The NFL offseason is in full swing, with every team on vacation for the next few weeks. Rest assured, the league will find a way to stay relevant as everyone gears up for the Independence Day holiday. However, the news doesn’t stop as people prepare for fantasy drafts and dream big about offseason acquisitions. 2025 represents the silver anniversary season for the league in the 21st century. It’s a perfect time to reflect on the best players of the past 25 seasons, which we explored in a previous exercise by examining the offense’s superstars. Which charcuterie of defensive stars made the Quarter Century First Team Defense?
NFL All-Quarter Century Team: Front Seven Leads First Team Defense
Note: All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference
EDGE
Julius Peppers / Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers
Peppers set the standard for freakishly athletic EDGE rushers when the Panthers drafted him second overall in the 2022 draft. While he didn’t put up the monstrous annual sack totals like a Watt or Jared Allen, he was old reliable. The most impressive thing about his career is its longevity, spanning 17 seasons at a consistently high level. The UNC star was the metronome of consistency, bouncing from double-digit sacks to single digits the following season. The nine-time Pro Bowler is fourth on the all-time career sacks list with 159.5. Peppers earned the distinction of a Hall of Famer last year in his second attempt.
Career Statistics: 719 combined tackles, 82 passes defended, 52 forced fumbles, 11 interceptions, 175 tackles for loss, 186 QB hits, and 159.5 sacks
DeMarcus Ware / Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos
The longtime Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher turned out to be one of the best small-school draft picks in many years. Ware ended his career with the Broncos in 2016 at the ripe old age of 34, having earned numerous honors throughout his tenure. Honors that include nine Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro teams, and a Super Bowl. He took the mantle of wearing the esteemed 94 for the Cowboys and made it his own after Hall of Fame pass rusher Charles Haley put it on the map. The former Troy star had a stretch of four First Team All-Pro selections in five seasons, notching 80 sacks in that period. He won the second spot on the quarter-century first-team defense over some prestigious names. Ware is one of the newest inductees into the Hall of Fame, having been elected in 2023.
Career Statistics: 657 combined tackles, 171 tackles for loss, 35 forced fumbles, three interceptions, 229 QB hits, and 138.5 sacks
IDL
Aaron Donald / Los Angeles Rams
If there was a modern-day archetype for the defensive tackle position, Donald was it. He is an absolute no-brainer addition to the quarter-century first-team defense, much like Tom Brady is for the offense. The legend played all ten seasons with the Rams, garnering a ridiculously stupendous seven consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. Donald’s long list of accomplishments includes seven consecutive top-five seasons as a DPOY candidate, with two wins in three seasons. Ten consecutive Pro Bowls dot his CV. He retired at the top of his game and didn’t look back after 2023. There is zero doubt that Canton is the next vacation spot for the Donald family in 2028.
Career Statistics: 543 combined tackles, 176 tackles for loss, 24 forced fumbles, 260 QB hits, and 111 sacks
J.J. Watt / Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals
Watt was a standout defensive lineman who primarily lined up as an edge rusher, but also became a significant force inside. Injuries limited his career, but his overall impact on the game is legendary. In his 12 seasons, he was elected to the Pro Bowl five times, named to five All-Pro teams, and three DPOYs. Houston wouldn’t be on the map as a bona fide franchise without his services. Watt crossed the 15-sack barrier four times in his career, twice posting 20.5 sacks in a single season. The Texans icon finished his career with Arizona and retired after the 2022 season. Watt is a near-certain lock for becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Career Statistics: 586 combined tackles, 195 tackles for loss, 317 QB hits, 27 forced fumbles, 70 passes defended, 114.5 sacks
Linebackers
Ray Lewis / Baltimore Ravens
If there ever was a defensive player who defined a generation at his position, it’s Lewis. He was the standard bearer of what it meant to be a Raven for years. Lewis started his career in 1996 but continued to play well into his thirties, retiring after the 2012 season. The two-time Super Bowl champion holds the career record for combined tackles and solo tackles. He participated in 12 Pro Bowls and was selected to ten All-Pro teams. Lewis was also named DPOY twice in his illustrious career and won the Super Bowl MVP award once. The Hall of Fame enshrined Lewis in the class of 2018 alongside other defensive stalwarts. Lewis’s inclusion in the quarter-century first-team defense left no doubt.
Career Statistics: 2,059 combined tackles, 99 tackles for loss, 41.5 sacks, 96 passes defended, 31 interceptions
Bobby Wagner / Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Commanders
Wagner is the only active player to achieve this prestigious honor after a sensational 13-year career (so far), which will undoubtedly see him in Canton one day. He was the heart and soul of the Seattle defense for many seasons before a pit stop in LA during the 2022 season. The future Hall of Fame linebacker reunited with the Seahawks until traveling to the nation’s capital in 2024. He has since returned as the unquestioned veteran leader for the rising Commanders this offseason. His career is aging like a fine wine with a Pro Bowl season and an All-Pro mention last year. The ten-time Pro Bowler ran off an insane stretch of eight consecutive Pro Bowl appearances at one point. Wagner has appeared on an All-Pro team in 11 straight seasons and had six first-team selections in seven years.
Career Statistics: 1,838 combined tackles, 99 tackles for loss, 35 sacks, 72 passes defended, 13 interceptions, 102 QB hits
Patrick Willis / San Francisco 49ers
Willis had the shortest career of any legend on either offense or defense, but he became a fearsome stopper on the field. The newest Hall of Fame inductee on the team was honored in 2024. There is absolutely zero doubt about his Canton credentials after a terrific eight-year run as one of the best linebackers in the sport. He instantly became a bona fide superstar by winning DROY with a gaudy 174 tackles. Willis ran off seven consecutive Pro Bowls and six consecutive All-Pro teams in his tenure by the Bay. The Volunteer State native is in the pantheon of all-time great defenders for one of the storied franchises in sports, a distinction of tremendous honor, given the sheer amount of talent that has passed through the 49ers.
Career Statistics: 950 tackles, 60 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, 53 passes defended, 16 forced fumbles, eight interceptions
Cornerbacks
Darrelle Revis / New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs
darrelle revis
Aug 5, 2023; Canton, OH, USA; New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs former cornerback Darrelle Revis speaks after unveiling his bust during the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The most feared cornerback in the league for the majority of his career was one of the first names on the quarter-century first-team team sheet. He’s the namesake who added “Revis Island” to the lexicon of Americana. There was nobody else whom opposing quarterbacks hated to throw to on his side. He shut down almost every receiver that he went up against, including several high-profile names. All told, he earned seven Pro Bowls, four All-Pro teams, and one Super Bowl before entering the hallowed halls of Canton in 2023.
Career Statistics: 496 combined tackles, nine tackles for loss, 139 passes defended, and 29 interceptions (three TDs)
Champ Bailey / Washington and Denver Broncos
The former Bulldogs star entered the league with fanfare as the seventh overall selection in the 1999 draft. He was an immediate hit for the Washington franchise, earning some looks for DPOY, finishing second behind Tennessee’s Jevon Kearse. Bailey began a run of eight consecutive Pro Bowls, playing for two franchises. Denver traded running back Clinton Portis for him in 2004, where he continued his excellent form for ten more seasons. The shutdown cornerback possessed a reputation as a rock-solid tackler, and the stats back it up. Bailey holds the record for PBUs with 203. He retired after the 2013 season and entered the Hall of Fame in 2019, alongside former Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. The 12-time Pro Bowler was also named to seven All-Pro teams.
Career Statistics: 931 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 203 passes defended, 52 interceptions (four TDs), seven forced fumbles,
Safeties
Ed Reed / Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and New York Jets
Reed is the gold standard against which all free safeties are measured. He was the total package in terms of instincts, athleticism, and football IQ. The opportunity to outsmart him appeared rarely, and even the legends had to tip their cap to him. While he finished his career in 2013 with the Jets, he’s best known for being the cerebral punisher of bad passes alongside Ray Lewis with the Ravens. His athleticism was awe-inspiring, and he served as the punt returner for multiple seasons in Baltimore. Reed holds the all-time career record for interception return yardage with 1,590. The Hall of Fame came calling for his name on the first try in 2019. He finished with nine Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro teams in his illustrious career.
Career Statistics: 646 combined tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 11 forced fumbles, 64 interceptions (seven TDs), 139 passes defended
Troy Polamalu / Pittsburgh Steelers
Along with fellow AFC North titan Reed, Polamalu is a generational icon for the position. He defined the standard for the position as a bowling ball of terror that opposing offenses had to account for everywhere. The first ballot Hall of Fame defensive back earned his gold jacket in 2020. Polamalu wasn’t the biggest or fastest safety, but his A1 instincts had him pitch-perfect nearly every time. The Pro Bowl selected him eight times in 12 years, to go along with six All-Pro teams. He won the DPOY award in 2010 and is a two-time Super Bowl champion. The Steelers legend is the easiest no-brainer selection for the quarter-century first-team defense.
Career Statistics: 783 tackles, 56 tackles for loss, 32 interceptions (three TDs), 107 passes defended, 14 forced fumbles, and 12 sacks.
Main Image: Yannick Peterhans – Imagn Images