M.D. Wright
10.31.09
Defensive End used to be a tough position to pick, but these five guys are better than the rest, and it's not really close after the 5th guy.
1. JARED ALLEN.
Jared Allen is a savage beast. He plays defensive end like one. The end.
2. JUSTIN TUCK.
Began making a name for himself when he sonned THOMAS in Super Bowl XLII, and has played some of the best football from everywhere along the defensive line, anchoring the New York Giants' front four. He plays both LE and RE and at times lines up at DT. And gets to the QB for sacks, stuffs the run and even makes plays in the flat against the short pass. What do you want from a DE outside of that?
3. JOHN ABRAHAM.
John Abraham still gets it done. Bulked up and hasn't lost a step. He came into the league not really being a stout run defender, but he does it all well and REQUIRES double-teaming every week.
4. DWIGHT FREENEY.
The whirling dervish himself. He has patented the spin move against slow-footed LTs. On his way to another 15+ sack season, even with missing a couple of games with a leg injury. Freeney is a nightmare for offensive coordinators and line coaches.
5. MARIO WILLIAMS.
Who cares about Reggie Kardashian anymore? Mario Williams deserved to be the #1 overall pick in 2006 IN 2006 and has played like it since. Reggie Bush HAS NOT. All us football people knew Bush was going to be a lite version of Eric Metcalf (which is an insult to Metcalf, who at least ran between the tackles and was TOUGH). Williams is an excellent combination of size (6'7", 285), speed and has an array of moves that get him to the QB -- even if it's not always sacks, he gets there and plays well against the run.
Honorable Mention: Osi Umenyiora, Leonard Little, Will Smith.
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