When one is asked to come up with the greatest defensive ends of all time, the same names typically come up - Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Howie Long - and rightfully so. However, there is another player whose name warrants some more recognition - Shaun Ellis, elite Jets defensive lineman. Spending eleven years with the franchise, Shaun Ellis led the Jets to the postseason six times, often with subpar pieces filling in the other front seven slots beside him. With his versatility to play 3-Technique, 5-Technique, and even shift over to linebacker, Ellis' multiple double-digit sack seasons propelled him to the top seventy-five on the all-time sack leaderboard.
NFL Trade Value Chart
Though it is not likely used by actual NFL front offices any longer, the NFL draft trade value chart places values on each draft pick in the NFL draft. The chart then, theoretically, can be used to work out trades. For instance, to move up from 18 overall to 8 overall, the trade value chart says that the team trading up would also have to surrender the 50th overall selection,
because 900 (18th ovr) + 500 (50th ovr) = 1400 (8th ovr).
Reimagining NFL Passer Rating
The NFL passer rating serves as a decent indicator of season quarterback play. In fact, according to ESPN, from 2010 to 2016, the eventual NFL MVP has finished in the top two in passer rating five out of seven seasons. One of those seasons, Adrian Peterson (2012) took home the award as a running back, and in the other, Cam Newton (2015) won the MVP with 40 rushing yards per game, which are not taken into account by passer rating.