NBA Power Rankings 2/28

1. Miami Heat 27-7

The Heat have been blowing everyone out lately are now look the run away favorite to win the title. The only issue I can see that can stop this team from winning it all is Lebron's problems in the clutch. 

2. San Antonio Spurs - 24-10

The Spurs have been extremely hot lately, their last 2 losses have come basically with Popovich intentionally benching his starters and they've been winning in spite of Ginobli's injuries. 

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - 27-7

The Thunder have the best record in the west and Westbrook is playing at the highest level of his career. Also Harden has emerged and is running away with the 6th man award. 

4. Chicago Bulls - 27-8

The Bulls have the 2nd best record in the East and despite Rose missing multiple games have remained at the top of the standings hanging their hat on their number 1 rated defense. 

5. Dallas Mavericks - 21-13

The Mavs started off slow but are now hot as they've won 7 of their last 10. Dirk has now found his legs and is getting in shape and starting to look like the guy that won finals MVP. 

6. Los Angles Clippers - 20-11

The Clippers are top 3 in the West after not even making the playoffs at the all star break and CP3 is a huge reason why. Billups is lost for the year but it appears that they'll still be able to compete against the best in the west come playoff times. 

7. Orlando Magic - 22-13

The Magic have won 7 of their last 10 and Dwight is having a typical year by his standards. But as the deadline approaches will the Magic be able to stay focused as the trade talk really starts to heat up. 

8. Indiana Pacers - 21-12

The Pacers have cooled off some since their hot start and came back down to earth but their still one of the best teams in the East moving forward. Their one of the best defensive teams and deepest teams in the league and that makes for a great combo. 

9. Philadelphia 76ers - 20-14

The Sixers have also cooled off but overall still a good basketball team. Like Indiana their really deep and good defensively and have multiple scoring options. 

10. Los Angles Lakers - 20-14

The Lakers aren't where their accustomed to being at the midway point but despite not playing their best ball are 5th in the west right now. But Kobe is still playing at a really high level and they have the best Center, Power Forward combo in the NBA. 

11. Atlanta Hawks - 20-14

The Hawks have been in the Mix in the East near the top all year despite not having Al Horford who's one of the teams best player. 

12. Memphis Grizzlies - 19-15

The Grizzlies started off slow in large part to Zach Randolph getting hurt but are now starting to finally adjust to life without him and are playing well and Randolph should be coming back later this year. 

13. New York Knicks - 17-18

The Knicks were like 10 games under 500 before Lin got in the lineup so their record compared to how their playing now is skewed. 

14. Houston Rockets - 20-14

The Rockets are playing under the radar but they have been playing terrific team basketball led by Kyle Lowry.

15. Portland Trailblazers - 18-16

The Blazers started off really hot but since then have been playing 500 ball and have been somewhat underachieving and will have to pick it up or they might not make the playoffs. 

16. Denver Nuggets - 18-17

The Nuggets considering the fact they lost 3 of their rotation players from last year have been playing great basketball. 

17. Minnesota Timberwolves - 17-17

The T-Wolves had the worst record in the league last year and now are 500 at the all star break and have a shot at making the post season. Love has emerged as a premiere PF and Rubio has come in with his electrifying passing and made everyone better. 

18. Boston Celtics - 15-17

The Celtics are hanging around as the 8 seed in the East and without much competition from a 9th team their gonna make the postseason regardless but this team looks washed up especially KG and they are done and will be a 1st round exit. 

19. Utah Jazz - 15-17

The Jazz were in the playoff picture for a while but have fallen off. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap are the only 2 consistent scorers on the team and Devin Harris looks awful. 

20. Golden State Warriors - 13-17

Golden State played most of the 1st half of the year without Curry but now he's back and their playing better. 

21. Cleveland Cavaliers - 13-18

Kyrie Irving has been amazing for the Cavs this year and looks to be the rookie of the year and he has team playing well also. Loosing Varejao will really hurt but they are currently in 9th place after being terrible last year. 

22. Phoenix Suns - 14-20

Steve Nash despite his age is still one of the best PGs in the league as solidified by his all star appearance and he's making the Suns better than they are. 

23. Milwaukee Bucks - 13-20

I expected the Bucks to be better but Brandon Jennings has been playing well this year having his best season as a pro. 

24. Detroit Pistons - 11-24

The Pistons might be having a bad year but Monroe has emerged and is having a good year and the Pistons have won 6 of their last 10. 

25. Sacramento Kings - 11-22

The Kings were supposed to be alot better this year but they don't have a PG and Evans is having to do it and just can't. Cousins is showing flashes of brilliance in stretches though. 

26. Toronto Raptors - 10-23

The Raptors on paper have the 2nd worst roster in the league so for them to have better records than 4 other teams I think is good. New coach Dwayne Casey has the Raptors playing better defense and their alot more competitive than last year. 

27. New Jersey Nets - 10-25

The Nets have had to play without their 2nd best player in Brook Lopez most of the year and Deron Williams has just had no help for the most part. 

28. New Orleans Hornets - 8-25

The Hornets have been without their best player and biggest acquisition in Eric Gordon so as expected they've been the worst team in the West. 

29. Washington Wizards - 7-26

The Wizards just don't know how to play basketball and are just a young collection of talent. Wall is playing out of position at PG and their offense is just stagnant to much of the time. 

30. Charlotte Bobcats - 4-28

The Bobcats are the worst team in the NBA and I pretty much called it on this site before the year started. You just can't win in this league with that roster. It's nobodies fault as far as players and coaches are concerned their all doing their best their just simply not good  enough and the blame has to fall on Jordan. 

Who's Better: Peyton Manning Vs. Tom Brady

This debate has been going on for years now and strong points can be made in favor of both players. If you follow me on twitter you know where I've felt about this topic for a while now but this past season has really given me a reason to reconsider some things. 

Peyton Manning - 6'5 230 14 years pro

Career Totals -  Passer Rating: 94.9 TDs: 399 Int: 198 Passing Yards: 54, 828 Completion Percentage: 64.9% Reg. Season Record: 141-67 (68%) Playoff Record: 9-10 (47%) 

Awards: 4 Time MVP, 1 time Super Bowl MVP, 11 Time Pro Bowl, 2 Super Bowl Appearances, 11 Playoff Appearances

Arguments For: When you look at Peyton the major argument for him in this argument is his regular season success and statistics. Some say that Peyton is the greatest regular season QB of all time and I'd def. agree with that. In the 13 seasons Peyton has started and actually played the Colts have only missed the playoffs twice. When he's healthy the Colts usually always have one of the better records in the AFC and the Colts offense usually always ranks in top 5. Since Peyton has been there the Colts have finished top 5 in scoring offense 9 times. He's won the most prestigious regular season individual award there is (MVP) 4 times, more than any other player ever. He's piled up the stats and up until this season he started every game of his career until the streak was stopped at an incredible 208 games in a row. The Colts have also won their division 8 times during Peyton's career. In the regular season Peyton has 46 game winning drives and 35 4th quarter comebacks. When healthy he's a lock for the pro bowl every year and has thrown for over 4,000 yards passing in all but 2 seasons of his career. 

Arguments Against: As great as Peyton's been in the regular season that success just has not translated to the post season. He's only 9-10 in the playoffs and has only been to the Super Bowl twice. We've seen him throw some bad INTs in the playoffs as well. Now  it needs to be kept in perspective that against Brady it doesn't look so good but still all in all their are alot of QB that would kill for Manning's playoff resume, but for this argument it hurts him. 

Tom Brady - 6'4 225 12 Years Pro

Career Totals: Passer Rating: 96.4, TD: 300, Int: 115, Passing Yards: 39,997, Completion Percentage: 63.8, Regular Season Record: 124-35, Playoff Season Record: 16-6

Awards: 2 Time MVP, 2 Time Super Bowl MVP, 7 time Pro bowler, 5 Super Bowl Appearances, 8 playoff appearances,  

Arguments For: As great as Brady has been in the regular season the last couple of years his entire body of work just doesn't compare to Peyton's. But where he holds the advantage is team success in the playoffs. Brady has played in 5 super bowls 3 of which the Patriots won. His playoff record is 16-6 and he started off 10-0 before he ever lost a playoff game. He's also proven to be one of the best late game QBs ever with some of his drives in the postseason late in games. 

Arguments Against: Brady has 3 main knocks on him in this debate. One is the fact he started his career as more of a game manager type QB where as Peyton has put up elite numbers every year of his career besides his rookie season and even his rookie year was one of the best seasons for a rookie QB ever. The other knock is that Brady played on better teams, specifically with better defenses which allowed him to win games without having to score the amount of points Peyton had to put up. And the last is the fact that the Pats haven't been able to win another Super Bowl since spy gate.

Who's Better

For the record I'd just like to make it clear that this article is all time based on the players entire career. I believe that currently today in 2012 Brady is a better QB than Manning but all time I say Peyton has had the better career. Brady has been apart of 3 super bowls wins and has played in 5 super bowls but who cares. Name a season where the Colts had a better team than the Patriots during last decade other than the year Brady got hurt. Maybe the year the pats missed the playoffs in 02 that might be it. People love to talk about how Peyton had the better weapons so what the Patriots had the better team. When I compare the teams head to head over the past decade I'd say that the Colts had them beat in offensive skill positions and that's it. Pats had a better O-Line, D-Line, Linebackers, Secondary, Special Teams, and Coaching Staff the majority of last decade. If the Pats were better than the Colts in all those areas explain to me how the Colts were supposed to win more super bowls than the Pats. People get so caught up in the rings they forget that no one individual player wins anything but teams do. Even the Ravens and Bucs were able to win Super Bowls with the likes of Brad Johnson and Trent Difler at QB, meanwhile Dan Marino never won a title. If that's not proof that teams win championships and not 1 player I don't know what is. To me when I look at the arguments it sounds like the arguments in Peyton's favor are the indivual achievements that you get based MAINLY on YOUR play and skills and the arguments in Brady's favor are achievements that you get based on how good a TEAM is. Peyton has more MVP's than Brady, More Passing yards and TDs, and a better completion percentage. But forget stats for a minute. I watched both of these QBs growing up and I can tell you for a fact that if I was a defensive coordinator I'd much rather play Brady in his prime than Manning in his. Manning is greatest ever when it comes to the pre snap battle and I believe he was more accurate than Brady as well. Ultimately everyone wants to talk about championships but little do they realize it was more than just Brady that helped the Pats win. In the 3 seasons the Pats won the super bowl they finished 7th, 1st, and 2nd in the NFL in scoring defense. As a matter of fact out of the 12 super bowl champion teams since 2000 only 3 of those teams finished outside of the top 10 in scoring defense. Only 2 finished 20th or worse the 2006 Colts team (that Peyton happen to overcome) and the 2009 Saints team. But as you can see 9 out of 12 of the last super bowl champs finished top 10 in points allowed. During the 12 seasons Brady has been there the Pats have finished outside the top 10 in scoring defense only 3 times. In Peyton's 14 seasons in Indy they've finished outside the top 10 9 times. Basically the Colts have been outside the top 10 in scoring defense the same amount of times the Patriots have been in the top 10. And my final point is the actual playoff stats from each player. People act like Brady's plays so much better than Peyton in the playoffs but that's actually not true at all. Their numbers are very close to be honest. Peyton in 19 playoff games has a 88.4 passer rating, 62.4 completion percentage, 29 TDs, 19 INTs, and 5,389 passing yards. Brady in 22 games has a 86.0 passer rating, 62.3 completion percentage, 38 TDs, 20 INTs, and 5,285 yards. As you can see from the numbers their post season play has been pretty close. Sure you can give Brady the edge, I do, but it's not nearly by as much as most people make it out to be. Ultimately the fact that Peyton's playoff numbers are so similar to Brady's yet the teams that Brady has played for have had more success tell you what I've been saying all this time. The Patriot teams were better overall than the Colts teams throughout the course of these two players careers and because of that Brady has more rings. However Manning has more individual acolates because in his prime he was more skilled of a QB than Brady. So Who's Better Between Peyton and Brady? I say it's Peyton Manning. 

Top 10 Defensive Backs

Cornerbacks

5. Johnathan Joseph 

Josesph was the best acquisition in last years free agency. And despite getting his money he took his game to another level. Joseph locked down WRs all year and was a major part of the defensive turn around in Houston as they became a top 5 defense. Joseph has great speed and quickness he's one of the fastest corners in the league and can run with almost any WR in the league. He can thrive in both zone and man to man coverage. 

4. Charles Woodson 

Charles Woodson has started to lose a step but he's still one of the best defensive backs in the NFL. The packers played Woodson in the slot alot more this year and he thrived at it. He's a complete player as he can effect the game in coverage or coming up and stopping the run. He had 7 intrceptions last year. He's still one of the best  zone covering corners in the league and can still lock down WRs on the short and intermediate routes.

3. Nnamdi Asomugha 

Nnamdi had a down year but make no mistake it was a down year by his standards not necessarily a bad year. He started off slow but he really started to play better towards the end of the year when the entire Eagles team started playing better. Part of the problem was that the Eagles were using Nnamdi wrong as he's probably the best man to man cover guy in the league yet they were played him alot in zone coverages. He's still proved he's one of the best man to man cover corners in the league.

2. Champ Bailey 

Champ Bailey reemerged as one of the top 2 corners in the league last year. He was a major part of the Broncos turn around from the defensive side and was one of the main reasons their defense was playing so well. Once Tebow started playing for Den I started watching all the Den games on NFL rewind and came to notice how Bailey game after game was taking WRs out of the game when he was on them. Teams had to often move their #1 WR to the slot or the other side just to really get them going. Champ tho not nearly as fast as he used to be is still one of the fastest corner in the league and he's probably the smartest corner maybe besides Ronde Barber. That combo allows him to be able to cover every route and often doesn't need much safety help.

1. Darrelle Revis 

The best corner in the NFL is Darrelle Revis. He is the absolute definition of a shut down corner. Very few receivers venture to Revis Island and find away off the island. Revis absolutely blankets WRs of all types. He can cover WRs that are quick, big, athletic, or a combo of all 3. He can jump with the athletic WRs and knock it down. He can run with WRs and he's really quick and reacts very well to WR cuts. He has some of the best instincts at the position. On top of all his coverage skills he's also good at helping in the running game and is a dependable tackler.

Safeties

5. Adrian Wilson 

Adrian Wilson is one of the best safeties in the league and has been for a while. His biggest strength is his ability to defend the run as he's one of the best tacklers in the secondary. He has incredible awareness, instincts, and recognition skills and flies all over the field at times like a LB. He's not the greatest in coverage but he's no slouch there either.

4. Nick Collins 

Collins only played 2 games last year before suffering a season ending injury. If you really wanna know how good this guy is he played 16 games in 2010 and the Packers had a top 5 defense. This year he missed basically the whole year and they finished 32nd. Collins is a good player defending the run and pass. He has solid speed and quickness that allows him to be one of the best coverage safties in the league. If he's healthy next season no way will GB be as bad defensively  as they were this year.

3. Eric Weddle  

Eric Weedle emerged as by far the closest to the two legendary top 2 safeties on this list. He was a beast against the run and in coverage this year. He had 88 tackles and 7 interceptions. Has the recognition skills of an elite LB and plays the run from the safety position like it as well. Despite being undersized and a smaller guy he's un afraid to mix it up and get tackles. He's also a very smart safety and he put himself in great position by reading coverages to get alot of interceptions. 

2. Ed Reed 

Ed Reed is one of the best safties of all time. He's had over 50 interceptions for his career and is the best  cover safeties in the league. He's got the best instincts and recognition skills of any safety in the league in coverage. He covers so much ground in coverage and alot of what he does you can't coach. I've see him be in a cover 2 type zone defending his side of the field and based on what he sees leave and go make a interception in the middle of the field. You have to know where Reed is at all times. One of the reasons the Ravens have been so good defensively for so long is that you have to drive the field on them if you wanna score. You don't get many big plays on this team because Ed Reed is the best security blanket in the league.

1. Troy Polamalu

I feel like Troy Polamalu is the best safety in the league by like 1 inch over Ed Reed. They play two different safety positions with two different styles so it's almost more preference when you picking between these two. Troy is one of the best tackling defenders of any position not just LB. I said that Reed had the best recognition and awareness in coverage well Polamalu is the best in those categories in stopping the run. Troy can play and line up every where and be effective doing so. Whether he's playing back at a normal safety spot or down in the box he plays great and you gotta know where he is at all times. Despite being a safety he's one of the hardest defenders to block and you rarely ever see RBs breaking his tackles. I think his overall versatility makes him the best safety in the game.

3 Strikes Podcast (3/16/12)

I'm starting a new podcast called 3 strikes where I'll be discussing 3of the major topics from that day or previous night. Check out the 1st episode the link is at the bottom. 

http://www.mediafire.com/?n2icfl7jlxxpt9d

Top 10 Linebackers

Top 5 MLB

5. London Fletcher

The ageless wonder London Flethcher has been doing it for a long time and still is one of the elite MLBs in the NFL. He's a tackling machine and has some of the best instincts and play recognition skills your ever gonna see. Despite being old Fletcher also still flies all around the field making tackles like a 25 year old LB. I would say he'll probablly start to slow down next season but I've been thinking that the past 2 seasons. 

4. Brian Urlacher

Urlacher is one of the best MLBs of my time and should be a sure hall of famer. In his prime he might have been the fastest at his position and even as he starts to get older he remains one of the fast LBs in the NFL. He goes sideline to sideline almost as good as anybody but what has always made Urlacher really special is his coverage skills. He's made the cover 2 scheme in Chicago work so well because he can cover so much ground in the middle of the field. He can also match up with athletic TE's in man to man coverage and hold his own. 

3. Ray Lewis 

Ray Lewis is one of the greatest MLBs of all time and will certainly be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. He's coming towards the end of his career and still playing at a pro bowl level. He's one of the best tacklers in the league and he's one of the most feared and hardest hitting defenders in the NFL. Lewis like Fletcher has terrific instincts and is one of the smartest defenders in the league. He works so hard during the week to prepare he's sorta like the defensive Peyton Manning. 

2. Jon Beason 

Jon Beason only played in 1 game this season because he went down with a season ending injury in the 1st game of the year. Still I've seen enough in his short career to know he's still the 2nd best player at his position. The Panthers defense was just awful this year and one of the main reasons why is because they didn't have this guy. He might be the quickest MLB in the NFL and can do it all. He can cover and is a enforcer against the run all while being able to play both inside and outside linebacker. 

1. Patrick Willis

Patrick Willis is still the best MLB in the NFL. His numbers were down this year because of a little injury problems this season but when he was out there the 49ers defense was maybe the best in the league. To me he's kind of a blend of Ray Lewis and Urlacher in their primes and has a chance to be one of the greats at his position. He's a hard hitter and flies all around the field. He's smart and has terrific instincts. And he can cover the middle of the field in zones the way Urlacher used to and man up quicker backs out of the back field, TE's, and even cover some slot WRs. I think he's gonna occupy this spot for a long time. 

Top 5 OLB (4-3)

5. Von Miller

Here's a guy that around draft time everyone was saying was a pass rusher best suited to play as a 3-4 outside LB. Well the Bronocs drafted him to play 4-3 outside LB and he more than excelled as he had a pro bowl year his rookie year. Von Miller brings something different to the 4-3 LB position as he's one of the few impact pass rushers from the position. He also is effective as a traditional LB playing the run and covering guys better than expected. 

4. Sean Weatherspoon 

Weatherspoon is one of the most athletic LBs in the NFL. Despite being only 2 years pro he already displays terrific recognition skills. He does a great job at recognizing what play is about to be ran and attacking quickly. He has great pursuit and is a sure tackler. 

3. Chad Greenway

Greenway has some athleticism but it isn't great athleticism. Yet he's become one of the best tacklers in the NFL as he posted 154 total tackles last season and 144 the year before. Greenway despite playing on the outside racks up tackles like a MLB because of his amazing recognition skills and attention to detail. He's also one of the best LBs at shedding blocks. 

2. Daryl Smith

Daryl Smith is possibly the best run stopping LB in the NFL. Not the fastest or quickest by any means but def. one of the strongest at the position. Smith is very hard to block when he's on the move even for lineman climbing up to the next level. To go along with his strength he brings to table an outstanding football IQ that allows him to be in the right place at the right time. He reads O-Lineman as well as anybody. Not terrible in coverage but def. can be a liability when having to cover really athletic players. 

1. Lance Briggs

Briggs has been the best 4-3 outside backer for a while now. He's great at both defending the run and in coverage just like his teammate Urlacher. As a matter of fact coverages is probably Briggs strongest skill as he can do it both in zone and in man. He has no problem running with TE's or backs out of the back field or covering lots of field on zone plays. His combo of speed and quickness also allows him to fly around all over the field as you will see him make plays on the opposite side he plays on which is rare for OLBs. He also does a good job recognizing cut backs and draw plays as he typically plays with good discipline. 

Top 10 Interior Defensive Lineman

This list will be mixed of 3-4 defensive ends and nose guards and 4-3 defensive tackles

10. Brett Keisel

Keisel has developed into one of the best interior defensive lineman in the NFL. He's the ideal size for a 3-4 end at 6'5 285. Keisel improved all areas of his game last year and for the 1st time in years someone other than Hampton looked like the most dominant player on the Steelers D-Line. His specialty is obviously as a run stopper as he's really improved to become elite in that area playing with better pad level and using his hands more effectively for leverage. When watching the Steelers play I saw that tackles really had a hard time getting keisel moved or blocked. He's not to bad as a pass rusher either for a guy his size and his role in the defense despite only 3 sacks he did a great job all year at pressing the pocket. 

9. J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt was sensational in his rookie season. It's rare that I place rookies in my top list at the end of seasons but Watt very much earned it. Watt has ideal size at 6'5 290 and despite being that big still is really athletic for that size. He runs a 4.8, got 34 reps on bench press and had a 37 inch vertical (most WRs can't even jump that high) all of which makes him a special player. Watt had 5.5 sacks on the season which is about as good as it gets for a 3-4 end. He also had 4 pass deflections which is a result of his non stop motor, big frame, and that really good vertical jump of his. Watt could be top 3 on this list very soon. 

8. Darnell Dockett

The Cardinals don't get alot of recognition but here's a guy who's one of the best at his position and has been for years now. Dockett is 6'4 290 but still runs very well for his size. Even more impressive than his speed is his quickness as he's one of the quickness players at this position. He's not the strongest in terms of the strongest interior lineman but with his quickness advantage he's strong enough. He's versatile enough to provide a solid rush either form the 3-4 end spot or as a more natural 3-tech position in nickel and dime packages. He's starting to get up their in years and probably won't be playing at this high of level much longer but for now he's still one of the top 10 interior lineman. 

7. Jay Ratliff

Ratliff is a very unique player in that he's only 290 pounds and plays nose tackle a position where the players are typically 330 plus. When you only have a 3 man line you typically want your ends to be around 290 and your nose who's in the middle well over 300. Despite being undersized Ratliff is still one of the most dominant Nose Tackles in the league. Unlike most players at his position Ratliff utilizes quickness over strength. He's also one of the smartest players at his position and his play recognition skills along with his quickness makes him extremely difficult to block and he typically draws double teams despite being undersized. What really makes him different is that despite being a nose tackles he's a every down player. Most nose tackles come out of the game on sure passing plays where the defense goes into nickel or dime but not Ratliff because he's also a talented pass rusher that can rush from the 1 or 3 technique. 

6.  Ndamukong Suh

Suh took a step back after a rookie season that impressed me so much I might have went a little over board last year when I ranked him 1st on my list. He still had a great year despite the drop in numbers and overall impact. I love Suh's physical gifts. He's big, strong, fast, quick, and athletic. I personally think he can be the best DT since Warren Sapp. But we all know about Suh and his physical talents what I wanna discuss is why he took a step back. Suh has to mature it's a simple as that. His immaturity issues cost him and his team last season. Suh has to get mentally focused and ready to get back to the level he was at his rookie season and back at the top of this list. 

5. Kevin Williams

Kevin Williams has been one of the leagues best interior defensive lineman probably longer than anybody else on this list. He's had an amazing career with 54.5 sacks and over 400 tackles in 9 seasons. For a DT those numbers are elite production over that time period. Kevin Williams is a complete player as he's both dominant as a run stopper and pass rusher. His production seems a little down since Pat Williams left but I think that's more of a prop towards Pat than a knock on Kevin. Since Pat left Kevin is now the focus of offenses on the interior line and now faces more double teams. But like a true elite defensive lineman he handles his business despite them. From a quickness stand point he looks to me to be slowing down a little which can only be expected at 31 but compared to his peers at the position he still remains one of the fastest at the position. He's the ideal 3 tech DT with his combination of strength and quickness. 

4. Vince Wilfork

Vince Wilfork had another terrific year as he continues to be the leagues best Nose Tackle. This was probably his best overall season as Wilfork for the 1st time in his career became effective as a pass rusher recording 3.5 sacks which from the Nose position might be the equivalent to double digit sacks for a DE. Wilfork is the perfect guy to anchor a 3-4 defense though. At 6'2 325 Wilfork is a load to deal with figuratively and literally. Wilfork commands a double team almost every time if you wanna run the ball unless your going to run off tackle. He's probably the best run stopping nose in the NFL and it's just not his size and strength it's his intelligence and play recognition skills. 

3. Richard Seymour

Richard Seymour has been one of the best defensive lineman period over the past decade for the most part. He was a key piece to the Patriots dynasty last decade and now is one of the main guys on a Raiders team that's trying to take the next steps. He's consistently at or near 5 sacks every year. Seymour is one of the few players in the league that can play every D-Line position. He's one of the smartest defensive players in the league and rushes the passer and stops the run at an elite level. 

2. Justin Smith

Justin Smith has developed from a really good player for years to an elite level player the past 2 seasons. Smith does it all. He was a huge part of why the 49ers had the best defense in the NFC. Like all the guys on this list he has great hands and can use them to get the leverage he needs to control the line of scrimmage and make it difficult to run to his side. Despite being a 3-4 end he had 7.5 sacks last year and can rush the passer as a bull rusher and using some moves. Like Seymour he can play all the defensive line positions. 

1. Haloti Ngata

Ngata has been at the top of the defensive interior lineman list for a couple years now. He's 6'4 330 and he's has tremendous quickness for his size. I haven't seen a guy this size that can move the way he does ever really. He dominates the line of scrimmage every game he plays and they move him all around the D-Line. When the ball is snapped he pursuits the ball really well and has some of the best awareness and play recognition skills of any player in the league regardless of position. He's not to bad of a pass rusher either as he's posted back to back 5 sack season.

Top 10 NFL 4-3 defensive ends and 3-4 outside LBs

With about half of the teams running 3-4 and the others running 4-3 the pass rushing talent across the league is at 1 different positions. The 3-4 outside backer and the 4-3 end have very similar responsibilities and skill sets so I decided to put them on the same list which unfortunately will cause some guys from both positions to be left off but hey I ain't finna do essentially two top 10s on players with the same skills and responsibilities.

3-4 Outside Linebackers 

5. Tamba Hali

Tamba Hali is a freak at 6'3 275 pounds, perfect defensive end size and playing standing up as a part time linebacker. I love Hali because he's a complete football player. Well to be fair all 5 of the guys on this list are. Hali is actually better against the run than he is as a pass rusher and he's a pretty solid pass rusher obviously coming off a season with 12 sacks. He's one of the most physical players in the league and if you wanna run the ball you better run it away from his side. And that doesn't even always work as I've seen him come from his side and make tackles at the line of scrimmage or near it on the other tackle side. As a pass rusher doesn't posses a whole lot of flashy moves but can get by tackles and time with really good acceleration, pad level, and great hands. Also he has a pretty good bull rush and can easily over power some of the weaker tackles in the game. 

4. Lamar Woodley 

The Steelers defense was 1st again this year and this guy when he was healthy had alot to do with it. As far as sacks this season go he only had 9 but he only played in 10 games. There's no telling how many he could have racked up if he played 16. Woodley plays the run very well and rushes the passer very well but also covers well for a LB making him really versatile and allows him to play multiple positions for a defense that likes to confuse and give you multiple looks. You can put him in his normal 2 point stance at the line of scrimmage, in a 3 point stance, or in the middle of the defense like a conventional LB. And he can be effective from all 3 spots. 

3 . Terrell Suggs 

This guy is probably the most like a true DE of anyone on the list. He's fairly average in coverage and doesn't get to do much of it anyway He has 2 main jobs rush the passer and play the run and he does both at the highest level. For years the Ravens defense has been near or at the top of the league and Suggs is always right there as one of the key reasons why. This season He really played in what was the best season of his career. But not just because of the numbers but because when Ray Lewis went down he took his game to another level and was the main guy on the defensive unit as they were able to hold the fort and still be a reliable defense even without Ray. Suggs is one of the best pass rushers in the game. He gets after the QB with more of a finesse style trying to use his moves and quickness more so than over power blockers but can utilize the bull rush some as well. He has great acceleration and pursuit and a high motor and he just gets after it all game weather it's in the running backs hand or the QB's hand he's going all out to get there. 

2. James Harrison

I absolutely love James Harrison's game. He's now known all across the league as a dirty player and I don't care one bit I love it. The nastiness, toughness, and intensity he brings on the field every game makes him the player he is and is why he's probably become one of the most feared players in the league. The numbers were down this year because like his teammate Woodley he too was hurt and missed 5 games. Harrison is a triple threat LB like Woodley as well. If you go back to that Super Bowl they played Arizona the play he picked off Warner in the endzone really will tell you all you need to know about his coverage ability and his instincts. Not only is he extremely physical and touch but he also has a high football IQ. He's also one of the strongest guys at this position as it's just so hard for O-lineman to block him with his combination of strength, quick feet, and how well he uses his hands. As a pass rusher there are guys out there that are better, I'd even put his teammate Woodley over him as a pass rusher but as an overall defensive football player there aren't to many players at any defensive position better than this guy. Not only do you have to admire his skills but the leadership and other intangibles he brings. 

1. Demarcus Ware

At number 1 is Demarcus Ware. When you think about the prototype for this position you think of Ware. He's 6'4 260 pounds, long, and has all the physical tools. He's fast, He's quick, Has maybe the fastest 1st step of any pass rusher in the league, he can jump, and he's in great shape. My only knock on Ware would be that he doesn't quite have the highest motor or just that killer instinct attitude to get after it all times which probably comes from being so much more talented than everyone. Ware plays the run about as well as any OLB minus Harrison. He's one of the fastest if not the fastest player at his position and I don't think it's close that he has the best acceleration. Also has great pursuit to the ball as he's one of the best in the league and running down backs when they run the ball away from his side. As a pass rusher Ware is simply phenomenal as he can get to the QB just about every way possible. He can go around you with the swim or spin move or even just by running past you. Also he's good at setting tackles up for counter moves once they get used to him doing one thing alot like Dwight Freeney will do. And if that doesn't work he can also put his head down and have success with the bull rush. The man has 99.5 sacks in just 7 seasons which speaks to both his consistency and high level of play throughout his entire career even as a younger player. He's one of the top 5 defensive players in the NFL. 

4-3 Defensive Ends 

5. Jason Babin

Babin has been somewhat of a journeyman throughout his career having played for 5 different teams in 9 seasons. Until 2 years ago with the Titans he had never even had a season where he recorded double digit sacks. So like most I considered it kind of fluky and the Titans most likely did to because they didn't resign him probably in fear of him being a 1 year wonder. Turns out that wasn't the case at all as he turned around this past season and had a even better year finishing 3rd in the NFL with 18 sacks. Babin is just one of those late bloomer players that kept working hard and plugging away his whole career and finally broke through. Very few players work as hard as Babin does on the field which is how he gets alot of his sacks. He's not the most athletic and not the strongest so his ability to dominate like this speaks  to his work eithic on and off the field and his ability to just play the game. In every sport there are those guys that just know how to play and he's one of those guys. I watched plenty of Eagles games this year and teams just couldn't contain him. His high motor combined with some crafty moves make have turned him into one of the leagues best DE's.

4. Osi Umenyiora 

Some might disagree with this but I don't think you can deny it. 1st of all the man averaged 1 sack per game played as he had 9 sacks in 9 games. Only the elite DE's do that. Also when he came back from injury the entire Giants defense looked different. You could make the argument that Osi was one of the main factors that sparked the Giants onto their super bowl run. Osi doesn't have elite strength and power but he's one of the quickest DE's in the league. Also not the run defender that some of the other players on this list are but his pass rushing skills are top notch and he has such great quickness and acceleration he's really a handful for Tackles to deal with. 

3. Jason Pierre-Paul

Last year my 1 and 2 were Allen and Peppers and I flirted with making a case for this guy but not yet. He still has just a little bit more growing to do as a overall player. Pierre Paul was UN. BLOCK. ABLE. And he was unblockable most importantly in that moments that mattered most. I felt like he earned the defensive player of the year award. He singled handedly disrupted the Cowboys offense the 2nd time they player He's a 1 man army and a force of nature. He's 6'5 280 and it's very possible he's the fastest at this position. I mean he can fly. Quickness, speed, acceleration he has it all. Plus power, brute strength, and a mean streak to go with it all. The scary thing about Paul is he's in his 2nd season and he's only 23 years old. He only started 12 games this year and racked up 16.5 sacks. For the most part the kid is still raw and needs to learn the game a little more. Just wait until he really learns everything about the position and how to really play using more than his athletic ability. I thought about it tho and I just couldn't put him over Peppers quite yet. One of the top 3 pass rushers right now but he's still not the complete player Peppers is yet. 

2. Julius Peppers 

I never pay to much attention to the numbers when it comes to Peppers all you really gotta do is watch the games when it comes to this guy. Peppers is one of those rare triple threat guys that actually plays end with their hand on the ground full time. Peppers can def cover for a guy that's 6'7 290. The fact that he's that big and moves the way he does makes him a real problem for offenses. Not only can he do a little in coverage (although it's mostly zone coverage) he's also one of the best at tipping balls at the line of scrimmage. When he can't get to the QB he doesn't just give up on the play he stays ready and alert and if a pass is made towards his side he tries to jump up and knock it down. He's got 54 pass deflections for his career and he plays on the D-Line. He's probably the best 4'3 end run stopper in the league although a argument can be made for Pierre Paul as well. Numbers and stats don't really tell who the best run stoppers are you just have to watch. Stopping the run for D-lineman is all about gap responsibility, good leverage, holding up at the point of attack, and penetration. If you watch Peppers very rarely are you ever going to see him getting pushed backwards on a run play which makes it really hard to run off tackle to his side. He's been one of the most dominant and complete defensive lineman in the league for years.  

1. Jared Allen 

The best DE in the NFL is Jared Allen. And I'm not just putting him here because he led the league with 22 sacks because I had him #1 last year with only 11 sacks. Jared Allen just is the perfect player. He's more quick and agile than he is fast as there are plenty of ends that could beat Allen in a foot race. But Allen has great acceleration and fires off the ball like not to many others can and ultimately when it comes to rushing the QB that's more important than just speed. He's such a fundamentally sound player at end. Has great gap discipline and plays with great leverages and uses his hands really well alot like Peppers. I give him the edge over Peppers because he's a better pass rusher. Allen can rush the passer effectively with both power and finesse moves and is good at recognizing draw and screen plays as he has fantastic play recognition. Allen has been playing at a very high level for a long time now I wonder how much longer he can keep doing it. He just went over 100 sacks for his career this season with 105 in 8 seasons that's highly impressive. I would take Jared Allen over Demarcus Ware that's how good he is to me. 

Top 10 NFL Tight Ends

1. Rob Gronkowski 

I won't lie to you I'm not the biggest Patriots fan and I tried for so long to deny it but I can't any longer Gronk is the best TE in the NFL. As you all know I love complete players and Gronk is just that he does everything required from his position. First of all he has great size at 6'6 265. He's a terrific blocker both pass and run blocking. He has elite speed and athleticism as far as the TE position goes and terrific hands. Gronk runs routes well, jumps well, and is a monster in the redzone. He's the complete package. 

2. Vernon Davis

Vernon Davis is the fastest TE in the NFL and a freak of nature. There were some TE's with better numbers last year but that's just because he plays with Alex Smith in a run heavy system. Davis can stretch the field from the middle of the field as you saw throughout the playoffs as Davis made some huge big plays to get the 49ers offense out of a funk. The thing that most impressed me this year was Davis improvement as a blocker which most likely has alot to do with his new coach. I give a slight edge for Vernon over Graham because of his blocking. 

3. Jimmy Graham 

Next to Vernon Davis Graham might be the most athletic TE in the league. He's got freakish skills with his ability to run and jump as a former basketball player. He was complemented many times on the year for his great route running ability. He runs routes like a WR and he hasn't even been playing organized football that long. He's the Saints deep threat from the TE position which is just sick to even think about. He needs to work on his blocking ability which should get better with time but he is a mismatch for every defense he goes up against and nobody can contain him man to man. 

4. Jason Witten

Witten is still an elite TE in the league but he's no longer the best. He actually appears to be slowing down to me. Was never the fastest or jump the highest but still just seemed to be slowing down a bit. Not open as much as he has been in the past even tho compared to every other TE he was still open quite a bit. He's still a terrific blocker both passing and running maybe the best blocking TE of the elite pro bowl caliber TE's. Still has great hands rarely drops passes and a tremendous route runner. Also despite a lack of great speed he's still one of the best TE's in the league running after the catch. He doesn't have much time left playing at this level but for now he's still very much a big time player and he's still key in the Cowboys offense. 

5. Antonio Gates 

Gates when healthy we all know is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the NFL. But him making the pro bowl this year was a complete joke and clearly a lifetime achievement award. Gates has been plagued by nagging injuries the last 2 seasons now and clearly have effected his play. He played well in some short stretches this season but for the most part he started to look like a shell of himself at times. Looked bigger, slower, and out of shape at times. He's never been a good blocker that's just not his thing but if healthy I gotta believe he can still get it done so I'm gonna give him a little benefit of the doubt. 

6. Tony Gonzalez 

Here's a guy that everyone just keeps waiting to fall off and retire and at the age of 35 he continues to play at not just a high level but he's still one of the best players at his position in the entire league. Gonzalez obviously at 35 isn't what he used to be as an athletic but he's one of the smartest and craftiest players in the league. He's still got some ups and combined with his 6'5 frame it allows him to still be a very good red zone threat and a guy you can still just throw it up to at times. He blocks, He's an elite route runner, and has some of the best hands in the league even counting wrs. Tony has already came out and said he's gonna play one more season so we'll see if he can do it one more time. 

7. Jermichael Finley

Finley's numbers weren't at top for his position but we all know this guys talent and I can assure you he hasn't fallen off. Rodgers spreaded the ball around ALOT this season. Finely played with 4 other wrs that were thrown the ball on the regular so he wasn't gonna be at the top stats wise for TEs. Still Finely is one of the most physical TE's in the league. He can block, runs well, runs solid routes and can jump. He's a matchup problem and is a security blanket for Rodgers. 

8. Brandon Pettigrew

Brandon Pettigrew is a big boy at 6'5 265. He doesn't have great speed like some of the other TE's on this list but he's got great leaping ability and he's big and strong with solid hands so he's a huge redzone threat and can dominate running patters across the middle of the field. He can block but for his size I'd like to see him block on the level of a Gronk or Witten so he can get better in that regard. Also he can improve as a route runner  as well. But Pettigrew just rapped up his 3rd season. He's still very young and he will improve his overall game. I expect him to be a top 5 TE in this league and a guy that can take some pressure of Calvin Johnson as he enters the prime of his career soon. 

9. Kellen Winslow

Winslow is a guy that relatively goes un talked about when the best TE's names get brought up. He had better seasons the past 2 seasons than last year but that was in large part because of the teams inconsistency and the inconsistency of their young QB Josh Freeman. Still Winslow is one of the more athletically gifted TE's in his own right and can run and jump well though he's def. no Gronk or Graham. He's an avg blocker to me although I must say I haven't really seen him block or payed as much attention to his blocking as the other guys on this list. Still he's a decent route runner and has somewhat dependable hands tho he will drop a pass here or there.  

10. Aaron Hernandez 

Numbers wise you could make a argument Hernandez should be higher but I don't think so. Aaron has greatly benefited from being the 3rd option on his team but he's def. not the only TE on this list that plays with other talented weapons. However he is the only guy on this list that plays with another pro powl caliber TE and that's the difference. There is a player that's even better than him playing the exact same position as him and it's really freeing him up to really have success. But there are alot of teams in the league that when they run 2 TEs sets usually the 2nd best TE in the league doesn't look as good as this guy. Hernandez even tho he doesn't have to deal with the attention that the other guys on this list does he still consistently beats man coverages when he's singled up and not alot of TE's do. He's got terrific speed and quickness for a TE but he does drop balls. His drop in the super bowl unlike Welker's was no surprise because I've seen him drop some all year so he's gotta sure all that up. But ultimately it's hard to rank him with him playing along side Gronk but at the same time his numbers justify him being top 10 on this list.