those back-to-back championship runs (1964-65), Stratton was a cog in a defense that went a record 17 consecutive games without allowing a rushing touchdown.

650. Louie Kelcher (1975-1984)
Defensive Tackle
San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers

A big, powerful bruiser, Kelcher was an immovable object in his prime. Early in his career, he had good movement skills that allowed him to rush the passer and chase down backs laterally. While he wasn’t an elite pass rusher like Elam, he could get after the pass about as well as Mean Joe. But it was his work against the run that really stood out. From a functional standpoint, Kelcher was perhaps the most powerful defensive lineman in football in his heyday, and this allowed him to control offensive linemen while he read the backfield, subsequently tossing a fellow giant to the side to wrap up the guy with the football. ^[31]And he did this to the tune of just over 90 tackles per year at his peak. He didn’t maintain his conditioning later on, which led to him adding more mass without necessarily adding more power, and palpably losing speed.