We continue our offseason rankings series with a look at the big guys in the middle on D. Here are the NFL’s top 10 defensive tackles, a list which includes 3-4 defensive ends.
1. J.J. Watt, Houston Texans — Yes, Watt is both the league’s best pass rusher and its best interior defensive lineman. Play him anywhere and he’s the best, period.
2. Ndamukong Suh, Miami Dolphins — There’s a reason the man was paid $114 million to jump from Detroit to South Florida. Suh was a first-team All-Pro for the third time in five years in 2014, and with 8.5 sacks, a Pro Football Focus run-stopping grade of 17.5 and only four missed tackles, he deserved it.
3. Marcel Dareus, Buffalo Bills — The 25-year-old had a career-high 10 sacks to go along with the best run-stopping PFF grade among all qualified defensive tackles. He’s right there with Suh.
4. Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — A consistent pressure guy, McCoy’s PFF grade ranked second at the position to only Aaron Donald in 2014.
5. Sheldon Richardson, New York Jets — The 2013 first-round pick broke out with eight sacks while ranking second at PFF to only Watt at the 3-4 end position in his second season.
6. Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets — Wilkerson is just as staunch a run defender as Richardson (they had identical grades, atop the NFL at that position), but he doesn’t get close to as much pressure.
7. Kyle Williams, Buffalo Bills — Sure, it helps having so much support, but you can’t deny the fact Williams had the highest PFF pass-rushing productivity grade among all defensive tackles in 2014. The 32-year-old is a beast from the inside who also holds up well against the run.
8. Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams — Nine sacks and the position’s fifth-best PFF run-stopping grade as a rookie? The No. 13 overall pick will lead this list sooner than later.
9. Dontario Poe, Kansas City Chiefs — The nose tackle had a career-high six sacks, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
10. Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals — The 2012 first-team All-Pro is still trying to recapture the magic from that phenomenal season, but Atkins managed to put together more quarterback hurries than all but three other defensive tackles in 2014.
