Despite having Mean Joe Greene, the AFC North brings a somewhat disappointing D-Line to fight in the trenches (at least, by comparison to the other monster units). Their Defensive Tackles rank #3 overall among the rest of the divisions, but the Defensive Ends come in dead last.
AFC North Starting Defensive End: L.C. Greenwood, Pittsburgh Steelers
I know, I know. He won 4 Super Bowls, had 73.5 sacks, made 6 Pro Bowls, and was selected to 2 All-Pro squads; however, he is one of the deserving Steelers who never made the Hall of Fame. It basically comes down to this- you can't credit every defensive Steeler as sole reasons for their success, and there is only enough to go around for Lambert, Greene, Ham, Blount, etc. Right or wrong, players like Greenwood (and Donnie Shell, and Mike Wagner, etc.) have been looked at through history's eyeglasses as role players who benefited from single-team coverage most of their playing time. But hey, he is still your starting Defensive End on the AFC North all-time roster.
AFC North Starting Defensive End: Dwight White, Pittsburgh Steelers
Dwight White is another. "Mad Dog" made his most famous claim to fame by losing 20 pounds in the hospital to a bout with pneumonia, almost missing Super Bowl IX, then Willis Reeding his way into the game and scoring the First Half's only points: on a safety. White was a 4-time Super Bowl winner and made 2 Pro Bowls.
Back-up Defensive End: Len Ford, Cleveland Browns
One of the most dominant defensive players of his era, Ford had an unmatched combination of size and speed that helped him disrupt opposing offenses and force fumbles. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. He made 4 Pro Bowls, 4 All-Pro Teams, and was enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He also won 3 Championships with the Browns in the pre-Super Bowl era.
Back-up Defensive End: Bill Glass, Cleveland Browns
Glass started for seven years with Cleveland. He became a 4-time Pro Bowl defensive end with the Browns, playing a key role in the team's NFL championship in 1964 and Eastern Division championship in 1965. He retired after the 1968 season.
AFC North Starting Defensive Tackle: Mean Joe Greene, Pittsburgh Steelers
Some put Greene at the very top of their lists of Greatest NFL Defensive Players of All-Time. I am not quite ready to do that, but there is no doubt he is Top 5 ever, as he led his team to 4 Super Bowl victories. Winning two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards (1972 and 1974), as well as earning 10 Pro Bowls and 8 All-Pro selections, Greene was the cornerstone of the defense that built the NFL's greatest dynasty. He somehow recorded 78.5 sacks while being double-and triple-teamed his entire career. Greene had an unheard of 190 tackles as a Defensive TACKLE in 1978.
Back-up Defensive Tackle (unless swap out for End): Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens
This 340-bound behemoth has made offensive linemen miserable since 2006. Netting 5 Pro Bowls and 5 All-Pro nods, Ngata frustrates opposing coaches with his rare flexibility in terms of positional maneuverability. He can play both nose positions, strong-side end, or weak-side end, all depending on the packages the Ravens want to run. Ngata was a key contributor to Baltimore's victory in Super Bowl XLVII.
Back-up Defensive Tackle: Jerry Sherk, Cleveland Browns
Sherk's greatest claim to fame came in 1976 when he was chosen as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He had 12 sacks, including 4 in one game. He also made 4 consecutive Pro Bowls and an All-Pro squad. *Interesting Fact: Sherk almost lost his life when he developed a staph infection from bacteria on the artificial turf at Veteran's Field in Philadelphia. The life-threatening injury ended up cutting his career short, and Sherk retired not long after.
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