The Best Defensive Linemen of All‑Time

In the Super Bowl Era

Since 1980, there have been 26 Modern-Era Defensive Linemen honored by the Hall of Fame, with an average Legends Score of 45. For a list of other positions, click here.

Player	Pos	Status	Legends Score	Avg/Year
Reggie White	LDE		98	6.13
Bruce Smith	RDE		84	4.42
Bob Lilly	RDT		76	5.43
Merlin Olsen	RDT		72	4.8
Randy White	RDT		70	5
Gino Marchetti	DE		67	4.47
Aaron Donald	DT	Eligible 2029	62	6.2
Alan Page	RDT		61	4.07
Warren Sapp	RDT		57	4.38
Julius Peppers	DE		54	3.18
Jack Youngblood	LDE		53	3.79
John Randle	RDE		52	3.71
Joe Greene	LDT		51	3.92
Carl Eller	LDE		49	3.06
Andy Robustelli	DE		49	3.5
Deacon Jones	LDE		48	3.43
Michael Strahan	LDE		48	3.2
Alex Karras	LDT		46	3.54
Doug Atkins	LDE		43	2.53
Richard Seymour	DT		43	3.58
Willie Davis	DE		42	3.5
J.J. Watt	DE	Eligible 2028	42	3.5
Cortez Kennedy	RDT		41	3.73
Kevin Williams	DT	Eligible 2021	40	3.08
Dwight Freeney	RDE		40	2.5
Ndamukong Suh	DT	Active	37	2.64
Howie Long	LDE		36	2.77
Dan Hampton	RDT		36	3
Harvey Martin	RDE	Eligible 1989	35	3.18
Chris Doleman	RDE		33	2.2
Geno Atkins	DT	Eligible 2026	33	3
Jason Taylor	RDE		33	2.2
Fletcher Cox	DE	Eligible 2029	32	2.67
Henry Jordan	RDT		32	2.46
Cameron Jordan	DE	Active	31	2.38
Calais Campbell	DE	Active	29	1.81
Lee Roy Selmon	RDE		29	3.22
La'Roi Glover	RDT	Eligible 2014	29	2.23
Haloti Ngata	DT	Eligible 2024	27	2.08
Bryant Young	LDT		27	1.93
Neil Smith	LDE	Eligible 2006	26	2
T.J. Watt	DE	Active	26	3.71
Myles Garrett	DE	Active	26	3.71
Richard Dent	RDE		26	1.73
Jared Allen	DE	Eligible 2021	25	2.27
L.C. Greenwood	LDE	Eligible 1987	25	1.92
Claude Humphrey	LDE		25	1.79
Chris Jones	DT	Active	24	3
Cameron Heyward	DT	Active	24	1.85
Keith Millard	RDT	Eligible 1999	24	2.67
Mark Gastineau	LDE	Eligible 1996	23	1.92
Gene Brito	LDE	Eligible 1966	23	2.3
Michael Dean Perry	RDT	Eligible 2003	22	2.2
Bob Baumhower	NT	Eligible 1992	22	2.2
Ray Childress	LDT	Eligible 2002	22	1.83
Jerry Mays	LDE	Eligible 1976	21	2.1
Vince Wilfork	DT	Eligible 2022	19	1.46
Houston Antwine	DT	Eligible 1978	19	1.58
John Abraham	LDE	Eligible 2020	18	1.2
Tom Sestak	DT	Eligible 1974	18	2.57
Steve McMichael	LDT		18	1.2
Dave Butz	LDT	Eligible 1994	18	1.13
Kris Jenkins	NT	Eligible 2016	17	1.7
Gerald McCoy	DT	Eligible 2027	17	1.42
Rich Jackson	LDE	Eligible 1978	17	2.43
Gary Johnson	RDT	Eligible 1991	17	1.55
Joe Klecko	NT		17	1.42
Louie Kelcher	LDT	Eligible 1990	17	1.7
Gerry Philbin	DE	Eligible 1979	17	1.7
Curley Culp	NT		17	1.21
Buck Buchanan	RDT		16	1.23
Justin Smith	DE	Eligible 2020	16	1.14
Roger Brown	RDT	Eligible 1975	16	1.6
Jim Katcavage	LDE	Eligible 1974	16	1.23
Cameron Wake	DE	Eligible 2025	16	1.45
Jamal Williams	NT	Eligible 2016	16	1.23
Mario Williams	RDE	Eligible 2022	15	1.36
Lyle Alzado	RDE	Eligible 1991	15	1
Chester McGlockton	RDT	Eligible 2009	15	1.25
Charles Haley	RDE		15	1.07
Doug English	RDT	Eligible 1991	15	1.36
Elvin Bethea	RDE		14	0.88
Ed Too Tall Jones	LDE	Eligible 1995	14	0.88
Simeon Rice	RDE	Eligible 2015	14	1
Wally Chambers	RDT	Eligible 1985	14	2
Michael Carter	NT	Eligible 1998	14	1.56
Charlie Johnson	NT	Eligible 1990	13	1.63
Bill Stanfill	RDE	Eligible 1982	13	1.63
Rosey Grier	DT	Eligible 1972	13	1.08
Fred Smerlas	NT	Eligible 1998	13	0.93
Larry Brooks	LDT	Eligible 1988	13	1.18
Gene Lipscomb	DT	Eligible 1968	13	1.3
Jerome Brown	RDT	Eligible 1997	12	2.4
Albert Haynesworth	RDT	Eligible 2017	12	1.2
Clyde Simmons	RDE	Eligible 2006	12	0.8
Ted Washington	LDT	Eligible 2013	12	0.71
Trevor Pryce	RDT	Eligible 2016	12	0.86
Bob Toneff	LDT	Eligible 1970	12	0.92
Robert Quinn	DE	Active	11	0.85
Tom Keating	DT	Eligible 1981	11	0.92
DeForest Buckner	DT	Active	11	1.38
Hugh Douglas	RDE	Eligible 2010	11	1.1
John Dutton	RDE	Eligible 1993	11	0.79
Jerry Ball	NT	Eligible 2005	11	0.85
Bob Gain	LDT	Eligible 1970	11	0.85
Dana Stubblefield	RDT	Eligible 2009	11	1
Justin Tuck	LDE	Eligible 2021	10	0.91
Mike Reid	LDT	Eligible 1980	10	2
Art Still	LDE	Eligible 1995	10	0.83
Patrick Kerney	LDE	Eligible 2015	10	0.91
Bill Glass	RDE	Eligible 1974	10	0.91
Rulon Jones	RDE	Eligible 1994	10	1.11
Ron McDole	DE	Eligible 1984	10	0.56
Darrell Russell	RDT	Eligible 2009	10	1.43
Osi Umenyiora	RDE	Eligible 2020	10	0.83
Charles Mann	LDE	Eligible 2000	10	0.83
Bubba Smith	LDE	Eligible 1982	10	1
Tim Krumrie	NT	Eligible 2000	10	0.83
Jay Ratliff	NT	Eligible 2021	9	0.82
Maxx Crosby	DE	Active	9	1.8
Nick Bosa	DE	Active	9	1.8
Leslie O'Neal	RDE	Eligible 2005	9	0.64
Fred Dean	RDE		9	0.82
Jerry Sherk	RDT	Eligible 1987	9	0.75
George Andrie	RDE	Eligible 1978	8	0.73
Bud McFadin	LDT	Eligible 1971	8	0.57
Jevon Kearse	LDE	Eligible 2015	8	0.73
Charlie Krueger	RDE	Eligible 1979	8	0.53
Aaron Kampman	LDE	Eligible 2017	8	0.8
Leonard Marshall	RDE	Eligible 2000	8	0.67
Kyle Williams	NT	Eligible 2024	8	0.62
Jurrell Casey	DT	Eligible 2026	8	0.8
Ordell Braase	RDE	Eligible 1974	8	0.67
Jason Pierre-Paul	DE	Active	8	0.57
Dexter Lawrence	DT	Active	8	1.6
Al Baker	RDE	Eligible 1996	8	0.62
Greg Townsend	RDE	Eligible 2003	8	0.53
Danielle Hunter	DE	Active	7	0.78
Cleveland Elam	RDT	Eligible 1985	7	1.4
Everson Griffen	DE	Eligible 2027	7	0.58
Muhammad Wilkerson	DT	Eligible 2024	7	0.88
William Fuller	LDE	Eligible 2004	7	0.54
Marcell Dareus	DT	Active	7	0.54
DeMarcus Lawrence	DE	Active	7	0.7
Kevin Carter	LDE	Eligible 2014	7	0.5
Quinnen Williams	DT	Active	7	1.4
Pat Williams	LDT	Eligible 2016	6	0.43
Joe Nash	NT	Eligible 2002	6	0.4
Tommie Harris	RDT	Eligible 2017	6	0.75
Leonard Little	LDE	Eligible 2015	6	0.5
Doug Betters	LDE	Eligible 1993	6	0.6
Vic Beasley	EDGE	Active	6	0.67
Dexter Manley	RDE	Eligible 1997	6	0.55
Shaun Rogers	RDT	Eligible 2019	6	0.46
Darnell Dockett	RDE	Eligible 2020	6	0.55
Michael Sinclair	LDE	Eligible 2008	6	0.55
Bob Golic	NT	Eligible 1998	6	0.43
Jadeveon Clowney	EDGE	Active	6	0.6
Marcus Stroud	LDT	Eligible 2016	6	0.6
Sam Adams	LDT	Eligible 2013	6	0.43
Alfred Williams	RDE	Eligible 2005	6	0.67
Jim Marshall	RDE	Eligible 1985	5	0.25
Derrick Burgess	RDE	Eligible 2016	5	0.5
Jack Gregory	RDE	Eligible 1985	5	0.38
Shaquil Barrett	DE	Active	5	0.5
Jason Babin	DE	Eligible 2021	5	0.42
Damon Harrison	DT	Eligible 2026	5	0.56
Kawann Short	DT	Eligible 2026	5	0.63
John Henderson	DT	Eligible 2017	5	0.5
Lou Michaels	LDE	Eligible 1977	5	0.36
Bill Maas	NT	Eligible 1999	5	0.5
Aaron Schobel	RDE	Eligible 2015	5	0.56
Grady Jarrett	DT	Active	5	0.56
Trent Cole	RDE	Eligible 2022	5	0.42
Dontari Poe	DT	Eligible 2026	5	0.56
Bill Pickel	NT	Eligible 2000	5	0.42
Lee Williams	LDE	Eligible 1999	5	0.5
Casey Hampton	DT	Eligible 2018	5	0.42
Henry Thomas	LDT	Eligible 2006	5	0.36

Share