MNP By The Numbers: Ticats Defensive Line

It was perhaps the one positional group with the most amount of turnover from last season. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive line saw practically their entire unit head off to other clubs. Canadian lineman Ted Laurent would be the only one to stick around after resigning with Hamilton in the offseason.
Hamilton wasted no time during the free agency period. Veteran defensive end and creator of chaos along the trenches, John Chick, was on his way out of Saskatchewan and was quickly reeled in to wear the Black and Gold.
Since joining the Tiger-Cats, Chick hasn’t missed a step as he has tallied 11 quarterback sacks so far in the 2016 season. The 33-year-old has totalled 30 defensive tackles while forcing three fumbles and recovering two. The seven-year vet has rallied a group that looks completely different from last season, not only in terms of personnel but also output in the pass rush. The Ticats currently rank second in the league in sacks with 43. In 2015, Hamilton ranked next to last in the league with 35. With three games remaining in the 2016 season, the Ticats defensive unit can only improve further on last season’s total.
At the start of the 2016 season, Laurent would be the only returning starter from the 2015 defensive line for the Ticats. Having the seniority along the Hamilton line, Laurent has stepped up his game and is two sacks away from matching his career high of nine, set in 2014 during his first year with the Tiger-Cats. Through 14 games that he has played this season, Laurent has totalled 23 defensive tackles and seven sacks, while also adding both a forced and recovered fumble.
Adrian Tracy played in only six games in 2015 for the Ticats. When Hamilton hit the field for the start of the 2016 season, Tracy would be lining up as a starter and he’s taken full advantage of the opportunity. So far in 2016, Tracy has hauled down quarterbacks on seven occasions. The William and Mary alumnus has climbed his way to being among the top in tackles with 51 for the Ticats, which also makes him the league leader in tackles among defensive linemen. Tracy has demonstrated his versatility as well by picking off two passes this season.
First-year player Drake Nevis has only boasted the stats to an already dominant line for the Ticats. Following significant time in the NFL, Nevis made the venture north of the border and has made quite the impact registering five sacks.
Beyond the starting four, Hamilton has ample amounts of depth that defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer cycles through to keep his men in the trenches fresh. Recently trading and bringing in Justin Capicciotti from Saskatchewan to go along with Delano Johnson and Michael Atkinson makes Hamilton’s defensive line arguably the best in the CFL.
151 – Total tackles by defensive line
32 – Total sacks by defensive line
6 – Forced fumbles by defensive line
4 – Fumble recoveries by defensive line
2 – Interceptions by defensive line