The recipient of five straight Pro Bowls as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Defensive End Justin Smith was a major force of the Niners ' defense and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by multiple publications in 2011. For a five-year stretch (2009-13), Smith was in the conversation for the top Defensive End in football, and the consummate disruptor had found his mojo.  He retired with 87.5 Sacks and 884 Tackles, numbers that showed he was devastating on both the rush and pass.

A member of the 100 Sack club (133.5 exactly), John Abraham was a pounding Defensive End who terrorized Quarterbacks for years. He exceeded ten sacks eight times in a season and was a popular figure during his time with the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons. A very intriguing candidate, Abraham is, as of this writing, in the top ten all-time in Forced Fumbles and Tackles for Loss and the top fifteen in Quarterback Sacks.  He would go to five Pro Bowls and was twice a First Team All-Pro, and that first step he took off the snap remains in the nightmares of offensive linemen.