AMLoB All Pro Defensive Players
by KrippsOHoulihan | 6 years ago | 0 Comments
Ha, you thought this was just another LJ article didn’t you? Well now you can be nice and disappointed as you go through and read the AP Defense article that you probably all gave up hope that it would ever drop. Oh yeah, I also threw in the AP Wumbo Article first, because it’s more important anyways.
Note: The number listed next to each player’s name represents to total number of accrued points they received. Players were ranked according only to their total point value, with comparable ranking and awards being used as tie-breakers if necessary.
1st Team All-Wumbo:
Dillon Tyler (8):
We interrupt your unpaid programming to announce that the original wumbo himself, Dillon *bleeping* Tyler, has in fact been awarded as the 1st Team All-Wumbo. Tyler began his career as the promising strong armed successor to DeShaun Watson. However, his career took a major detour when Texans head coach, and up-and-coming qb whisperer, Jon Emmons had to take multiple leaves of absence over the course of about a year and a half. Upon his dedicated return, the high-spirited Tyler wasn’t quite the progressed passer Emmons had hoped, but he was far and away the most educated and prepared qb on the roster. He used his talents in tandem with Coach Emmons to propel that team to one of the most surprising playoff berths in AMLoB history, while serving as the backup qb and the head of the Texans’ famed Party Planning Committee. Finally his journey came full circle, as he most recently joined Coach Emmons in Detroit to help them party their way to a superbowl. While they were stopped by the freight train that was the Carolina Panthers, rumor has it, the party still hasn’t stopped after Detroit won their first playoff game in over 2 decades, all thanks to the expertise of one Dillon Tyler. #WumboLyfe
2nd Team All-Wumbo:
Lane Toudouze (2):
Some of the less educated folk amongst the commish group didn’t quite understand the premise of the Wumbo award, and as a result, Lane Toudouze finds himself on the list. Granted,Toudouze will arguably go down as the greatest kicker of all time, as he’s currently converting field goals at a 93% rate, including an astounding 95% rate on 50+ yard attempts. However, his lack of a true Wumbo lifestyle off the field, makes him a questionable selection for this award, no matter how badly Coach Watkins wanted a writeup on his favorite player.
Chris Gunter (2):
We wrap up the Wumbo award ceremony with the ideal 2nd team Wumbo selection, a man who is almost in arguably the most efficient special teams player of all time, Chris Gunter. Legend has it that Gunter stumbled upon one of Dillon Tyler’s legendary Saturday night pre-games, and the rest truly is history. Gunter has 1 career touchdown and numerous big tackles and hits, despite playing in only 26 career games in 3 years. The potential is undeniable, as he is one of the best special teams aces in the league, and he is said to carry on the Wumbo tradition down in Florida, much to the approval of Dillon Tyler himself. Of course, it’s all legend, but I don’t see anybody denying it.
1st Team All-Pro Defense:
EDGE1: Yannick Ngakoue (56):
When all is said and done, it is definitely a fair assumption to assume that Yannick Ngakoue will be the all-time career sacks leader, if only for a short while. He will likely be passed up eventually by a couple of the younger players on this list, but that does not mean that his reign on terrorizing qbs is over just yet. Arguably the most impressive thing about Yannick’s career is the level of high level consistency he has displayed. He has amassed at least 24 sacks in 4 of the last 8 seasons, and still had at least 14.5 sacks in 2 of the other 4 years.He has also collected at least 12 tackles for loss in each of the last 6 seasons. He’s also been a great situational player, with 19 forced fumbles, coming mostly on strip sacks, 3 safeties, and 2 TDs (including a pick six). I could go on listing statistics, but really the thing about Ngakoue is just how consistently great he is, and I think that sums it up well.
EDGE2: Thomas Armour (51):
If there is one player who presents the biggest threat to Ngakoue’s pending career sacks record, it’s Thomas Armour. Despite only having accrued 5 seasons thus far, Armour stands at an impressive 99 career sacks. This is due to Ngakoue-like level of consistency that has meant at least 13.5 sacks in each of his 5 seasons, with 3 seasons of amassing at least 20. He is also becoming a more well rounded run defender, as evidenced by the 12+ tackles for loss he has recorded in each other last 3 seasons. If there’s one fault to his game, it’s his lack of forced fumbles, as he’s only ever recorded 4 in his career. However, when you’re playing on a defense as dominant as Carolina’s, you don’t always have to worry about being able to do everything. Armour has a bright future ahead, and the arrow is pointing straight up to the eventual top spot on this list.
EDGE3: Myles Garrett (49):
Garrett is almost inarguably the most well rounded edge defender on this list. Unfortunately, that ability was only enough to net him the 3rd highest ranking. Despite having netted at least 13 TFLs in 7 of his 8 seasons and recording at least 11 sacks in all 8 seasons, Garrett finishes 3rd largely because of his ceiling as a pass rusher. He only ever netted 23 sacks in a season during his best season, and while that is impressive, the pass rush production put forth by the two players ahead of him on this list was just too hard to overlook. That doesn’t mean that Garrett was a disappointment though, in fact he was quite the opposite. However, at the end of the day, there were just too many dominant edge rushers to rank Garrett any higher.
EDGE4: Jordan Willis (44):
Much was made of Jordan Willis’ arrival to Cincinnati back in 2017. Coming in as a rookie, he was viewed as the edge rusher across from Carlos Dunlap that the Bengals had been desperately searching for for years. It’s safe to say he more than lived up to that billing. Early on, he used his freakish athleticism to make quick work of offensive tackles, but his game quickly expanded. By the end of year 3, he was arguably the Bengals best run defender as well, which really just parlayed him into the rest of his career. His closing speed served as his best asset though, as it allowed him to make up for mistakes and missteps and still make plays that no other defensive end could consistently make. It was this combination of skill and freakish athleticism that led to his 147 sacks and 99 TFl in 8 seasons, and also what helped parlay him into 5 career safeties, which is one of the highest totals in the league during that time. It truly is a refreshing sight to see someone combine that level of freakish athleticism with consistent domination on the gridiron.
EDGE5: Danielle Hunter (40):
*See Jordan Willis*. In all honestly though, the similarities in their games are staggering. Hunter didn’t have quite the ultimate production as Willis, but you could easily argue that his high points were just a little higher, as he led the Vikings to the Super Bowl early on in his career. Hunter was viewed, similarly to Willis, as a developmental project coming out of LSU. A man who had all the physical tools, but hadn’t quite put them all together. Luckily for the Vikings though, he put them together and them some, as he became not only one of the league’s most elite pass rushers, but also someone who could more than hold his own in the run game. He was never quite the same level of dominant run defender as everyone listed above him however, and ultimately in a very tight race, that’s what knocked him down a couple pegs and landed him here at the 5th spot.
EDGE6: Haile Rogers (34):
When making a list explicitly ranking players, you’re always going to incite some controversy. Likely there is nobody on the first team AP List that will do that quite to the extent of Haile Rogers. One of only two 3 year veterans to make the first team list (with the other being Brian Godspeed), yet he makes the list despite having a relatively “down” sophomore season, with only 11 sacks. However the 2 years sandwiching that 11 sack season are the main reasons. Even with 11 sacks hat year, he still averages 22.3 sacks a season in his career, as his 33 sack rookie year almost netted him MVP honors. Following it up with a 23 sack junior campaign, and it’s clear to see that the arrow is pointing up for this 25 year old pass rushing stud.
ID1: Aaron Donald (31):
Another one of the consistently good performers on underperforming teams, Aaron Donald lands as the top interior defender in spite of the talent around him, not because of it. Rarely has he had teammates who can even semi-consistently take pressure off of him, and that’s not even factoring in that he has to play the Cardinals and the 49ers twice each every season. However, Donald tops the list of interior rushers because of his ability to consistently, single-handedly wreck gameplans. Despite the talent around him, Donald has collected at least 18 sacks on 3 separate occasions since 2017, and has netted a double digit sack total in 6 of the 8 seasons in that same time span. Despite the talent around him, Donald has had at least 13 tackles for lost in each of the last 8 seasons. He has been an immovable force, for an otherwise very underwhelming defense, and as such deserves this top spot. However, what he truly deserves more than anything, is a chance to not be the only player on that defense.
ID2: JJ Watt (29):
Get out your time machines, because I imagine most of you younger lads will need to take a trip down memory lane in order to remember how JJ Watt dominated the league. As the only retired player to make the All-Pro First Team, Watt’s list of unique accolades grows a little longer, but it was earned on the field. He was the first player to ever surpass the 30 sack threshold, doing so in the fargone year of 2017. He also amassed two more seasons of 23+ sacks and another 2 of 12+. Sadly his tackle for loss numbers were lost to time long ago, but one only has to ask the sad fools who played against him back in their younger days, and they tell of a man so dominant that he could instantly shed triple-team blocks. Sadly like the best of them though, he was lost to the wind long ago, but he will will live on for ages in the tales of those who witnessed him.
ID3: Solomon Thomas (24):
Rarely do you see an interior defensive lineman go in the top 5. Even a force as dominant as Aaron Donald found his way outside the top 10. However, Solomon Thomas was viewed as a different animal and 8 seasons into his career, it’s safe to say that he lived up to the hype. His explosive ability from the interior makes him almost impossible to stop if he beats his defender, and that ability was shown time and time again as he demolished offensive guards and centers. He had 7 straight years in which he eclipsed double digit sacks, on 5 separate occasions notched more than 15 tackles for loss in a season, and he’s netted 5 career safeties. All the statistics aside though, perhaps what speaks to his ability best is the fact that he’s one of the only key cogs in San Francisco that made it through the numerous rebuilds, despite his immense trade value. What he brought to that front seven, and that defense as a whole, must have just too much to give up.
OBB1: Jarrad Davis (31):
If there’s one player on this list who put a mile between himself and everyone else during the first half of the CFM, it’s Jarrad Davis. By the end of his 5th season, Davis was a single interception behind Paul Krause’s NFL record 81 career interceptions. He also nearly won MVP as an off ball linebacker… twice. While yes, some of his other numbers don’t exactly stack up to the rest of the competition, he was still more than adequate as a run defender, racking up 56 tackles for loss in his career. Also, almost surprisingly, he managed to rack up at least 73 tackles in each of his 8 seasons, which is a feat matched by very few in that timespan. Thusly, when you factor in his otherworldly ability in coverage, there really isn’t a question as to who belongs at the top spot for off ball backers, and it’s Davis.
OBB2: Tyrone McAllister (28):
If the name of the game truly is ‘what have you done for me lately’, then it could easily be argued that McAllister deserves the tops off ball linebacker stop on this list. There isn’t a more versatile coverage backer in the league, as his 30.5 career sacks speak for themselves. He is the sideline-to-sideline roamed that that Kansas City defense requires to be successful, and as such is the backbone behind that entire operation. His 17 interceptions and 74 pass break ups, in only 5 career seasons, truly speak to his acumen for being around the ball and consistently making plays. Don’t just get yourself caught up in the coverage statistics though, as he’s tallied at least 100 tackles in each of the last 3 years and has 60 career tackles for loss to go with them. If Jarrad Davis weren’t a 3 time defensive player of the year, the number one spot wouldn’t even be a debate. Alas, here we are though, and McAllister will have to be content with his runner-up bid.
OBB3: Gianni Adibi (25):
If there is one constant about all of these off ball linebackers thus far, it’s the fact that they can all fill just about any role on the field when asked. As a result, they’ve all done a fantastic job stuffing the stat sheet and making a valiant claim for the top spot. Gianni Adibi is no different. Sure he played on the most inconsistent team out of these top 3 players, but he was as steady as they come. He’s tallied at least 90 tackles in 5 of his 7 seasons (with none below 82), he’s also recorded at least 10 tackles for loss in 5 of his 7 seasons, and he’s picked off no fewer than 3 passes in every season of his career. All in all though, he’s just a consistent, dominant playmaker, who was always around the ball and always ready to strike. Unfortunately there just so happened to be 2 spots available for the 3 players who deserved them, and so he finds himself here as the 3rd best off ball linebacker.
F7 FLEX: Myles Jack (18):
As good as Myles Jack has been, there is an argument to be made that he is perhaps the most overrated player on this list. While he has netted an impressive 657 tackles and 83 tackles for loss over the last 8 seasons, the paltry 22 interceptions he’s collected over that time period do tend to throw people off to his coverage ability. While his 72 pass breakups do show that he has a knack for being around the ball, he was just never the consistent threat for interceptions that Jacksonville hoped he would be. Despite his lack of interceptions however, his 11 forced fumbles and 11 fumble recoveries do go well with his 8 career touchdowns to show that he was, in fact, a playmaker for that Jacksonville defense. Whether it was guarding running backs or tight ends or being asked to consistently stuff the run, he was always a consistent playmaker who arguably lost production because of the level of talent around him. So while yes, an argument can be made, it’s not necessarily going to hold up to much scrutiny.
CB1: Jaelin Westbrook (40):
Coming out on top is something that Jaelin Westbrook is all too familiar with, and he does it again here today, winning this 50/50 jump ball against arguably his most formidable opponent to date, the man ranked directly below him on this list. However, the thing with Westbrook is that even if you do manage to match his yearly production, there’s still the fact that he’s been doing it longer and refuses to slow down for anyone. 60 career interceptions, 82 career pass breakups, and an unreal 17 career defensive touchdowns give him production over 7 years that only a crazy person could match (more on him below). While he might have relinquished his hold on the #1 shutdown corner in the league, and that’s up for debate at best, his reign of terror still continues and he is still the only defensive back to lead the league in interceptions over the last 8 years. As such, he’s more than deserving of the top cornerback spot on this list.
CB2: Martinez Stumph (36):
Enter the crazy person who actually decided to match Westbrook’s production. What Martine Stumph has done over his 5 year career, and really the latter 4 years of that career (as he didn’t start as a rookie), is honestly astounding. He’s amassed 42 interceptions, 66 pass breakups, and 10 touchdowns in his short career span. He’s also a better athlete than Westbrook ever was,allowing him to make certain plays that Westbrook never could. He has honestly put up a resume worthy of the top cornerback spot on this list in the eyes of every voter on the panel. Yet he was unanimously the 2nd ranked corner on this list for one reason: Jaelin Westbrook. However, if you’re reading this Martinez, don’t let you weigh you down. For every team has to play at least 2 corners on an every play basis, so you’re still a starter, and the far and away 2nd best corner, in the eyes of at least the majority of this panel.
CB3: Marcus Peters (30):
Classification of whether he fits better as a cornerback or a safety aside, I think everyone can agree that Marcus Peters deserves a spot on this list. While is a definitely an oldie at this point, having just wrapped up his age 31 season, he’s still been just as dominant as ever since his move to the back end of that dominant Chief’s defense. Having amassed 47 interceptions and 95 pass breakups over the last 8 seasons, Peters has shown a continued level of dominance that not many people necessarily expected after a pattern of early career run-ins with the zebras. However, arguably bigger than his impact on the field was the resulting roster development because of his dominance. The Chiefs were never forced to throw new guys out to the flames as a direct result to Peters dominance, and it allowed guys to take the field once they were ready, ultimately turning Kansas City into the one of, if not the best team at developing players on the back end of a defense. All thanks to Marcus Peters.
CB4: Jalen Ramsey (28):
Versatility, thy name is Jalen Ramsey. Going back to his college days, Ramsey has played everywhere along the defensive\e backfield, and after spending the first couple years of his career adjusting to the pro game, he eventually reprised an even larger, more versatile role than he carried with the Seminoles, becoming arguably the most versatile defender in the league. He effectively played the role of the Jaguars’ big nickel and dime linebacker in all sub packages, which is usually held by a safety, but his tenacious, hard hitting ability made him a perfect fit for the job. Couple that with an elite ability to stop the run and still elite coverage skills, and you get the best nickel corner in the league. His statline’s versatility speaks for itself, as his 27 tackles for loss and 10 sacks were both top marks amongst corners, and he still picked off 24 passes to boot. There might not have been a player born for such a unique role quite like Ramsey was born for his.
S1: Sean Evans (40):
Even when teams have the expectation that they will hit on a mid or late round draft pick, they usually don’t have the expectation that that pick will be as good as Sean Evans. Despite largely struggling in coverage coming out of Texas A&M, Evans found himself in one of the prime locations for success and was able to rapidly develop both as a lock down zone defender and a guy who could come up and play some press man. He used his height to body out receivers and make plays other defensive backs were simply incapable of making, and it led to an astounding 48 picks and 98 pass deflections in only 7 years as a starter. Couple that with the fact that he never lost the hard-nosed, run stuffing ability that got him drafted in the first place, and it’s easy to see why he finished as the top safety on this list.
S2: Ashley McIntosh (35):
Don’t let his speed fool you. For what Ashley McIntosh lacks in pure straight-line speed, he makes up for with every other part of his skillset. Lucky for him, speed has never been the name of the game for him, so he learned a long time ago to make up for it with impeccable coverage skills, a hard-nosed run stopping mindset, and great study habits both on and off the field. This hard work and dedication to his craft led him to collect an impressive 41 interceptions in 7 years, while breaking up 71 more passes. His hard-hitting mentality also led to 20 forced fumbles and plenty of other bone-chilling hits. He’s even scored 5 career touchdowns. Just imagine how deadly this man would be if speed were a part of his game.
S3: Marcus Williams (33):
Whether or not he was boosted to the level of success that he achieved, Marcus Williams was always destined for greatness. Things did not start great for Marcus, after an underwhelming training camp led to him being put on the practice squad despite having been a 2nd round draft pick. Yet a certain team shrouded in brown and anonymity saw something in him that his own coaches didn’t, and the rest really is history. 49 career interceptions and 103 career deflections later, and Marcus Williams is the most dreaded safety in the AFC. He locks down the deep middle of the field unlike anyone else and is an all around lockdown coverage safety. Throw in 22 career tackles for loss as his main seller in his run defense resume, and you get a nice tale of redemption and revenge, served colder than the weather in all of Cleveland’s blown playoff opportunities.
S4: Xavier Henderson (24):
Nobody has been a quiet dominator quite like Xavier Henderson. Often getting left out in many a debate regarding the best safeties in the NFL, but he finally gets his due today on this list. His 36 career interceptions are a tad lower than some of the other guys on this list, yes. However his 88 career pass breakups show that his bigger issue may be catching the ball, rather than making plays. Coming out of Michigan State, he had nothing other than his height and his speed. Yet he became the lockdown deep safety that Detroit needed. Yes, it helps that he started his career in the prime years of Jarrad Davis’ wrecking of the NFL, but he stayed because he dominated in his own right. If only this man had ever heard of a JUGS machine… He might not be left out of so many conversations.
DB Flex: Kent Langham (24):
Having one great corner is cool and all, and it usually sells at least a few tickets, but even the worst defensive coordinators will preach the importance of having that 2nd guy. Having that second corner who can lock down the other half of the field with a success rate that at least semi-closely mirrors that of a team’s top corner. Nobody exuded that ideology better so than Kent Langham. Early on he served as a phenomenal trade acquisition who locked down opposing teams top targets regularly, that is until Martinez Stumph’s rise to power. However, in a league where teams often have two top-tier guys out wide, Langham’s value arguably increased once he entered his new role, as he proved to be the key cog in allowing that Carolina defense to function at the level it did. Having netted 32 career interceptions and 73 career pass breakups, his numbers don’t truly reflect his levels of production and impact, if anything cover up how supremely dominant he was for the key role he played in that vaunted secondary.
2nd Team All-Pro Defense:
EDGE1: Joey Bosa (31):
584 Tackles, 118 TFL, 119 Sacks, 13 FF, 5 FR, 3 Safeties, 128 GP (2x Pro Bowler)
EDGE2: Vic Beasley (25):
534 Tackles, 94 TFL, 105.5 Sacks, 17 FF, 9 FR, 1 Safety, 4 TDs, 128 GP (4x Pro Bowler)
EDGE3: Nick Bosa (21):
347 Tackles, 72 TFL, 89.5 Sacks, 5 FF, 2 FR, 2 Safeties, 96 GP (2x Pro Bowler)
EDGE4: Dante Fowler Jr. (14):
445 Tackles, 85 TFL, 95.5 Sacks, 12 FF, 9 FR, 1 Safety, 119 GP (3x Pro Bowler)
EDGE5: Kenny Wilikes (10):
360 Tackles, 90 TFL, 75.5 Sacks, 5 FF, 4 FR, 1 Safety, 1 TD, 96 GP (1x Pro Bowler)
EDGE6: Trey Hendrickson (10):
345 Tackles, 77 TFL, 83 Sacks, 2 INTs, 9 FFs, 3 FRs, 117 GP (3x Pro Bowler)
ID1: Delano House (13):
370 Tackles, 94 TFLs, 69 Sacks, 4 FF, 1 FR, 108 GP (5x Pro Bowler)
ID2: Leonard Williams (11):
455 Tackles, 111 TFL, 98 Sacks, 9 FF, 2 FR, 2 Safeties, 128 GP (2x Pro Bower)
ID3: Danny Shelton (7):
355 Tackles, 111 TFL, 37.5 Sacks, 7 FF, 6 FR, 3 Safeties, 123 GP (3x Pro Bowler)
OBB1: Luke Kuechly (13):
453 Tackles, 54 TFL, 8.5 Sacks, 26 INTs, 51 PBUs, 14 FF, 14 FR, 1 Safety, 4 TDs, 101 GP (3x Pro Bowler)
OBB2: Deion Jones (10):
810 Tackles, 82 TFL, 17.5 Sacks, 18 INTs, 90 PBUs, 20 FF, 9 FR, 4 TDs, 127 GP (1x Pro Bowler)
OBB3: Lewis Canty (7):
556 Tackles, 57 TFL, 48.5 Sacks, 16 INTs, 47 PBUs, 14 FF, 4 FR, 1 Safety, 1 TD, 110 GP (1x Pro Bowler)
F7 FLEX: Kwon Alexander (7):
677 Tackles, 91 TFL, 19 Sacks, 40 INTs, 59 PBUs, 14 FF, 4 FR, 8 TDs, 124 GP (1x Pro Bowler)
CB1: Tre’Davious White (15):
509 Tackles, 14 TFL,7.5 Sacks, 37 INTs, 94 PBUs, 5 FF, 3 FR, 1 Safety, 5 TDs. 128 GP (2x Pro Bowler)
CB2: Ross Worsley (12):
291 Tackles, 20 TFL, 17 Sacks, 26 INTs, 55 PBUs, 2 FF, 3 FR, 1 Safety, 3 TDs, 80 GP (3x Pro Bowler)
CB3: Ellis Landrum (12):
436 Tackles, 18 TFL, 3.5 Sacks, 29 INTs, 73 PBUs, 4 FF, 2 FR, 6 TDs, 96 GP (2x Pro Bowler)
CB4: Jabrill Peppers (5):
536 Tackles, 24 TFL, 6 Sacks, 29 INTs, 92 PBUs, 14 FF, 7 FR, 5 TDs, 128 GP (3x Pro Bowler)
S1: Malik Hooker (22):
521 Tackles, 21 TFL, 5.5 Sacks, 40 INTs, 83 PBUs, 8 FF, 3 FR, 1 Safety, 4 TDs, 116 GP (3x Pro Bowler)
S2: Tyrann Mathieu (21):
525 Tackles, 21 TFL, 9 Sacks, 38 INTs, 90 PBUs, 9 FF, 3 FR, 4 TDs, 128 GP (2x Pro Bowler)
S3: Teez Tabor (12):
426 Tackles, 9 TFL, 1.5 Sacks, 40 INTs, 68 PBUs, 4 FF, 3 FR, 4 TDs, 117 GP (2x Pro Bowler)
S4: Richard Sherman (11):
426 Tackles, 9 TFL, 1.5 Sacks, 40 INTs, 68 PBUs, 4 FF, 3 FR, 4 TDs, 117 GP (2x Pro Bowler)
DB FLEX: AJ Hunter (5):
290 Tackles, 9 TFL, 21 Sacks, 54 PBUs, 4 TDs, 64 GP (2x Pro Bowler)