PTF 2007 DEFENSIVE TACKLE ROOM POWER RANKINGS
Ranked with the actual 2007 Film Room base fronts: one DT for 3-4 teams, two DTs for 4-3 teams.
HOW THE RANKINGS WORK
I went and pulled the data of the actual base defensive front from the Film Room.
23 teams are using a 4-3 base. 9 teams are using a 3-4 base.
3-4 Team DT Score = DT1 NOVR.
4-3 Team DT Score = (DT1 NOVR + DT2 NOVR) / 2.
For a 3-4 team, only one true DT/NT starts in the base front, so DT2 is depth and does not affect the room score. For a 4-3 team, both interior tackles are base starters, so they are weighted equally at 50/50.
The formation comes from the Film Room BASE field, not the defensive playbook name. That distinction matters: several teams use a playbook associated with another team while still showing a different base front.
Only current rostered DTs from the 2007 Fit The System reference count toward team scores.
League-average formation-adjusted DT score: 82.83
League median formation-adjusted DT score: 80.75
For the youth section, young = age 25 or younger.
THE FULL LEAGUE DT ROOM POWER RANKING
1. Eagles — 96.5 — 4-3 — Albert Haynesworth 98 | Corey Simon 95
2. Panthers — 95 — 3-4 — Kris Jenkins 95
3. Cowboys — 94 — 3-4 — Warren Sapp 94
4. Jets — 93.5 — 4-3 — Haloti Ngata 97 | Kenny Peterson 90
T5. Bills — 93 — 3-4 — Shaun Rogers 93
T5. Titans — 93 — 3-4 — Fred Robbins 93
T5. Seahawks — 93 — 3-4 — Tommie Harris 93
T5. Ravens — 93 — 3-4 — Anthony Bryant 93
9. Browns — 90.5 — 4-3 — Marcus Stroud 93 | Jamal Williams 88
T10. Lions — 90 — 4-3 — Aaron Smith 96 | Montavious Stanley 84
T10. Buccaneers — 90 — 4-3 — Anthony McFarland 94 | Ryon Bingham 86
12. Vikings — 87 — 4-3 — Chris Hovan 90 | Aubrayo Franklin 84
13. Packers — 86 — 3-4 — Anthony Adams 86
T14. Dolphins — 82.5 — 4-3 — Gabe Watson 92 | Matthias Askew 73
T14. Rams — 82.5 — 4-3 — Ryan Pickett 88 | Damione Lewis 77
16. Chargers — 81.5 — 4-3 — Wendell Bryant 87 | Dorsett Davis 76
T17. Patriots — 80 — 4-3 — Chad Lavalais 87 | Jesse Mahelona 73
T17. Chiefs — 80 — 3-4 — Johnny Jolly 80
T19. Broncos — 78 — 4-3 — Tamba Hali 90 | Anthony Montgomery 66
T19. Cardinals — 78 — 4-3 — Kyle Williams 90 | Kevin Williams 66
T19. Falcons — 78 — 4-3 — Ryan Sims 87 | Jonathan Babineaux 69
T19. Redskins — 78 — 4-3 — Darnell Dockett 86 | Vince Ohgobaase 70
23. Steelers — 77.5 — 4-3 — Tron LaFavor 82 | Gary Gibson 73
24. Texans — 76.5 — 4-3 — Dewayne Robertson 77 | Mike Patterson 76
T25. 49ers — 76 — 4-3 — Casey Hampton 79 | Craig Terrill 73
T25. Raiders — 76 — 3-4 — Amon Gordon 76
27. Giants — 75 — 4-3 — Randy Starks 94 | Terdell Sands 56
28. Bears — 73.5 — 4-3 — Vince Wilfork 83 | Ryan McBean 64
T29. Jaguars — 72.5 — 4-3 — Rocky Bernard 87 | James Lee 58
T29. Colts — 72.5 — 4-3 — Tyler Brayton 84 | Anthony Maddox 61
31. Bengals — 70 — 4-3 — Paul Soliai 75 | Clifton Ryan 65
32. Saints — 68 — 4-3 — Kedric Golston 71 | Donnell Washington 65
Philadelphia is #1. Albert Haynesworth was already the league’s best DT at 98; adding Corey Simon’s 95 in a true 4-3 gives the Eagles a devastating 96.5 starting tandem score.
Carolina is #2 because its 3-4 only asks the ranking to evaluate the one starting interior anchor, and Kris Jenkins is a 95. Dallas gets the same benefit from its 3-4 structure with Warren Sapp at 94.
The Jets are elite even after being forced to count two starters: Haloti Ngata at 97 and Kenny Peterson at 90 still produce a 93.5 room score.
The largest lesson is that scheme exposes depth. A 96-rated DT does not automatically make an elite 4-3 room if the second starting tackle is far weaker.
BEST 4-3 DT TANDEMS
1. Eagles — 96.5 — Albert Haynesworth 98 | Corey Simon 95
2. Jets — 93.5 — Haloti Ngata 97 | Kenny Peterson 90
3. Browns — 90.5 — Marcus Stroud 93 | Jamal Williams 88
4. Lions — 90.0 — Aaron Smith 96 | Montavious Stanley 84
5. Buccaneers — 90.0 — Anthony McFarland 94 | Ryon Bingham 86
6. Vikings — 87.0 — Chris Hovan 90 | Aubrayo Franklin 84
7. Dolphins — 82.5 — Gabe Watson 92 | Matthias Askew 73
8. Rams — 82.5 — Ryan Pickett 88 | Damione Lewis 77
9. Chargers — 81.5 — Wendell Bryant 87 | Dorsett Davis 76
10. Patriots — 80.0 — Chad Lavalais 87 | Jesse Mahelona 73
The Eagles and Jets are in a class of their own among 4-3 fronts. Cleveland is the only other 4-3 room above 90.5, with Marcus Stroud and Jamal Williams giving the Browns a very balanced 93/88 pairing.
Detroit and Tampa Bay both reach 90.0, but by different routes: the Lions lean more heavily on Aaron Smith’s 96, while Tampa Bay gets a more balanced 94/86 combination.
BEST 3-4 INTERIOR ANCHORS
1. Panthers — 95 — Kris Jenkins — Age 28
2. Cowboys — 94 — Warren Sapp — Age 35
3. Bills — 93 — Shaun Rogers — Age 28
4. Ravens — 93 — Anthony Bryant — Age 24
5. Seahawks — 93 — Tommie Harris — Age 26
6. Titans — 93 — Fred Robbins — Age 30
7. Packers — 86 — Anthony Adams — Age 27
8. Chiefs — 80 — Johnny Jolly — Age 24
9. Raiders — 76 — Amon Gordon — Age 25
The 3-4 ranking is much simpler because only one DT/NT is a base starter. Carolina’s Kris Jenkins leads at 95, Warren Sapp gives Dallas a 94, and Buffalo, Baltimore, Seattle and Tennessee all have 93-level anchors.
SCHEME CHANGES THE PICTURE
Giants — the biggest fall. Randy Starks is a tremendous 94 NOVR player, but New York runs a 4-3 and the second starter is Terdell Sands at 56. The room therefore falls to 75.0, all the way to #27.
Lions — elite DT1, merely good room. Aaron Smith’s 96 previously made Detroit look like the #3 DT situation. In a 4-3, Montavious Stanley’s 84 has to count too, producing a still-strong 90.0 but moving the Lions to T10.
Broncos and Cardinals — one star is not enough in a 4-3. Tamba Hali and Kyle Williams are both 90 NOVR, but each team’s second DT is 66. Both rooms land at 78.0.
Panthers and Cowboys — 3-4 structure helps. Carolina and Dallas do not need to average in DT2, because the Film Room confirms that only one DT is a base starter. Their elite anchors therefore keep the full value of their NOVR.
Texans — almost perfectly balanced. Dewayne Robertson is 77 and Mike Patterson is 76. Houston lacks elite top-end talent, but its 4-3 score barely drops at all because the second starter is essentially equal to the first.
THE BEST DEFENSIVE TACKLES IN PTF
1. Albert Haynesworth, Eagles — 98 — Age 26 — 320 lbs
2. Haloti Ngata, Jets — 97 — Age 23 — 340 lbs
3. Aaron Smith, Lions — 96 — Age 31 — 300 lbs
4. Corey Simon, Eagles — 95 — Age 30 — 293 lbs
5. Kris Jenkins, Panthers — 95 — Age 28 — 335 lbs
6. Anthony McFarland, Buccaneers — 94 — Age 30 — 300 lbs
7. Randy Starks, Giants — 94 — Age 26 — 305 lbs
8. Warren Sapp, Cowboys — 94 — Age 35 — 303 lbs
9. Anthony Bryant, Ravens — 93 — Age 24 — 360 lbs
10. Darwin Walker, Eagles — 93 — Age 30 — 294 lbs
11. Fred Robbins, Titans — 93 — Age 30 — 325 lbs
12. Marcus Stroud, Browns — 93 — Age 29 — 312 lbs
13. Shaun Rogers, Bills — 93 — Age 28 — 355 lbs
14. Tommie Harris, Seahawks — 93 — Age 26 — 295 lbs
15. Gabe Watson, Dolphins — 92 — Age 24 — 338 lbs
16. Chris Hovan, Vikings — 90 — Age 29 — 296 lbs
17. Kenny Peterson, Jets — 90 — Age 25 — 300 lbs
18. Kyle Williams, Cardinals — 90 — Age 24 — 303 lbs
19. Tamba Hali, Broncos — 90 — Age 24 — 275 lbs
20. John Henderson, Unassigned — 89 — Age 28 — 328 lbs
The individual leaderboard does not change with scheme. Haynesworth remains the only 98, Ngata is alone at 97, Aaron Smith is 96, and Corey Simon and Kris Jenkins share the 95 tier.
THE NEXT GENERATION — BEST DTs AGE 25 OR YOUNGER
1. Haloti Ngata, Jets — 97 — Age 23 — 340 lbs
2. Anthony Bryant, Ravens — 93 — Age 24 — 360 lbs
3. Gabe Watson, Dolphins — 92 — Age 24 — 338 lbs
4. Kenny Peterson, Jets — 90 — Age 25 — 300 lbs
5. Kyle Williams, Cardinals — 90 — Age 24 — 303 lbs
6. Tamba Hali, Broncos — 90 — Age 24 — 275 lbs
7. Ryon Bingham, Buccaneers — 86 — Age 25 — 303 lbs
8. Marcus Tubbs, Panthers — 85 — Age 24 — 320 lbs
9. Vince Wilfork, Bears — 83 — Age 25 — 325 lbs
10. Johnny Jolly, Chiefs — 80 — Age 24 — 325 lbs
11. Alfred Malone, Jets — 79 — Age 23 — 312 lbs
12. Attiyah Ellison, Chiefs — 79 — Age 24 — 315 lbs
Haloti Ngata remains the standout young DT. He is only 23, already 97 NOVR, and he is not carrying a weak 4-3 partner either: Kenny Peterson is 25/90.
Baltimore’s Anthony Bryant is another huge asset because the Ravens use a 3-4. At 24/93, Bryant is both an elite young player and the only DT that needs to be counted as a base starter.
THE BEST YOUNG DT SITUATIONS
Jets
Haloti Ngata is 23/97 and Kenny Peterson is 25/90. In a 4-3, both matter, and together they already form the #2 two-DT tandem in the league.
Ravens
Anthony Bryant is 24/93 and Baltimore runs a 3-4, making him the single interior starter the base front requires.
Dolphins
Gabe Watson is 24/92 and Matthias Askew is 25/73. Miami’s current room score is only 82.5, but both 4-3 starters are still young enough to improve.
Chiefs
Johnny Jolly is 24/80 and Attiyah Ellison is 24/79. Kansas City uses a 3-4, so Jolly is the scored starter, but there is unusually strong same-age depth behind him.
Panthers
Kris Jenkins is the veteran star at 28/95, while Marcus Tubbs is 24/85 behind him. Carolina has a top-end 3-4 anchor plus a legitimate young interior successor.
DIVISION-BY-DIVISION BREAKDOWN
AFC EAST
1. Jets — 93.5 — League 4 — 4-3 — Haloti Ngata 97 | Kenny Peterson 90
2. Bills — 93 — League T5 — 3-4 — Shaun Rogers 93
3. Dolphins — 82.5 — League T14 — 4-3 — Gabe Watson 92 | Matthias Askew 73
4. Patriots — 80 — League T17 — 4-3 — Chad Lavalais 87 | Jesse Mahelona 73
The AFC East becomes the strongest DT division. The Jets have the league’s #4 room, Buffalo has a 93-rated 3-4 anchor, and even the bottom two teams remain at 80.0 or better.
AFC NORTH
1. Ravens — 93 — League T5 — 3-4 — Anthony Bryant 93
2. Browns — 90.5 — League 9 — 4-3 — Marcus Stroud 93 | Jamal Williams 88
3. Steelers — 77.5 — League 23 — 4-3 — Tron LaFavor 82 | Gary Gibson 73
4. Bengals — 70 — League 31 — 4-3 — Paul Soliai 75 | Clifton Ryan 65
Baltimore’s 3-4 anchor gives the Ravens the division lead, but Cleveland is close behind with the excellent Stroud/Williams 4-3 tandem. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati create a large drop after the top two.
AFC SOUTH
1. Titans — 93 — League T5 — 3-4 — Fred Robbins 93
2. Texans — 76.5 — League 24 — 4-3 — Dewayne Robertson 77 | Mike Patterson 76
3. Colts — 72.5 — League T29 — 4-3 — Tyler Brayton 84 | Anthony Maddox 61
4. Jaguars — 72.5 — League T29 — 4-3 — Rocky Bernard 87 | James Lee 58
Tennessee dominates the division because Fred Robbins keeps his full 93 value in a 3-4. The three 4-3 teams behind the Titans all suffer from weaker second starters.
AFC WEST
1. Chargers — 81.5 — League 16 — 4-3 — Wendell Bryant 87 | Dorsett Davis 76
2. Chiefs — 80 — League T17 — 3-4 — Johnny Jolly 80
3. Broncos — 78 — League T19 — 4-3 — Tamba Hali 90 | Anthony Montgomery 66
4. Raiders — 76 — League T25 — 3-4 — Amon Gordon 76
This is a modest group. San Diego leads at 81.5, Kansas City is next at 80, and Denver’s 90-rated Tamba Hali cannot fully overcome a 66-rated second DT in a 4-3.
NFC EAST
1. Eagles — 96.5 — League 1 — 4-3 — Albert Haynesworth 98 | Corey Simon 95
2. Cowboys — 94 — League 3 — 3-4 — Warren Sapp 94
3. Redskins — 78 — League T19 — 4-3 — Darnell Dockett 86 | Vince Ohgobaase 70
4. Giants — 75 — League 27 — 4-3 — Randy Starks 94 | Terdell Sands 56
Philadelphia and Dallas give the NFC East two top-three rooms, but the Giants’ 4-3 depth problem drags the division down from where the old DT1-only ranking placed it.
NFC NORTH
1. Lions — 90 — League T10 — 4-3 — Aaron Smith 96 | Montavious Stanley 84
2. Vikings — 87 — League 12 — 4-3 — Chris Hovan 90 | Aubrayo Franklin 84
3. Packers — 86 — League 13 — 3-4 — Anthony Adams 86
4. Bears — 73.5 — League 28 — 4-3 — Vince Wilfork 83 | Ryan McBean 64
Detroit and Minnesota are strong 4-3 rooms, while Green Bay’s 3-4 keeps Anthony Adams’ 86 intact. Chicago falls to 73.5 because its second starting DT is only 64.
NFC SOUTH
1. Panthers — 95 — League 2 — 3-4 — Kris Jenkins 95
2. Buccaneers — 90 — League T10 — 4-3 — Anthony McFarland 94 | Ryon Bingham 86
3. Falcons — 78 — League T19 — 4-3 — Ryan Sims 87 | Jonathan Babineaux 69
4. Saints — 68 — League 32 — 4-3 — Kedric Golston 71 | Donnell Washington 65
Carolina’s 95-rated 3-4 anchor and Tampa Bay’s 90.0 tandem keep the top of the division strong. Atlanta is ordinary and New Orleans owns the league’s lowest room score.
NFC WEST
1. Seahawks — 93 — League T5 — 3-4 — Tommie Harris 93
2. Rams — 82.5 — League T14 — 4-3 — Ryan Pickett 88 | Damione Lewis 77
3. Cardinals — 78 — League T19 — 4-3 — Kyle Williams 90 | Kevin Williams 66
4. 49ers — 76 — League T25 — 4-3 — Casey Hampton 79 | Craig Terrill 73
Seattle’s 3-4 anchor leads comfortably at 93. St. Louis is the best of the division’s 4-3 rooms at 82.5, while Arizona and San Francisco both fall below 80 once DT2 is included.
DIVISION STRENGTH RANKING
1. AFC EAST — 87.25
2. NFC EAST — 85.88
3. NFC NORTH — 84.12
T4. AFC NORTH — 82.75
T4. NFC SOUTH — 82.75
6. NFC WEST — 82.38
7. AFC WEST — 78.88
8. AFC SOUTH — 78.62
The AFC East takes the top spot at 87.25 because it combines the elite Jets/Bills top end with no truly weak room. The NFC East remains second, but the Giants’ 75.0 formation-adjusted score prevents it from running away with the ranking.
The AFC South finishes last despite Tennessee’s 93 because all three 4-3 teams behind the Titans have major DT2 drop-offs.
UNASSIGNED DTs WORTH WATCHING
1. John Henderson — 89 — Age 28 — 328 lbs
2. Cornelius Griffin — 88 — Age 31 — 300 lbs
3. John Thornton — 84 — Age 31 — 297 lbs
4. Jerry DeLoach — 81 — Age 30 — 335 lbs
5. Larry Tripplett — 77 — Age 28 — 300 lbs
6. Robaire Smith — 73 — Age 30 — 315 lbs
7. Bryant Young — 72 — Age 35 — 291 lbs
8. Roderick Coleman — 71 — Age 31 — 285 lbs
9. Derek Landri — 69 — Age 24 — 295 lbs
10. Tony Williams — 67 — Age 32 — 296 lbs
The free-agent value of these players now depends heavily on scheme. An 80-level DT can be a major upgrade for a 4-3 team with a weak second starter even if he would only be depth for a strong 3-4 club.
GM TAKEAWAYS
1. Scheme has to be part of DT evaluation. The Film Room data changes the rankings dramatically. A 4-3 team cannot be judged fairly by DT1 alone when two defensive tackles are base starters.
2. Philadelphia has the best DT room in PTF. Haynesworth 98 and Simon 95 produce a 96.5 tandem score. There is no weak link.
3. The Jets have the best young interior pairing. Ngata 97 and Peterson 90 are both age 25 or younger and already combine for 93.5.
4. The Giants are the clearest roster warning. Randy Starks is elite at 94, but a 56-rated second starter turns the actual 4-3 room into a 75.0 unit.
5. 3-4 teams should not be punished for DT depth. Carolina, Dallas, Buffalo, Baltimore, Seattle and Tennessee all correctly retain the value of their primary interior anchor.
6. For 4-3 teams, DT2 is a legitimate upgrade target. Denver, Arizona, Miami, Chicago, Jacksonville, Indianapolis and several others have a much bigger gap between DT1 and DT2 than the old ranking revealed.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The formation-aware method produces a much more realistic picture of interior defensive talent.
The old DT1-only ranking was useful while the schemes were unknown, but it treated a 3-4 nose tackle and a 4-3 two-man interior as if they were the same roster requirement. They are not.
Philadelphia is still the best team at the position, but the reason is now stronger: the Eagles do not merely have the best DT in PTF; they have two elite starting DTs. The Jets are similarly built for their 4-3 with Ngata and Peterson.
At the other end, teams like the Giants demonstrate why DT2 matters. A superstar can hide a weak second starter in a one-player ranking, but he cannot hide him on the field in a 4-3.
For 3-4 teams, the opposite is true. One dominant interior anchor is exactly what the base front requires, so the ranking should reward that rather than forcing a second DT into the formula.
ONE IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT DT NOVR
Across the full 163-DT NOVR pool:
- 19 DTs are 90+
- 5 DTs are 95+
- 0 DTs are 99
- Average NOVR: 65.58
- Median NOVR: 64
The individual DT scale remains healthy. The major change in this article is not the NOVR distribution — it is that team room scores now reflect how many defensive tackles each scheme actually starts.
|
