New England Patriots: The 10 greatest defensive players of all-time

7. LB Nick Buoniconti

While he may be better known for his role with the undefeated Miami Dolphins, Nick Buoniconti was a member of the Boston Patriots first.

He spent half of his career playing for the Patriots from 1962 to 1968. In that span he recorded 24 interceptions while remaining a force as a strong linebacker. The Springfield, MA native was selected to five Pro Bowl’s and was named First Team All-Pro four times in his seven year career with the Patriots. Buoniconti was selected to the Hall of Fame in 2001, and he is also a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.

6. DE Richard Seymour

Everyone was shocked when Richard Seymour was traded to the Oakland Raiders, and with good reason. Seymour was an unstoppable force on the Patriots defense from 2001 to 2008 while New England raised three Lombardi trophies.

Seymour was named to five Pro Bowl’s with the Patriots, and was also First Team All-Pro three times. In 111 regular season games he had 223 tackles and 39 sacks. Seymour added another 4.5 sacks in the playoffs to help develop the Patriots dynasty.