2011 NFL Defensive Tackle Rankings- Preseason

Rookie Defensive Tackle Rankings


5 Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets 
4 Phil Taylor, Cleveland Browns 
3 Corey Liuget, San Diego Chargers 
2 Nick Fairley, Detroit Lions 
1 Marcell Dareus, Buffalo Bills 


     The top two in this class are going to be stars. I love Nick Fairley and I hope that he is healthy by the start of the season because the tandem of him and Ndamukong Suh will be scary. Marcell Dareus will be the foundation of the Bills, he is very talented and is a Vince Wilfork in the making. 


Top 20

Albert Haynesworth 

20 Tommie Harris, New York Jets  
19 Tyson Alualu, Jacksonville Jaguars 
18 Albert Haynesworth, New England Patriots 
17 Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
16 Antonio Garay, San Diego Chargers 
15 Pat Williams, Minnesota Vikings 
14 Paul Solai, Miami Dolphins 
13 Jonathan Babineaux, Atlanta Falcons
12 Kyle Williams, Buffalo Bills  
11 Justin Smith, San Francisco 49ers 


     There are plenty of solid defensive tackles who remain outside of the top 10. The most interesting one of this lot is certainly Albert Haynesworth, who if he is motivated by just be the best defensive tackle in the game. A lot of these guys like Tommie Harris and Pat Williams are getting older while guys like Gerald McCoy and Tyson Alualu are still young and are about to enter the prime of their careers. 

Casey Hampton

Top 10

10 Jay Ratliff, Dallas Cowboys 
9 Aubrayo Franklin, New Orleans Saints 
8 Richard Seymour, Oakland Raiders 
7 Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh Steelers 
6 Kevin Williams, Minnesota Vikings 


     The guys in the top 10 usually aren't stand outs or playmakers, but they are very consistent and do their jobs very effectively. Guys like Aubrayo Franklin and Casey Hampton are pros at clogging the middle, while Jay Ratliff, Richard Seymour and Kevin Williams are able pass rushers. 


Top 5
5 B.J. Raji, Green Bay Packers 
4 Darnell Dockett, Arizona Cardinals 
3 Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots 
2 Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions 
1 Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens

Haloti Ngata 

          These five guys are dominant. They change the games they play in. All of them make big plays, stop the run and get after the quarterback. What makes Haloti Ngata the best in the game is his ability to take two defenders, sill stop the run and still get after the quarterback. Haloti Ngata dominates the game by himself while freeing up his teammates for better opportunities. But Ngata better watch out, Ndamukong Suh might just be the best in the game after this year. In his rookie year, he recorded 10 sacks and got into the backfield as effectively as someone like Dwight Freeney would. We'll see what Suh can do for an encore this season.