The Best 5 Defensive Players in the NFL

The NFL has seen scores of fantastic defensive players over the years, although they do not get the same credit as the offensive players. They changed the way the defence played the game with their skills and instincts, and are known as the rear-guard legends of the game. In a football scoreboards feature, we look at the current top-five defensive players the opposition quarterbacks hate the most.

1. Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu is unarguably the best defensive player in the NFL. He plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers and he is a massive asset for the team. He has an astonishing hitting capability, and is without doubt one of Pittsburgh’s most influential players. The football scoreboards showed that he suffered from a knee injury in the 2009 season due to which Pittsburgh’s defensive attack deteriorated markedly. Now that he has recovered, Pittsburgh’s defense is back on track.

2. Julius Peppers
Julius Peppers plays for the Chicago Bears. He is ranked just behind Polamalu in terms of defensive influence, and is very dominant for his team. Some people say that his style of play is violent, but I guess that’s how football is played! He seems to run down players with ease, and he has surely shown his worth in his season with Chicago Bears.

3. Clay Matthews
Clay Matthews plays for the Green Bay Packers. This is just his second season in the NFL and he is playing so well that he is expected to win the best defensive player award. Matthews was not even considered as a full time player until he was a senior. He has amazing instincts, great speed and dexterity. With all these skills combined he is an unstoppable player and offensive teams quite simply hate playing against him.

4. Ed Reed
This guy is in the ninth year of his career and he is still unstoppable. He plays for the Baltimore Ravens. He has missed about 6 games in the 2010 season due to a hip injury but is back now and has showed that he is still the difference maker in his team.

5. Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson is 34 but doesn’t play like a 34 year old. Although he has lost some of his speed, his defensive instincts are as well-honed as they were the first day he set foot on an NFL pitch. He plays for the Green Bay Packers, who will surely miss him when he finally retires.

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