In Ndamukong Suh’s 11 year career, he has been a menace in the middle of the defense. The 2nd overall pick out of Nebraska became an immediate household name by winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2010. In his five years with the Lions, Ndamukong Suh racked up 36 sacks, the most for a defensive tackle in that span. The next few seasons consisted of time in Miami and LA where he continued to dominate the trenches but took a backseat in sacks. In Miami, he worked alongside Cameron Wake who was having career years as Suh took most of the attention from the opposition. Similarly, Aaron Donald benefitted from Suh’s presence on the Rams as he did not have to deal with as many double teams.
Before coming to Tampa Bay, Suh had made 4 Pro Bowls, totaled 56 sacks, and had only missed 2 games in nine seasons. Suh is a disruptor upfront, collapsing the pocket and pressuring the quarterback to force throws. At 34 years old now, Suh’s play has obviously declined since his Detroit days but has shown his pass-rushing chops are still there. This past year, Suh racked up 6 sacks and 19 quarterback hits, putting him at 2nd for most sacks in the league by a defensive tackle since 2010. Suh is still an elite athlete, he can move quickly despite his size.
Going into the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, Suh will be relied upon heavily. The Chiefs’ weak spot is the interior of the offensive line where they have struggled to protect Mahomes. The opting out of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has left a hole at guard for Kansas City. Edge setters Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett can contain the pocket for Suh to come through, leaving nowhere for Mahomes to escape. In 2021, Suh will hit free agency yet again. Despite his age, the veteran presence on a defensive line who can create interior pressure is a commodity many teams will be fighting over.
