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There’s nothing most quarterbacks fear more than pressure up the middle.
Great interior defensive linemen are hard to find. But as Aaron Donald, Chris Jones and their peers have shown in recent years, the truly great ones are worth their considerable weight in gold. QBs are used to stepping up and avoiding edges. Their offensive tackles are often great athletes in their own right, and somewhat prepared for the destruction edge rushers can bring.
Transcendent defensive tackles (and 3-4 defensive ends) can completely overwhelm the guards and centers they face. And the impact they can have on the ground game is unparalleled.
With that in mind, our writers listed their best 10 based on their confidence in each player were he to take the field for a game next week. A first-place vote merited 10 points in our methodology and descended from there, down to a single point for 10th place. We then combined the scores to determine our rankings.
1: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
Eric D. Williams: Even at 32 years old, Donald remains the gold standard at defensive tackle. A nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time Defensive Player of the year, Donald leads all defensive tackles with 103.5 sacks since entering the league in 2014. Donald also leads the NFL in tackles for loss with 160 during that span.
2: Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
Ben Arthur: To understand how ridiculously good Chris Jones is, look no further than what he did to the Jaguars last week after missing all of training camp and practicing just three times: 1.5 sacks, three pressures and a batted pass, leading Kansas City to a 17-9 victory in a defensive battle. He’s a nightmare for interior offensive linemen with the speed of his get-off, pass-rush repertoire, length and size. He can move around the defensive line too, taking advantage of matchups. He had 15.5 sacks last season for the Super Bowl champs, tying a career-high. He’d be the easy choice for best defensive tackle in the game if not for Aaron Donald.
