With the offensive side of this squad complete, the front four begins the defensive set for this squad. On with the list.

Defensive Tackle

My favorite position on the field. Not Ohio State’s favorite when it comes to NFL talent, outside of a few players...

First Team

Bill Willis (1946-1953 Cleveland Browns)

He was quick. I don't think there was anybody as quick at that position, or any position for that matter. He came off that ball with that ball as quick as anything you would want to see.

Former Browns teammate, offensive guard Alex Agase

In 1947, a player unlike any other ever in the ranks of professional baseball took first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. You’ve heard that story. Movies and documentaries Oscar and Razzie worthy have told that story.

One not as many have heard is that four players broke through the color barrier of professional football a year prior, two of them going on to have Hall of Fame careers: Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, and Bill Willis.

“Deke” jam-packed about as much greatness into an eight-year career as any defensive tackle ever has. From 1946 through 1949 the Browns won the long-disbanded AAFC every single season. Three of those years Willis was first-team all-league. Then the Browns made the cut for the NFL after league disbandment and he added three first-team all-pro namings there in four seasons, along with three pro bowls, and the Browns won the NFL championship in 1950 with appearances in the championship game each year from 1951 to 1953. Willis was the savior of an 8-3 win against the Giants in the NFL title game win, running a player nicknamed Choo-choo off the tracks on what would have been a game-sealing touchdown reception for New York.

For all of his efforts, the Pro Football Hall of Fame gave him a Cantonian bust in 1977 and named him first-team all-1940s. He ranks fourth on cleveland.com’s list of the 100 greatest Browns.

Dan Wilkinson (1994-1997 Cincinnati Bengals, 1998-2002 Washington Redskins, 2003-2005 Detroit Lions, 2006 Miami Dolphins)

“Big Daddy” covered SI as everyone’s number one pick, and his career was solid enough to at least live up to a first-round billing. His sack numbers, above all else, are on stratospheric levels in comparison with a typical interior lineman’s NFL statline. He registered at least 7.5 sacks in three different seasons and finished his career with a mark of 54.5. Most insane is probably the 50 quarterback pressures he tallied in 1998.

Wilkinson would be a consistent starter and producer on teams throughout his career, playing in a total of 195 games, starting 182 of them. He has 298 tackles (209 solo), six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, five interceptions, and a safety. Among the five interceptions is one he returned 88 yards for a touchdown.

Second Team

Ryan Pickett (2001-2005 St. Louis Rams, 2006-2013 Green Bay Packers, 2014 Houston Texans)

Pickett is the most experienced player of any at defensive tackle for NFL buckeyes, totaling 207 career games (185 starts). Over his fourteen year career he made 385 tackles and 33 pass deflections for some pretty solid teams, especially in Green Bay. In fact, the Packers won a Super Bowl in 2010 with Pickett starting on the interior, and he was one of the focal points of a crucial play late in the game:

Johnathan Hankins (2013-2016 New York Giants, 2017-Present Indianapolis Colts)

Hear that water splash in the background? It’s the cliff dive in quality Ohio State NFL defensive tackles took after the first three players on this list. Hankins is pretty much all there is left to choose from.

His career as of right now isn’t very impressive, outside of the 2014 season when he recorded an even seven sacks. Things could be on the upswing for him though, as a torn pec is all that caused him to miss roughly half of 2015 and he returned to 29 tackles as a full-time starter this past season. We’ll see how he performs in a Colts uniform.

Defensive End

This position is deeper than defensive tackle... by a player or two.

First Team

Jim Marshall (1960 Cleveland Browns, 1961-1979 Minnesota Vikings)

This man deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. There is no question in my mind. Perhaps a lack of pro bowl appearances (2) or first-team all-pros (0, though he was second-team four times) is keeping him out, but it’s honestly a travesty.

Well, the lack of awards and perhaps the most bone-headed play in football history.

Marshall had started 270 consecutive games at one point, setting an NFL record that stood for 30 years. The Vikings credit him with 127 sacks on his career, which would be second in team history behind Carl Eller. Marshall was the anchor for one of the most famous defensive lines in history too, the “Purple People Eaters”, and is in Minnesota’s ring of honor. Yet he remains a snub for Canton.

Will Smith (2004-2012 New Orleans Saints)

Gone but not forgotten, Will Smith was one hell of a football player. He was a key to the Saints’ lone Super Bowl win in franchise history, racking up 13.0 quarterback takedowns to finish in the top five for the NFL that season. He could lay the wood too, forcing 20 career fumbles and leading the NFL with 6 in his rookie season.

Smith would gain his lone pro bowl nomination in 2006, and on his career he registered 324 tackles with 67.5 sacks.

Smith was shot tragically following a road rage incident on April 9th, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Racquel and two children.

Second Team

Keith Ferguson (1981-1985 San Diego Chargers, 1985-1990 Detroit Lions)

Ferguson is another player who had a solid career, but not really anything to write home about. In ten seasons he partook in 134 games, totalling 47.0 sacks and recovering seven fumbles (no tackle stats for his playing career, outside of the sack numbers). He made the playoffs twice in his career, both with the Chargers, and both times exiting after a single postseason win.

Alonzo Spellman (1992-1997 Chicago Bears, 1999-2000 Dallas Cowboys, 2001 Detroit Lions)

Spellman was a key starter for three seasons with the Chicago Bears after being a back-up for two years, leading the team in sacks for the 1996 season. Things were looking good for his career to take off, until he injured his shoulder seven games into 1997 and ran into a well of off the field troubles. He was waived from the Bears and never really returned to form.

All in all he played in 123 career games, totaling 43.0 sacks and 197 tackles.

Honorable Mention

Cameron Heyward (2011-Present Pittsburgh Steelers) - Defensive End

After starting his first year full time in 2013, Cam has started to show real potential outside of being injured during the 2015 season. He has an even 25 sacks in spite of only starting 52 games so far.

Sources: wikipedia.org, pro-football-reference.com, profootballhof.com, cleveland.com, others.