Tennessee football’s top 10 NFL DEs ever

Teams played for:

• New York Jets, 2000-2010
• New England Patriots, 2011

Very few players were standout stars for Tennessee football and then in the pros the way Shaun Ellis was. Ellis stepped in at defensive end to replace Jonathan Brown in 1998, and Brown had just come off a season in which he had the second most sacks in school history, only behind Reggie White. Well, Ellis one-upped him, leading UT to a national championship.

In three years playing with the Vols, Ellis had 12.5 sacks and another 22 tackles for a loss. He also had a pick-six at the Auburn Tigers. The New York Jets took him with the 12th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, and he appeared in every game as a rookie. The next year, Ellis became a full-time starter but he split time between defensive end and defensive tackle at 6’5″ 290 pounds.

By 2002, Ellis had settled in at defensive end and became a star. In his first six years as a starter, he helped the Jets make four playoff appearances, and in another season, 2003, he earned a Pro Bowl. But Rex Ryan helped turn him to a superstar, as Ellis thrived in his defensive schemes in 2009 and 2010, making another Pro Bowl in 2009.

After 2010, it became clear just how valuable Ellis was, as he went to the New England Patriots, and they reached the Super Bowl as the Jets missed the playoffs. In his 12-year career, he appeared in 184 games and had 166 starts.

Ellis registered 73.5 sacks, another 83 tackles for a loss, 13 forced fumbles, an interception, 18 pass deflections and five fumble recoveries, one of which he had for a touchdown. He also had 588 career tackles, 411 of which were solo.