(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
In the annals of great defensive linemen in NFL history, there are numerous names that come to mind.
And who better to list them than one of their own brethren?
Aldon Smith entered the NFL in 2011 as a heralded defensive star out of Missouri and was selected number seven overall by the San Francisco 49ers.
And he has a lot to say about the best to ever play his position.
Smith told Keyshawn Johnson on the All Facts No Brakes podcast that he considers Reggie White, Julius Peppers, Michael Strahan and himself as the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history.
The last entry may have been tongue-in-cheek, but there’s no denying that Smith enjoyed a fine career in the league.
Aldon Smith’s All-Time Top Defensive Linemen pic.twitter.com/aHCB9yCJlo
— All Facts No Brakes (@AllFactsPod) June 17, 2024
His well-traveled playing days included stops in Oakland, Dallas and Seattle along with getting his start in San Francisco.
Smith registered 52.5 career sacks and enjoyed his finest professional season in 2012, when he was named a First-Team All-Pro with the 49ers.
As for his list, there are few who would argue with the selections, though there are numerous others who should be noted as well.
Aaron Donald immediately comes to mind, as does J.J. Watt and Bruce Smith.
But Reggie White was a force of nature for Green Bay and later Philadelphia, commanding perhaps more double and triple-teams than any defensive lineman in NFL history.
Julius Peppers destroyed offenses during a fine career that was mostly spent in Carolina and Chicago, and before he became a media personality, Michael Strahan set the all-time single-season record for quarterback sacks.
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