Who are the 5 greatest 3-4 DE's of all-time?

[Jetsfan80]

Leading up to the start of the season, I'll be posting a thread once every day or so devoted to determine the top 5 all-time at each position, as voted on by JN.

I am using football-reference.com's AV (Approximate Value) metric to help compare across eras.  The "Peak AV Average" means the average "score" for each player's among their top 5 performing years in the league, to help establish which players had the high peaks and which players were more of the "compilers" over a long career.  Utilizing a "peak AV" also allows for players with careers shortened by injury to be included.

Also note that AV only goes back so far, so some players from the earliest days in NFL history (primarily the 30s, 40s and early 50s) are, unfortunately, excluded.

 

Yesterday, JN voted on Left Guards:

 

 

 

Today, we vote on 3-4 Defensive Ends!

Below are the candidates and their resumes, ranked in the order weighted by AV/Peak AV:

 

1.  Bruce Smith, BUF/WAS (1985-2003)

• Career AV:  229
• Peak AV Average:  18
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  8
• Pro Bowl Selections:  11
• Career Sacks:  200.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  43

2.  J.J. Watt, HOU/AZ (2011-present)

• Career AV:  125
• Peak AV Average:  19
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  5
• Pro Bowl Selections:  5
• Career Sacks:  102.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  26

3.  Willie Davis, CLE/GB (1958-1969)

• Career AV:  125*
• Peak AV Average:  16
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  5
• Pro Bowl Selections:  5
• Career Sacks:  99.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

* AV wasn't calculated in football-reference.com's database until the 1960 season

4.  Haloti Ngata, BAL/DET/PHI (2006-2018)

• Career AV:  125
• Peak AV Average:  15
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  2
• Pro Bowl Selections:  5
• Career Sacks:  32.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  7

5.  Calais Campbell, AZ/JAZ/BAL (2008-present)

• Career AV:  137
• Peak AV Average:  14
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  1
• Pro Bowl Selections:  6
• Career Sacks:  93.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  14

6.  Justin Smith, CIN/SF (2001-2014)

• Career AV:  136
• Peak AV Average:  14
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  1
• Pro Bowl Selections:  5
• Career Sacks:  87.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  16

7.  Howie Long, OAK/RAI (1981-1992)

• Career AV:  119
• Peak AV Average:  14
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  2
• Pro Bowl Selections:  8
• Career Sacks:  91.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

8.  Richard Seymour, NE/OAK (2001-2012)

• Career AV:  113
• Peak AV Average:  14
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  3
• Pro Bowl Selections:  7
• Career Sacks:  57.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  4

9.  Ron McDole, STL/HOU/BUF/WAS (1961-1978)

• Career AV:  144
• Peak AV Average:  12
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  1
• Pro Bowl Selections:  3
• Career Sacks:  77.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

10.  Cameron Jordan, NO (2011-present)

• Career AV:  116
• Peak AV Average:  13
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  1
• Pro Bowl Selections:  7
• Career Sacks:  107.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  13

11.  Dan Hampton, CHI (1979-1990)

• Career AV:  125
• Peak AV Average:  12
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  1
• Pro Bowl Selections:  4
• Career Sacks:  82.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

12.  Lee Roy Selmon, TB (1976-1984)

• Career AV:  92
• Peak AV Average:  13
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  1
• Pro Bowl Selections:  6
• Career Sacks:  78.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

13.  Lyle Alzado, DEN/CLE/RAI (1971-1985)

• Career AV:  116
• Peak AV Average:  11
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  2
• Pro Bowl Selections:  2
• Career Sacks:  112.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

14.  Jacob Green, SEA/SF (1980-1992)

• Career AV:  104
• Peak AV Average:  11
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  0
• Pro Bowl Selections:  2
• Career Sacks:  115.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

15.  Cameron Heyward, PIT (2011-present)

• Career AV:  106
• Peak AV Average:  10
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  3
• Pro Bowl Selections:  5
• Career Sacks:  68.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  7

16.  Leonard Marshall, NYG/NYJ/WAS (1983-1994)

• Career AV:  87
• Peak AV Average:  11
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  0
• Pro Bowl Selections:  2
• Career Sacks:  83.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  9

17.  Jurrell Casey, TEN/DEN (2011-2020)

• Career AV:  87
• Peak AV Average:  11
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  0
• Pro Bowl Selections:  5
• Career Sacks:  51.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  8

18.  Rulon Jones, DEN (1980-1988)

• Career AV:  73
• Peak AV Average:  11
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  1
• Pro Bowl Selections:  2
• Career Sacks:  73.5
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

19.  Carl Hairston, PHI/CLE/PHO (1976-1990)

• Career AV:  105
• Peak AV Average:  9
• 1st Team All-Pro Selections:  0
• Pro Bowl Selections:  0
• Career Sacks:  96.0
• Career Forced Fumbles:  N/A

 

Just missed the cut:  Elvin Bethea, Art Still, Joe Klecko, Shaun Ellis, Aaron Smith, Muhammad Wilkerson, Mike DeVito

[shawn306]

How is Deacon Jones not on this list ?

[slats]

Sure you don’t want to divide it up into left and right 3-4 DEs here? 

[CSNY]

54 minutes ago, shawn306 said:

How is Deacon Jones not on this list ?

Deacon Jones was part of “The Fearsome Foursome” along with Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosie Greer

[Jetsfan80]

1 hour ago, shawn306 said:

How is Deacon Jones not on this list ?

 

4 minutes ago, CSNY said:

Deacon Jones was part of “The Fearsome Foursome” along with Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosie Greer

 

Yep.  Deacon will be on the 4-3 DE list alongside the likes of Reggie White, Carl Eller, Michael Strahan, etc.

[HessStation]

1. B. Smith

2. J.J. Watt

3 R. Seymour

4. H. Long

5. L. Selmon

 

You are wrong and I am right 

[section314]

Only voted for 3   1) Smith  2) Selmon  3) Watt. The rest of these guys aren't in the same conversation.

[Obrien2Toon]

Smith is the clear cut #1, gets tough after that though 

[peebag]

I think there's probably a little bit of youth bias on this poll.

 

Lee Roy Selmon was a monster.

[Integrity28]

On 7/27/2022 at 4:33 PM, Jetsfan80 said:

Just missed the cut:  Elvin Bethea, Art Still, Joe Klecko, Shaun Ellis, Aaron Smith, Muhammad Wilkerson, Mike DeVito

?