Winning in the NFL often takes some dirty work.
Arguably no position does more in the trenches than interior defensive linemen. While edge rushers have seemingly become more athletic and quicker over the years, defensive tackles have largely remained the same: strong and stocky. When you combine that with the fact that they collide with offensive linemen who are the same size as them on every play, it’s hard to find a position that takes more punishment than the interior defensive line.
Many of the game’s best have been able to shine, though, over the years. Here are the 10 best interior defensive linemen in league history.
1. John Randle
Randle brought a ferocity to the Vikings defense that also established him as one of the game’s best players of the 1990s. He was a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro mainstay from 1993-98, recording at least 10.5 sacks in each of those seasons. He led the league in sacks with 15.5 in 1997 before recording 10.5 sacks in the 1998 season, when he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and helped the Vikings reach the NFC Championship Game. Randle had three seasons when he finished in the top 10 in sacks and eight straight years when he had at least double-digit sacks, a rarity among interior defensive linemen. He also forced 29 fumbles in his career, finishing in the top 10 in that stat on five different occasions.
2. Aaron Donald
The recently retired Rams legend was arguably the best defensive tackle in each of his 10 seasons in the league. He was named a Pro Bowler in all 10 years and was a first-team All-Pro eight times. More impressively, Donald won Defensive Player of the Year three times, which is tied for the most in NFL history. In his most productive season, Donald had 20.5 sacks in 2018, when the Rams reached the Super Bowl. But his best stretch of play came in the 2021 postseason, when he totaled 3.5 sacks. Two of those sacks came in the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals. He recorded the game-sealing pressure and had one of the more iconic moments in recent NFL history when he emotionally pointed at his ring finger to celebrate.
3. Joe Greene
“Mean” Joe Greene could be called the best player for one of the handful of dynasties in NFL history. The Steelers’ icon was a force throughout the 1970s and in each of their four Super Bowl-winning seasons. Greene earned 10 Pro Bowl and eight All-Pro (five first-team) nods in his career. He also won Defensive Player of the Year twice, taking home the award in a pair of seasons when he recorded at least nine sacks. Sacks weren’t an official NFL stat when Greene played, but he finished with 77.5 in his 13-year career. That’s not a bad number for a defensive tackle, especially in an era when the NFL played just 14 regular-season games.
4. Alan Page
While Greene was a part of the “Steel Curtain,” Page headlined the “Purple People Eaters” with the Minnesota Vikings. The all-time great was neck-and-neck with Greene as the top defensive tackle in the NFL for much of the 1970s, earning nine Pro Bowl nods and eight All-Pro (five first-team) honors. Like Greene, Page also won a Defensive Player of the Year award, in 1971. Page was pretty active for a defensive tackle, recording 148.5 (unofficial) sacks over his 15-year career. That mark would be the eighth-best all-time if unofficial sacks were included. He also had 23 career fumble recoveries and three safeties, which is the fifth-most all-time.
5. Bob Lilly
Shortly before Greene and Page, Lilly was the top defensive tackle in the league. Lilly was a Pro Bowler for all but three seasons in his 14-year career (1961-74), helping the Dallas Cowboys emerge in their early seasons as a franchise. In one of the final seasons of his career, Lilly played a major role in the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl win when he sacked Miami Dolphins quarterback Brian Griese for a 29-yard loss in the victory. He had at least eight (unofficial) sacks in five seasons, finishing his career with 95.5 sacks. Lily ended up becoming the first player ever inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.
6. Randy White
The Cowboys were able to replace one all-time great defensive tackle with another right after Lilly’s retirement following the 1974 season. After White was selected by the Cowboys with the second pick in the 1975 draft, he emerged as a consistent defensive threat a few seasons later. He was a Pro Bowler in nine consecutive seasons (1977-85) and was named a first-team All-Pro in seven of them. He also helped the Cowboys win their second championship in the 1977 season, earning co-Super Bowl MVP honors for his performance in Super Bowl XII. White put up at least 10 sacks in five different seasons, posting 111 unofficial sacks over his 14-year career.
7. Warren Sapp
Similar to others on this list, Sapp was a core player for a memorable Super Bowl-winning defense. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Sapp earned seven straight Pro Bowl honors and six straight All-Pro nods during that time. The self-nicknamed “QB Killa,” Sapp took down a lot of opposing quarterbacks in his prime years. He recorded 29 sacks from 1999-2000, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and finishing third in the voting for the award in 2000. While he didn’t get as many sacks in the following two seasons, Sapp was selected to two more All-Pro first teams. In 2002, he helped the Buccaneers win their first Super Bowl, registering a sack in their championship win over the Raiders. Sapp finished his career with 96.5 sacks, putting up a 10-sack season at age 34 with the Raiders.
8. Merlin Olsen
Some might remember Olsen for his work as a commentator and actor, but he was just as good of a football player, too. He was a Pro Bowl mainstay for nearly his entire 15-year career, making it every year except for his final season. His 14 Pro Bowl nods were a record at the time, as he wrecked opposing offensive lines on a frequent basis. Olsen was named a first-team All-Pro five times in his career, and he also earned MVP votes in a couple of seasons. He finished his career with 91 unofficial sacks.
9. Cortez Kennedy
While the Seattle Seahawks struggled for much of the 1990s, Kennedy did not. The 11-year pro and Hall of Famer was named a Pro Bowler eight times in his career, earning five All-Pro honors as well. In most of his standout years, Kennedy had around six to eight sacks. But he took off in the 1992 season, totaling 14 sacks to go with four forced fumbles. That effort led to Kennedy winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award even though he was on a 2-14 squad.
10. Buck Buchanan
Buchanan was a big reason why the Kansas City Chiefs were the first great team in the AFL, and later the AFC. The eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro’s rise helped the Chiefs play in two of the first four Super Bowls, recording the first ever sack in the history of the game. While the Chiefs lost that game, Buchanan and Kansas City went on to win Super Bowl IV. He recorded a sack and was a part of a defensive line that allowed the Vikings to rush for just 67 yards. Buchanan finished his 13-year career with 70.5 unofficial sacks.
HONORABLE MENTION
Dan Hampton
Curley Culp
Arnie Weinmeister
Henry Jordan
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
By
By
