Every game in the history of the NFL has had its own best pass rushers. But the question that keeps popping out is, ‘Who is the best player of all time?’
After the ball is snapped, the pass rushers start the action. Without question, teams that can make a rush are the ones that win championships. The first few seconds of a pass play quickly decide how the game will go. Millions of dollars are spent by NFL teams to protect their star passers. Offensive players have the most value in the draft.
Because of this, they feel confident in trying to carry out their attack. But pass rushers only exist to cause trouble and ruin game plans. Here are the five best players to line up, in order from best to worst. Are you on the lookout for a complete NFL sports betting guide, look no further, because bet on nfl games online has got all the complete guide you need on their website for profitable bet returns!
Now, before we start, we should note that Aaron Donald is not on this list, but he is still playing. Plus, it’s not a given that he’d be in the top five.
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5. Deacon Jones
The first one. Jones got his start in the business at South Carolina State. Not only that, but he made up the word “sack.” Jones was one of the best pass rushers because of how he played. Jones used his arms and hands, especially his hands, to get home by following the rules of the time. Jones, for instance, would use his hands to jolt the blocker’s head.
The head slap was a move that threw opponents off balance. Jones used a quick first step and a long run to get to the quarterback after his opponent had been knocked out. No quarterback in NFL history has had more than twenty sacks in three different seasons. Jones finished his career with 173.5 sacks. He played for the Rams, the Chargers, and the Washington team.
4. Julius Peppers
Julius Peppers is the best player on this list if you only look at physical skills like speed, strength, and quickness. Peppers could have won just with his height and weight of six feet six inches and 283 pounds. But as he got better as a rusher, he put together moves and used his mind to keep the stops guessing.
Peppers stayed in his bag, to use a current phrase. He could use the hump, the rip, the spin, and the speed rush. Peppers scared other teams for 17 years while playing for the Panthers, Bears, and Packers. 159.5 sacks and 52 forced fumbles should be higher on this list, but you can never argue with the top three.
3. Derrick Thomas
Thomas is the only rusher on this list who only played eleven years. Even if that’s true, it shows how Thomas’ play still has an effect on the NFL today. For example, it was a Thomas standard for a player to rush off the edge with enough bend and leverage to force the tackler to give up the outside foot.
If blockers tried to cheat by making their gap bigger, Thomas would shoot the gap, which would cancel out the wider gap. Basically, Thomas was too fast for most tacklers to catch him one-on-one. Because he was there, tight ends and backs had to help keep him in place. Two of the top five records for sacks in a single game are held by the player from Alabama. Thomas had 126.5 sacks by the end of his career.
2. Reggie White
Reggie White was hard to beat for Larry Allen, who is known as one of the biggest players in NFL history. Most pass rushers learn the bull rush as their first move, but White added his own twist to the move. The hump move is a combination of a bull rush, good footwork, confidence, and strength that is beyond human. White puts his right arm under the left arm of his opponent. Next, he drives forward while using one arm to push the blocker away.
If you’ve never seen it and just read that description, you wouldn’t believe it. White could also beat combo block with the old-fashioned bull rush. Also, even though he weighed 300 pounds, the Hall of Famer was fast enough to use speed to get home. The person in charge of defense. The eight-time All-Pro had 198 sacks when he was done. More importantly, White’s three sacks in Super Bowl XXXI helped the Green Bay Packers win on the biggest stage.
1. Lawrence Taylor
Deacon Jones was the first player to rush the quarterback, but Lawrence Taylor has changed the game. Teams have tried for the past 40 years to do what Taylor did for the New York Giants on the field. The role of an edge rusher, who is a mix of a linebacker and a defensive end and can rush from either a two-point or three-point stance.
Taylor was a disaster for charges. For example, Joe Gibbs has said on the record that he made Washington’s offensive game plan with Taylor in mind so that he wouldn’t be a threat. Taylor had trouble with the first step, which, along with his strong legs, fast closing speed, and cat-like balance, gave him a headache. Taylor’s life off the field looked like it was out of control, but on the field, he won games with his timing, focus, and determination. Even so, some pass rushes have more sacks than others. Still, none of them changed what happened in the NFL.
