Analysis : Here’s the Best of the Best in NFL for 1986

Once again, it’s time to make all-pro picks in the National Football League, Class of ‘86:

Quarterback--As the Jets’ Ken O’Brien and the Vikings’ Tommy Kramer did slow fades in mid-November, Miami’s Dan Marino turned it on in vintage form. Marino has passed for a league-high 4,480 yards (an average of 298 yards per game) and 41 touchdowns, which rates second in league history to the 48 he threw in 1984.

Marino threw for five touchdowns last Sunday against a Ram defense that had given up just 10 scoring passes all season. It was his eighth game with at least three touchdowns. In the end, it’s no contest.

Running back--The Rams’ Eric Dickerson has spoiled us. He has rushed for 1,753 yards, already the ninth-best total in history, and barely anyone’s eyebrows have been raised. And how could we neglect the Giants’ Joe Morris? He has scaled the 1,400-yard mark and has rung up big numbers in big games (181 against the Redskins and Dallas). When quarterback Phil Simms was struggling in the early going, Morris carried the Giants.

Wide receivers--San Francisco’s Jerry Rice is the second coming of Paul Warfield. Some have said a quarterback can make a receiver, but with the 49ers this season, it has been the other way around. Rice has had three quarterbacks this season and has caught 83 passes, 14 for touchdowns, for 1,499 yards. He has produced the fifth-greatest single-season yardage total in league history so far, and is within 57 yards of moving to third.

Like Rice, the Jets’ Al Toon has hit the top in only his second season. Toon has moves and toughness, not to mention 82 catches for 1,147 yards. The Redskins’ Gary Clark and the Patriots’ Stanley Morgan belong in the Pro Bowl, as does Seattle’s smooth-move man, Steve Largent--within 31 yards of his league-record eighth 1,000-yard season.

Tight end--The Raiders’ Todd Christensen is within four catches of his second 90-catch season. He’s an underrated blocker and a big-game player, and these are the only reasons that the Giants’ Mark Bavaro (club-record 61 catches) isn’t yet the man.

Tackle--The shame of it for the Redskins’ Joe Jacoby is that Lawrence Taylor destroyed him on national TV. Don’t be misled, though. Taylor wrecks everybody, and scouts will tell you Jacoby remains one of the most dominant run-blockers in the league.

We have to account for the stability of the Bears’ offensive line, and who belongs more than tackle Jim Covert? He’s consistent and, scouts say, technically sound. Give a nod, also, to the Chiefs’ mountainous Irv Eatman.

Guard--This is the John Hannah Memorial Spot. With the Redskins’ Russ Grimm missing the equivalent of nearly six games because of injuries, the Falcons’ run-blocking tough Bill Fralic and the Rams’ 12-year leader Dennis Harrah stack up just fine. Harrah is the immovable object on a line that gives Dickerson his light and that has yielded just 23 sacks.

Center--Scouts and defensive coaches will tell you that Miami’s Dwight Stephenson is among the finest tacticians in history at this position. He has destroyed the best nose tackles, mano a mano.

Defensive end--After years of mouthy showboating, the Redskins’ Dexter Manley is Honolulu-bound at last. He has been a great sacker with 17.5, high among NFL linemen. You can sense respect for him growing around the league by seeing all the double-teams on him and by the fact that the Giants’ Brad Benson was named conference offensive player of the week for slowing the former Mr. D two weeks ago.

Rulon Jones, meanwhile, is the blond-capped mountain in Denver. He has added 13.5 sacks to the 48 he accumulated over the past six years and is solid defending the run. The Chiefs’ Art Still and the Giants’ Leonard Marshall, pass-rush titans, rate a half-step behind.

Nose tackle--With the Jets’ Joe Klecko ruined by knee problems, the Raiders’ Bill Pickel has emerged as the legitimate all-pro pick. The Raiders have a knack for finding defensive linemen in the woods. With Pickel, a fourth-year player with 11.5 sacks, the tradition continues--interrupted, though, by arthroscopic knee repair this week.

Defensive tackle--If you prefer the 4-3 defense, you’ll have a difficult time finding a more disruptive force in the middle than the Bears’ Steve McMichael. His 8.5 sacks and 80-plus tackles don’t begin to describe the havoc he has caused this season.

Inside linebacker--The Bears’ Mike Singletary remains the best player on the league’s best defense. He’s smart and a master of pursuit, so let’s move on.

If you saw Denver’s defense dismantle Dallas in Week 5, you already know the menacing ways of the Broncos’ Karl Mecklenburg. Defensive coach Joe Collier has positioned Mecklenburg into stardom, moving him all over the field.

Outside linebackers--The Giants have cornered the market here. Taylor has accumulated a league-high 20.5 sacks. He is the most complete defensive player in the NFL. His buddy on the outside, Carl Banks, is the Giants’ leading tackler, a stellar run-stopper who gets better and better. The Browns’ Chip Banks, the Saints’ Rickey Jackson and the Bears’ Wilber Marshall rate a thin cut below.

Cornerbacks--The Redskins’ Darrell Green, despite his bad habits of depending too much on speed and losing sight of receivers in crowds, is at the top of the heap when he’s healthy. He has speed and gumption, two prerequisites for a cornerback. Cleveland’s Hanford Dixon has emerged as a dependable cover man and tackler, combining with Frank Minnifield to make the league’s best pair of corners. The Rams’ LeRoy Irvin and the Raiders’ Mike Haynes, slowing some in his 11th season but still legitimate, have had pro bowl-worthy seasons.

Strong safety--If you saw the Bears’ Dave Duerson destroy Buddy Ryan’s Eagles in Week 2, you realize he’s the man. Duerson has six interceptions, seven sacks, more than 90 tackles.

Free safety--Returned to his natural position, the 49ers’ Ronnie Lott has excelled. He’s a vicious hitter with a league-high nine interceptions. That ties him with Deron Cherry, the Chiefs’ free safety. In a toss, though, my coin came up Lott.

Kicker--The Patriots’ Tony Franklin has had a consistent, high-scoring season, but the Saints’ Morten Andersen remains the best in the league. He had a streak of 20 straight field goals broken early in the year, then quietly resumed with a streak of 15 in a row.

Punter--The Giants’ Sean Landeta and Miami’s Reggie Roby have virtually the same gross average and the same net average, but Landeta has been substantially better at placing kicks inside the 20, and this gives him the edge.

Special recognition--Offensive player of the year, WR Jerry Rice, 49ers; defensive player of the year, LB Lawrence Taylor, Giants; offensive rookie of the year, RB Rueben Mayes, Saints; defensive rookie of the year, LB John Offerdahl, Dolphins; coach of the year, Bill Parcells, Giants.