It’s time for the dirty dozenth episode in my endless series The Grand List, or: the top 1000 pro players in history in one fool’s opinion. This section of the list is heavily populated with trench players, but it should have enough skill players to keep casual fans moderately interested (they told me I should sell myself, so I hope that worked). The writeups are probably going to be a little shorter from now on. What can I say? I’m tired.

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.
The Grand List, part 11: Includes players 699-650.

Let’s get into it, friendos.

The Grand List, Continued

649. John Niland (1966-1975)
Offensive Guard
Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles

Niland aptly started a handful of games at tackle as a rookie before moving permanently to guard. He helped backs like Perkins, Hill, Thomas, and Garrison find great rushing success. In the Dallas Super Bowl win over the Dolphins, Niland was dominant against a strong Miami front. His blocking helped pave the way for the Cowboys to gain 252 yards on the ground without a standout rushing performance from any back in particular. As a pass blocker, he fought valiantly to keep early-career Staubach on his feet (this was the Staubach who scrambled often and took too many sacks). Prior to that, he helped Meredith stay upright an attack defenses deep downfield, twice leading the league in yards per completion. Niland finished his career with six Pro Bowl invitations, three all pro nods, and a title win.

648. Dave Butz (1973-1988)
Defensive Line
Washington, St. Louis Cardinals

Big and tall, Butz didn’t have the prototypical build for the interior line. He had to hone his technique to maintain a low center of gravity and avoid losing the leverage battle against shorter offensive linemen. A beast who beat the hell out of unfortunate blockers, much of what Butz did didn’t show up in the box score. For instance, he often occupied double- or even triple-teams, allowing others to make the tackle. Similar to Snacks Harrison, he could fortify his position and stop the offensive line from getting a push on the ground. Against the pass, he wasn’t a great pass rusher, but he was serviceable. However, standing 6’7″ he was able to knock down passes over the middle at a high rate, and had the stat been tracked at the time, he likely would have had a ton of gray or black ink on his résumé. His bio only includes one Pro Bowl and two all pros, but he was worthy in many seasons and had the bad luck of playing during the primes of a few legends and some high-peak, short career players at the position.

647. Jim Ray Smith (1956-1964)
Offensive Guard
Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys

Probably one of the most athletic guards ever, Smith was reported to be among the fastest players on the Browns early in his career. His speed gave him the ability to get downfield in a hurry and free up backs for long runs. He was one of many great lineman who made life easier for Jim Brown. Unfortunately for him, he ended up in Dallas when Cleveland won its only post-Brown-Graham title. However, the five time all pro was a vital part of a line that fostered the team’s transition from Otto to Jim.

646. Tim Harris (1986-1995)
Rushbacker
Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles

Harris was an excellent pass rusher who earned defensive player of the year honors for his 19.5 sack performance in 1989. He also produced a season with 17 sacks and another with 13.5 sacks and two safeties. With only one Pro Bowl and two all pros, he is similar to a few others on this list who could have gotten postseason awards in seasons they were left out. Pretty tall for an edge rusher, he used his long arms to keep blockers off him, and he could easily knock down their hands and get into the backfield to terrorize passers. Harris averaged just under 11 sacks per 16 games, but he only played a full 16 games in five seasons (though he did play the full 12 in 1987).

645. George Webster (1967-1976)
Linebacker
Houston Oilers, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers

Webster played ten seasons of professional football, but he was only really healthy for three of them – his first three. In those years, he made the Pro Bowl and earned consensus all pro honors in each season. Film shows that those honors were well-earned. Big, athletic, and instinctive, Webster seemed to be everywhere at once, making plays sideline to sideline or in the backfield, or holding it down in coverage. He was a ferocious hitter who could make offensive players question their life choices, but he was also a solid form tackler. Although he was never as good after his knee injury, it speaks to his peak that “not playing as well” for him meant he was still a quality starter for another half decade.

644. Wes Welker (2004-2015)
Wide Receiver
New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams

Shifty, smart, tough, and all the other attributes you’d expect to hear used to describe a little white guy, Welker helped bring new relevance to the slot receiver as a primary role. He led the league in catches thrice and went over 100 receptions five times, dominating his area of the field to provide Brady with a dependable short to intermediate option. After averaging 1308 yards and 6 touchdowns per 16 games with New England, he went to a new team with a new scheme and posted a career high in touchdown grabs. His legacy took a hit because of his perceived lack of playoff production and his failure to haul in a somewhat errant pass, but he did have over 80 yards in six of his 13 postseason games – four of which came in losses… three of which were Super Bowl appearances. Playing largely in the slot, Welker often had tough blocking assignments against bigger defenders, but he executed them at a high level, helping the Patriots field several successful rushing offenses without a marquee back. In addition to his blocking, of course, his mere presence on the field usually meant a linebacker was taken off the field, which helped the ground game. The Patriots (and Broncos) put points on the board at a historically dominant rate when Welker played. He retired with seven seasons over 900 True Receiving Yards, including an average of 1570 in his three best years. ^[1]Welker’s top TRY seasons: 1730, 1527, 1454, 1290, 1167, 990, 965 The four time all pro was also a decent return man.

643. Kam Chancellor (2010-2017)
Safety
Seattle Seahawks

The prototype big box safety of his era, Bam Bam Kam could hone in on ball carriers and unleash hits that seemed to make them play scared for the rest of the game (ask Demaryius Thomas). With a knack for taking on lead blocks and effectively destroying the assignment, Chancellor could also strike fear in the hearts of those without the ball (ask Eric Winston). More than just a human highlight reel, he was consistent on a down to down basis, rarely having major lapses in coverage. I’d argue that consistency is more valuable than playmaking from a defensive back, and the ability to have both is both rare and invaluable. His ability to cover underneath while playing the run well enough to serve as a de facto linebacker allowed the Legion of Boom to flourish with their cover 3.

642. Harrison Smith (2012-present)
Safety
Minnesota Vikings

Smith has spent his career as a Swiss Army Knife type safety. I don’t mean bad at a wide variety of things, like an actual Swiss Army Knife. I mean good at an array of tasks, as we use the term in the vernacular. Smith can play close to the line to attack the run or blitz, or feign the blitz and drop deep, he can play deep like a traditional free safety, and he can play in the slot – all at a high level. Like most instinctive players, his brain allows him to play faster than his measurables. His brain also earned him the trust from his coaching staff to freelance on occasion, because he can do so with the grand scheme of the defense in mind, and he typically has positive results. So far, he has been to five Pro Bowls and made an equal number of all pro teams (including second-team nods), and he only has room to climb this list.

641. Jurrell Casey (2011-present)
Defensive Line
Tennessee Titans

Casey, a five-time Pro Bowler, has played tackle in a 4-3 and end in a 3-4, but his best work has come as a three technique, regardless of the nominal base defense of his team. He has never been flashy with speed or power, like a Geno Atkins or Ndamukong Suh, but he has been consistently productive his entire career. Great at getting pressure up the guy, Casey has a quick first step that offsets his relative lack of brute force. This allows him to deal with more powerful blockers at a balance disadvantage and puts him in position to use his nasty swim move to find his way into the backfield. He has good, active hands that he uses to keep blockers at bay, but much of what he does revolves around that split second after the snap.

640. Roddy White (2005-2015)
Wide Receiver
Atlanta Falcons

White spent the better part of a decade as the reliable and consistent top receiver for the Falcons. He excelled in the absence of quality quarterback play, and he gracefully found his niche as the team’s second option when an all time receiving talent came to town. The dominance of Julio has led some to forget about White, and that’s a shame. From 2007-12, he was a four-time Pro Bowler and an all pro choice, averaging 1297 yards and 8 touchdowns per season. He didn’t disappoint in the playoffs, seeming to post solid games in losing efforts. Although he wasn’t a burner, he ran crisp routes and could get open deep, and he had soft hands to haul in the target. White’s career includes seven seasons over 900 TRY, six of which were over 1200. ^[2]White’s top TRY seasons: 1704, 1528, 1503, 1362, 1265, 1235, 926. To boot, he was a plus run blocker.

639. Gerald McCoy (2010-present)
Defensive Tackle
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers

The four-time all pro was the closest the Bucs ever came in a long line of attempts to replace Warren Sapp. While McCoy isn’t quite on that level, he has been among the league’s best interior defenders from day one. He has plenty of lower body mass that allows him to hunker down against the run, but it’s his pass rushing that makes him great. With an explosive first step, McCoy is able to get quick penetration and find himself in the backfield in a flash. That translates to regular interior pressure on the passer. When the speed move doesn’t work, he can convert to a power move mid-play and catch blockers off guard. All these traits have helped him notch 59.5 sacks in his 139 games – a fine total for a tackle.

638. Eddie George (1996-2004)
Running Back
Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys

George was a hard-nosed runner who would rather run through tacklers than run around them. At 6’3″ 235, he had the build to take a beating without retreating. And it’s a good thing, because his teams ran him into the ground. He started the first 139 games of his career without missing a contest despite averaging over 23 touches per game over his first eight seasons. ^[3]His total of 52 games with over 25 carries is more than any other player in history through eight seasons. George converted those touches into 1519 yards and 9 touchdowns per year over that span. He gets guff for his low career rushing average, but a large portion of his low yards per carry can be attributed to the situations in which he was used and the style of offense he played (constantly smashing his head into stacked boxes running behind a fullback or two tight end sets).

637. Jim Everett (1986-1997)
Quarterback
Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers

Everett is an interesting study in production versus perception. He made one Pro Bowl in his career. He also led the league in touchdown passes twice and led all passers in touchdowns from 1988-90. Everett was one of the top passers in the game in a handful of years, and he played well without a great team around him (though he did have a talented number one option in Ellard). When he got a decent number two in Flipper Anderson, he put together a three year span where he averaged 28 touchdowns per year. That doesn’t sound like much today, but it’s five more than Aikman ever threw and one more than Elway’s career high. His time on top didn’t last long, but it was not properly appreciated when it happened, and the perception is more warped today. ^[4]Among quarterbacks with at least 1500 action plays, Everett ranks 54th in Total Adjusted Yards above average (VAL) at 2466 and 53rd in TAYP+ (105.2).

636. Carson Palmer (2004-2017)
Quarterback
Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders

Palmer started strong and looked like the next big thing until an injury in his first playoff game threw his career off its trajectory. ^[5]He only got off one pass in that playoff game – a 66 yard completion to Chris Henry. In 2005, he had a decent argument for taking home MVP honors, and in hindsight it’s clear the award should have gone to him or Manning the Elder. After bouncing around the league and dealing with myriad injuries, he found himself playing at an MVP level a decade later. In fact, I gave him my Automatic Award from MVP in 2015, and big-brand publication Pro Football Focus gave him their highest honor as well. Aesthetically, Palmer was as close to perfect as it gets. If a coach wanted to show film of one quarterback for a young disciple to learn technique, it would be hard to name many more appropriate than he. With a big arm, great economy of motion, and a great release, he was unafraid to push the ball down the field. I call him greedy, a little like Namath or Marino. Had he stayed healthy, I have little doubt he’d rank much higher on this list, and it’s really a shame how injuries have robbed the Bengals of two potential superduperstars. ^[6]Among qualifying quarterbacks, he ranks 52nd in VAL (2575) and 60th in TAYP+ (104.9).

635. Jimmy Conzelman (1920-1929)
Quarterback (pre-modern)
Milwaukee Badgers, Providence Steam Roller, Detroit Panthers, Rock Island Independents

Like many of his era, Conzelman was a transient player, never sticking around in one place for too long. A two-time all pro, he was a versatile player who could serve effectively as a passer, runner, or receiver depending on the situation. Of his 29 career touchdowns, 11 came as a pass catcher. He was lean and wiry and tricky to get a hand on in the open field. On defense, he was known as a heady player, which makes sense given his role as a player coach. Conzelman would be a little lower on this list based solely on actual play, but his ability to add value to his team as a coach in perhaps the most coach-dependent major American sport cannot be ignored. He led his team to a title as a player and later captured another title as the head coach of the Chicago Cardinals.

634. Ace Parker (1937-1946)
Quarterback (pre-modern)
Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, Boston-Brooklyn Yanks

In Parker’s day, the name of the game was versatility, and by golly Parker had it in spades. He was an excellent downfield passer whose AY/A+ scores in qualifying seasons are: 148, 177, 104, 132, 103, 117 (where 100 is average and 115 is a full standard deviation above average). Not bad. He was also a skilled defensive back who didn’t always make big plays on the ball but was consistent in coverage. His 1940 campaign was special. He was the most productive player in the game on both offense and defense, in a league that featured Baugh and Hutson. On offense, he ranked second in touchdown passes and eleventh in scrimmage yards, and he added a league leading 19 extra points for good measure. On defense, he led all players in interceptions and scores. For his efforts, he took home the Joe Carr Trophy, making him one of just eight players to have an official NFL MVP award. ^[7]Although the AP’s award is the most well known and, perhaps, the de facto award, there is no official award. The NFL itself has recognized a number of MVP awards, including the AP, NEA, UPI, … Continue reading Parker was named to five all pro teams despite losing three years of his prime to the war.

633. Red Grange (1925-1934)
Running Back (pre-modern)
Chicago Bears, New York Yankees

The Galloping Ghost’s play at the pro level didn’t quite match his reputation, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a great player. It really just means people got carried away with the superlatives in the 1920s, and no one could have lived up to the hype Grange has in his heyday. He was a very good runner and a great defender. Aside from being the sport’s biggest attraction who helped add legitimacy to the young league in the public’s view, he delivered on the field both before and after his career-altering knee injury. When he entered the NFL, he was as spry as a young hare, making quick cuts in the open field that left defenders dizzy. After injury robbed him of much of his quickness in 1927, he remained a solid ball player, with a new style that saw him try to fall forward more. In an era when even living legends had to throw blocks, Grange was one of the best. He was also a ballhawking safetyman who seemed to have an innate understanding of what offenses were doing (we can’t exactly chalk his instincts up to film study).

632. Fritz Pollard (1920-1926)
Running Back (pre-modern)
Akron Pros, Milwaukee Badgers, Hammond Pros, Providence Steamroller, Akron Indians, Union Club of Phoenixville, Gilberton Cadamounts

Pollard’s career ended prematurely due to institutionalized racism, but he set the field ablaze whenever he stepped foot on it. With super straight line speed and efficient cuts in the open field, he made a habit of making defenders look foolish. Although he was smaller than most players on the field, opponents couldn’t overpower him if they couldn’t get a hand on him. Stats are unavailable, but his open field running ability also made him a feared punt returner (in an era when field position was paramount). Pollard was also a great secondary defender on a team that allowed 0.6 points per game as the NFL’s (APFA’s) inaugural champion. As a player-coach in 1921, he became the first black head coach in the league’s history.

631. Tuffy Leemans (1936-1943)
Running Back (pre-modern)
New York Giants

Leemans isn’t a household name, but he was highly thought of in his era. His seven all pro selections in his eight year career attest to that. He was a well-rounded talent, as was required in the pre-war NFL – he was an excellent runner, a decent passer, and plus return man, and a good defender. With the ball in his hands, his style might remind one of Emmitt Smith, not juking defenders out of their shoes, but setting up defenders to land only glancing blows, allowing him to pick up extra yardage and avoid a bit of punishment. Leemans wasn’t necessarily big or fast, but he was nonetheless adept at breaking free from tackles, like an ur-Beast Mode.

630. Spec Sanders (1946-1950)
Running Back/Quarterback (pre-modern)
New York Yankees/Yanks

Another guy who could do it all. Sanders only played four seasons of pro football, but those seasons were remarkable. In his first two campaigns, he led the league in yardage each year. As a rookie, he led the league in kick return and punt return touchdowns. His sophomore season was one for the ages. He led the AAFC in rushing by a country mile – his 1432 yards dwarfed the 902 by runner-up Johnny Stryzkalski and were a pro record eventually broken by Jim Brown. Sanders also led the league with 18 touchdowns, which were also a pro record that stood until Jim Taylor ran behind his loaded line. In addition to his rushing prowess, Sanders ranked fifth in passing scores and fourth in passer rating. He retired after the 1948 season but was persuaded to play one more year in 1950. Because of knee injuries, Sanders chose to focus solely on defense. The result: he led the newly merged NFL with 13 interceptions, a figure that still ranks second for a single season. Sanders did have an issue with his punts getting blocked, but even mighty Achilles had that confounded heel.

629. Kris Jenkins (2001-2010)
Defensive Line
Carolina Panthers, New York Jets

If you average his play out over his full career, Jenkins would still be on this list, albeit much lower. However, he isn’t here for his average performance; he is here for what he did when he wasn’t out with or playing through injury. A massive tackle with nearly unbridled power, he simply could not be moved and would occasionally ragdoll a 300 pound man. More than just bulk, Jenkins also possessed an electric first step and a hand pop that put opposing linemen on their heels immediately. With all pro selections in his second and third year in the league, he was on his way to being in the Hall of Fame conversation before injuries caused him to missed two seasons in the prime of his career and hampered his play thereafter.

628. Tim Krumrie (1983-1994)
Nose Tackle
Cincinnati Bengals

Krumrie was a nose tackle, so what acclaim he managed to receive during his career was not concomitant with his performance. That’s just how it goes for the guys who don’t get fancy sack numbers in their box scores. But the man was an animal – a frenetic force around the line of scrimmage. When you think of a nose, the prototypical version is a big guy who stands his ground and lets everyone else clean up. Krumrie was different. He had incredible lateral playmaking ability and could chase down ball carriers sideline to sideline like a Mike linebacker. It’s why you would see him at or near 100 tackles a year in his prime. Over the course of his career, he eclipsed 1000 tackles, which is great for any lineman and completely outlandish for a nose tackle. I named the relentless Krumrie the league’s top tackle in both 1987 and 1988.

627. Olin Kreutz (1998-2011)
Offensive Center
Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints

Among football players, offensive linemen tend to be considered relatively unathletic (though they are in the top one percent of the artful bipeds on this whirling globe). Well, even among linemen, Kreutz was on the low end of athleticism. However, he was a technician whose tenacity made up for his relative lack of physical talent. He had sound leverage and could get to a defender’s hip to take him out of the play, and he was adept at keeping control with his hands. His relentlessness was on display on the occasions he got beat, as he was never content to take a loss. He’d work hard to get back in control of his man. Unfortunately, his lack of athleticism hurt him in some of those cases, as when he was unable to reestablish position, he would hold more than other greats at the position.

626. Nate Newton (1986-1999)
Offensive Guard
Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers

Nicknamed The Kitchen because he was bigger than The Fridge, Newton resembled a modern lineman who stumbled upon a time machine and used it to play three decades in the past. He was a giant who had good movement skills and could physically impose himself on his adversaries. His pass protection wasn’t elite, but it was good, and he did a fine job keeping his passers upright in a scheme that asked much of him. In the run game, Newton was downright scary. A true force of nature, he used his incredible bulk and considerable lower body strength to drive overpowered defenders off the line. He earned the NFL Alumni award for top lineman in 1994, and I named him the league’s best guard the following year.

625. Muhsin Muhammad (1996-2009)
Wide Receiver
Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears

Other receivers of his era were more celebrated for their blocking, but for my money, Moose was the top run blocking receiver of his day. He didn’t have the highlight reel hits that gave people an inflated sense of someone’s ability, but rather he consistently moved defenders out of the play. Muhammad manhandled defensive backs and was solid blocking linebackers as well. Of course, being the best at a relatively unimportant aspect of his job doesn’t get a receiver this high on the list. Fortunately, he was good at the primary role, too. he played on teams that were allergic to throwing the football, but he put up great numbers in that context. Despite only having three 1000 yard bouts in his career, his CV boasts nine seasons over 900 TRY, maxing out at 1641. ^[8]Muhammad’s top TRY seasons: 1641, 1300, 1296, 1205, 1154, 1046, 1038, 946, 900 My inexplicable love for diva receivers may be the only thing that kept me from naming him the top wideout in the league in 2004.

624. Warrick Dunn (1997-2008)
Running Back
Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dunn was a speedy back who reportedly ran a 4.28 40, though you should always take unofficial times with a heaping spoonful of salt. While his track speed may be in question, his speed on the football field is not. He regularly made defenders look like they were playing in work boots, with his diminutive frame blazing by his lumbering foes. Over twelve seasons, spread almost exactly equally across two teams, Dunn averaged 1353 yards and 6 touchdowns per 16 games. The touchdown numbers are low, but I believe touchdown figures for backs tend to be more a product of the offense as a whole. Dunn was hard to get a hand on in the open field, and he was a reliable receiver out of the backfield. He was good for about 40 catches and 360 receiving yards a year, which were a big part of him being one of just five backs with at least eleven seasons over 1000 yards from scrimmage. Despite sporting a frame that many doubted to take a beating in the NFL, Dunn was able to amass 15306 career yards, 14th in history at the time he retired.

623. Bob Baumhower (1977-1986)
Nose Tackle
Miami Dolphins

Tall and long, Baumhower didn’t have a frame that was suited to playing in close quarters, but he thrived regardless. He was technically sound, and he always seemed to be aware of maintaining his leverage, which is more difficult for a taller player. His attention to leverage, in addition to his sequoia-like lower body enabled him to anchor against blocks, and his length provided him the ability to keep blockers off his body and shed them like a linebacker. With the athleticism of a defensive end, he produced a fine pass rush on the interior. Put it all together, and you have a five-time all pro who was the fulcrum of the Killer Bs swarming attack.

622. Ike Lassiter (1962-1971)
Defensive End
Oakland Raiders, Boston/New England Patriots

Lassiter was more than just the guy who fractured Broadway Joe’s jaw in the Heidi Game. He was an upper echelon pass rusher who was both more productive and more impactful than his more celebrated bookend Ben Davidson. Not a speed rusher, though he was quick, Lassiter was a big man (6’5″ 270) who had great play strength. He played the run well, like Faison or Tombstone, but his forte was getting to the passer. Solid line play and an interception earned him his only Pro Bowl invitation in 1966, but he was arguably the best end in the AFL the following year. In 1967, Lassiter led all players with 17 sacks – a number erroneously attributed to Davidson for decades.

621. Jerry Ball (1987-1999)
Defensive Line
Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, Cleveland Browns

The aptronymic Ball stood 6’1″ and would play as heavy as 350 pounds (though he was more effective around 330), slamming through the offensive line like an actual wrecking ball. He was at his best as a nose tackle, where he could occupy two – or sometimes three – blockers himself and still manage to get a push. But he was also productive as a traditional tackle, where he could focus more on penetrating. Ball was an effective interior pass rusher early in his career, where his raw power and short area quickness allowed him to push pockets and move QBs off their spots, but his effectiveness slipped when his conditioning went by the wayside. However, even when diminished physical capability affected his pass rush, he remained a stout run defender throughout his whole career.

620. Ryan Kalil (2007-present)
Offensive Center
Carolina Panthers, New York Jets

In a meaningless bit of trivial oddity, Kalil has made four all pro teams in his career – one every odd year from 2009-15. He blocked primarily for QBs who held the ball a long time due to downfield nature of the scheme (Cam) or QBs who were just bad (everyone else). Despite that, he managed to protect his passers effectively. He had good quickness and awareness and was especially adept at recognizing a blitzer and sliding into position to stop the rush. Equally skilled as a run blocker, his athleticism enabled him to excel blocking in space at the second level. Kalil has struggled a bit with powerful nose tackle types throughout his career, but the nature of modern offenses necessitating those guys off the field more often than in years past, that problem hasn’t occurred all too often.

619. Travis Frederick (2013-2019)
Offensive Center
Dallas Cowboys

Perhaps the position’s most dominant run blocker of his era, Frederick was set up for what seemed like an eventual spot in Canton before an autoimmune disease ended his career. He wasn’t a workout warrior, but he had tremendous functional power that he used to drive block like few centers ever have. But he was more than power. His technique was a thing of beauty, and no one could execute difficult reach blocks without sacrificing power like he could. Frederick was also a quality pass blocker who transitioned well from pocket magician Tony Romo to inexperienced Dak Prescott. He sometimes had heavy feet that saw him lose balance in pass pro, but his feet improved as he toiled to refine his technique. In a perfect world, he may be talking about a top 300 player right now.

618. Kyle Williams (2006-2018)
Defensive Line
Buffalo Bills

Williams made six pro bowls and two all pro teams in his career and somehow still didn’t receive near the praise he deserved. He brought consistent pressure and provided quality run defense for a team that lacked in star power around him. Apt at nose or under tackle, he could always be counted on to cause chaos in the backfield, even if he didn’t always pick up a sack (though 48.5 sacks is a solid number for a tackle). Williams was an active tackle in the mold of Krumrie or McMichael, who never relented and was able to succeed in spite of his athletic limitations. He had enough real power to hold his own against doubles and enough football acumen to diagnose and go from there. His speed wasn’t always enough to make the play, but his hustle allowed him to clean up, and he often chased backs into the arms of teammates.

617. Gary Clark (1984-1995)
Wide Receiver
Washington, Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Bulls

Clark was a small, fast big play threat who opened things up for everyone else around him. He often competed for targets with other great players, like Hall of Fame teammate Art Monk. While Clark didn’t have the career Monk had, his ability to break a game open at any time made him more feared by secondaries and coaches. As regular Football perspective readers may recall, Clark was uniquely dominant in 1991; he was a great receiver on a strong offense who still managed to command big target numbers. With eight seasons over 900 TRY, Clark was remarkably consistent for his style of play, and with an absurd 1894 TRY in 1991, he showed he was sometimes unstoppable. ^[9]Clark’s top TRY seasons: 1894, 1457, 1372, 1355, 1285, 1225, 999, 932 He was also a big game player, catching a touchdown pass in both of his Super Bowl appearances.

616. Darren Sharper (1997-2010)
Safety
Green Bay packers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints

An all star safety and degenerate serial rapist, Sharper was a playmaker who had 9 interceptions in three separate seasons, on three different teams, nine years apart. He led the league in return yards and touchdowns thrice apiece. His 63 interceptions put him eighth on the career list, while his yards and scores rank third and second, respectively. A centerfielder through and through, he seemed to have little interest in run support, seemingly always looking to make the big play on the pass. While his numbers suggest a higher ranking, his inconsistency on an every down basis knocked him down on my list. ^[10]My placement of him doesn’t come from my disgust in his as a person. Off the field stuff won’t come into play on this list. I will, after all, have men like Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson, … Continue reading

615. Joey Browner (1983-1992)
Safety
Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tall and thick, Browner maybe more than anyone else embodies the archetype strong safety role. He was a strong guy who could hit like a Louisville Slugger. He played like a heat seeking missile, constantly looking for something to blow up, but he could also tackle well rather than just whiffing when going for the kill shot. Browner was athletic and could cover a lot of ground in coverage or on run plays sideline to sideline. He had a great vertical leap and could turn a surefire deep strike into an incompletion with his ability to go over a receiver and knock the ball away. Among guys who were good in coverage, he is one of the better run support safeties in modern history. Dr. Z described him as “a freewheeling banger” and “a wild man who’s all over the field,” which is a testament to his frenzied play. Browner earned four all pro nods in his career, and I named him the league’s top safety in 1987 and 1990.

614. Aqib Talib (2008-present)
Cornerback
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams

Talib is a throwback corner who plays aggressive man coverage, harassing receivers up and down the field all day. At his best, he pressed the line of scrimmage and dared his man to get a clean release. With the deadly combination of length, instincts, and ball skills, he made downfield passing a losing proposition for the opposition. His play earned him a handful of Pro Bowls, a pair of all pro nods, and a Super Bowl ring. Moving to the Broncos in 2014, he joined a team that had perhaps the best slot corner ever, and he provided the team with valuable elite perimeter coverage. Playing behind a horrifying pass rush, the No Fly Zone took Denver to the Promised Land.

613. Al Blozis (1942-1944)
Defensive End, Offensive Tackle
New York Giants

A mountain of a man, especially for his era, Blozis played at 6’6″ 250, towering over the competition. He had a short career of just 23 games, but he gets here based on dominance alone. On the field, he was lauded for his work as an offensive tackle, where he would use brute force and sheer tyranny of will to put opponents wherever he wanted them. But his defense was even better. In fact, in his brief time in the league, he was among the most dominant defensive ends in history, in the Pantheon with names like Reggie and Deacon. His play was enough to get him a spot on the all-decade team despite playing just two seasons and two games of a third season. If a DPOY award existed at the time, he surely would have taken it home in 1943. While he played like a hero on the field, he actually was a hero off it. After years of trying to persuade the Army to accept him, he was granted an exception and joined the fight against Nazis. In France, he died from German machine gun fire while searching for men under his command. None other than the great Mel Hein once opined that Blozis could have been the best in history had he not died in war.

612. Larry Grantham (1960-1974)
Linebacker
New York Titans/Jets, Florida Blazers

Stylistically, I think of Grantham as basically a poor man’s Jack Ham. That sounds like an insult till you stop to consider how good Ham was. Grantham didn’t have many weaknesses as a player; he could cover well, stop the run, blitz when called upon, and he was smart. He was a playmaker with 33 sacks and 24 interceptions, along with plenty of stops at or behind the line. Though he wasn’t a powerful guy with the block shedding ability of a Butkus or Lewis, he was able to use his quickness and savvy to make blockers miss him on his way to the ball. For his efforts, he earned an all pro selection in nine different seasons, which demonstrates the steady consistency with which he played.

611. Matt Forte (2008-2017)
Running Back
Chicago Bears, New York Jets

Forte could do it all, and he may be the modern prototype for what a Hall of Fame back looks like moving forward. He could run well, was a great receiver with sure hands, and was decent in pass protection. Unappreciated during his prime, he consistently produced. In his first nine seasons, he averaged 1647 yards and 9 touchdowns per 16 games on some pretty pedestrian teams. In Chicago, he had 65 catches for 549 yards a year. Fast, but no blazing. Big, but not huge. Good moves, but not Barry. Forte is overlooked partly due to his lack of physical traits that jump off the screen. He was just a beautiful combination of all the things that make running backs good. He had a good initial burst and used his vision and subtle change of direction skills to create yards where he had no business getting them.

610. Tommy Hart (1968-1980)
Defensive End
San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints

Hart was an awesome end in an era full of awesome ends, which made it hard for him to stand out (hence the relatively unimpressive postseason honors). He was the bookend to Cedrick Hardman in the feared Gold Rush defense of San Francisco. Whereas Hardman was a pure rusher who couldn’t stop the run, Hart was a complete player. He could set the edge and redirect or make the play himself against the run, and he wasn’t susceptible to trap plays. With a wide array of pass rush moves, he could get to the passer with the best of them. It was Hart who broke the great Dan Dierdorf’s shutout streak that had lasted three seasons.

609. Jack Gregory (1967-1979)
Defensive End
New York Giants, Cleveland Browns

Gregory could line up anywhere in Jim Garrett’s flexible defense, but he primarily played at end. The system allowed him to avoid many double teams, and he capitalized on his one on one opportunities. He wasn’t the fastest or the strongest, but he excelled due to refined skill and either instincts or film study (it’s hard to tell the difference on tape). He did have very good leverage that allowed him to use power moves effectively, even if he wasn’t gym strong. Gregory worked his way to 103 career sacks, including a career-high 18.5 in 1972. He was kind of a bigger Hardman with more power and less speed.

608. Le’Veon Bell (2013-present)
Running Back
Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets

Bell’s style is usually described as patient. And he is patient, sometimes to a fault. In fact, he seems more hesitant to hit a hole than anyone I have ever seen. ^[11]Among guys actually good at playing the position. I was hesitant the first time the coach put me in at RB, but that’s because I was an embarrassment to the position. He lost a year of his prime discovering how much the league values running backs, but he came back pretty well behind a poor line with an unimaginative scheme, showing that his style could still work on a worse team. Bell has always had soft hands and the ability to provide value out of the backfield, with 63 catches and 520 yards per season so far. His per 16 game averages for his career are 1921 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns, which ain’t half bad.

607. Hardy Nickerson (1987-2002)
Linebacker
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers

Nickerson was a fine ILB in a 30 front, but he was more at home as the Mike in a 40 front. He had good playmaking numbers with 12 picks, 19 forced fumbles, and 21 sacks in his career. Despite his tackle numbers in real life not matching up with the ones reported on reference sites, ^[12]For instance, his legendary 214 tackle performance in 1993 didn’t really happen. Play by play accounts have him with 155 tackles. In the games I watched, I had him at a hair under 10 tackles … Continue reading he was nonetheless a tackling machine who seemed to suck runners into his arms like a black hole. He was solid in coverage, as a MLB had to be in the Tampa 2 defense, and he helped a young Buccaneers team grow into a squad that would ultimately reach the mountain top without him.

606. Jerome Bettis (1993-2005)
Running Back
Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams

Predominantly a fullback at the Notre Dame, Bettis set the school’s single season touchdown record as a sophomore and left for the NFL after his junior year. Drafted by the LA Rams, 21-yr old Bettis made an immediate impact rushing for 1429 yards en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and was the only rookie selected to the ’93 AP All-Pro team (a feat not achieved again until Randy Moss in ’99.) After struggling for a season and a half, Bettis flourished again after a ’96 draft day trade sent him to Pittsburgh where he achieved his second first-team AP All-Pro nod. A consistent, physical runner, Bettis rumbled to six consecutive 1,000 yard seasons and rushed for over 100 yards in a game 40 times during that span (96-01), eight times more than any other runner. Ever a popular figure, “The Bus” was at his best in prime time, rushing for over 100 yards in each of his first eight appearances on ABC’s Monday Night Football. After his production declined and his role was reduced, Bettis had a resurrection in his penultimate season, teaming with a rookie Ben Roethlisberger to help the Steelers to a 16-2 campaign which saw Bettis rush for 100 yards in seven of eight starts (including the playoffs) after filling in for an injured Duce Staley. In his 13th and final season, Bettis went out a Super Bowl champion despite his own costly postseason gaffe that nearly ended the Steelers run to glory. Elected to the PFHOF in 2015, his 1837 rushing yards amassed during the 1997 regular and postseason remains the franchise record. ^[13]Thanks to Bus aficionado Jay Schroe for writing this piece on Bettis. Give the guy a follow on Twitter. Note from me: Bettis is often slandered as a compiler, but his success rate was always … Continue reading

605. Derrick Johnson (2005-2018)
Linebacker
Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders

Johnson could play outside or inside, in a 3-4 or a 4-3, with equal effectiveness. He was a disciplined played who rarely seemed to make mistakes or incorrect reads. In addition to his consistency, he was also a playmaker. With 27 sacks, 14 picks for four scores, and 22 forced fumbles, his play warranted him being a household name. Johnson could cover well and defend the run at a high level, and his smarts allowed him to continue to thrive when his body couldn’t do what it did in his prime.

604. Alex Mack (2009-present)
Offensive Center
Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons

Mack is everything you want in a center. Smart, long, strong, with accurate hands and a strong pop, great feet, and fluid movement in pass protection. His rare balance allows him to stay with the quickest interior rushers, and it also helps him maintain his power when playing in close quarters. Mack has an elite ability to get downfield and pick off linebackers like so many flies. He doesn’t overwhelm defenders with highlight reel blocks, but he is a model of consistency who rarely has bad days at the office.

603. Stephon Gilmore (2012-present)
Cornerback
Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots

Early in his career, Gilmore was frustrating in his inconsistency. He showed flashes of greatness in Buffalo before finding a better scheme fit and elevating to the best in the game in New England. By best in the game, I mean he worked himself into the best man corner and one of the best zone corners, the best outside corner and one of the best slot corners. Few can say they excel in all those areas. He plays tight man coverage and can reroute receivers off the line, but he can also make plays on the ball, breaking up passes or intercepting them outright. Gilmore has excellent recognition for route combinations and the athletic skill to bait passers when he wants.

602. Lane Johnson (2013-present)
Offensive Tackle
Philadelphia Eagles

Johnson is a rare athlete for the position. He’s long and strong and can move like a linebacker, and he has taken advantage of that physical skill to become the best run blocking right tackle in football. Johnson has the athleticism to stay with speed rushers and the power to anchor and stalemate power rushers. He has only played two full seasons in his career, sometimes due to his own choices. There is no doubt he would be higher on this list with less time lost, but he has plenty of time to move up in the future.

601. Mitchell Schwartz (2012-present)
Offensive Tackle
Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns

In some ways, Schwartz is the anti-Lane Johnson. He is a passable but not necessarily impressive athlete, and while the Eagles tackle is tops in the run game, Schwartz has become the best pass blocking right tackle in football. He has a gorgeous pass set he uses to maintain a clean pocket for his passer, and his precise and explosive hands keep defenders from getting their hands on him. While he seals the edge well, he isn’t a dominant drive blocker, so his overall work in the run game could be described as pretty good, but not great. However, the passing game is where the value is, and he is the best at it, including one of the best playoff runs any player has ever had (in which he allowed 0 sacks, 0 hits, and 1 hurry over the course of three games in 2019).

600. Chuck Drazenovich (1950-1959)
Linebacker
Washington

More than just a four-time Pro Bowler or three-time all pro, Drazenovich was a pioneer as the league’s first full-time middle linebacker. ^[14]No, it actually wasn’t Bill George or Sam Huff. The eye in the sky doesn’t lie. TJ Troup agrees, and yes, he knows more than you. He disengaged with blockers with aplomb, and he had a seemingly innate feel for how the play would unfold and positioned himself accordingly. Once in place, he would hit with extreme prejudice and had a knack for separating the ball from runners. He would have better postseason honors if he wasn’t a direct contemporary of three guys who will appear later on this list.