Quote:
Originally Posted by Rain Man
I too require explanation. Are these the top five guys who retired each year? I can't quite read the x axis.
And I'll correct MagicHef's unfortunate error by saying that it looks like Reggie White and Derrick Thomas are close to Deacon Jones, and Aaron Donald is above him.
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The data are the top 250 pass rushers since 1960. They are plotted in chronological order, based on the last year they played. My praise of Deacon Jones is based on how far above his contemporary peers he is compared to other players. Players who played in a common era faced similar offensive lines, styles of play, and played under common rules. Deacon was a real standout of his era. I discount Aaron Donald a bit because he is in the prime of his career, and hasn't yet recorded the last few years of his career where a player's productivity often rolls off. He Donald remains dominant through his retirement, he might unseat Jones as the most dominant pass rusher of all time.