Defensive Lineman/Linebackers/Interior Linemen: 

Here are the five Defensive Lineman/Linebackers/Interior Linemen who have entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame and played within the last 25 years.  They comprise our baseline:

Ray Lewis (2018),  Luke Kuechly (2026), Zach Thomas (2022), Brian Urlacher (2018) & Patrick Willis (2024)

Much like with what he had in exterior linemen, we have a convoluted system where we try to look at the interior run-stuffers, while recognizing that the front seven varies depending on scheme and player.  

Before our new system, we looked at the Modern Inductees regardless of the year they were inducted, but now that we're looking at the last quarter-century, Mills is out, and with the arrival of Luke Kuechly, the average stats at this position have changed dramatically.

Here are the statistical averages that we are using based on the last group of Defensive Lineman/Linebackers/Interior Linemen to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

• Games Played: 164.8
• Approximate Value: 147.8
• Approximate Value per Games Played: 0.8968
• Games Started: 163
• Approximate Value per Games Started: 0.9068
• Approximate Value per Five-Year Peak: 78.6
• Approximate Value’s Best Five Results: 84.2
• Top Five Defensive Player of the Year Finishes**: 8.4
• Pro Bowls: 8.2
• First Team All-Pros*: 5.2
• Interceptions: 19.2
• Interceptions Five-Year Peak: 9.4
• Quarterback Sacks: 27.3
• Quarterback Sacks Five-Year Peak: 15.4
• Tackles for Loss: 97.6
• Tackles for Loss Five-Year Peak: 53.4
• Forced Fumbles: 13.8
• Combined Tackles: 1,493.2
• Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak: 710.2
• Top Five Combined Tackles Finishes: 16.0
• Super Bowl Wins: 1.0
• Super Bowl Appearances: 0.4

*This is an aggregate of the Top Five finishes (5^th = 1, 4^th = 2, 3^rd = 3, 2^nd = 4^th, 1^st = 5)
**This is a reminder that the All-Pros we use are from the AP.