site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: rankings | He has had over 50 run stops in just three seasons. © 2020 NFL Enterprises LLC. Richardson uses his speed and strength to wreak havoc against the run. Teams are ranked according to Adjusted Line Yards. Listed as a defensive tackle on the Los Angeles Rams' roster, he also played a total of 338 snaps at left or right defensive end last season, per Pro Football Focus. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. The No. 1.It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2020 NFL season. 

He seemed bound for superstardom after his 2018 season, where Reed posted 10.5 sacks, 31 pressures, 24 QB hits, and 12 tackles for loss. Licht did his best Howie Roseman impression by building a line that is two deep at every position, including first-round run stuffer The Platonic ideal of this defensive line might be ranked No.

At this point, we’ll chalk it up as a fluke and expect him to return to form in 2020. Clark lines up mainly as a nose tackle for Mike Pettine but has often played 3-tech as well, demonstrating an ability to shift all over the defensive front.

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Ioannidis is one of the best pass-rushers on this list, despite not possessing the elite physical traits of other players. Reader hit 13 QB hits this season after 11 combined his first three seasons. After an injury-plagued 2018 campaign, he bounced back nicely with 11.5 sacks, 71 total pressures, and 49 run stops. Regular season totals, playoffs not included Revised as of 3/29/2020. No interior defensive lineman had more run stops than Heyward’s 44 in 2019.At 6'3" and 314 pounds, Clark can win everywhere from nose tackle to five-tech end, but he’s especially effective between the guard and tackle as a penetrating, pass-rushing force.

Pierce is arguably the best run-defending player on this list with elite play strength and powerful hands and leg drive.

6-keys: media/spln/nfl/draft/free/draft_prospect_rankings Pro Football Network analyst AJ Schulte breaks down the top interior defensive linemen in the NFL.He was a wrecking ball for the Steelers and fans loved him here. While it was tough for Barrett to find his place alongside Von Miller and Miller’s bookends, Barrett was the perfect speed end in Todd Bowles’ Buccaneers defense. But he’s developed from a “run-around guy” to one of the better speed rushers in the league, with a sneaky-great bull rush and run-stopping abilities. Clark’s quickness is matched by his power – he can move around offensive linemen with just as much ease as he does going through them. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Allen is on the cusp of breaking out into one of the game’s youngest superstars.Richardson has established himself as one of the most well-rounded defensive linemen in the NFL, who is equally as stout against the run as he is the pass. (Plus, a bonus pick!

Atkins had 4.5 sacks, 53 total pressures, and 28 run stops, and he should be helped tremendously by the addition of ex-Texans nose tackle D.J.

guys in front of Patrick Mahomes.

1. And in each of his three seasons, the 6'4", 252-pound speed rusher has been an outstanding run stopper.

Vea’s job is to stuff the run and collapse the pocket to help edge rushers Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC. Nate Burleson spotlights five youngsters with serious breakout potential in the 2020 season. Which running backs are poised for big Year 2 performances? Last season, including the playoffs, no interior defensive lineman had more quarterback hurries than Clark’s 58, and only Aaron Donald had more total pressures than Clark’s 69. Play Now 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is someone that PFF pegs as potentially "the best pass-rusher to come into the NFL in a decade." What those teams missed, and what the Falcons gained, was Jarrett’s ability to fire off the ball with alarming speed and use strength and leverage to win the down. The fifth-round pick out of Temple in 2016 has been a consistently productive pass rusher over the last three seasons, but he took the proverbial next step in 2019 as a run stopper.Reader was an outstanding nose tackle for the Texans, with more quickness than you’d expect from a 6'3", 347-pounder. The unit ranks ahead of the San Francisco 49ers defensive line (No. His coaches, teammates, and opponents understand his value, though.Anyone who thought Watt was overcooked as a first-round pick in 2017 got an education when Watt put up seven sacks and 42 total pressures as a rookie. The Jets' defensive line is so good that it can lose one of football's prime run-stoppers in Damon Harrison and still rank as our top 3-4 defensive lines. He had an unusual breakout curve with 12.5 sacks in 2017, his second NFL season, in which he played at a Defensive Player of the Year level, and he’s maintained that through the two seasons since. Bosa is also a plus run stopper, and there aren’t any real holes in his game.An increasingly effective rotational inside-outside pass rusher during his four years with the Ravens, Smith turned his play up several notches after the Packers gave him a four-year, $66 million contract and set him loose in Mike Pettine’s multiple fronts. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari.

They gave up just over 70 yards rushing per game, forcing eight […]