Adrian Fedkiw
Each day leading up to the official start of the NFL football season, I will be providing you with player rankings, team previews, analysis, predictions, opinions and a whole lot more.
What I look for in a tackle:
Balance- Sliding, shuffling and mirroring a defensive players movements without losing balance or getting overextended. Being able to anchor and holding ground, keeping the shoulders square and knees bent. Adjusting to a moving target in space and remaining square when trapping and pulling.
Awareness- Being alert of blitzes and playing instinctive to react to twists and stunts. Feeling pressure so you can slip underneath and help out with an inside punch.
Recovery- Tackles get beat, it happens, but the elite ones regain their body control, pivot, punch, re-direct and shift their weight to finish off blocks.
Quickness- Having soft quick feet to handle a speed rusher and the agility to react to spins and counter moves.
- Joe Thomas (Cle) 8.8
- Tyron Smith (Dal) 8.6
- Andrew Whitworth (Cin) 8.2
- Trent Williams (Was) 8.2
- Joe Staley (SF) 8.2
- Terron Armstead (NO) 8.1
- Duane Brown (Hou) 8.1
- Cordy Glenn (Buf) 8
- Jared Veldheer (Ari) 8
- Mitchell Schwartz (KC) 7.9
- Donald Penn (Oak) 7.8
- Nate Solder (NE) 7.7
- Taylor Lewan (Ten) 7.7
- Sebastian Vollmer (NE) 7.6
- Jason Peters (Phi) 7.6
- Lane Johnson (Phi) 7.5
- Ryan Clady (NYJ) 7.5
- Ryan Schraeder (Atl) 7.5
- Brandon Albert (Mia) 7.5
- Russell Okung (Den) 7.5
- Anthony Castonzo (Ind) 7.5
- Jake Matthews (Atl) 7.5
- Marcus Gilbert (Pit) 7.4
- Morgan Moses (Was) 7.4
- Michael Oher (Car) 7.4
- Zach Strief (NO) 7.4
- Derek Newton (Hou) 7.4
- Riley Reiff (Det) 7.4
- Kelvin Beachum (Jax) 7.4
- Bryan Bulaga (GB) 7.4
- Phil Loadholt (Min) 7.4
- Austin Howard (Oak) 7.3
- Michael Ola (Car) 7.3
- Demar Dotson (TB) 7.3
- David Bakhtiari (GB) 7.3
- Doug Free (Dal) 7.3
- Bobbie Massie (Ari) 7.3
- Andre Smith (Min) 7.3
- Eric Fisher (KC) 7.3
- Ronnie Stanley (Bal) 7.3
- Jermey Parnell (Jax) 7.3
- Erik Pears (SF) 7.3
- Cedric Ohbuehi (Cin) 7.3
- Rob Havenstein (LA) 7.3
- Matt Kalil (Min) 7.3
- Mike Remmers (Car) 7.3
- King Dunlap (SD) 7.3
- Marcus Cannon (NE) 7.3
- Donovan Smith (TB) 7.3
- Alejandro Villanueva (Pit) 7.3