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Sitting around the water cooler is always fun debating the sports you love. In this case, we will try to tackle something many have discussed before. What would it look like if you were to create the best possible NFL team using players from all eras? We’ll put together the perfect 22-man starting lineup — along with specialists, coordinators, and a head coach. Comment and let us know what your ideal lineup would look like.
QB: Tom Brady
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We start our perfect team with the most winning signal-caller in the history of the NFL. There’s never been a more clutch player when the game is on the line. Brady’s ability to diagnose defenses was phenomenal. He rarely turned the ball over, and the placement he achieved on his throws was sublime. With perfect consistency in terms of touch and velocity, Brady threw the ideal ‘catchable’ ball. Not only that, but he’s the type of guy you’d run through a wall for.
RB: Barry Sanders
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A virtual human pinball, Sanders had an uncanny ability to bounce off defenders with ease. You rarely could square him up and get a forceful hit on him. If Sanders didn’t bounce off you, he evaded you with elite quickness and even more prolific agility. His career numbers speak for themselves, and in terms of being an electric player out of the backfield, few can compare.
FB: Jim Brown
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We’re cheating a bit here. Based on how the game was categorized decades ago, Brown was technically registered as a fullback despite being the best running back of all-time. During his prime, he was unparalleled in terms of size and speed. He ran over you, ran past you, and ran through you with regularity. Brown is one of the few players from his era that could translate to gameplay in today’s NFL. He was that special of an athlete.
WR: Jerry Rice
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Imagine the attention Brown and Sanders would draw, and then envision Rice running routes with yards of space. Rice might not be the most physically talented receiver. However, he is the best one — combining pinpoint route-running skills with insane hands and terrific body control. The Brady-to-Rice connection would instantly be unstoppable. Imagine having that duo on your fantasy football team.
WR: Tyreek Hill
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This might be the most controversial choice of the entire roster. You could easily include Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, or Randy Moss. However, if you’re building a team on pure talent, Hill makes sense. He’s a major game-changer — and his presence on the field will open up things for everyone else. He’s bar-none the most dangerous deep threat the NFL has ever seen. Whenever he touches the ball, Hill is a threat to take a five-yard pass and turn it into a 50-yard touchdown. For as good as the aforementioned three were, none of them had this specific trait.
TE: Tony Gonzalez
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The ideal TE possesses two specific characteristics. One of them involves catching the ball in traffic at a high rate. The other is being a beast of an inline blocker on run plays. Gonzalez — a former basketball player in college — did both as well as anyone. Rob Gronkowski is probably the other choice here (along with Antonio Gates). With that said, there’s something alluring about Gonzalez being able to catch passes from Brady in the open field, particularly with his run-after-catch skills.
LT: Jonathan Ogden
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The former UCLA star was the ‘dancing bear’ archetype many look for in the perfect blindside tackle. Ogden stood 6’9″ and weighed roughly 340 pounds. However, despite his large stature, he was incredibly nimble. His combination of short-area quickness and sheer power made him nearly impossible to get around. Anthony Munoz is another noteworthy player to mention at this position. While Munoz rightfully gets his flowers as an all-time great, Ogden’s larger frame gives him the edge here.
LG: Larry Allen
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Allen was a key member of the Super Bowl-winning teams in Dallas. Freakishly powerful, he utilized a low center of gravity when mauling defensive tackles. Allen was integral in opening up running lanes for Emmitt Smith. A smart and cerebral player, Allen was adept at making calls at the line of scrimmage when reading possible blitzes. There’s a case to be made that Allen was the most naturally strong player in the history of the league.
C: Jim Otto
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Otto is the poster child for play at the center position. Tough as nails and as smart as they come, he remains an all-time Raiders great. Otto was a nine-time All-AFL player before transitioning over to the NFL. He played 15 years for the Raiders en route to a Hall of Fame career. In a sense, he paved the way for smaller centers (Jeff Saturday, Jason Kelce) to thrive with guts, guile, intelligence, and technique.
RG: Will Shields
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Shields is another player who thrived with a lower center of gravity. Despite being a tad shorter than 6’3″, he played with terrific leverage. Shields would latch onto interior linemen and shuck them seamlessly as his rushers breezed by for positive yardage upfield. A true professional with consistency and availability, Shields made 12 straight Pro Bowls and seven All-Pro teams. He also is considered to be a tremendous leader — thus adding value to this inclusion even further.
RT: Willie Roaf
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Another ex-Chiefs player makes the list here at right tackle. Roaf was a model of consistency. He’d engulf edge rushers with ease. Powerful and agile, Roaf established himself as the premier right tackle in the league for over a decade. He first starred for the Saints before moving over to Kansas City. Roaf was a nine-time All-Pro selection, with six First Team denotations.
DE: Bruce Smith
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As of September 2024, Smith is still the all-time NFL sacks leader (200.0). Throughout his illustrious career, Smith made a living as a heat-seeking missile off the edge. The Bills lined him up across the defensive front, and his versatility enabled him to practically terrorize any offensive lineman he squared up with. Smith’s hands were supremely powerful, and his ability to disengage at the line of scrimmage was phenomenal.
DT: Joe Greene
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The Steel Curtain deserves some recognition and representation. Greene was the most feared member of the bunch and also was the best one to boot. He physically imposed himself in a way that made him a nightmare to play against. Greene’s physicality overwhelmed players during his era, and there’s a good bet the same thing would happen in today’s NFL.
DT: Aaron Donald
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Speaking of a human terror, Aaron Donald was a transcendent athlete. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he encountered double — and even triple teams with regularity during his career with the Rams. He was freakishly strong and quick despite being “considered” very undersized for his position. Donald is a unicorn — and the NFL has never seen a player like him before. There’s even a case to be made that he’s the best defensive player in the history of football.
DE: Reggie White
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Needing bookend pass rushers, it’s only fitting opposite Smith that we have Reggie White. A fantastic player throughout his career, White was as disruptive as they come. He was also prolific as a leader of men — something every good team needs. If we’re looking at an alternate to White, Julius Peppers and Deacon Jones would likely be next in line.
OLB: Lawrence Taylor
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Taylor was a one-man wrecking crew. Some teams intentionally schemed around him…and it didn’t matter. Taylor would still dominate games despite waves of blockers aiming to keep him out of the backfield. When blitzing off the edge, no one could match his instinctual ability to pursue ball carriers. Taylor hit you harder than anyone else, and his acceleration was downright scary.
MLB: Dick Butkus
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Speaking of being a hard hitter, Butkus defined the middle ‘backer spot with bone-crushing tackles. He’d obliterate receivers, tight ends, and running backs with regularity. Ray Lewis would be an obvious choice here, though it was Butkus who walked so Lewis could run, so to speak. It would’ve been electric to see Butkus compete against today’s athletes. My money is on him succeeding quite well.
OLB: Derrick Thomas
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Imagine having to defend Lawrence Taylor coming off one edge, with Derrick Thomas flying around the other. Thomas had a nose for the football, and more notably opposing quarterbacks. His anticipatory skills were simply marvelous. Case in point when he notched 7.0 sacks in a single game versus Seattle in 1990. Thomas also created a boatload of turnovers — evidenced by leading the league on two separate occasions in forced fumbles.
CB: Deion Sanders
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For the best team ever, there’s most certainly a need for some juice and energy within the secondary. Perhaps the most stylish and ‘coolest’ defensive back in league history also happens to be arguably the best. Deion Sanders played the game with confidence and swagger. He relished the opportunity to defend the opposing team’s best receiver. Blessed with track speed and cat-quick agility, Sanders was essentially a human blanket on the back end. He was also a terrific returner.
FS: Ronnie Lott
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Talk about a physical player. Receivers and tight ends risked their health when crossing the middle of the field in search of catching a pass. Lott was lurking in the shadows, and when he decided to make a play on the ball, it would be as if he were shot out of a cannon. His violence at the point of attack was as good as any safety has displayed to this day. Lott was beyond intimidating, and his ability to lasso offensive players in space was tremendous. A true winner, he helped the 49ers come away with four Super Bowl trophies. He was also a 10-time Pro Bowler and a strong leader of men in the locker room.
SS: Troy Polamalu
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Polamalu was immensely fun to watch. He flew all over the field, notably seen with his iconic curly black locks flowing from his helmet. He arguably is the best blitzing safety in NFL history. Polamalu read angles immensely well and rarely was stymied by blockers. His ability to create turnovers, give his teams energy, and play with unabated passion makes Polamalu an easy selection at strong safety.
CB: Rod Woodson
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Woodson is a great teammate to have on a squad like this. Workmanlike in nature, the versatile defensive back can play both corner and safety at an All-Pro level. He’s not the flashiest player in the world. However, Woodson is fundamentally excellent and is the type of athlete your team needs to win at the highest level.
P: Shane Lechler
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Punters don’t get a ton of notoriety. However, in this case, Lechler is our choice as the team’s starting punter. For over a decade, he boomed the ball with authority, pinning teams back and flipping field position regularly. With how prolific this offense would be, Lechler wouldn’t get a ton of work. But when called upon, you can count on him to be excellent.
K: Justin Tucker
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Tucker is about as automatic a kicker as you will find. Not only does he boast a rocket for a right leg, but he’s also exceptionally accurate. Even if you’re faced with the proposition of needing a field goal beyond 55 yards, we’d feel comfortable betting on Tucker to convert. He gets the edge over Adam Vinatieri based on having a farther range/a stronger leg.
KR: Dante Hall
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Hall was a magician with the ball in his hands. A threat to score a touchdown every time he fielded a kickoff, he was equally agile and slippery in space. His feet moved with such grace that you’d assume he was involved in ballet before playing professional football. He might not have the name recognition compared to others on this list, but unequivocally he was a force throughout his career.
PR: Devin Hester
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From a special teams standpoint, there was not a scarier player than Hester. Whenever a punt went up with Hester positioned downfield, everyone held their collective breath in anticipation of what he’d do next. Hester holds the all-time record with 14 punt return touchdowns.
DC: Dick LeBeau
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LeBeau would be perfect as the wizened defensive genius on this staff. With over 50 years of NFL experience, there’s not a better guy to lead your defense. He’s seen it all and has even come up with tactical advancements which made him a seminal figure in the sport.
OC: Norv Turner
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Turner has a decorated career coaching offenses. Uniquely like LeBeau, he’s coached through various decades where schemes changed. He had to move on with the times — and he did so successfully. He was the architect behind Dallas winning multiple Super Bowls. He then featured for eight other NFL franchises, thus solidifying how in-demand he was.
HC: Bill Belichick
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You might not like his personality, but Belichick is the unequivocal G.O.A.T.
Offense
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QB: Tom Brady
RB: Barry Sanders
FB: Jim Brown
WR: Jerry Rice
WR: Tyreek Hill
TE: Tony Gonzalez
LT: Jonathan Ogden
LG: Larry Allen
C: Jim Otto
RG: Will Shields
RT: Willie Roaf
Defense
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DE: Bruce Smith
DT: Aaron Donald
DT: Joe Greene
DT: Reggie White
OLB: Lawrence Taylor
MLB: Dick Butkus
OLB: Derrick Thomas
CB: Rod Woodson
FS: Ronnie Lott
SS: Troy Polamalu
CB: Deion Sanders
Specialists and Coaches
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K: Justin Tucker
P: Shane Lechler
KR: Dante Hall
PR: Devin Hester
HC: Bill Belichick
OC: Norv Turner
DC: Dick LeBeau
