[h=1]Top defensive matchup nightmares[/h][h=3]J.J. Watt leads the top 10 players offensive coordinators fear[/h]By Field Yates | ESPN Insider
Yesterday, we profiled the 10 biggest offensive matchup nightmares in the NFL -- the kind of players who never let opposing teams feel secure, no matter how much time they spend scheming to stop them.
Now, we turn our attention to the defensive side of the ball and highlight 10 guys bound to give offensive coaches fits. These are the players who can disrupt an offense entirely on their own. The guys we chose are both the dreams and nightmares of coaches and scouts all around the league.
1. J.J. Watt, DE Houston Texans
When I polled evaluators, no offensive player was mentioned more as an impossible matchup than Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Watt is Johnson's nightmarish counterpart on defense. The 25-year-old has no holes in his game. He can win with power, explosiveness, speed or quickness, employing a considerable arsenal of pass-rushing moves and techniques to blow by the offensive line. He can wreak havoc all over the line of scrimmage -- outside the tackles, over a guard and even from a nose tackle alignment if asked. Watt is the best defensive player in football and the hardest one to neutralize.
When Watt isn't applying pressure to the quarterback, he's able to get his Inspector Gadget-like arms in passing lanes. He's deflected 23 passes over the past two seasons. Nobody in football is better at swatting the ball at the line. Few, in fact, are better anywhere: Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson has just six more pass deflections during the same time frame.
2. Robert Quinn, DE St. Louis Rams
Said an NFC personnel man describing the reigning defensive player of the year: "He has a rare combination of strength, athleticism and pass-rushing versatility." Quinn has devastating chase speed to close the gap on quarterbacks and exceptional power throughout his frame, traits reflected in his 19 sacks a season ago. Playing along a dominant defensive line helps Quinn. But he'd be a menace no matter whom he lined up next to.
3. Dontari Poe, DT Kansas City Chiefs
A dancing bear along the defensive line, Poe has proved his eye-popping combine performance in 2012 wasn't an illusion. He's immovable against the run, is quick enough to penetrate gaps as a rusher, and has the raw power to destroy undersized interior linemen. What separates Poe from many other interior defensive linemen is his ability to stay on the field: He played 87.8 percent of the Chiefs' defensive snaps last season, a nearly unfathomable percentage for a player who weighs nearly 350 pounds.
4. Gerald McCoy, DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Here's the take of the man who drafted McCoy, former Bucs GM Mark Dominik: "He's a physical beast. He's got great initial quickness with the size, the strength and the length as one of the premier inside rushers in the league. And he's relentless. The guy, he just goes." McCoy is scheme versatile -- he can play in any system -- but as a penetrating 3-technique in new head coach Lovie Smith's Tampa 2 system, he's primed to have perhaps his best season yet.
5. Von Miller, OLB Denver Broncos
If Poe had the most memorable combine in recent memory, Miller isn't far behind. The Texas A&M product ran a 4.53 in the 40, jumped 37 inches, ran a 4.06 20-yard shuttle and showcased his 33½-inch arms. He'll have to prove a recent ACL tear hasn't slowed him down; if not, Miller's ability to convert from speed to power is as good as there is in the NFL. He has the length to lock out opposing tackles in the running game and set the edge, but is at his best disrupting the pocket.
6. Richard Sherman, CB Seattle Seahawks
Despite the fact Sherman plays to one side of the field (Seattle's left), the All-Pro cornerback is a vacuum cleaner in the passing game. As a converted wide receiver, Sherman has rare length for his position. He swallows up interceptions and has uncanny instincts at the point of the catch to win in competitive situations. His confidence gives him a mental edge that prevents quarterbacks from attacking him consistently; he won't be deterred, even after allowing a big play.
7. Calais Campbell, DE Arizona Cardinals
Campbell's numbers are very good, but it's best to evaluate him by throwing out the stats. His combination of a thick build and length (he's 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds) allows him to play practically anywhere along the defensive line. Campbell can line up as an edge rusher; he can anchor the middle of the line; he can play in a 3-4 or a 4-3 -- no matter where he is, he's bound to generate pressure. His long arms allow Campbell to ward off double-teams at the point of attack and wield leverage against stockier offensive linemen. He has a Watt-like feel for when to get his hands up in the passing lane, too.
8. Earl Thomas, S Seattle Seahawks
Thomas plays roughly a dozen yards away from the line of scrimmage on a healthy number of snaps, and yet he still finds his way to the ball with regularity. No free safety covers more ground, a fact quarterbacks looking to launch the football down the field against Seattle have found out all too often. Thomas is instinctive, plays at top-level speed, has outstanding ball skills and is a terrific leaper whose pattern-read skills stand up to any other player in the NFL.
9. Troy Polamalu, S Pittsburgh Steelers
The 33-year-old Polamalu just keeps on chugging along. As one AFC coach described it: "Polamalu is a top-of-the-list guy because he can be blitzing the A-gap one play or covering the middle of the field on another." He anticipates snap counts better than most any defender, which is part of what makes him a gifted blitzer. He also has a deep understanding of route concepts that helps him know when to sneak underneath throws and create turnovers. He's not the same player he once was, but his savvy and (albeit diminished) athleticism keep him among the game's best at safety.
10. Darrelle Revis, CB New England Patriots
2014 could serve as a showcase for Revis to prove he's not just the best cornerback in football, but also the game's most valuable defensive player. Revis can win with size, technique, strength, speed and smarts. There's no limitation in his game; he can play in the slot or outside and regularly erases an opposing team's top receiver. Defenses can play the football equivalent of box-and-one with Revis: He covers one receiver, and the rest of the defense runs a scheme to account for the remaining 10. Revis might be the only guy in the league capable of providing that sort of value. Expect Bill Belichick to lean heavily on Revis this season.
Others in the mix: Packers LB Clay Matthews, 49ers DE Justin Smith/OLB Aldon Smith, Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson, Ravens CB Lardarius Webb
Yesterday, we profiled the 10 biggest offensive matchup nightmares in the NFL -- the kind of players who never let opposing teams feel secure, no matter how much time they spend scheming to stop them.
Now, we turn our attention to the defensive side of the ball and highlight 10 guys bound to give offensive coaches fits. These are the players who can disrupt an offense entirely on their own. The guys we chose are both the dreams and nightmares of coaches and scouts all around the league.
1. J.J. Watt, DE Houston Texans
When I polled evaluators, no offensive player was mentioned more as an impossible matchup than Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Watt is Johnson's nightmarish counterpart on defense. The 25-year-old has no holes in his game. He can win with power, explosiveness, speed or quickness, employing a considerable arsenal of pass-rushing moves and techniques to blow by the offensive line. He can wreak havoc all over the line of scrimmage -- outside the tackles, over a guard and even from a nose tackle alignment if asked. Watt is the best defensive player in football and the hardest one to neutralize.
When Watt isn't applying pressure to the quarterback, he's able to get his Inspector Gadget-like arms in passing lanes. He's deflected 23 passes over the past two seasons. Nobody in football is better at swatting the ball at the line. Few, in fact, are better anywhere: Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson has just six more pass deflections during the same time frame.
2. Robert Quinn, DE St. Louis Rams
Said an NFC personnel man describing the reigning defensive player of the year: "He has a rare combination of strength, athleticism and pass-rushing versatility." Quinn has devastating chase speed to close the gap on quarterbacks and exceptional power throughout his frame, traits reflected in his 19 sacks a season ago. Playing along a dominant defensive line helps Quinn. But he'd be a menace no matter whom he lined up next to.
3. Dontari Poe, DT Kansas City Chiefs
A dancing bear along the defensive line, Poe has proved his eye-popping combine performance in 2012 wasn't an illusion. He's immovable against the run, is quick enough to penetrate gaps as a rusher, and has the raw power to destroy undersized interior linemen. What separates Poe from many other interior defensive linemen is his ability to stay on the field: He played 87.8 percent of the Chiefs' defensive snaps last season, a nearly unfathomable percentage for a player who weighs nearly 350 pounds.
4. Gerald McCoy, DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Here's the take of the man who drafted McCoy, former Bucs GM Mark Dominik: "He's a physical beast. He's got great initial quickness with the size, the strength and the length as one of the premier inside rushers in the league. And he's relentless. The guy, he just goes." McCoy is scheme versatile -- he can play in any system -- but as a penetrating 3-technique in new head coach Lovie Smith's Tampa 2 system, he's primed to have perhaps his best season yet.
5. Von Miller, OLB Denver Broncos
If Poe had the most memorable combine in recent memory, Miller isn't far behind. The Texas A&M product ran a 4.53 in the 40, jumped 37 inches, ran a 4.06 20-yard shuttle and showcased his 33½-inch arms. He'll have to prove a recent ACL tear hasn't slowed him down; if not, Miller's ability to convert from speed to power is as good as there is in the NFL. He has the length to lock out opposing tackles in the running game and set the edge, but is at his best disrupting the pocket.
6. Richard Sherman, CB Seattle Seahawks
Despite the fact Sherman plays to one side of the field (Seattle's left), the All-Pro cornerback is a vacuum cleaner in the passing game. As a converted wide receiver, Sherman has rare length for his position. He swallows up interceptions and has uncanny instincts at the point of the catch to win in competitive situations. His confidence gives him a mental edge that prevents quarterbacks from attacking him consistently; he won't be deterred, even after allowing a big play.
7. Calais Campbell, DE Arizona Cardinals
Campbell's numbers are very good, but it's best to evaluate him by throwing out the stats. His combination of a thick build and length (he's 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds) allows him to play practically anywhere along the defensive line. Campbell can line up as an edge rusher; he can anchor the middle of the line; he can play in a 3-4 or a 4-3 -- no matter where he is, he's bound to generate pressure. His long arms allow Campbell to ward off double-teams at the point of attack and wield leverage against stockier offensive linemen. He has a Watt-like feel for when to get his hands up in the passing lane, too.
8. Earl Thomas, S Seattle Seahawks
Thomas plays roughly a dozen yards away from the line of scrimmage on a healthy number of snaps, and yet he still finds his way to the ball with regularity. No free safety covers more ground, a fact quarterbacks looking to launch the football down the field against Seattle have found out all too often. Thomas is instinctive, plays at top-level speed, has outstanding ball skills and is a terrific leaper whose pattern-read skills stand up to any other player in the NFL.
9. Troy Polamalu, S Pittsburgh Steelers
The 33-year-old Polamalu just keeps on chugging along. As one AFC coach described it: "Polamalu is a top-of-the-list guy because he can be blitzing the A-gap one play or covering the middle of the field on another." He anticipates snap counts better than most any defender, which is part of what makes him a gifted blitzer. He also has a deep understanding of route concepts that helps him know when to sneak underneath throws and create turnovers. He's not the same player he once was, but his savvy and (albeit diminished) athleticism keep him among the game's best at safety.
10. Darrelle Revis, CB New England Patriots
2014 could serve as a showcase for Revis to prove he's not just the best cornerback in football, but also the game's most valuable defensive player. Revis can win with size, technique, strength, speed and smarts. There's no limitation in his game; he can play in the slot or outside and regularly erases an opposing team's top receiver. Defenses can play the football equivalent of box-and-one with Revis: He covers one receiver, and the rest of the defense runs a scheme to account for the remaining 10. Revis might be the only guy in the league capable of providing that sort of value. Expect Bill Belichick to lean heavily on Revis this season.
Others in the mix: Packers LB Clay Matthews, 49ers DE Justin Smith/OLB Aldon Smith, Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson, Ravens CB Lardarius Webb
