Note: I explained the premise of this series in Part 1 along with my methodology of picking players.
In Part 8, I talked about offensive linemen who would have been 99 overall players. Today, it’s all about their direct competition in the defensive linemen. Having one of these players in real life can cut a playbook in half. Any runs to a certain side or up the middle are eliminated if anyone on this list is lined up across from the offense. In passing situations, the protection has to slide over or a tight end or running back has to be left in, freeing up other rushers. In a video game sense, especially when people know different angles or moves that break the artificial intelligence, these athletes can ruin a day on offense or make defense a breeze.
Jonathan Allen, DT (NCAA 17)
After starting as a defensive end, Jonathan Allen bulked up and gained the ability to rush from both the interior and the outside. His quickness was too much for interior offensive linemen, and his size held up against tackles while overwhelming any tight end or running back unfortunate enough to have to pick him up. After a sophomore year with 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, he turned up the heat his junior year. He converted more pressures into sacks by racking up 12 quarterback takedowns and finished with 14.5 total tackles for loss. He also batted down four passes. Allen passed on the draft to return for his senior season, where he became a top five pick in the eyes of many before shoulder arthritis knocked down his draft stock. But before then, his performance ahead of his final year was enough to earn him a 99 overall rating.
Joey Bosa, DE (NCAA 16)
Coming from athletic bloodlines, Joey Bosa was destined to be a force in college. His father, John Bosa, was the 16th overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft, while his uncle, Eric Kumerow, was taken at the same pick the following year. Both players were taken by the Miami Dolphins. When Joey was drafted in 2016, he was nowhere near the Dolphins at pick 13 as he was taken third overall. But if he had been eligible to leave for the draft after his sophomore year, he might have been right there with Garrett in discussions to go number one overall. After a massive freshman year that included 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, Bosa exploded in 2014. His 21.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous First Team All-American status. Offensive coordinators must have been in ruins when they realized he had to return for one more season.
Myles Garrett, DE (NCAA 17)
At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, there is no way Myles Garrett should have been able to run a 4.64 40-yard dash and have a vertical leap of 41 inches. But that is exactly what he did at the NFL combine in 2017, which made his three seasons at Texas A&M make a little more sense. In his first two seasons, which would have given him a résumé worthy of a 99 overall heading into his junior year, Garrett dominated SEC competition. As a freshman, he lived in the backfield, putting up 14 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. The following year, even with a whole offseason with film to prepare, teams could not stop him again. He picked up 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss while displaying discipline to stay in his lane. There were many times when he could have been the hero and shoot a gap. Instead he played his assignments and terrorized running backs and quarterbacks to steer clear of him, only to end up in the grasp of Garrett’s teammates. That kind of impact on a game is rare.
Bradley Chubb, DE (NCAA 18)
Another player with football in the family, Bradley Chubb could make the argument that he was the best out of all of them in college, though his cousin, Nick Chubb, has a fair case as well. His father, Aaron, also went to Georgia like Nick, and his brother, Brandon, was a linebacker at Wake Forest. Brandon must have hated watching Bradley play the Demon Deacons whenever they faced the NC State Wolfpack. At least Chubb dominated other ACC competition as well. After a decent sophomore year with 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, he made the leap to stardom with 22 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks his junior year. He passed on the draft to return for his senior year and in doing so would have been in line to be a 99 overall player.
Christian Wilkins, DT (NCAA 19)
Christian Wilkins was a Freshman All-American, showing promise that would have eventually led to him becoming a 99 overall player. In Clemson’s title-winning 2016 season, he logged 13 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks and one of the more impressive plays of the season after the confetti had fallen.
The Tigers used his athleticism on offense as he recorded a 10-yard run and a receiving touchdown. Along with being a dominant player, Wilkins’ fun personality would have made him a dream player to have as a 99 overall. Who doesn’t love a defensive lineman lining up at safety for fun? He did so in Clemson’s 2018 spring game and to his credit he did not look that bad. That show of athleticism would have been the final nudge to get him to 99 overall.
Ed Oliver, DT (NCAA 19)
Heading into his junior season, Ed Oliver was getting legitimate Heisman buzz. A Group of Five player, let alone a defensive tackle, receiving that kind of hype might have been enough to get him a 99 overall. But he had the numbers to back it up. With great speed as an undersized interior lineman, he put up 23 tackles for loss and five sacks his freshman year. He also knocked down nine passes whenever he couldn’t get to the quarterback. Teams were able to halt him a tiny bit his sophomore year, but he still had 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He was also used on a goal carry and scored a one-yard touchdown run. If “NCAA 19” had been released, Oliver would have probably been listed as a backup fullback and gamers would have used him as a dangerous two-way player.
Nick Bosa, DE (NCAA 19)
While his brother Joey had held the family record being taken third overall, Nick Bosa broke the record as he was taken second overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He did not have the stats like Joey and was not as fluid an athlete, but his raw strength overpowered opponents on his way to 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks his sophomore year. Going into the 2018 offseason, he had as much, if not more Heisman talk as Oliver. With that and the Bosa name, he would have definitely been a 99 overall player.
Clelin Ferrell, DE (NCAA 19)
It was simply unfair for ACC teams that Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell (along with Dexter Lawrence and Austin Bryant) were on that defensive line for so long. Stats wise, Ferrell was the best of them all. Ferrell had the size at 264 pounds to set the edge in run defense and the quickness and shakiness to avoid block in pass rush. After working into the starting lineup his redshirt sophomore year, he had 12.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. His junior year he improved, increasing his numbers to 18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He could have gone to the draft but stayed, locking in a hypothetical 99 overall rating in “NCAA 19.”
Chase Young, DE (NCAA 20)
While many players in this list received offseason Heisman buzz, Chase Young actually was in New York in 2019, finishing fourth in Heisman voting. It helped that in 2018 he had 14.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. While that single season would not have been enough to get him a 99 overall, the real Heisman buzz along with talks that he would be the top overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft would have been plenty for game developers to give him the top rating heading into his junior year.
Gregory Rousseau, DE (NCAA 21)
Young’s single season might not have been enough to make him a 99 overall player, but Gregory Rousseau’s 2019 was more than enough. After seeing little playing time his true freshman year due to injury, he came into his redshirt freshman year as a backup. But he could not be kept off the field long and finished second to Young in sacks with 15.5 and compiled 19.5 tackles for loss. A towering presence at 6-foot-7, Rousseau stood above the rest heading into the 2020 season. Though he ended up opting out, the thought of having a full offseason as a starter would have made his argument to be 99 overall intriguing.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE (NCAA 22)
After 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks his freshman season, Kayvon Thibodeaux would most likely have been in the low 90s in “NCAA 21.” In a COVID-19 shortened 2020, he continued to rock offensive linemen and put quarterbacks into fight or flight mode. In only seven games, he had 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. In the leadup to the 2021 season, there were discussions on whether Thibodeaux would be a Heisman winner and the top overall draft pick. It made sense, and it would have made even more sense to make him a 99 overall player.
About the author
I’m a Washington Huskies fan who is still amazed but not surprised that we didn’t have more success under Chris Petersen (I blame Jake Browning). Sports are my life. I know nothing else. I graduated from Bethany Lutheran College with a degree in Communication. I’ve been a part of a newspaper since 8th grade, including my college’s official newspaper where I was co-copy editor.
