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Who are the top edge pass rushers in NFL history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Julius Peppers: a freak athlete who also played basketball in college, Peppers was a model of consistency throughout his long career, racking up double-digit sacks 10x for a total of 159.5 career sacks, which is fourth-best in NFL history.
9. Richard Dent: a stalwart of the Chicago Bears’ “Monsters of the Midway” defense of the 1980s, Dent was a consistent pass-rushing force with eight double-digit sack seasons, including a career-high 17.5 in 1984, for 137.5 career sacks.
8. Kevin Greene: highly productive but perhaps a tad underrated throughout his career, Greene had 10 double-digit sack seasons, including back-to-back 16.5 sack seasons, and accumulated 160.0 career sacks, good for third all-time.
7. Michael Strahan: in addition to setting an NFL single season record with 22.5 sacks in 2001, Strahan was a Defensive Player of the Year who racked up 141.5 career sacks, including six double-digit sack seasons.
6. Gino Marchetti: while he has no official sack totals (sacks did not become an official NFL statistic until 1982), Marchetti was widely regarded as the best defensive end of his time, as evidenced by 11 Pro Bowl and seven All-Pro selections.
5. Derrick Thomas: with an NFL-record seven sacks in one game, Thomas assumed the mantle from Lawrence Taylor as the league’s best pass-rushing outside linebacker and had seven double-digit sack seasons, including a career-high 20.0 in 1990, en route to 126.5 career sacks.
4. Bruce Smith: the NFL’s all-time career sack leader (200.0), Smith was a 2x Defensive Player of the Year and had 13 career double-digit sack seasons, including a career-best 19.0 in 1990.
3. Reggie White: a 2x Defensive Player of the Year, White had a dozen double-digit sack seasons, including a career-high 21.0 in 1987, and retired as the NFL’s all-time sack leader with 198.0 career sacks (which was later surpassed by Smith).
2. Deacon Jones: though sacks were not yet an official NFL statistic, Jones was the most fearsome defensive lineman of his era and known for his ferocious “head slap” (since outlawed); officially, Pro Football Weekly credits him with 173.5 career sacks, including three seasons with 20+ sacks.
1. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position – an MVP and 3x Defensive Player of the Year, he had seven straight double-digit sack seasons, including a career-high 20.5 in his 1986 MVP season, en route to 132.5 career sacks.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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Countdown 19: Top 10 #1 Overall Picks in MLB History
