The Unlikely Contenders for Defensive Greatness The 1980s were a transformative time for the NFL, marked by draft classes that produced some of the greatest defenses in league history.
None more so than the Class of 1981, which sent six players to the Hall of Fame, including Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley, and Ronnie Lott. This decade has seen another class emerge as a contender: the Class of 2011.
This group has been quietly building a case for themselves over the years, with Cameron Heyward and Cameron Jordan remaining among the last few players still active from the original crop.