It’s time for the fifteenth installment of The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players in football history. Or something like that. This is an ideal post for long ball fetishists, nose tackle aficionados, and fans of linemen who were underrated because of the skill players for whom they blocked. Please send all hate mail to Chase. He loves reading that stuff.

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.
The Grand List, part 12: Includes players 649-600.
The Grand List, part 13: Includes players 599-550.
The Grand List, part 14: Includes players 549-500.

Enjoy.

The Grand List, continued

499. Rob Burnett (1990-2003)
Defensive End
Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins

Burnett wasn’t a highly celebrated player even at his peak, and he certainly isn’t celebrated now. I think that has something to do with his defensive end role not being a primarily pass rush focused one. In fact, it’s fair to say his play allowed his bookend to take that role. Burnett was a phenomenal force player who could set the edge with quickness or power, sometimes just walking tackles right into the path of the ball carrier. Unlike many such players, he was also a capable pass rusher who picked up 73 sacks in his career. As a stout, heavier end, he usually sank inside on passing downs and provided a solid interior rush. His talents allowed the Ravens front to operate at peak efficiency, particularly allowing McCrary to tee off on passers. Having two edge defenders who could both disrupt the backfield and both played with a high motor made life difficult for opposing passers and backs (and, of course, linemen). Burnett only made one Pro Bowl and one all pro second team, though Dr. Z did name him the top defensive end in 2000.

498. Winston Hill (1963-1977)
Offensive Tackle
New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams

Hill was a legendary pass protector, though Namath’s quick release made him appear a bit better than he actually was. He was big and athletic, nimble and fluid. His power was significant, but he didn’t exert his dominance with power like a Boomer Brown. Instead, he used finesse and superior athletic ability to win his battles. Hill showed near perfect footwork, but he could occasionally get thrown off balance in pass pro. He also seemed to have trouble with stronger defenders like Faison or Tombstone if his form slipped for even a millisecond. His exploits in pass pro make it seem like he couldn’t run block, but that isn’t the case. Hill could seal his man from the play with apparent ease, though he wasn’t a dominant drive blocker. His athleticism made him a good downfield blocker who could pick up defenders on the move. Impressively, he was an all pro at both left and right tackle.

497. Gary Johnson (1975-1985)
Defensive Tackle
San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers

I named Johnson the winner of the Mean Award for 1980, when he put up 17.5 sacks as an interior rusher. That’s an outlandish, Page/Randle/Donald type number. But he was more than just a pass rusher. He could also defend the run well, and his quickness was one of his best assets, enabling him to beat blockers off the snap or split doubles to either make plays in the backfield or force the runner into the arms of another defender. Johnson was part of a fierce defense on a Chargers squad that looked primed for a championship, but he soon became one of the lone great defenders after ownership decided not to pay the other greats on that side of the ball. The good news is, he finally got his ring with a move to San Francisco in his penultimate season. And he wasn’t just along for the ride – he sacked Fuller twice in the NFC Championship Game and then notched a rare takedown of Marino in the Super Bowl.

496. Haloti Ngata (2006-2018)
Defensive Line
Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles

I recall watching football with my wife and turning the channel to a Steelers-Ravens game. I commented “Check out number 92. That guy’s awesome.” As if on cue, Ben Roethlisberger dropped back to pass, and number 92 got one hand on celebrated young center Maurkice Pouncey and threw the young star about nine feet into the backfield on the way to busting the play. Coming out of Oregon, Ngata weighed in at 338 pounds and ran the 40 in as little as 5.03 seconds. That is ludicrous speed for a man his size. Incredibly, he plays even faster. His ability to locate the ball and move laterally to stop the runner was a valuable part of the typically stout Ravens defenses. If you’re not convinced of his quickness, maybe you can ask world-class athlete Robert Griffin III. Ngata possessed the power and generated the interior push that you’d expect from a 340 pounder, but he also had the block shedding and edge setting ability to successfully play end in a 3-4 scheme. In Baltimore’s multiple front, Ngata was required both to hold his ground to allow teammates to make plays and to wreak his own havoc as a penetrator. He did both at a high level.

495. Lou Rymkus (1943-1951)
Offensive Tackle
Cleveland Browns, Washington

Before becoming a championship winning coach, Rymkus was a championship winning two way player. On defense, he was a heady player who could sniff out traps and defend them by crashing down on the line and taking out the blocker on his way to the runner. As a rookie, he returned a punt and an interception for a touchdown in consecutive weeks, However, his strength was on the offensive line. Rymkus was perhaps the best pass blocking tackle in the AAFC, and Paul Brown valued his protection enough to take him off defense and have him focus solely on keeping Otto on his feet. He earned postseason honors every year of his career, and I named him the Guardian winner from 1947-49 and 1951.

494. Jim Benton (1938-1947)
Wide Receiver
Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears

Benton played nine seasons in the NFL and was the clear silver medalist at the position behind the Ruthian Don Hutson. He ranked in the top five in receptions seven times, yards six times, and touchdowns five times. When the Rams disbanded during the war, Benton won a title with the Bears. Upon the team’s return to Cleveland, he lapped the field in receiving and was the best player on the field in the 1945 championship game. That season, he hauled in receptions for 2555 True Receiving Yards (TRY), which stands as the top single season mark on record. ^[1]Benton’s top TRY seasons: 2555, 1574, 1188, 933 Benton retired trailing only Hutson in catches, yards, and touchdowns. While his career numbers weren’t close to Hutson’s, he had a sizable lead on third place in each category. I named him the Bambi Award winner in 1945 and the winner of that award and the Sweetness the following year.

493. Dick Schafrath (1959-1971)
Offensive Tackle
Cleveland Browns

One of many distinguished linemen who helped the legendary Jim Brown achieve football immortality, Schafrath was a tough as nails blocker who fought for every inch. Maybe it had to do with entering the league around 220 pounds and having to eat and lift his way to playing size, or maybe it was the hard farm upbringing, I can’t really say. But whatever it was, it made him a tenacious player on the field, keeping guys like Plum and Ryan on their feet while clearing paths for Brown, Kelly, and Green. Even after putting on mass, he was never large, and stronger opponents could best him, though it rarely seemed to make a difference to the play. It’s as if he always battled enough to avoid the big loss, even if he didn’t look pretty doing it. Schafrath was a pretty good athlete, and he was among the top blockers on screens and downfield on sweeps. He had an exceptional ability to shield his man from the ball carrier and get to the next level and do it again, often setting up long runs with multiple blocks. He was my pick for the Guardian Award in 1965.

492. Matt Birk (1998-2012)
Offensive Center
Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens

Birk was a Harvard grad who lived up to the typical, coded adjectives you’d expect to hear about such a player (smart, heady, coach on the field type, etc.). He was excellent at reading defensive fronts and diagnosing blitzes, as well as calling protections to defeat them. Both his pass pro and his run blocking were top notch, which will likely be the case for every lineman left to be revealed on this list. At 6’4″ Birk was tall for a center, but had good technique and paid close attention to his pad level, so he rarely lost the leverage battle. Rarely out of position, he had a knack for winning plays without ever looking like a dominant player. To borrow a term from Moneyball, he just got on base. The six time Pro Bowler went out a champion, helping keep Flacco clean on his unlikely postseason streak.

491. Marvin Powell (1977-1987)
Offensive Tackle
New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Powell was one of those shooting star types with a high, short peak. Unlike most such players, his drop off wasn’t due to injury. He was big, strong, and quick, with all the physical tools you could ask for in a tackle. However, he sometimes appeared hesitant, which kept him from making boneheaded mistakes, but it also kept him from dominating opponents on a regular basis like you’d see from a Tyron Smith or Trent Williams today. That isn’t to say he couldn’t dominate when he was in the right headspace, it is just to say that he would look like a destroyer of worlds on one play and then look tentative on the next. Without much star power in the backfield, it can be difficult for offensive linemen to get their due praise. Todd, in particular, wasn’t very good at getting rid of the ball on time, and those sacks reflected poorly on Powell, who was busy dominating pass rushers in a hopeless cause. Still, he managed to find his way on four all pro teams, and he earned the Guardian award for 1979.

490. Richmond Webb (1990-2002)
Offensive Tackle
Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals

For a massive man, Webb had good movement skills and was a great pass blocker. Like Hill, he did benefit from protecting a quarterback with an otherworldly ability to get the ball out of his hands and avoid the sack, but Webb would have looked good in front of an oblivious passer too. It’s just that the plays would have probably had worse outcomes. When Marino went down in 1993, Webb looked like the star he was protecting the blind side of DeBerg and the front side of Mitchell. The season prior, his played earned him the Guardian Award. Unfortunately, he didn’t maintain the conditioning level he should have, and it could have been the difference between “forgotten seven-time Pro Bowler” and “Hall of Famer.”  None other than Bruce Smith called him the best blocker he ever faced. ^[2]Webb held the legend to 3.5 sacks in 14 contests.

489. Ken Riley (1969-1983)
Cornerback
Cincinnati Bengals

The second best Bengals cornerback of the seventies, Riley is arguably the top player never to make it to the Pro Bowl (though he made three all pro teams). He had a long and successful career, one in which he finished second in history of the position in interceptions, trailing only Night Train. In fact, if you only include pure corners, he ranks first. Riley was rarely an elite player, but he was consistently a good player, and he managed to achieve that at a position that is notoriously difficult to play well consistently. So while he may have never been a 90th percentile type player, his ability to be an 80th percentile player over a 200+ game career is a 90th percentile accomplishment. Riley was a model of consistency, and not the foolish kind Emerson nonsensically blathered about.

488. Larry Brown (1969-1976)
Running Back
Washington

Brown was one of those players the stats just don’t do justice. You simply had to watch the man play football. Dr. Z opined that Brown “ran too hard for his body,” and that is a perfect description of his style. Every game was a battle to the death, and every play was a knife fight. He wasn’t particularly big or fast, and he looked like he was in terrible pain on most of his runs, but the guy was a warrior. Obviously he was skilled, as you don’t earn a league MVP award through dumb luck, but that’s not what stood out most to me. His running style ultimately did him in, but the guy I saw on film would’ve made the Hall of Fame if he was able to start his final two seasons (thanks a lot, Brad Van Pelt). This is typical anecdotal hagiography that you’d see on old NFL Films presentations, but I’m fine with that in Brown’s case. ^[3]Brown’s stats weren’t exactly paltry either. In his first five seasons – the healthy ones – he averaged 1651 yards and 10 touchdowns per 16 games. He took home an MVP and … Continue reading

487. Frank Gifford (1952-1964)
Running Back
New York Giants

A versatile player, Gifford was a decent cornerback and a multidimensional running back. No one would write home about his defensive prowess, but his ability to contribute on the ground and in the passing game on offense was valuable. So esteemed were his offensive exploits that he was named the league’s consensus MVP in 1956, when he led the NFL in scrimmage yards (1422) with what prorates to 1092 rushing and 804 receiving yards in a 16 game schedule – with a nice 5.2 yards per carry to boot. ^[4]I named him the Supersonic winner that year. Gifford didn’t just catch short passes out of the backfield, the way you may associate with modern backs. He lined up at flanker and ran all the routes. At the end of his career, he made the switch to receiver permanent and was productive even after Concrete Charlie killed him on the field.

486. Hugh McElhenny (1952-1964)
Running Back
San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Detroit Lions

Dr. Z once put McElhenny at number six on his top dozen running backs in history. This wasn’t in 1960, it was in 2002. I’m not quite that high on him, and I think McElhenny benefits from having a great highlight reel, but I do believe he’s one of the great playmakers ever at the position. ^[5]Also, it’s pretty clear that Zimmerman, who grew up watching AAFC games and admiring the players, had a bit of an AAFC bias. The King, as he was called, played in a committee backfield with two other Hall of Fame backs (Perry and Johnson, who will show up later), and he complemented them perfectly. Perry was the pure runner, and Johnson was the tough guy who could block anyone and anything. McElhenny was the scat type back who could catch a short pass and make things happen. Similar to Barry Sanders, he could turn a two yard loss into a ten yard gain, or he could turn a one yard gain into a six yard loss. It’s the tradeoff you had to make when you gave him the ball, as he was always looking to make a big play. ^[6]I named McElhenny the winner of the Supersonic and Sweetness awards, as well as the World Award (most outstanding player) in 1952.

485. Larry Csonka (1969-1979)
Running Back
Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Memphis Southmen

Csonka was, quite simply, one of the best pure power runners in history. Often, when a running back plays with such violence and intent to initiate contact, he will have a high fumble rate. It just comes with the territory. But Csonka had remarkable ball security, fumbling just 21 times in 1997 career touches. In the 1970s. He was one of the rare bulldozers who put up big efficiency numbers, averaging 4.8 yards per carry for half a decade in his prime. His efficiency dropped off a bit when he came back from the WFL in his age 30 season, but much of that was due to a deteriorating offensive line and the cruel hand of time slowly closing its grip on his body. In Miami’s glory days, Csonka formed the perfect 1-2 punch with the speedy Mercury Morris. If you were tired from trying to catch Morris, Csonka would lower his shoulder and leave you on your back. Sore and bruised from Csonka’s battering ram rushing, Morris would leave you grasping at thin air. It was an unbeatable combo (literally, in 1972).

484. Billy Sims (1980-1984)
Running Back
Detroit Lions

Oh, what could have been? Sims entered the league as one of the most highly touted running back prospects in history, and he didn’t disappoint. He was fast and had nice moves in the open field (sometimes those moves included a leaping thrust kick to the head), and he married those with great tackle-breaking ability. Sims wasn’t that big and didn’t really run through people. You could say he broke his tackles by being slippery. Put those together, and you had a back with rare game breaking talent who was a threat any time the ball was in his hands. He was also capable of running decent routes or taking a short pass to the house. In his too-short career, Sims averaged 1914 yards and 13 touchdowns per 16 games, and he added an additional 227 yards and 2 touchdowns in his two postseason games. ^[7]Only two, because even forty years ago, a spectacular back could only get you so far.

483. Karl Mecklenburg (1983-1994)
Linebacker
Denver Broncos

When you think of guys who rush the passer, you probably think of defensive ends in a 40 front and outside linebackers in a 30 front. Mecklenburg challenged the traditional line of thinking by playing inside linebacker on early downs before moving to end in nickel situations. That’s not something you see often, in any era. In some ways, it made sense to have him play inside, as he was a solid run defender with good speed and an ability to attack the line of scrimmage with prejudice. On the other hand, he played the position the way you might expect a pass rusher to play it, meaning he could attack all day but wasn’t very good in coverage. On passing plays, if he wasn’t rushing the passer, the defense was the worse for it. A relentless ball of energy, Mecklenburg was a dangerous pass rusher, and his stunts with Rulon Jones were a thing of beauty. I gave him the Enforcer Award for best inside linebacker in 1989.

482. Chris Spielman (1998-1997)
Linebacker
Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills

Spielman was a human tackling machine who seemed to always know where the ball was going. Historian John Turney once referred to him as a “computer in cleats,” which I think is a perfect description. It didn’t look like he happened to guess right every time. It was like he knew. That big brain of his helped him overcome a lack of physical talent. He wasn’t strong, but he is among the best ever at shedding a blocker; he wasn’t quick or explosive, but he knew how to attack the hole and stop a run; he wasn’t fast, but he used perfect pursuit angles to make up for it; he didn’t have the kind of fluidity and lateral agility you’d expect from a linebacker who was good in coverage, but he knew how to position himself to at least dissuade the pass in his area. You get the idea. He’s the poster child for doing more with less.

481. Eric Allen (1988-2001)
Cornerback
Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints

Allen was a great cover man who also made splash plays. You can’t ask for much more than that from a corner. While his ability to maintain tight coverage was among the best, what really made Allen special was his ability to bait quarterbacks into bad decision or capitalize on throws under pressure. It seems easy, but few have been truly great at it. He was a playmaker, plain and simple. Over the course of his career, he returned eight interceptions for scores, including an insane four in 1993 and three in 2000 (at the age of 35). He retired with 54 interceptions, and when adjusting for league interception rates and number of passes their teams faced, it isn’t a stretch to say that number is as impressive as Lane’s 66 or even Krause’s 81 (given their positions and roles).

480. Gary Fencik (1976-1987)
Safety
Chicago Bears

In the eighties, Fencik’s singles ad might have read something like: “Yale and Northwestern graduate. GQ cover model. Enjoys learning foreign languages, reading a book a week, running with the bulls, and killing pass catchers.” He was rangy, with the ability to cover a great deal of ground quickly, and he was incredibly intelligent (on and off the field). In fact, it was his processing speed more than his foot speed that contributed to his range. He was just able to play at full speed all the time because he converted input to output so quickly. Early on, he was a box safety who could play the run and cover underneath routes superbly. With the famed bears 46 defense, he played single high, meaning he was constantly the last line of defense on a unit that fielded an eight man front and aimed for quick pressure. They often did get the fast pressure, but Fencik was personally charged with a significant burden. He was a fierce hitter who teamed with Doug Plank to earn the nickname the Hit Men.

479. Lance Briggs (2003-2014)
Linebacker
Chicago Bears

I often describe players in relation to the prototype player at their position. For Briggs, I tend to say he is roughly 85% of Derrick Brooks or Jack Ham. Reasonable people can see this is a compliment rather than an insult. Briggs made seven Pro Bowls, which was hard to do as a Will competing for spots against 3-4 pass rushers. He could play the run fine, but he made his bones in coverage. A lack of interceptions is misleading, giving the idea that, perhaps, Briggs wasn’t a terrific cover backer. He was. Briggs was good enough to make quarterbacks think twice about testing him. He team with Urlacher to give the Bears a stellar coverage tandem at linebacker when the team played in nickel. I’m not sure if he was ever the best OLB in the game (though I did give him the Dobre Shunka for 2005), but he was consistently a top 3-5 OLB, and over the course of a decade, that becomes an incredible feat. I like it when players who have weaknesses work hard to overcome them. For Briggs, it was recognizing deception. Early in his career, he was easily fooled, but he improved with experience.

478. Justin Houston (2011-present)
Rushbacker
Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts

Injuries have plagued a promising career, but when healthy, Houston has been among the top edge defenders in the game. Despite rarely being healthy, he has averaged 10 sacks per year and 12 per 16 games. In 2014, he nearly broke the official single season record, falling just shy with 22. Unlike many pass rush specialists who can’t play the run, Houston has consistently been solid in that area. He also generates pressure at a high level and doesn’t just hit homeruns. And he deflects his fair share of passes when he can’t get home. Stylistically, he has great explosion off the snap and savvy use of moves and counters. He is great at combining leverage and explosiveness to put larger linemen on their heels. Early on, the Chiefs had him in coverage about ten plays per game. It was a steep learning curve, but he caught on and actually excelled on those snaps prior to injury.

477. Lee Roy Jordan (1963-1976)
Linebacker
Dallas Cowboys

Standing 5’11” and weighing in around 220 pounds, Jordan was small for the position. But that was irrelevant. He was a fighter who relished competition and scratched and clawed to win each and every play. Jordan was fast, and when paired with his near religious dedication to film study, that speed helped him land in the right place at the right time nearly all the time. It was also a boon to him in coverage, which was probably his greatest strength as a player. You should know by now, I’m a sucker for a cover backer. In addition to his down to down consistency, Jordan was a playmaker, with 32 interceptions, 19.5 sacks, and 18 fumble recoveries to his name.

476. Vince Wilfork (2004-2016)
Defensive Tackle
New England Patriots, Houston Texans

At 6’2″ with a massive lower body, Wilfork had a low center of gravity. Playing between 325 and 350, he had quite a bit of gravity ^[8]Yes, I am ignoring the squared r for the sake of a dumb joke. Deal with it.. So as you might guess, he was a stout run defender. He used his size strength combo to hold strong at the point of attack, absorb double teams like light summer sun on a blacktop (or just beat the double himself), and collapse pockets onto quarterbacks looking to step up. His power gave us one of the most delightful plays in NFL history, forcing Brandon Moore into Mark Sanchez and giving us the Butt Fumble for Thanksgiving. What you wouldn’t know from looking at Wilfork is that he was also cat quick and had amazing lateral mobility. He was quite capable of getting penetration to make the tackle himself or running down a back in a condenses area of the field. His forte was pushing the pocket, allowing others to stuff the stat sheets while his play made it happen.

475. Michael Carter (1984-1992)
Defensive Tackle
San Francisco 49ers

Another top notch run defender, Carter had a stout frame and incredible power. He combined that with great explosion and agility. In passing situations, he could hassle the passer too. His only real weakness was his inability to stay on the field – in nine seasons, he played every game only thrice (and one was the 12 real games of 1987). Despite this, he was named to an all pro team every year from 1985-88. Some of the nose tackles on this list were playmakers who could chase down runs, a la Krumrie, but that wasn’t Carter’s game. He held firm at the point and made life easier on everyone around him. In 1984, he won a silver medal in the Olympics for the shot put. By the end of that NFL season, he added a Super Bowl ring to his trophy case. Not a bad year.

474. Jim Marshall (1959-1979)
Defensive End
Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Marshall played in the NFL for twenty years and had 127 sacks. He was a good player for an absurdly long time, and that is commendable. However, he was rarely great, and his ranking here reflects my desire to balance rewarding his longevity of goodness and penalizing his scarcity of greatness. Teammates love him, opponents respected him, he inspired those around him, and he reportedly never took a play off for two decades. His 1969 campaign was probably his best season. He notched 17 sacks on one of the greatest defenses in history. However, he did benefit from opposing lines focusing on Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller. ^[9]Both were all pros that year. Eller would have been on the shortlist (along with Butkus, and only Butkus) for DPOY. Still, Marshall was a productive player before the arrival of his fellow Purple People Eaters, and he remained a useful player after they had left.

473. Rodney Harrison (1994-2008)
Safety
San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots

Harrison was always an excellent run stopper, and he worked hard to grow into a solid cover man. With 30.5 sacks and numerous pressures, he was among the best ever at the safety blitz. On top of that, he added 41.5 tackles for a loss, 34 picks, and over 1200 tackles. He was a feared hitter who occasionally drew complaints that he was too dirty, but he also set the tone with his constant clobbering of receivers. The highlight of his career was probably the 2004 postseason: in the Divisional Round, he intercepted Peyton Manning. The following week, he picked off Ben Roethlisberger. In the Super Bowl, he snatched two Donovan McNabb passes (one deep in New England territory and the other to seal the game). His legacy is sometimes hurt because of the Tyree catch, but Harrison was far from the only Patriot to make mistakes in that game.

472. DeAndre Hopkins (2013-present)
Wide Receiver
Houston Texans

Time is the only thing keeping Nuk Hopkins from being higher on this list. His numbers speak for themselves: six years over 1000 TRY, including three above 1500. ^[10]Hopkins’s top TRY seasons: 1750, 1599, 1572, 1435, 1324, 1080 But it’s not just the stats that get him this high of a rank. He has some of the best hands the game has ever seen, and his body control is reminiscent of a prime Cris Carter. Prior to Deshaun Watson’s arrival in Houston, Hopkins spent his career catching junk balls from junk passers, and he showed the Fitzgeraldesque ability to produce regardless. He does this by running precise routes that get him open and give passers room to work, and he can make up for errant throws with those sticky fingers and his knack for pulling in contested passes. In fact, he’s arguably the best contested catch receiver of his generation. People tend to think of the big bodied guys as the blockers, but Hopkins has been a capable downfield blocker for most of his career as well. He has been an all pro four times, and I named him the Bambi winner for his superb 2018 performance.

471. Bubba Baker (1978-1990)
Defensive End
Detroit Lions, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings

Al “Bubba” Baker was a pass rush maven who wasn’t terrible against the run (but also wasn’t great against it either). He would often key on the pass and rush upfield too far and take himself out of the play against the run, and his frenetic play meant he could be trapped as well. However, when the ball was in the quarterback’s hands, Bubba was a holy terror. He set the single season sack record with 23 in his rookie season, and he averaged 14.5 per year over the next three years (pre-official sacks). Then he added another 65.5 in his final nine seasons, good for 132 total. That is slightly misleading because, in the last four of those years, Baker only came in on passing downs. Despite being a little foolhardy against the run, I named him the Deacon Award winner for his record performance in 1978, because sometimes you just have to recognize narrow scope greatness.

470. Eddie Meador (1959-1970)
Safety
Los Angeles Rams

Meador spent half a decade as a cornerback to start his career, and he was good at it, making one PB and two all pro teams. At both corner and safety, he excelled in coverage. However, he was a playmaker type who would occasionally go for the big play when playing it straight would have been the better option. He gave up some big plays on account of that, but he made more big plays than he allowed. Meador was also good tackler, adept at breaking down and wrapping up in the open field. His versatility was also valuable, as he is one of the best kick blockers and placekick holders in history (few could execute a fake on his level). He is on the all decade team for the 1960s and owns the Rams record for picks (46), opponent fumble recoveries (18), and blocked kicks (10). ^[11]Throw in another two on PATs.

469. Erich Barnes (1958-1971)
Cornerback
Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Chicago Bears

Barnes was tall and long, seemingly always there to get his hand on a pass. In an era when the deep ball was king, he rarely got beat deep. His speed and length were obviously great assets in coverage, but they also helped him deflect a slew of kicks in his career. Barnes was not just a long ball defender. He was a complete player. In fact, he was a feared hitter and was regarded as one of the top few run support corners in the game during his prime. In my opinion, Barnes is one of a handful of eligible corners who aren’t in the Hall of Fame but deserve to be based on their play.

468. Lomas Brown (1985-2002)
Offensive Tackle
Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Brown managed to start at left tackle for 17 seasons, which is remarkable in itself. He also happened to play at a high level for most of them. Like teammate Kevin Glover, he gets underrated – or even downright slandered – by modern fans who want to insist that Barry Sanders gained yards while running behind a ragtag band of small children rather than a real NFL offensive line. I’ve never been a fan of disparaging one player in order to argue the greatness of another – Barry was obviously great, and he was great while also having a few great blockers. In fact, Brown was good enough to earn a Guardian Award for 1994. ^[12]The line, as whole unit, wasn’t the Lombardi Packers or Coryell Cardinals, but it wasn’t as terrible as made out. In the run-n-shoot era, I don’t think they had to be all that … Continue reading Brown wasn’t big, but he was athletic, capable of mirroring fast pass rushers and getting downfield to block for Jones and Sanders on runs or Detroit’s shifty receivers on shorter passes. He was light on his feet, quick, and played well in space. On the negative side, he did intentionally miss a block that resulted in his quarterback being injured, which is a pretty big deal. Had he played in San Francisco or Dallas, he might be in Canton right now, but after his admission of missing that block, I doubt he ever makes it.

467. Mike Reid (1970-1974)
Defensive Tackle
Cincinnati Bengals

Reid didn’t play for very long, and he doesn’t fit the mold of the typical “what could’ve been” stories, as he didn’t suffer some nasty injury to end his career. Instead, he chose to quit football and pursue music (quite successfully, with chart-topping and Grammy-winning country songs in his repertoire). Reid is on this list not for what could have been, but for what actually was. The man was a virtuoso at the defensive tackle position. In two of his five seasons, he was a legitimate contender for defensive player of the year. He laid siege to quarterbacks, picking up 49.5 sacks in just 64 games, as well as generally applying pressure when he didn’t get home. At a time when Rushmore-level tackles Greene and Page were in their primes, Reid was easily their equal. They played longer and for more successful teams, but Reid was their match. I named him the winner of the Mean Award for the 1973 season.

466. Larry Brooks (1972-1982)
Defensive Tackle
Los Angeles Rams

Yet another excellent run defender who could rush the passer as well, Brooks was flawless in his role. That role seemed to be to play the run first, unless it was an obvious passing situation. When playing the run, he would get his hands on a guard, headbutt him in the face, and control him with a combo of raw power and utmost savagery. All the while, he would read and react to the backfield, tossing the poor guard aside to make the tackle or force the runner into help. If it turned out to be a pass play, Brooks would convert to a pass rush move when necessary. The ability to react so quickly and subsequently translate that into an effective physical maneuver is difficult, even for high level defensive linemen. Despite being such a dominant run defender, he was able to pick up 68.5 sacks in 109 games from 1973-80, which could be considered his prime.

465. Ndamukong Suh (2010-present)
Defensive Tackle
Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Suh is a powerhouse who physically dominated opposing linemen early in his career. He has calmed with age, but as a young defender he  played angry with the seeming intent of not just imposing his will on the opposition, but crippling their psyche in Jordanesque manner. His aggression would sometimes get the better of him, as he would succumb to some personal foul penalties. At this time in his career, he was primarily a pass rusher, but he eventually redefined his play to become a top notch run defender once he lost some quickness; at the same time, he has learned to play more under control and avoid getting traps or otherwise tricked. Suh has the talent to be a top ten player ever at his position, but he seems to let his technique slip and take a few breaks when he doesn’t feel like playing hard, particularly in backside pursuit. He’s fairly tall and needs good pad level to maintain leverage, and he doesn’t always do it. However, he has always played with heavy hands and still delivers a jolting blow out of the snap.

464. Duane Putnam (1952-1962)
Offensive Guard
Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns

A great athlete with good speed, Putnam excelled at pulling and getting out in front of the play to make sure runners had a clear path to daylight. If he was out in space on a sweep, there was little hope for linebackers or defensive backs who happened to be in pursuit – his speed and ability position himself at full speed was just too much to overcome. He possessed incredible upper body strength, bolstered by his dedication to weight training. This allowed the smallish guard to hold his own against larger defenders, sometimes outright manhandling them at the point of attack. He earned five Pro Bowls and six all pro selections, as well as the Hog Award for best guard in 1955.

463. Evan Mathis (2005-2016)
Offensive Guard
Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins

In some ways, Mathis was the anti-Boomer Brown. he didn’t jump off the screen as a punishing blocker, as he wasn’t an overpowering drive blocker. Instead, he was an athletic technician who nearly always got the job done, even if he didn’t do it resoundingly so. Sure, he didn’t ragdoll anyone, but he kept his guy from making the play, executing his assignments at an elite level, regardless of where he played in his transient career. Coming out of college, his measurables (aside from height and weight) were in the upper echelon of the upper echelon, and his athletic ability showed; he was great in space and was automatic blocking at the second level. I named him the Hog Award winner for both 2011 and 2012.

462. Jimbo Covert (1983-1990)
Offensive Tackle
Chicago Bears

Late in Walter Payton’s career, his best plays always seemed to come on the left side. That’s because he was running behind Covert’s powerful blocking. Covert was a raw player brimming with potential. He had the physical tools to be the best ever, though you could say that of many players who faded into obscurity. The mauler had the strength to drive defenders off the ball like Quinton Aaron playing against some nameless Chad in The Blind Side. Like many of the big powerful blockers with highlight reel type blocks, he did play a little out of control and whiff on occasion, but his best was as good as anyone’s. Ever. He starred on legendary 1985 team known for its great defense. However, even with that defense, they may never have made it to the Super Bowl without a strong offense that ranked fourth in net yards per pass and fifth in yards per carry. ^[13]Then again, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and Peyton Manning all won titles while leading struggling offenses. Injuries did him in, and though he returned from them initially, he never neared the standard he set early in his career.

461. Arnie Herber (1930-1945)
Quarterback (pre-modern)
Green Bay Packers, New York Giants

Herber was short for a quarterback, with a build more like that of a running back. It is no surprise, then that he was an effective short yardage runner. But the running isn’t what gets him on the list. It’s the passing. He was a particularly gifted deep passer, which was no mean feat with the footballs they had to work with in his playing days. Beyond touchdowns, official stats don’t exist for the first two years of Herber’s career. From 1932 onward, he had 1425 action plays, and his Total Adjusted Yards over Average (VAL) was 1560. His TAYP+ was 105.1. Those numbers don’t jump out as Hall of Fame worthy, but you have to also consider that when he first retired, he ranked first in career attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns. In the five year span from 1932-36, Herber led the league in attempts thrice and ranked second and third once apiece. In terms of taking the passing role to a new level of responsibility, he was the bridge between Friedman and Baugh. I named him the winner of the Slinger Award for best quarterback in 1932, 1934, and 1936. Two of those seasons, you may notice, came before the arrival of the Alabama Antelope.

460. Mike McCormack (1951-1962)
Offensive Tackle
Cleveland Browns, New York Yanks

Yet another Cleveland offensive lineman finds his way onto the list. McCormack followed the footsteps of Bill Willis at middle guard, and he did so aptly, if not quite at Willis’s level in pursuit (though he was bigger and stronger at point of attack). However, he made his mark on offense. He was a six time Pro Bowler who earned all pro selections (mostly second team) in nine different seasons. The two time champion was great in pass pro, holding down the right side in an era that saw the top pass rushers line up over the offensive right. Unlike today, in McCormack’s era, the right tackle was the guy. ^[14]Though I would argue that, at this point, there isn’t much difference in terms of value to an offense. Von Miller isn’t going to just line up over the left tackle just because he’s … Continue reading He was strong and incredibly fast for a lineman, could block downfield well, and could erase even the best pass rushers. Paul Brown, not known for effusive praise, called him the “finest offensive tackle who ever played football.”

459. Jahri Evans (2006-2017)
Offensive Guard
New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers

Evans was a fun player to watch because of his aggressive nature. Rather than sit back and give ground grudgingly in pass protection, he took the fight to the defense. Of course, all the aggression in the world means nothing if you can’t execute the blocks, and Evans executed the hell out of his blocks. He used his precise, long arms to control defenders, and he effectively mirrored them with his fluidity. Unlike other guards in this section, he was not great blocking at the second level, and late in his career his loss of speed and quickness sometimes caused problems on run plays. However (and importantly), he remained solid in pass pro throughout his career. I gave him the Hog Award for 2009, when he was probably the second best offensive player on the New Orleans title team.

458. Logan Mankins (2005-2015)
Offensive Guard
New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mankins possessed many of the same qualities that made Hannah great. He was mean, nasty, and aggressive as a run blocker. Despite being a six time all pro, he was viewed by some as just a cog in the New England offensive machine. A Scarnecchia product. However, his consistent excellence (especially as a run blocker) has made him arguably the top guard of his era. Mankins was an incredibly tough, old school type player who could find a hip and drive a giant human wherever he wanted him. Or he could fly up field and wipe out some poor, unfortunate linebacker. He was also underrated in pass pro because his run blocking was so good. Mankins is one of those rare, unlucky Brady-Belichick era Patriots who managed to spend nearly a decade with the team and walk away with no championship gold to show for it.

457. George Kunz (1969-1980)
Offensive Tackle
Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Colts

Kunz stood out on some bad offenses in Atlanta, and finally got his chance to shine on a great offense with a move to block for Bert Jones in Baltimore. He had only 119 games of really good, healthy play, but he was as good as all but the most inner circle Hall of Famers in his prime. Kunz was a powerhouse who spent a great deal of time in the weight room in an era when that practice wasn’t commonplace. That tremendous power, in concert with his snap explosion, made him a premier drive blocker who regularly put grown men on their backs. He is another guy you could say had heavy hands, or the ability to deliver a jarring shot to opponents. After the first pop, he’d follow up that initial shot with consistent blocking, not being one to whiff on an attempt at a kill shot. As a contemporary of guys like Tyrer, Yary, Wright, Shell, and Dierdorf, Kunz may not have ever been the very best in the world at his job, but it’s hard to fault him for playing at the same time as a handful of legends. Even with their presence in the league, he managed to make eight Pro Bowls and five all pro teams.

456. Brandon Marshall (2006-2018)
Wide Receiver
Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks

Marshall produced wherever he went – and he went a lot of places –  usually without a premier passer. ^[15]Marshall’s off field issues, including several allegations of domestic violence, which may be attributed to mental illness, may have been the impetus for his many moves around the league. He is the only receiver ever to eclipse 1000 yards on four different teams. If you are bothered by issues of entanglement in trying to tease out who really was the best at this or that, Marshall did a damn fine job answering that question. He had strong hands but sometimes lost focus and would drop routine balls, but he kept forcing targets anyway.  His talent was such that coaches and passers wanted to get him the ball despite knowing he might have a concentration lapse. With his large and powerful frame, he was a punishing runner after the catch and one of the best downfield blockers of his generation. Receptions aren’t my preferred statistic for measuring the value of a receiver, but the fact that only he and Antonio Brown have ever had six seasons with 100 of them is still impressive. ^[16]Marshall’s top TRY seasons: 1721, 1592, 1421, 1401, 1351, 1230, 1220, 1001

455. Charley Brock (1939-1947)
Offensive Center, Linebacker
Green Bay Packers

Brock played in the box offense, which was notoriously hard on centers. A scheme reliant on deception, with four backs in the backfield who could take a snap on any given play, a center would have to execute snaps at different angles perfectly every time in order to avoid catastrophe. And Brock did it about as perfectly as one can imagine, with contemporary reports claiming he never had a bad snap in his career. Beyond that, he was fast, quick, and nimble, with superb body control. His physical talent made it look easy for him to take on any defender backing the line. As a linebacker on the defensive side, Brock was outstanding. His strength was in coverage, where he could run with anyone and wasn’t easily shaken by the primitive routes of the day. Brock’s 1945 season was particularly spectacular – I named him the winner of both the Iron and Enforcer awards.

454. Daryle Lamonica (1963-1975)
Quarterback
Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Southern California Sun

Nicknamed the Mad Bomber, Lamonica’s play lived up to the moniker. Not content to take the easy stuff, he looked to take huge chunks of field from defenses on every throw. And he usually did, posting the highest yards per completion figure of any quarterback to start his career after 1960. It was guys like him, Namath, and Hadl who personified the AFL passing philosophy of just airing out vertically, living and dying with the bomb. Though he couldn’t beat out Jack Kemp in Buffalo, he often played well in relief. He led the AFL in touchdowns and yards per game twice apiece, and he boasts the second highest win percentage of any starting quarterback in history. I gave him the Automatic Award for AFL MVP in 1967 and 1969, as well as the Slinger Award for 1968 and 1969. Among qualifying quarterbacks, Lamonica ranks 26th in VAL (5274) and 20th in TAYP+ (109.8). He would rank higher but for his inability to beat out both Kemp and Ken Stabler for starting jobs. ^[17]To be fair, both were great players. Stabler, in particular, had the talent to be an all time great. The guy became a Hall of Famer without putting in that much mental work – at a position that … Continue reading

453. John Hadl (1962-1977)
Quarterback
San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers

Hadl was a high volume passer who was as likely to throw a touchdown as an interception. He was a greedy player who gladly accepted the risks of the throws he chose. With blurs of powder blue and sunshine gold racing around the field, mirroring the pristine San Diego skies themselves, the Chargers’ high-flying offenses outshone the defenses of the day. Hadl served as the trigger man for those Gillman squads, overseeing units that consistently ranked near the top of the league in points in yards when he was under center. The passer led the league in yards thrice and touchdowns twice. A high variance passer, he once led the AFL in interceptions one year and boasted the best interception rate in the league the next. Hadl earned six Pro Bowl invitations and four all pro nods, and I named him the Automatic Award winner for AFL MVP in 1965. He’d rank higher on the list if were able to have the same success consistently without playing for one of the best offensive minds in history and throwing to the best receiver of his generation, while playing behind a strong line. ^[18]Among qualifying quarterbacks, Hadl ranks 39th in VAL (3635) and 62nd in TAYP+ (104.7).

452. Boomer Esiason (1984-1997)
Quarterback
Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals

A beautiful deep passer with good accuracy to all levels of the field, Esiason was like a poor man’s Marino (not an insult). He was gifted at play action and a master of the no huddle offense, and he led the Bengals offenses to great heights in five of his first six seasons as a starter. The biggest issue for his legacy is that nearly all of his greatness came before 30. He played six seasons after turning 30, only one of which was very good, and that has soured the view of his career. But at his peak, he looked like a future Hall of Famer. He ranks 47th in career VAL, but if we ignore bad seasons and look just at what quarterbacks did at their best, Esiason shoots up to 32nd. ^[19]Granted, this way of looking at the numbers affects almost everyone. Among quarterbacks with at least 1000 career plays, only seven have managed to avoid a season with negative VAL. Three of them are … Continue reading Boomer was the consensus MVP in 1988, leading Cincinnati to a 12-4 record, leading all quarterbacks in ANY/A, TAY/P, and DVOA, and coming a dropped interception from winning the Super Bowl. ^[20]Among qualifying quarterbacks, Esiason ranks 47th in VAL (2882) and 56th in TAYP+ (105.1).

451. London Fletcher (1998-2013)
Linebacker
Washington, Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams

If you just looked at the numbers, you’d wonder why Fletcher got so little love. ^[21]Perhaps playing for three different teams made it hard for him to gain fans, resulting in him never being voted to a Pro Bowl. I don’t know. That’s just dumb speculation, which is my … Continue reading He had over 2000 tackles, 80 of which were for a loss. His playmaker numbers were terrific, with 23 picks, 39 sacks, 20 forced fumbles, 12 recoveries, three touchdowns, and two safeties. Just looking at the stats, his box score compares favorably with that of Ray Lewis. ^[22]It’s not the numbers that separate them, to me; it’s the film, where Lewis stands out as superior in every conceivable facet of play. That isn’t a knock on Fletcher – there is … Continue reading Fletcher began his career leaving the field in nickel, but he put in the work to improve in coverage. he was a great tackler, though he sometimes got blocked out of the play more easily than you’d expect for a player of his caliber. His small frame held up for a long time, especially considering the battering an inside linebacker takes in a given game.

450. Henry Thomas (1987-2000)
Defensive Tackle
Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions

There have been many nose tackles who have been pretty good at rushing the passer, but Thomas was in a league of his own. As a shade tackle, he managed to amass 93.5 sacks in his career – the highest sack total of any shade tackle in history, as far as I have been able to determine. That’s just three fewer than famed three technique and pass rushing master Warren Sapp! His career high was 10.5 in 1995, the year I named him the Mean Award winner. But he wasn’t just a guy who rushed the passer from the nose. He was a nose first and just happened to be excellent at all aspects of his job. His presence made life easier on guys like Millard, Doleman, and Randle, while he toiled in relative obscurity on the inside. Thomas had 95 tackles for loss against the run, forced 19 fumbles, recovered 14 fumbles, and scored a trio of touchdowns. He made plays and gobbled up blockers so others could make plays. Had he been given the opportunity to play his entire career as an under tackle, I believe he’d be a yearly Hall of Fame finalist, if not an actual inductee.