Reggie White
Ray Lewis
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Ray Lewis leads 1 of 3 categories. Our all-time ranking places Reggie White at #7 and Ray Lewis at #12.
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The case for Reggie White
Known as the Minister of Defense, Reggie White combined rare size, power, and quickness to become one of the most unstoppable pass rushers ever. He retired as the NFL all-time sack leader with 198, a mark since passed only by Bruce Smith, and he twice won Defensive Player of the Year. White was a wrecking ball against both the run and the pass, capable of bull-rushing a guard into the backfield or dipping around a tackle. He made thirteen Pro Bowls across sixteen seasons and, after signing one of the landmark free-agent deals of the new era, delivered a Super Bowl to Green Bay, recording three sacks in the Packers Super Bowl XXXI win. Few players so thoroughly dominated the line of scrimmage for so long.
The case for Ray Lewis
For seventeen seasons Ray Lewis was the emotional and tactical heart of the Baltimore Ravens defense, a middle linebacker who married ferocious hitting with brilliant diagnosis of plays. He won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and anchored one of the greatest defenses ever, the 2000 Ravens, whom he led to a Super Bowl XXXV title while earning game MVP honors. He captured a second ring in his final season in Super Bowl XLVII. Lewis intercepted 31 passes and amassed well over 2,000 tackles, an exceptional figure that reflects both his longevity and his sideline-to-sideline range. As a field general who set the defense and inspired teammates, he redefined what a middle linebacker could mean to a franchise.