94 #DaysToFootball

Today's list features the best hybrid edge rusher to ever play the game:

5. Aaron Schobel, DE
2001-2009 (Buffalo); Two Pro Bowls; 78 career sacks

(Don Heupel/Associated Press)

Aaron Schobel is one of the more underrated players of the 2000s. The former TCU Horned Frog only made two Pro Bowls despite putting up double-digit sack numbers four different times. Schobel played eight full seasons in his nine-year career, starting in all but five of his NFL appearances. Aaron was the most successful of three members of the Schobel family to be in the league simultaneously; his brother Matt spent seven years as a tight end with the Bengals and Eagles and his cousin Bo was a journeyman defensive lineman from 2004-2008.

4. Lawrence Timmons, LB
2007-Present (Pittsburgh, Miami); One Pro Bowl; 680 career tackles

(Keith Srakocic/Associated Press)

Although he's never been the flashiest member of the Steelers defense, Lawrence Timmons spent a decade as a reliable linebacker in Pittsburgh before signing with the Dolphins this offseason. Timmons was originally the 15th overall pick in the 2007 draft. The inside linebacker has only missed two games in his entire NFL career and started every game with the Steelers from their fifth game of 2010 through the end of last season. Timmons' sole Pro Bowl berth came after the 2014 campaign. He was the sole defensive all-star honoree on the 11-5 Steelers squad that won the AFC North title before losing in the Wild Card Round.

3. Jim Wilks, DL
1981-1993 (New Orleans); 45.5 career sacks*



The longest-tenured member of today's list made the top five for just that reason. Jim Wilks is one of only a few 94s to wear the number for 13 seasons; he did so for a Saints franchise that notably played its first four playoff games while he was on its defensive line. Wilks played the majority of his career as New Orleans' right end but moved inside for the 1989 season, spending most of his twilight years playing nose tackle. Considering he was a 12th round draft pick out of San Diego State, it's safe to say the Saints got an excellent return on their investment with Wilks.

2. Justin Smith, DL
2008-2014 (San Francisco); Five Pro Bowls; One First Team All-Pro; 43.5 career sacks

(Ben Margot/Associated Press)

Justin Smith was a highly productive defensive end for the first seven years of his career, in which he wore the number 90 for the Bengals. The latter half of his career took off after he moved to San Francisco, switched to tackle and changed his number to 94. Compare his stats from his seven years in Cincinnati to those from his seven seasons as a 49er and there isn't much difference; in fact, in several instances the numbers are exactly the same. The glaring difference is that all five of Smith's Pro Bowl invites came as a member of a 49ers team that made back-to-back NFC Championship appearances. Smith transformed his game when he switched to 94; as a result he went from a footnote in NFL history to a player that many will remember for a long time.

1. DeMarcus Ware, LB/DE
2005-2016 (Dallas, Denver); Nine Pro Bowls; Four First Team All-Pro; 138.5 career sacks

(Wesley Hitt/Getty)

Drafted 11th overall out of Troy in 2005, DeMarcus Ware revolutionized the defensive end-linebacker hybrid position and became the prototype "tweener." The future Hall of Famer was the driving force behind the defense for a Dallas team that chose him in 2005 specifically to be the driving force behind its defense. Ware was an immediate starter; he did not miss a game in his first eight NFL seasons and started in 127 of those 128 contests. Statistically, Ware's finest season as a Cowboy came in 2008. He recorded career highs in forced fumbles, tackles, and sacks (with 20, he is one of just 10 players in NFL history to have crossed that statistical threshold). After missing the Pro Bowl in 2013 for the first time since his rookie season, the aging Ware became a member of the Denver Broncos. His individual production waned in each of his three seasons at Denver, but he contributed two sacks in Super Bowl 50 en route to winning his only NFL championship. Ware retired after last season in eighth place on the league's all-time sack leaders list and should earn his gold jacket well before 2025.