Best 4-3 Dline in the NFL revisited
 

I said during training camp that I felt that the Baltimore dline was the best in the league. I felt that their thickness against the run coupled with their great pass rush, versatily, and zone blitzing ability of their DEs makes them the best.

Other popular choices included of course the Panthers, Falcons, Jaguars, and Bears. I felt that the Jags had the 2nd best dline, with potential to be the best depending on what Hayward did this year.

I still feel that the Jags have the 2nd best dline, even though Hayward went down, and still believe that Baltimore has the best.

Has anyone changed their views on the best dline since TC? Let's see who wins it now that we've seen basically an entire season of tape.

okay and Patriots dont get mentioned? Seymour-Wilork-Warren?

We've gone over this before, 3-4 teams don't count. If anything, they deserve a separate thread, theres no way a 3 downlinemen front can be more dominant than 4 downlinemen. Its just impossible.

I think that Ravens have the most versatile, but I am not sure about the best, I had Panthers as the #1 in pre-season but I am undecided now.

IIRC, before the season I said the Panthers. While they have played quite well, Baltimore and Jacksonville have surpassed them in my opinon. I'll say Jacksonville but you really can't go wrong with either one.

Just starting four, or are we considering depth here.

hmm...good question. I guess starting 4, since depth would only complicate the discussion.

I assume starters only.

Vikings anyone?

When healthy I thought the Falcons line was playing pretty well. Im not sure if I should hold injury histories of players like John Abraham and Kris Jenkins against them since ability doesnt mean anything if youre not on the field.

pav??

I don't know, a healthy John Abraham is just as big of a question mark as a healthy Lavar Arrington. I don't know if we can classify their dline as the best.

Also, the panthers dline has been healthy all year and really hasn't stood out over the Jags or Ravens or Bears dline, im actually quite surprised that the Panthers are still winning this poll.

I guess alot of people still have manwood for Peppers.

They have great tackles but they're ends aren't that good.

He's got a point though. That Vikings line is hella underrated. I'd put them over the Falcons.

:lol: Draftguru152

it was a joke but I do think the vikings have a good one.

Agreed. Vikings dline is underrated. I gotta see more of their ends before I put them ahead of the Ravens, Bears, or Jags though. But definately underrated.

I shouldve put them on the list since I put Atlanta on the list. I guess I forgot since Minny wasn't a mentioned dline during TC.

well when Erasmus comes back that should help our ends but who knows how well he plays when he comes back? Also Pat Williams is probably our best Defensive Player and yet he is old and bound to be gone soon, we need a replacement. Maybe we could be the best in 2 years but not now.

I actually like Kevin Williams the best. Pat is gonna be hard to replace.

Its close, but if you watch a Vikings game you can easily see that not only is Pat a force in the middle but much of Kevin's success is a result of Pat demanding double teams. It couldnt be a better tandem.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, it's gotta be Baltimore. Baltimore's defense is the most versatile I've seen in years so many of the players can play another defensive position at a high level, and some like Adalius Thomas can play 2 other defensive positions. I like the Ravens for the best defensive line.

Who would you rather have? Stroud and Henderson or Pat and Kevin Williams?

That was funny for a minute and then got really old really fast.

It's between Jacksonville and Baltimore, no one else even comes close.

I gotta go with Carolina, call me a homer whatever, but there's the best Defensive end in the league with two mammoth defense tackles and third and fourth who could be starters elsewhere rotating in.

If our offense could sustain a drive and our linebackers were a little better on the weakside and in the middle they'd be completely dominant. Lets not forget Carolina leads the league in forcing opponents to go three and out, the reason for that is the Dline shutting down the run and getting pressure.