Patriots' All-Time roster: defense

In a two-part series, PatriotMaven looks at the top players at each position in franchise history. This part focuses solely on the defensive side of the ball.

Author:
Max McAuliffe
Publish date:
Jul 2, 2019 9:14 AM EDT

The New England Patriots organization has had a bevy of great defensive talent which has played a part in six championships over the past two decades, along with success in the years before that as well.

Now that we've looked at the offensive side of the ball, let's take a look at the defenders that would make the Patriots' All-Time roster.

Defensive End- Richard Seymour

We talk about Bill Belichick loving his defensive ends that can pop inside and play all over the line. Seymour may have sparked that love. Seymour could seemingly line up wherever he wanted on the defensive line and dominate. In Seymour's eight years in New England, he made the Pro Bowl seven times. He also was named a first team All-Pro three times and was with on the team for the organizations first three Super Bowl wins.

Defensive Tackle- Vince Wilfork

Wilfork is widely considered one of the best nose tackles to play the game of football. He possessed a freakish combo of power and speed for someone of his size. Wilfork frequently drew double teams from offensive lineman and wrecked gamelans for opposing offensive coordinators.

Defensive End- Willie McGinnest

McGinnest played both outside linebacker and defensive end. He ranks second in team history for sacks and was the team leader in sacks for six out of his twelve seasons with the team. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and a Patriots Hall of Famer. Now, all he needs is a bust in Canton.

Outside Linebacker- Mike Vrabel

Vrabel was a captain on the Patriots' defense. He ranks fourth in team history for sacks and third in tackles for a loss. He was a one-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro. Vrabel was also extremely versatile, catching ten total touchdown passes for New England (including Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX).

Middle Linebacker- Tedy Bruschi

Bruschi played the entirety of his NFL career in New England. Bruschi also served as a captain for the Patriots and was a phenomenal middle linebacker. He is second in team history in tackles and first in forced fumbles. He was an anchor on the Patriots' defense during his 13 seasons with the team. Bruschi was also a two-time All-Pro.

Middle Linebacker- Steve Nelson

Nelson was a big part of the Patriots' defense in the 80's. He recorded a baffling 1,776 career tackles. He also finished the 1984 season with an unofficial team record of 204 tackles. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and a Patriots Hall of Famer. All these accolades were good enough to make sure that no one can wear number 57 to this day within the organization.

Outside Linebacker- Andre Tippett

Tippett collected 35 sacks over a two-year period between 1984 and 1985. This pass-rushing specialist was one of the more feared defensive players of his time. Tippett still holds the all-time Patriots career sack record of 100. To give perspective, the closest player to that mark is Willie McGinnest, at 78. The closest active player is Dont'a Hightower, at 20. Therefore, it is safe to say that record is going to last for a while. Tippett is a five-time Pro Bowler and a Patriots Hall of Famer. He could be the best Patriots defensive player ever.

Cornerback- Ty Law

Law is tied for first in Patriots history with Raymond Clayborn, who both snagged 36 interceptions in their time in New England. In Law's ten seasons with the Patriots, he made the Pro Bowl four times and the first team All-Pro list twice. In 2014, Law was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Free Safety- Devin McCourty

McCourty is the only active player on this list. Since being drafted out of Rutgers in 2010, he has been an anchor to the Patriots' secondary and defense. While his play has been phenomenal over his career, his role stretches much further than that. McCourty is also an excellent communicator on the field and an excellent presence in the locker room.

Strong Safety- Rodney Harrison

New England Patriots great Rodney Harrison is among 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024. — Brian Bahr/Getty Images
cred: USA Today Sports Images

Harrison unfortunately spent the last six years of his 15 year career in New England. Unfortunate only because Harrison could have made a case for the greatest strong safety in the history of the game if he spent his whole career here in New England. However, any amount of time a team can have Harrison for, that team should be thankful.

Harrison was a vital part of the championship wins in 2003 and 2004. He was a team captain in all six years as a Patriot. He will also now be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on the 29th of July.

Harrison was a special breed at safety. Words cannot describe how much Belichick enjoyed coaching Harrison.

When asked about him, he responded, "Rodney was a guy that you mentioned that was a very good coverage safety even though he was a big physical, and he played the run as well as anybody. He could also cover the run and that's very unusual and that made him very special. You could literally matchup on anybody, receivers, tight ends, blitz him, play him on goal line. He could do it all. He was tremendous."

Cornerback- Mike Haynes

Haynes was one of the best lockdown corners to do it. He was named to the Pro Bowl in six of his first seven seasons in the NFL. The Patriots later traded him to the Raiders in 1983. He was selected to the NFL's 75th Anniversary team. He also is in every Hall of Fame he could possibly be a part of. He is in the College Football Hall of Fame, Patriots Hall of Fame, Raiders Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

July 1st is also his birthday.