The hardest hitters in the NFL

Adams has earned a reputation as arguably the game's best safety, as evidenced by his All-Pro season with the Jets in 2019 when he had 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss, in addition to  75 sackles. He's regularly used as a blitzer and has created some huge hits on quarterbacks, as well as wideouts.

Alexander has been a hard hitter and tackling machine since he arrived to the NFL in 2015. Unfortunately, he's struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons but was a Pro Bowler in 2017 and has consistently forced fumbles.

Bosa has been an elite pass rusher since he entered the league in 2016, and was rewarded before this season with a lucrative control. He has 44 sacks in 56 career games and is feared in the pocket by quarterbacks.

Bosa has played only 18 games in the NFL, but has already made a name for himself. He was a Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in 2019 with nine sacks, and he also forced a fumble early this season before tearing his ACL.

Bush was been all over the field since the Steleers drafted him in the first round last year, recording 109 tackles in his rookie season. He's continued to make hard hits this year, with 21 tackles in four games.

Campbell is one of the game's biggest defensive linemen at 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, and he packs a ferocious punch. He's made the Pro Bowl in five of the last six seasons and is off to a start start with his new team, Baltimore.

Clowney's most famous hit occurred while in college at South Carolina, but he's also made plenty of highlights in the NFL. Now in his seventh NFL season, Clowney has made the Pro Bowl three times and has eight career forced fumbles along with 32 sacks.

Collins is one of the hardest hitting defensive backs in the league and made the Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons from 2016-2018 while with the Giants. He's regularly been one of the leading tacklers at safety in his career.

Donald has won the Defensive Player of the Year Award three times and been an All-Pro five times in his remarkable seven-year career. He has 79.5 career sacks in 95 games, an unheard of rate from an interior defensive lineman.

Garrett has been as advertised as the first overall draft choice in 2017. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and has 36.5 career sacks in 42 games, as well as nine forced fumbles.

Hicks became an elite defensive lineman when he joined the Bears in 2016, and he has 27.5 sacks and 194 tackles in 58 games since he joined the team. The sizable pass rusher has also become a routinely hard hitter of quarterbacks and running backs.

Jenkins has been one of the game's hardest hitting defensive backs since he entered the league in 2009. A three-time Pro Bowler, he's forced 18 fumbles in his career and has over 900 career tackles.

Jones is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro with a mean streak as one of the league's best pass rushers. He led the NFL with eight forced fumbles in 2019, adding 19 tackles. Unfortunately, Jones was lost for the 2020 season in Week 5 due to a biceps injury.

Jones is one of the quickest interior defensive linemen in football, and highly productive at punishing the quarterback. He has 34.5 sacks since 2017, along with nine forced fumbles.

Leonard immediately became an elite tackler when he entered the league in 2018, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year with 163 tackles. He had 12 sacks over his first two seasons, as well as six forced fumbles as an elite defensive player.

Mack has been one of the NFL's best rushers for his entire seven-year career, and currently has a streak of five consecutive Pro Bowls. He has 65 sacks in 99 career games, and is the most feared push rusher on an excellent Bears defense.

Miller has made eight career Pro Bowls and is also a Super Bowl MVP as one of the top defensive players of his generation. He has 106 career sacks in 135 games, but unfortunately, Miller's streak of six consecutive Pro Bowls is set to come to an end due to an ankle injury suffered prior to Week 1.

Smith has long been one of the league's top playmaking safeties, with 24 picks and seven forced fumbles during his nine-year career in Minnesota. He's also routinely posted elite tackle numbers for a defensive back.

Smith saw limited playing time in his first four years in the NFL with Baltimore, but he's made a name for himself as an every-down player in Green Back. The hard-hitting linebacker had 13.5 sacks last season and is off to another great start with five sacks in four games early in 2020.

Suh isn't as productive as he was early in his career, but the defensive tackle is still one of the hardest hitting players. He has a reputation for dirty plays, as well, but has made five career Pro Bowls with 60.5 sacks and five forced fumbles over 11 seasons.

Esch was an instant remedy for the Cowboys rush defense after he was drafted in 2018, and he was also a feared hitter with 140 tackles. Unfortunately, neck and shoulder injuries have limited Vander Esch since then, play only nine games in 2019 and getting injured in Week 1 this year.

Wagner has been an All-Pro in five of the last six seasons for the Seahawks, and is building up a resume worthy of the Hall of Fame. He's recorded more than 100 tackles in each of his first eight seasons and also led the league in tackles twice, routinely making highlight hits.

Watt is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner who has to be accounted for whenever he's on the field. Injuries have been an issue for Watt over the last several years, but he still is one of the most feared defensive players in football.

Like his older brother, J.J. Watt, T:J. has become an elite sack artist and hard hitter. He had 14.5 sacks and tied for the league lead with eight forced fumbles last season, and Watt has 39 tackles in 51 games during his brief career.

Young was an elite player at Ohio State, and the early returns in the NFL have also been very positive. He has 2.5 sacks through his first four games, along with one forced fumble, making highlight hits already.