NFL All-Time Defense Rank No. 2: Reggie White

Ranking the top 10 defensive players in NFL history…

2. Reggie White

Selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles after two USFL seasons, White quickly established himself as a dominant defensive end, earning the nickname “Minister of Defense” for his on-field prowess and off-field ministry.

Over eight seasons with the Eagles, White set a franchise record with 124 sacks, including a league-high 21 in the strike-shortened 1987 season (1.75 per game average).

He earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and pioneered free agency by signing with the Green Bay Packers in 1993 for four years, $17 million. With the Packers, he added 68.5 sacks and won Super Bowl XXXI, setting a single-game record with three sacks in the 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots.

After retiring briefly in 1998, he returned for one season with the Carolina Panthers in 2000, adding 5.5 sacks.

White’s career totals include 198 sacks (second all-time), 1,111 tackles, 15 forced fumbles, 20 recoveries, three interceptions and two touchdowns across 232 games. He ranks among all-time leaders in sacks and was a 13-time Pro Bowler with 13 All-Pro selections.

White’s standout attributes were his size (6-foot-5, 300 pounds), speed and hand technique, allowing him to overpower blockers and pursue quarterbacks relentlessly. His playing style was explosive and versatile: a pass-rusher who dominated against the run, using power and quickness to disrupt offenses consistently.

Passing away on December 26, 2004, White was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, with his No. 92 retired by the Eagles, Packers and Tennessee.

But who ranks ahead of White at No. 1 all-time?