Photo by Wikimedia Commons 2.0
Fans of different NFL franchises are always looking for entertaining, high-scoring football games and the players that bring the entertainment are always the most sought after.
From quarter backs launching gravity defying passes, through to wide receivers and running backs crossing the line in spectacular fashion, the variation of skill sets on display in the NFL is remarkable.
Often overlooked within the cut and thrust of any NFL campaign is the role of defensive players, who provide a platform for any team to build upon and primarily, stop the opposition from putting too many points on the board.
The statistical analysis that now accompanies the NFL is a worldwide business and a huge amount of weight is placed upon defensive metrics and patterns, which can help on-field performances and those who bet on NFL markets.
With the pace of American football lending itself to in-play betting, as well as ante post markets, worldwide gambling on the NFL has boomed, most notably with some key NFL betting UK operators.
Players can bet on the number of sacks, tackles and interceptions in any NFL match, from both individual and team perspectives and the defensive component betting markets are big business for punters and sportsbooks alike.
More scrutiny than ever before is now placed on the work defensive players do in the NFL and here is a look at some of the most dominant defensive operators in NFL history:
Dick Butkus – Chicago Bears
Defining defensive dominance carries many potential component parts but physically intimidating the opposition is arguably the definitive characteristic.
Linebackers are in the side to enable their quarter back to play with ball in hand and to trouble the opposing quarter back when they are in possession and no player in NFL history has defined that role in the way that Dick Butkus has.
A pioneer both on and off the pitch, Butkus was famed for putting fear into any opponent he came across and his all-action, tough tackling style, made him much more than a cult hero at the Chicago Bears.
Butkus was a first round draft pick in 1965, and he lived up to his reputation in the NFL, being crowned the best defensive player in the league twice and making the NFL Pro Bowl side in eight of his nine full seasons in the NFL.
Despite playing in the NFL for less than a decade, those who say Butkus play observe that he was one of, if not the toughest tackler in NFL history and his status in the game remained legendary and Butkus passed away in 2023, aged 80.
Bob Lilly – Dallas Cowboys
The allure of the Dallas Cowboys as a global franchise is showing no sign of slowing and there have been plenty of players who have made their mark in Texas over the years.
None perhaps more so than Bob Lilly, who was one of the most devastating defensive tackles in the NFL during his near decade and a half career in the league and he has a reputation as being one of the most feared players in the history of the game.
A Texas native himself, Lilly made a real name for himself at college for a successful TCU side, before being acquired by the Cowboys as a first round draft pick in 1961.
Lilly’s career trajectory from that moment was only going one way and he became a key part of the Cowboys side that won the Superbowl in 1971.
However, for the decade prior, Lilly was often described as ‘unblockable’ and with some iconic sacks and lightning speed off the line, Lilly had a habit of felling some of the most notorious quarter backs in the NFL.
He played for his beloved Cowboys for 14 seasons, making the All-Pro side across half of those campaigns and his reach as an iconic player for the Cowboys will long be felt.
Reggie White – Memphis Showboats, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers & Carolina Panthers
While the end of Reggie White’s story is often one shrouded in sadness and tragedy, it is easy to forget just how impactful White was on the NFL as a defensive end.
Blessed with a superb physical frame, White maximised all of his potential and size, to be a Bonafide NFL great and his 17 year career in the competition is testament to that.
White was a prodigious talent for Howard in college football, before being picked by the Memphis Showboats in 1984 as a first round draft pick.
Changes in the way in which the NFL was being operated in the mid-1980’s saw White join the Philadelphia Eagles in 1985, and it was a move that would change White’s life and career.
Throughout his seven years with the Eagles, White set countless record for sacks and defensive statistics, some of which still stand today, before he moved on to the Green Bay Packers in 1993.
Success seemed to follow White everywhere he went and his Superbowl win in 1997 was of course the defining moment of his remarkable career.
He left the Packers in 1999, before winding up at the Carolina Panthers in 2000, completing one of the most storied and recognisable careers in NFL history.
Lawrence Taylor – New York Giants
Being the main character in any NFL side as a defensive player is almost impossible but during his time with the New York Giants, Lawrence Taylor became just that.
A first round draft pick from North Carolina in 1981, Taylor was an instant hit with the New York Giants and his impact at the franchise was felt throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s.
His ferocious tackling style as a linebacker made Taylor hugely feared throughout the NFL and his two Superbowl wins in 1987 and 1991 were career defining for him.
At times, it felt that no matter who the Giants were coming up against, Taylor would be able to find a way to stop the opposition from playing and his marauding defensive style was era-defining.
Taylor is the last defensive player to win the NFL MVP award (back in 1986) and his legacy in the league as a dominant defensive force remains untouched.
