Brandon Marshall: JJ Watt is best defensive player ever

Is JJ Watt the best defensive football player in the history of the sport? Brandon Marshall thinks so.

While discussing the Houston Texans’ surge on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” this week, Marshall praised Watt and called him the best defensive player ever.

“I don’t know if there’s another player like JJ Watt,” the New York Jets wide receiver said. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say that he is the best defensive player to ever play this game. You have Bruce Smith, you have Reggie White. This guy dominates people. He dominates offenses. This guy is a monster.

“Not only is he disruptive in the passing game, but he is disruptive in the running game. He can be on the back side of a run and still be disruptive.”

Watt has racked up 20.5 sacks in a season twice during his brief career, and he currently leads the league with 13.5. He also has scored five career touchdowns — three as an offensive player. That’s impressive no matter how you view it. He’s a three-time All-Pro defensive end and two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

There are plenty of other players who could stake claim to being the best defensive lineman ever — White, Smith, Mean Joe Greene and Deacon Jones are names that come to mind — and that’s only on the line. That’s not even including linebackers or defensive backs like Lawrence Taylor, Deion Sanders and Dick Butkus.

I won’t go so far as Marshall to call Watt the best defensive player ever, but it’s hard to argue with calling him the best defensive player in the game currently. Plus the guy gets credit for being absolutely hilarious too.