Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominate NFL's All-Quarter Century defensive team

When it comes to defensive players throughout a franchise's history, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a treasure trove of former All-Pros and Hall of Famers, so it's no surprise to see such a large contingency on the NFL's all-quarter-century defensive team, as compiled by CBS Sports.

Five former Buccaneers grace the esteemed list of the best of the best over the last 25 years in the NFL, boasting three starters and two reserves. Two other former Bucs just missed the cut, garnering honorable mention consideration.

Kicking off the list in the trenches, Warren Sapp is the first Bucs defender to make the team. Named as a starter, Sapp's dominance at the position is hard to overlook. Of Sapp's 96.5 career sacks, 54.5 of them came from 2000-07, where he split time with the Bucs and Raiders, winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002. He was a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler over the span, notching 10 sacks in 2006. Ndamukong Suh was listed as an honorable mention and was a huge part of the Bucs' success in 2020 that culminated in a Super Bowl victory.

Warren Sapp poses with his bust at the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Sapp's running mate, Derrick Brooks, was the next Buccaneers starter listed. Regarded as one of the best middle linebackers to play the game, Brooks was undeniable in the early part of the 2000s. He eclipsed 100 tackles in seven of his eight final seasons, racking up 1,045 in that time. Brooks made eight Pro Bowls and was named as an All-Pro six times from 2000-08, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award and the Super Bowl in 2002.

Though his time was very short with the Bucs, Darrelle Revis is the final starter named who played for Tampa Bay. Revis spent just one season with the Buccaneers in 2013 but made a Pro Bowl and was named an All-Pro. He recorded just two interceptions, but "Revis Island" was in full effect as he allowed an 81.4% passer rating. Richard Sherman, who played with the Bucs in 2021 and notched his final career interception that year, was listed as an honorable mention.

The first Buccaneer in the reserve team is a man who defined a position that is now looked at as a starting spot on defense. Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber revolutionized the nickel position in football with his ability to attack offenses from all over the field. His 200 consecutive starts at cornerback is a league record, and he is the only player in NFL history with at least 45 interceptions and 25 sacks. Barber was a key part of the Buccaneers' Super Bowl run in 2002 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Finally, everyone's favorite hard-hitting safety and current 49ers GM John Lynch rounds out the Bucs' presence on CBS Sports' All-Quarter Century defensive team. Lynch was a lynchpin, pun intended, in the Bucs' vaunted defense of the early 2000s. The former third-round pick took a couple of years to find his footing, but from 2000-07, he made seven Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro three times. He won a Super Bowl with the Bucs and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.

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