Post by TheShadow on Jul 11, 2008 3:49:28 GMT -5
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by Neal Coolong
Size does matter for a defensive tackle. Whether that player is brought in to simply plug the middle to defend the run, or if he’s there to occupy blockers to leave other defensive players unchecked, the big men in the middle need that size to be effective.
Based on pounds per inch as a measuring stick (using both height and weight to provide an accurate picture of total mass), Chargers NT Jamal Williams (4.64 pounds per inch) is the biggest defensive tackle in the NFL.
At 6-foot-3, 348 pounds, he is also the biggest defensive player in the NFL. That’s not the only reason Williams is one of the best interior linemen in football, but it certainly helps.
Williams’ best attribute on the field is his ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage on every snap, which collapses the center and leaves the Chargers’ outside linebackers – including All-Pro Shawne Merriman – with only the tackle between them and the ball carrier.
Panthers DT Ma’ake Kemoeatu finishes second, standing 6-5 and weighing 350 pounds – 4.55 pounds per inch. His run-stopping skills in a 3-4 defensive set in Baltimore translated over to a lucrative free agent contract in Carolina in 2006. In that same season, three-time Pro Bowl DE Julius Peppers had a career-high 13 sacks. DT Kris Jenkins also made the Pro Bowl that season.
Williams gets another behemoth on the inside, as No. 3 on the list is rookie free agent Lamar Divens (6-3, 333, 4.44 pounds per inch).
Tallest DTs: Ropati Pitoitua, Jets 6-8; Terdell Sands, Raiders; 6-7; three tied at 6-6.
Heaviest DTs: Kemoeatu, 350 pounds; Williams, 348 pounds; Jenkins and Sands, 335 pounds.
by Neal Coolong
Size does matter for a defensive tackle. Whether that player is brought in to simply plug the middle to defend the run, or if he’s there to occupy blockers to leave other defensive players unchecked, the big men in the middle need that size to be effective.
Based on pounds per inch as a measuring stick (using both height and weight to provide an accurate picture of total mass), Chargers NT Jamal Williams (4.64 pounds per inch) is the biggest defensive tackle in the NFL.
At 6-foot-3, 348 pounds, he is also the biggest defensive player in the NFL. That’s not the only reason Williams is one of the best interior linemen in football, but it certainly helps.
Williams’ best attribute on the field is his ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage on every snap, which collapses the center and leaves the Chargers’ outside linebackers – including All-Pro Shawne Merriman – with only the tackle between them and the ball carrier.
Panthers DT Ma’ake Kemoeatu finishes second, standing 6-5 and weighing 350 pounds – 4.55 pounds per inch. His run-stopping skills in a 3-4 defensive set in Baltimore translated over to a lucrative free agent contract in Carolina in 2006. In that same season, three-time Pro Bowl DE Julius Peppers had a career-high 13 sacks. DT Kris Jenkins also made the Pro Bowl that season.
Williams gets another behemoth on the inside, as No. 3 on the list is rookie free agent Lamar Divens (6-3, 333, 4.44 pounds per inch).
Tallest DTs: Ropati Pitoitua, Jets 6-8; Terdell Sands, Raiders; 6-7; three tied at 6-6.
Heaviest DTs: Kemoeatu, 350 pounds; Williams, 348 pounds; Jenkins and Sands, 335 pounds.