5. La’Roi Glover
Finding a player who can create penetration from the interior of a defensive line is an unenvious task. A great defensive tackle is as elusive a target as any in the NFL Draft, as upside is too often complemented by a poor motor or unideal conditioning.
One of the players who best fit the bill of the elusive draft steal at defensive tackle was NFL 2000s All-Decade Team selection La’Roi Glover.
Glover was one of the best penetrating defensive tackles in NFL history. The fifth-round draft pick led the NFL in sacks in 2000 with a downright unbelievable 17.0— just one shy of the all-time record for a defensive tackle.
That tremendous feat enabled Glover to win the 2000 NFC Defensive Player of the Year award, which validated his emergence as a star of the sport.
Glover finished his career with 83.5 sacks, including two seasons with at least 10.0 sacks. He finished his career with four All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl appearances, and is a member of the New Orleans Saints’ Hall of Fame
Not bad for a player who was selected with a compensatory pick in the 1996 NFL Draft and was cut after his first season with the Oakland Raiders.