The best NFL defensive players drafted since 2000

One of this era's non-quarterback financial kingpins (and physically imposing men), Suh was a top-tier interior disruptive force for many years after being 2010's No. 2 overall pick. Suh earned All-Pro recognition as a rookie in Detroit and received two more such nods, signing a mammoth Dolphins contract as a result. Suh may be slowing down, but he has been one of this decade's premier handfuls for guards and centers. He made a big difference for the Rams in the 2018 playoffs and, with Tom Brady signing with the Buccaneers, will likely have some high-profile chances to impress in 2020.

Although Campbell was 31 when he hit free agency and signed with the Jaguars, he has bolstered his resume considerably in Jacksonville. Despite being an interior defensive lineman for much of his 12-year career, the 2008 Round 2 pick has recorded at least six sacks in 10 of the past 11 seasons. His Arizona exit weakened the Cards' D-line, and the Jaguars' 21st-century apex — 2017's "Sacksonville" team that came closest to getting this franchise to a Super Bowl — would not have happened without him. Campbell posted 14.5 sacks that year and remains one of the NFL's best players despite the Jags' recent descent.

Weddle's second act enhanced his legacy considerably. Following an acrimonious Chargers exit, the safety delivered three Pro Bowl seasons in three Ravens years. Weddle was key on multiple San Diego playoff defenses and anchored some stellar Baltimore defenses in his 30s. The 2007 first-round pick was a quality safety throughout a 13-year career, one that included six Pro Bowls. He wrapped up one of this era's best defensive back careers after one season with the Rams.

After blazing to a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the 2002 scouting combine, Freeney ended up as a first-team All-Decade defensive end in the 2000s. The Syracuse product and '02 No. 11 overall pick rampaged for 13 sacks and nine forced fumbles as a rookie and played 16 seasons. Despite being just 6-foot-1, the master of the spin move surged to three All-Pro distinctions and was a key part of the two Colts teams that ventured to Super Bowls in the aughts. One of the league's all-time great speed rushers, Freeney sits 18th on the career sacks list with 125.5.

A somewhat overlooked pass-rushing stalwart, Abraham still ranks among the game's all-time greats at this skill. The former Jets, Falcons and Cardinals edge defender registered 133.5 sacks (13th all time) in 15 seasons. Abraham's two All-Pro nods came nine years apart. Traded midway through his career in a three-team deal, the 2000 first-round Jets pick went on to become the Falcons' top pass rusher — serving as such for two NFC No. 1-seeded Atlanta teams. Even in his final full season (2013), the 6-foot-4 defender still registered 11.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl. 

In 2019, Sherman reestablished himself as one of the game's best cornerbacks. He rebounded from the 2017 Achilles tear that sidetracked his career, anchoring the secondary for a 49ers defense that finished second in DVOA against the pass. The All-Decade defender now has six Pro Bowl honors, and he's patrolled the left boundary for three NFC champions. Sherman's 35 INTs leads all active players; so do his three All-Pro honors at cornerback. The 2011 fifth-round pick who helped Seattle's Legion of Boom lift a franchise to its apex has a good chance at Hall of Fame status.

Predictably joining Sherman, Chris Harris and Co. on the most recent All-Decade team, Peterson traveled with No. 1 receivers more than his top contemporaries did en route to that status. Only he, Jim Brown and Barry Sanders have eight Pro Bowls by age 28. The 2011 No. 5 overall pick was the game's most consistent boundary corner for much of his career but will enter his 30s with something to prove. Peterson did not play especially well after being handed a six-game PED suspension last year. And through no fault of his own, the Cardinals have struggled for much of his tenure. 

The Patriots have relied more on Bill Belichick's ability to coax sound defensive play in recent years. But during their early-2000s heyday, they boasted some top-level talent on which to rely. At the center of those units: their No. 6 overall pick in 2001. The 6-foot-6 Seymour was a monster in New England, dominating as an interior presence. He started on all three Patriots Super Bowl champions that decade and was part of the 16-0 season. Traded at 30 for a first-round pick, Seymour remained a Pro Bowl-caliber player as a Raider. The three-time All-Pro will likely land in Canton at some point.

This requires a bit of extrapolation, but Mack is barreling toward being a good Hall of Fame bet before he turns 30. Despite being traded just before the 2018 season, the 2014 No. 4 overall pick displayed his value immediately. The Bears' high-profile acquisition returned to his All-Pro perch and helped his new team become 2018's No. 1 scoring defense. The 2016 Defensive Player of the Year was not on this level last season, with 8.5 sacks in 16 games, but still forced five fumbles. Mack will enter his age-29 season as one of the NFL's supreme game-wreckers.

A 2000s All-Decade pick, Williams was one of the best defensive tackles of his era. The 2003 first-round pick, made in that accelerated sequence the Vikings initially botched 16 years ago, ended up being the best player of the three chosen in that rapid-fire procession. A five-time All-Pro, Williams was a key part of the Vikings' success during the 2000s. Minnesota made the playoffs four times between 2004 and 2012, with four different starting QBs piloting those operations. Williams (63 sacks in a 13-year career) was the centerpiece on many of those defenses, four of which being top-10 units.

Suggs rates as one of the Ravens' Mt. Rushmore players, standing as by far the franchise's best pass rusher. T-Sizzle's 229 games are more than any Raven, and although he has only one All-Pro honor, he managed to stay an upper-echelon outside linebacker through 15 seasons. The 2003 first-round pick played a key role on the 2012 Ravens' Super Bowl team, recovering from an offseason Achilles tear to play in eight games. This came a year after Suggs' 14-sack, seven-forced-fumble Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Collecting a second Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs, Suggs (139 sacks in 17 seasons) is a Canton lock.

When healthy, Thomas has been regarded for most of his career as the best NFL safety. Thomas' elite range made the Legion of Boom Seahawks go, perhaps serving as the chief reason Seattle deployed four straight No. 1 scoring defenses. The 2010 first-round pick garnered three All-Pro selections in his first five seasons and, after missing 17 games from 2016-18, stayed healthy in his first Ravens season and earned his seventh Pro Bowl honor while helping Baltimore to its best record (14-2) in franchise history. Entering his age-31 season, Thomas has likely cinched up Hall of Fame entry.

While Freeney, Suggs and Abraham all needed at least 15 years to voyage into the top 20 on the all-time sack list, Allen played just 12 seasons and sits 12th with 136. The rowdy defensive end changed teams mid-career, venturing off a rebuilding Chiefs squad and onto the contending Vikings, and did not miss a beat. Allen made three of his four All-Pro appearances as a Viking, his signature 2011 season (22 sacks) leaving him a half-sack shy of Michael Strahan's record. Allen retired after helping the Panthers to the 2015 NFC title. Despite being a fourth-round pick out of Idaho State, Allen has a Canton-caliber resume.

The Seahawks let nearly every other key member of their Legion of Boom-era defenses go but prioritized Wagner. For good reason. Wagner started on both of Seattle's Super Bowl teams; the middle linebacker's return from injury in 2014 ignited that Hawks iteration. He served as an indispensable player over the past two seasons, helping an unseasoned batch of defenders form playoff defenses in 2018 and '19 — the latter without much of a pass rush. The former second-round pick is a five-time All-Pro who is riding four straight 130-tackle seasons. He will be Canton-bound when his career concludes.

A first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2018, Urlacher accomplished almost everything an NFLer could in his career. While a Super Bowl title eluded the 13-year veteran, the 2000 first-rounder did the most to reignite another Bears run of defensive excellence. The 2005 Defensive Player of the Year, Urlacher led back-to-back Bears teams to home playoff games despite below-average quarterback play. He did well to steer the Rex Grossman-piloted Bears to Super Bowl XLI, and in 2007 — the last of his four All-Pro slates — he delivered a rare five-sack/five-interception season. Urlacher is one of five members of the 40-sack/20-pick club.

Foot trouble prompted Willis to call it quits after eight seasons, but the 49ers linebacker compiled a stellar resume in that abbreviated span. A 2007 first-rounder, Willis snatched the best-linebacker-alive belt from Ray Lewis early in his career and did not relinquish it until near the end of his run. Vic Fangio's famed 49ers defenses centered on Willis' all-around game; he led the charge in each of San Francisco's three straight NFC title game-qualifying teams this decade. A five-time All-Pro, Willis made the Pro Bowl in his first seven seasons. Only Lawrence Taylor and Derrick Thomas amassed longer streaks among linebackers.

Having sustained three concussions, Kuechly called it quits after eight seasons. Those eight campaigns will be enough for a future Hall of Fame bust. The Panthers' centerpiece defender could do it all, operating as an elite tackler and coverage linebacker. Kuechly ends his career as the most decorated player in Panthers history. While Wagner now matches his five All-Pros, Kuechly has a Defensive Player of the Year honor (from 2013) in his trophy room. The 2012 first-rounder helped drive the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 and led a strong defensive effort in a loss. He will be incredibly difficult for Carolina to replace.

Having paired regular-season consistency with postseason excellence, Miller remains this era's premier edge rusher. Miller's blend of edge bend and deceptive bull-rushing power helped him become the fourth-fastest player to 100 sacks and place him on course for Canton. The 2011 No. 2 overall pick, Miller has 106 sacks — already the most in Broncos history — and is 8-for-9 in Pro Bowl nods. The Super Bowl 50 MVP delivered the most significant Super Bowl showing by a defender, his two-forced-fumble night helping the Broncos to a dominant victory. At 31 he still figures to have some of his prime left.

Like Willis, Revis was a 2007 first-round pick. He snatched Champ Bailey's best-cornerback-alive belt during his first Jets stint, forming Revis Island. One of the all-time great talents at the cornerback position, Revis was the foundational piece of Rex Ryan's initial Jets defenses — the first two buoyed by two of Revis' four All-Pro seasons, driving the team to AFC title games. The Patriots added the physical cover man after Aqib Talib's 2014 exit, and Revis' lone Pats season ended with a Super Bowl title. Revis was done as a top-tier corner by 29, but his apex was as good as anyone's.

Equipped with the ideal body for this job, the former North Carolina basketball player enjoyed one of this century's most productive careers. Peppers' 159.5 sacks sit fourth all time; he recorded 11 in his age-37 season in 2017. The 6-foot-7 edge player excelled as both a defensive end and outside linebacker, posting 10 double-digit sack seasons (at least one as a Panther, Bear and Packer) and made nine Pro Bowls to go with his three All-Pro spots. Only missing six games (and starting 240) in a 17-year career, 2002's No. 2 overall pick resided as one of the staples of 21st-century NFL football.

Ware took a less-traveled route to end up as an all-time great. Retiring after a 10-game 2016, Ware recorded 138.5 sacks in a 12-year run. That is ninth in NFL history. Not bad for a Troy alumnus. Ware was a demon in Dallas, the 2005 first-rounder becoming one of just three players to record multiple 19-plus-sack seasons (20 in 2008, 19.5 in 2011). In Denver, an injury-prone Ware still had enough left as Von Miller's sidekick. Miller received the acclaim during the 2015 playoffs, but Ware was nearly as important, reeling off 3.5 sacks. His 12 QB hits in those playoffs are by far the most of any defender in the past decade.

This is something different. Donald has played only six seasons. Five of those ended with the defensive tackle monster an All-Pro. The second of the Rams' two first-round picks in 2014, Donald is already a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and has likely cemented a Hall of Fame bust before turning 29. The Pitt alum's 2018 season (20.5 sacks as a D-tackle) was one of the greatest in league history, and it helped the Rams to Super Bowl LIII. No one is on his level right now. The 6-foot-1 interior lineman — he of 72 sacks — is on pace to become one of the best players the league has ever seen. 

Polamalu defined the 21st-century Steelers. When he retired after the 2014 season, Pittsburgh became a full-on offensive team. During the safety's 12-year career, he made a habit of unique, game-changing plays. His over-the-top stops: the impossible-looking snow interception; the AFC championship-sealing pick- six. The 2003 first-rounder did the most of anyone to ensure the Steelers have six Vince Lombardi Trophies instead of four. After a seven-INT 2008, the USC alum matched that total in 2010, winning Defensive Player of the Year honors and nearly helping Pittsburgh to its seventh title. He in part of the 202 Hall of Fame Class.

Here is the list of best tackles for loss seasons since 2000. The top three belong to Watt, Houston's historic game-wrecker who peaked with an incomprehensible 39 in 2012. That was not the season the Texans' top player finished as the NFL's MVP2. That was 2014, when the defensive end recorded 20.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries and three receiving TDs. Watt and Lawrence Taylor are the only three-time Defensive Players of the Year. The 2011 first-round pick has made the past five All-Pro teams in seasons in which he's finished. The issue, though, are the three major injuries. Watt, however, has already done enough for Canton.

The newly minted Hall of Famer is the best playmaking safety in NFL annals and one of the premier defensive players in the game's 100-year history. Reed's 64 interceptions tower over everyone else in his era; no one in NFL history comes within 100 yards of his 1,590 INT-return yards. His 2004 Defensive Player of the Year campaign — nine INTs, 358 return yards, three forced fumbles, three defensive TDs — remains eye-popping 16 years later. The 2002 first-round pick totaled nine defensive scores and nine Pro Bowls in a 12-year career and made a bigger impact on the game than almost any player this century.