PFW Blog: Ranking the NFC East's defensive linemen
Posted by Eric Edholm on May 29, 2009 1:24 PM
As I cover the NFC East for PFW, I marveled the other day at how much defensive line depth there is in the division. Wow. It really is stunning. There are at least six and maybe as many as eight Pro Bowl talents at the position among the four teams. No other division can boast that quality and depth.
But ranking the players individually within the division? Tough chore. I decided to choose it anyway, so here goes.
Special thanks to Mike Wilkening, who compiled PFW’s position rankings for our preview magazine (now available) and did a bang-up job of a tough chore. I stayed with him on most of his picks, veering on a few others, but the list stands up to anything I have seen like it.
Onward …
1. Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth
Until further notice, he’s the most destructive force in the division — and he has yet to play a snap for the Redskins. Will he live up to the money he receives? Hmm, doubtful, but he should be a top-tier player for another two or three seasons. Not bad for a contract that amounts to about four years and $48 million. Guess that’s the going rate for destructo defensive tackles these days.
2. Giants DE Justin Tuck
3. Giants DE Osi Umenyiora
Tough call here, as I would have flip-flopped them before Umenyiora’s knee injury. Now, after that, I have to have Tuck first. He had a marvelous season and battled through some really painful and restrictive injuries the second half of the season. His play fell off as they mounted and as opponents slanted protection his way.
I expect Umenyiora to be a difference-maker once more, with perhaps a slight downtick in his sacks with fewer reps per game. That’s as much because of the Giants’ DL depth as it is him coming back from injury.
4. Eagles DE Trent Cole
5. Cowboys NT Jay Ratliff
Another tough call. First of all, it’s nearly impossible to compare the two players because they are so different, other than the fact that they came from relative obscurity (Cole was a fifth-rounder; Ratliff a seventh) to reach Pro Bowl level.
Cole has been perennially underrated, in my opinion. And though he struggles with some top offensive tackles, his motor constantly is running and he has learned to power through his lack of bulk to be a better fourth-quarter player. Playing in a nice rotation in Philly helps, but I think Cole is a blue-chip end whose game has become more well-rounded.
Few people outside Dallas realized just how big Ratliff was last season. He and DeMarcus Ware — who, for all intents and purposes, should be listed here too, but is a de facto linebacker — were the only consistent playmakers on a Dallas defense that alternatively was dominant and curiously bad. (Truthfully, the defense was only bad, per se, four times: the first Redskins game, the Rams game with little help from the offense, the first Giants game and the freakish Ravens debacle.) Ratliff appears a perfect fit in Wade Phillips’ slanting version of the 3-4 and I think can get even better. I only rated him a smidge below Cole because Cole has done it longer.
6. Eagles DT Mike Patterson
7. Eagles DT Brodrick Bunkley
Again, different styles, hard to differentiate. For me, I am putting another slight edge on hustle and consistency. Patterson is a bit squatty and doesn’t have Bunkley’s explosion, but he’s a high-energy mauler who relies as much on guile as he does raw ability. He’s a fun player to watch and (I assume) a coach’s dream.
One of these years Bunkley is going to punish the league’s offensive linemen. I think it might be this season. Watching his final year at Florida State, I thought he was the best penetrating nose or 3-technique I had seen in a long time, and he could play either position. I was stunned he dropped to the middle of the first round. It hasn’t quite panned out to my lofty expectations, but Bunkley shows enough flashes to make one think he’ll be a very good player in short order.
8. Giants DT Chris Canty
9. Giants DE Mathias Kiwanuka
Canty is a converted five-technique who will kick down inside to battle against shorter, stouter guards. You don’t see many 6-foot-7 defensive tackles ever, and I wonder a little bit how Canty, who was never a big playmaker but rather a solid, scheme-fitting point-holder in Dallas, will pan out exactly. I think he’ll be good in Bill Sheridan’s defense, but with other players cleaning up the tackles, you might not hear Canty’s name called a lot this season.
Kiwanuka is a tricky one. I have followed his career since the B.C. days, and I like him a lot. But he wore down even more than Tuck down the stretch and will be relegated (if that’s the word) to third-DE status in New York, and perhaps a few moonlight performances as a stand-up strong-side performer. He’s a pass rusher, and they’re rare, so he gets the nod here. This just might not be his best season.
10. Cowboys DE Marcus Spears
To me, Spears could make a Canty-like jump in the final year of his deal. You can’t teach that frame, and though he has been less than thrilling to date, he also hasn’t had to with Greg Ellis playing over his left shoulder. I feel like Spears' career has taken a bit of a two-steps-forward-one-back progression, with each notch of improvement followed by spells of disappearance. Some 3-4 team, be it Dallas or Miami (Bill Parcells saw star potential when he drafted him), will go after him hard next season in free agency. But so far, I haven’t seen a lot to put him higher than this, and you could argue he might not deserve a top-10 ranking in the division.
Just missed the cut
Cowboys DE Igor Olshansky — Something tells me he will have a very nice season and will keep Ware happy.
Redskins DE-OLB Brian Orakpo — Talent is undeniable, but are the Redskins maybe throwing too much at him right away?
Redskins DE Andre Carter — Hard worker with good edge speed who gets worn down too easily.
Eagles DE Victor Abiamiri — An up-and-comer who could be the breakout player on the list. The Eagles like him a lot.
Giants NT Rocky Bernard — A two-down player on the deepest D-line in football.
Giants DT Fred Robbins — Hard not to see the writing on the wall here with all the additions. Terrific start to last season, but he fell hard and is well-worn.
Redskins DT Cornelius Griffin — If there’s anyone who will benefit from Haynesworth, it’s him. Maybe he has one season left, but the younguns (Kedric Golston, Anthony Montgomery) are pushing hard and fast.
As I cover the NFC East for PFW, I marveled the other day at how much defensive line depth there is in the division. Wow. It really is stunning. There are at least six and maybe as many as eight Pro Bowl talents at the position among the four teams. No other division can boast that quality and depth.
But ranking the players individually within the division? Tough chore. I decided to choose it anyway, so here goes.
Special thanks to Mike Wilkening, who compiled PFW’s position rankings for our preview magazine (now available) and did a bang-up job of a tough chore. I stayed with him on most of his picks, veering on a few others, but the list stands up to anything I have seen like it.
Onward …
1. Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth
Until further notice, he’s the most destructive force in the division — and he has yet to play a snap for the Redskins. Will he live up to the money he receives? Hmm, doubtful, but he should be a top-tier player for another two or three seasons. Not bad for a contract that amounts to about four years and $48 million. Guess that’s the going rate for destructo defensive tackles these days.
2. Giants DE Justin Tuck
3. Giants DE Osi Umenyiora
Tough call here, as I would have flip-flopped them before Umenyiora’s knee injury. Now, after that, I have to have Tuck first. He had a marvelous season and battled through some really painful and restrictive injuries the second half of the season. His play fell off as they mounted and as opponents slanted protection his way.
I expect Umenyiora to be a difference-maker once more, with perhaps a slight downtick in his sacks with fewer reps per game. That’s as much because of the Giants’ DL depth as it is him coming back from injury.
4. Eagles DE Trent Cole
5. Cowboys NT Jay Ratliff
Another tough call. First of all, it’s nearly impossible to compare the two players because they are so different, other than the fact that they came from relative obscurity (Cole was a fifth-rounder; Ratliff a seventh) to reach Pro Bowl level.
Cole has been perennially underrated, in my opinion. And though he struggles with some top offensive tackles, his motor constantly is running and he has learned to power through his lack of bulk to be a better fourth-quarter player. Playing in a nice rotation in Philly helps, but I think Cole is a blue-chip end whose game has become more well-rounded.
Few people outside Dallas realized just how big Ratliff was last season. He and DeMarcus Ware — who, for all intents and purposes, should be listed here too, but is a de facto linebacker — were the only consistent playmakers on a Dallas defense that alternatively was dominant and curiously bad. (Truthfully, the defense was only bad, per se, four times: the first Redskins game, the Rams game with little help from the offense, the first Giants game and the freakish Ravens debacle.) Ratliff appears a perfect fit in Wade Phillips’ slanting version of the 3-4 and I think can get even better. I only rated him a smidge below Cole because Cole has done it longer.
6. Eagles DT Mike Patterson
7. Eagles DT Brodrick Bunkley
Again, different styles, hard to differentiate. For me, I am putting another slight edge on hustle and consistency. Patterson is a bit squatty and doesn’t have Bunkley’s explosion, but he’s a high-energy mauler who relies as much on guile as he does raw ability. He’s a fun player to watch and (I assume) a coach’s dream.
One of these years Bunkley is going to punish the league’s offensive linemen. I think it might be this season. Watching his final year at Florida State, I thought he was the best penetrating nose or 3-technique I had seen in a long time, and he could play either position. I was stunned he dropped to the middle of the first round. It hasn’t quite panned out to my lofty expectations, but Bunkley shows enough flashes to make one think he’ll be a very good player in short order.
8. Giants DT Chris Canty
9. Giants DE Mathias Kiwanuka
Canty is a converted five-technique who will kick down inside to battle against shorter, stouter guards. You don’t see many 6-foot-7 defensive tackles ever, and I wonder a little bit how Canty, who was never a big playmaker but rather a solid, scheme-fitting point-holder in Dallas, will pan out exactly. I think he’ll be good in Bill Sheridan’s defense, but with other players cleaning up the tackles, you might not hear Canty’s name called a lot this season.
Kiwanuka is a tricky one. I have followed his career since the B.C. days, and I like him a lot. But he wore down even more than Tuck down the stretch and will be relegated (if that’s the word) to third-DE status in New York, and perhaps a few moonlight performances as a stand-up strong-side performer. He’s a pass rusher, and they’re rare, so he gets the nod here. This just might not be his best season.
10. Cowboys DE Marcus Spears
To me, Spears could make a Canty-like jump in the final year of his deal. You can’t teach that frame, and though he has been less than thrilling to date, he also hasn’t had to with Greg Ellis playing over his left shoulder. I feel like Spears' career has taken a bit of a two-steps-forward-one-back progression, with each notch of improvement followed by spells of disappearance. Some 3-4 team, be it Dallas or Miami (Bill Parcells saw star potential when he drafted him), will go after him hard next season in free agency. But so far, I haven’t seen a lot to put him higher than this, and you could argue he might not deserve a top-10 ranking in the division.
Just missed the cut
Cowboys DE Igor Olshansky — Something tells me he will have a very nice season and will keep Ware happy.
Redskins DE-OLB Brian Orakpo — Talent is undeniable, but are the Redskins maybe throwing too much at him right away?
Redskins DE Andre Carter — Hard worker with good edge speed who gets worn down too easily.
Eagles DE Victor Abiamiri — An up-and-comer who could be the breakout player on the list. The Eagles like him a lot.
Giants NT Rocky Bernard — A two-down player on the deepest D-line in football.
Giants DT Fred Robbins — Hard not to see the writing on the wall here with all the additions. Terrific start to last season, but he fell hard and is well-worn.
Redskins DT Cornelius Griffin — If there’s anyone who will benefit from Haynesworth, it’s him. Maybe he has one season left, but the younguns (Kedric Golston, Anthony Montgomery) are pushing hard and fast.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:50 AM
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