Taylor is one of two defensive ends to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year this decade.
As we continue in Part 2 of this series we will detail the All Decade Defense after dealing with the offense in Part 1 which you can check out here. And further ado here is the All Decade Defense.
DE: Jason Taylor, Michael Strahan
Defensive end has several worthy candidates but Strahan and Taylor stood out among the rest.
Taylor has been to six Por Bowls and recorded over ten sacks six times this decade including 18.5 sacks in 2002. He is also one of two defensive ends to win Defensive Player of the Year this decade, which he did in 2006.
Strahan had a record 2001 season in which he set the single season sack record recording 22.5 sacks. Although the record breaking one against Favre is questionable there is no doubting Strahan’s ability. He took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2001 and helped lead the Giants to an unlikely Super Bowl victory in 2007.
Runner Ups: Julius Peppers, Richard Seymour, Dwight Freeney, Simeon Rice
DT: Warren Sapp, La’Roi Glover
Defensive tackle was one of the hardest positions to pick because of no player has truly dominated this decade. In the end I give the honors to both Sapp and Glover with Kevin Williams a close third but if Williams has a dominant 2009 season he may bump one of the guys off.
Sapp, a member of the 1990’s All Decade Team, was the most feared defensive tackle in the game when he played. He was selected to four Pro Bowls and had 54.5 sacks this decade. He also helped transform the Buccaneers from basement crawler into Super Bowl champion.
Glover did his damage in the first half of the decade earing six strait Pro Bowl appearances from 2000-2005. He complied 58 sacks this decade including and astounding 17 in 2000 while with the Saints.
Runner Ups: Kevin Williams, Casey Hampton, Kris Jenkins, Jamal Williams
OLB: Derrick Brooks, Joey Porter
Brooks has been the most dominant outside linebacker this decade and Porter has been great as well but beyond them no one has really stood out.
Brooks was one the leaders of the Bucs defense has been with the team his whole career until his untimely release this off-season. He has been to every Pro Bowl this decade and took home Defensive Player of the Year in 2002. Brooks has also not missed a game this decade and helped Tampa Bay win a title.
The 3-4 defense saw a meteoric rise this decade and no one played the pass rushing outside linebacker spot better than Joey Porter. Wrecking havoc at that spot Porter notched 81 sacks this decade and went to four Pro Bowls. He wont a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh and showed no signs of slowing down last year recording a career best 17.5 sacks at age 31.
Runner Ups: Julian Peterson, DeMarcus Ware, Mike Vrabel
Nobody wants to see Lewis on the opposite line of scrimmage.
MLB: Ray Lewis
One of the greatest linebackers of all time easily takes the honor for the All Decade team.
Lewis has been striking fear into his opponents ever since he took the field. He has been the imitating force of so many great Raven defenses this decade.
He has been to seven Pro Bowls and has won Defensive Player of the Year twice, making him only the sixth man to accomplish that feat. He led the Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2000 and was named Super Bowl MVP.
Runner Ups: Brian Urlacher, Zach Thomas
CB: Champ Bailey, Ronde Barber
A shutdown corner is extremely rare to find these days especially after the NFL instructed officials strictly enforce illegal contact, pass interference, and defensive holding. If you can find one they are the most important part of a defense because they can shit down an entire half of a field. The two closest people to one this decade were Champ Bailey and Ronde Barber.
Bailey was the best corner this decade hands down. He was so good offenses rarely tested him and when they did it often resulted in an interception. Bailey has made eight Pro Bowls this decade and intercepted 38 passes. In 2006 he had ten interceptions and did not allow a touchdown all season.
Barber was another staple in the Tampa Bay defense this decade. He made five Pro Bowls and intercepted 33 passes. He is also the only cornerback in history to be in the 20 sack 20 interception club and the ninth overall. Barber was also just as good in run support as he was in pass defense, a rare trait for a corner.
Runner Ups: Ty Law, Nnamdi Asomugha, Troy Vincent, Chris McAlister,
- Ed Reed is the ultimate play-maker in the secondary.
FS: Ed Reed
Although Brain Dawkins is a phenomenal player Ed Reed is just slightly better.
Reed is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. He is the definition of a ball hawk, intercepting 43 passes in only seven NFL seasons.
He has led the league in interceptions in both 2004 and 2008 and holds the NFL record for longest interception return at 108 yards. He has added five interceptions in five career playoff games and has cored 11 touchdowns in his career—3 blocked punts, 1 punt return, 2 fumble returns and 5 interception returns.
Runner Up: Brian Dawkins, Darren Sharper
SS: John Lynch
This was a close one to call with John Lynch barely getting the honor over Troy Polamalu and if Polamalu has a great season this year he might bump Lynch off the list.
Lynch is the fourth defender on this list that played on the Buccaneers defense joining Sapp, Brooks, and Barber showing just how good that defense was.
Lynch was a seven time Pro Bowler this decade and won a Super Bowl with the aforementioned Bucs. He was a great leader and great in run support acting as the eighth man in the box. He was not afraid to lay the lumber o somebody and renowned as a feared tackler.
Runner Ups: Troy Polamalu, Rodney Harrison
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