Unconquered

Werner was a consensus all american so he gets one of the fathead type things in the locker room, that alone means he is one of the greats for only the truly elite are apart of this fraternity ( Ward, Brooks, Prime-Time, Dunn, Warrick on so on )

Jenkins probably could have made a run for this same honor but didn't for obvious reasons

My all time great DE's would be as follows ( keep in mind these are the ones I have seen with my own eyes and isn't based on NFL career, just what they did in a Nole uniform )

#1 - Andre Wadsworth - Dude was an unreal talent, unheralded coming out of high school and is still the highest Nole ever drafted in the NFL.. sadly injuries took their toll on his NFL career... probably could have been a HOF'er at DT or DE if he stayed healthy in the league

#2 - Jamal Reynolds - IIRC he still holds the record for sacks in a season at FSU ( I feel like many forget he went #10 overall or that he holds that record )

#3 - Tank Carradine - I love this dude and he just doesn't get enough love imo

#4 - Derrick Alexander - Big reason why the Noles won their first national title

#5a - Peter Boulware - Stud and one of the many first rounders from FSU ( went #4 overall )

#5b - Reinard Wilson - The other side of the best duo in FSU history ( Boulware was the other, both went top 15 in the NFL draft... these 2 were the ultimate Gator Killers )

Honorable Mention - Bjoern Werner, Sterling Palmer, Kam Wimbley, Everette Brown, Dan Footman, Orpheus Roye, Greg Spires, Eric Moore, Chauncey Davis, Tony Bryant and maybe somebody Im forgetting

Since 1980 FSU has had 16 DE's drafted, and 10 going in the 1st or second round... Werner and Tank probably make this 12 with an outside chance of Jenkins making it 13

DE U ? maybe not, but that is as good a case as I've ever seen

David Warren was a great talent too, not sure what happened to that guy, he was a stud on the 99' title team then I feel like he dropped off the face of the earth

Love this discussion.

A few quibbles: Roye was an interior lineman, and Alexander was a defensive tackle, only playing "end" because FSU was still using 3-4 terminology but had essentially made the switch to a 4-3 by the time he starred here. Dan Footman was an interior lineman too, playing DT in a 4-3 when we were still using 3-4 terminology.

I think Boulware is too low at #5. Reynolds is kind of forgotten, isn't he? I just don't remember how good he was, but maybe you're right. I feel like Kam Wimbley might belong in the elite 5.

I think Werner might belong in the elite 5, perhaps above Wimbley but below Boulware. Tank? You might be right on that one. He's ridiculous, and gets too little love.

Sterling Palmer was talented enough, but not productive enough, to make this list.

David Warren was the #1 defensive player out of high school, and disappeared at FSU, but if I recall correctly, he emerged late in his college career and was productive enough in his senior year to play pro ball. Is that not right?

edit: all the above comments are "as I remember it." Memory is funny, and I could end up being wrong about some of those things.

I would put Boulware and Wadsworth in the top two. Willie Jones senior and Werner would be right there too. Brown and Reynolds were very productive for us, just did not have the size for the NFL. Doubt Reynolds was bigger than 6-1 and 245. Wimberley was a really good player on bad teams and Wilson was a good player surrounded by other good players.Jenkins and Tank would rank right up there with Brown and Reynolds.

I've talked to Jamal several times and he is shorter than me and I'm 6-1.

If you listed the top 50 defensive players ever to play at FSU there is a good chance that Werner and Jenkins both make the list.....and definitely would make the top 100.