Defending The Line: Part Two in a Series

By crakpot, 23rd Aug 2010 | Follow this author | RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/wv2r_arj/
Posted in Wikinut>News>Sport

Learn the names and faces of some of the best defensive linemen in the game, as well as how to grade a defensive line's performances. How does your team's line stack up?

Defending The Line: Part Two in a Series

Sorry for not writing sooner, but I just came back from a week in Cooperstown, visiting the Hall Of Fame for the first time. (I swear I will write a post about this experience later, but, needless to say, it was fantabulous.) While on my way to the Hall one day, I thought about the rankings I had done for offensive lines (here's a reminder), and wondered if the same could be done for defensive lines. More specifically, I wanted to create a grading system that worked parallel to the system used earlier. (e.g. an offensive line scoring 120 is equivalent to a 120 D-line).
I decided I would use the same stats that went in to the O-line grading: Sacks and Rushing Yards. Why? Because each line's goal is to thwart the ambitions of the other. Defensive lines look to minimize rushing while tallying sacks; offensive lines look to run and protect the quarterback.
Here are the formulas for each grade:

Rush Grade = 80*(4.78 / Rushing Yards Per Attempt)
Sack Grade = 1.2 * (75 - (3.4 * (4 - Sack Percentage)
Total Grade = %Rush Plays * Rush Grade + %Pass Plays * Sack Grade

Looking over the rankings, it appears that, while it is certainly important, teams can have a poor D-line and still succeed. In fact, both the Saints and the Colts had grades under the average. However, most of the successful teams with poor defensive linesmen made up for it with a good offensive line, and vice versa.
Because many fans, casual and passionate, may not recognize the players who make up some of the best defensive units, here are the 2009 rosters for the top 5 defensive lines in the NFL :

#1: Minnesota Vikings
LDE - Ray Edwards*
LDT - Pat Williams*
RDT - Kevin Williams*+
RDE - Jared Allen*+
LLB - Chad Greenway*
MLB - E.J. Henderson*
RLB - Ben Leber*
*Returning for 2010
+Pro Bowler
Notes: Everybody knows Jared Allen (14.5 Sacks) is one of the supreme pass-rushers in the NFL, but Ray Edwards (8.5 Sacks) is a fantastic complement... The Williams Wall help to make up the 6th best rushing defense in the NFL... The Vikings are the only team to achieve real success using the 4-3... All of the players in this unit return for what should be a fascinating 2010 season.

#2: San Francisco 49ers
LDE - Isaac Sopoaga*
NT - Aubrayo Franklin*
RDE - Justin Smith*+
LOLB - Manny Lawson*
LILB - Takeo Spikes*
RILB - Patrick Willis*+
ROLB - Pays Haralson*
Notes: Every piece of this fantastically unknown line comes back for 2010; now if they can just work on that offense...

#3: Baltimore Ravens
LDE - Hatoli Ngata*+
NT - Kelly Gregg*
RDE - Dwan Edwards / Trevor Pryce*
LOLB - Terrell Suggs*
LILB - Tavares Gooden*
RILB - Ray Lewis*+
ROLB - Jarret Johnson*
Notes: The Ravens shouldn't miss the presence of Edwards; Pryce started 2 fewer games yet recorded 5.5 more sacks.... The Ravens line was the best run-defense in the NFL last year; but, of course, they have Ray Freakin' Lewis... Surprisingly, the Ravens pass-rush was sub-par last year (20th of 32).

#4: Pittsburgh Steelers
LDE - Travis Kirschke / Nick Eason* / Aaron Smith*
NT - Casey Hampton*+
RDE - Brett Keisel*
LOLB - LaMarr Woodley*+
LILB - James Farrior*
RILB - Lawrence Timmons*
ROLB - James Harrison*+
Notes: For the Steelers to re-assert themselves as a smash-mouth defense, they will have to find stability at the LDE position.

#5: Green Bay Packers
LDE - Johnny Jolly
NT - Ryan Pickett*
RDE - Cullen Jenkins*
LOLB - Aaron Kampman / Brad Jones*
LILB - A.J. Hawk*
RILB - Nick Barnett*
ROLB - Clay Matthews*+
Notes: Jolly will miss at least the 2010 season; he is on trial for possessing 200 grams of codeine.

You can find the full team grades here.