In the continuing series of ranking the specific positional units of each NFL team, SB Nation's Ryan Van Bibber rated the defensive lines throughout the league in his most recent installment, 'No Surprises: 49ers, Ravens Lead Defensive Line Rankings.' After having their cornerbacks, safeties and linebackers ranked sixth or better in his previous stories, he looks at the last remaining position on the defensive side of the ball.

Van Bibber once again praises the Ravens defense, putting their defensive line only behind the San Francisco 49ers as the best in the NFL. It certainly helps having the third best defensive player in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 in DT Haloti Ngata.

Click on the 'Jump' for specifics as to what was written about the Ravens defensive guys in the trenches)

Adding in a under-rated run-stuffing abilities of Terrence Cody and the ability of the 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs to put his hand in the dirt and pressure the passer from a defensive lineman's stance, and no wonder the Ravens are annually one of the best in the league at throttling opposing offenses.

Here's what Ryan Van Bibber had to say about the Baltimore Ravens defensive line:

"In researching the defensive rankings, it became clear just how effective this team mixing and matching looks with its front seven. It makes it hard to define in cases like Terrell Suggs, who saw plenty of snaps on the line, but also at linebacker. Haloti Ngata is a special talent who had something of a down year last season."