The issue has been in the poor performers, with four players who have at least 150 snaps earning a PFF grade below 50.0. Parsons has 60 total pressures despite playing as an off-the-ball linebacker most of the time. 9 mo. The addition of. The group was led by Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry and . Right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce are arguably the two best players at their positions in the NFL, while Jordan Mailata is a top-10 offensive tackle. Bosa is responsible for 62 pressures, yet he and Derwin James are the only Chargers defenders with 70.0-plus overall PFF grades for the season. At the same time, they are keeping 2021 first-round rookie Zaven Collins a player who might be able to do something about that on the bench. The Titans as a whole have been significantly better against the pass, ranking 11th in EPA per play allowed on passing plays, thanks largely to the play of those safeties. 32. 31. Allen and Sweat, in particular, took clear steps forward last season. Los Angeles will hope new head coach Brandon Staley can get the most out of the former first-round pick. will have an opportunity to finally put it all together as the starting left edge defender in Dan Quinns new defense in Dallas. The quarterbacks during the Dolphins 7 game win streak???? He hasnt recorded double-digit sacks in a season since 2014, but he ranks in the 81st percentile of all players at the position in pass-rush win rate over the six years since. Clearly, this is not where a team paying two defensive linemen north of $20 million would like to be ranked. How good Kansas Citys offense is remains somewhat up in the air, but there's little doubt that their defense is cooking at this stage. San Francisco will also need. Jalen Ramseys role this season is leading to arguably his finest NFL season to date, and his 87.3 PFF coverage grade is his best since he went to the AFC Championship game with Jacksonville in 2017. EDGE 1: 19.1% of overall score. But Green Bay's surrounding pieces keep this unit from ranking inside the top 10. did raise his overall grade from 55.8 as a rookie to 68.1 last season, though. Only the, At some point, its time to accept that the Dallas defense isnt just vastly improved from a year ago, but its actually one of the best in the NFL, driven by elite performances from several key players. A lot of weight will fall on the shoulders of second-round pick, was everything Indianapolis hoped he would be last season. Davenport has impressed when at full strength over the past two seasons, though. Emmanuel Ogbah was their most productive pass rusher in 2020, but even he finished the year with only a 64.5 pass-rushing grade. Safety Jamal Adams led the team in total pressures (25) through the first 13 weeks of the 2020 campaign. At the same time, they are keeping 2021 first-round rookie, Tampa Bays defense continues to deal with injuries, forcing depth players to assume a greater role to varying degrees of success. Von Miller recently said he's still running around here beating everybodys ass when discussing his return to form from an ankle injury that kept him out of the 2020 season. The good news for them, as they look to secure the No. They needed more of a pass-rushing presence after ranking 29th in the NFL in team pressure rate a season ago. Among them, only. All of a sudden, the Cardinals are struggling to stop the run, allowing 4.5 yards per carry on average and the worst yards, contact per carry figure in the NFL. Few teams have been dealt as rough a hand as the Ravens when it comes to injuries. The Rams will have the worst defense in 2023 . KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. He recorded a career-high 85.4 PFF grade back in 2019 with Houston before injuries cut his 2020 Cincinnati debut short after just five games. Pierce and Tomlinson both rank in at least the 83rd percentile of interior defenders in run-defense grade over the past four seasons. If our evaluation of their front seven proves too harsh, it will likely be due to offseason addition Shaq Lawson, who generated a pressure rate of 17.0% in Miami last season. He was the most valuable edge defender in the league last season by PFF's, heading into 2021 but returns nose tackle. The unit loses Roy Robertson-Harris and Brent Urban heading into 2021 but returns nose tackle Eddie Goldman from an opt-out. The strength of the Titans' defense is at the safety position, with both Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker arguably playing at an All-Pro level. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Befitting a 3-13-1 team that earned the No. But does it matter when they boast the single most disruptive force in the NFL? 1 seed in the NFC, is that they are still expecting legitimate reinforcements in the form of. The next step will be adding more of a power element to complement his high-end burst and bend. Andrew Wilbar: Much like center, nose tackles do not go inside the top . The addition of Yannick Ngakoue and his 80th-percentile pass-rushing grade since 2017 should help in that department. And any resemblance this unit bears to the famed Legion of Boom is purely aesthetic. Ngakoue. Rookie Micah Parsons is one of the best defenders in the game already, and at multiple positions. He earned PFF grades of at least 85.0 in each of his final two college seasons and could earn a more prominent role on Clevelands defensive line in 2021. . 2021 NFL Defensive Secondary Rankings, by Unit 32. The Saints season has gone off the rails since losing Jameis Winston to a season-ending injury, but their defense is as good as ever. 1 . 2021-22. Over the past month, the entire Atlanta defense has two fewer pressures than, Washingtons defense isnt just bad; its worst play comes during the most high-leverage situations. https://theeagleswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/08/philadelphia-eagles-defensive-line-rankings-pff-nfl/, Bills TE Dawson Knox on Buffalo potentially acquiring Zach Ertz. All three have recorded at least 250 pressures since 2015 despite significant stretches of missed time due to injuries. The Panthers rank sixth in the league in yards per pass allowed (6.7), and Stephon Gilmores play since he made it back onto the field suggests there are still plenty of high-quality performances left in the tank going forward. In 2019, he earned a sub-90.0 PFF season grade (79.3) for the first time in his career, ending an absurd stretch of dominance. Things arent getting any better with Watt no longer in town. They have, this season, with the majority of them earning poor PFF grades. could begin to change that next season, coming off an 86.6 PFF grade last season at the University of Miami. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. FF - Forced Fumbles. The Packers will need continued improvement from him next season opposite Smith. The Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham pairing has been at the core of the unit for nearly a decade, but Javon Hargraves addition in free agency last offseason gives Philadelphia another player on the interior who offenses must contend with on passing downs. health, which has been the opposite of reliable for much of his NFL career. The Patriots' defensive line and linebackers were problem areas last season. Passing Leader: Tom Brady, 5316 Yds. The Texans will need younger players, such as Charles Omenihu (52.1 overall grade in 2020) and Ross Blacklock (30.2), to take big steps forward if their defensive line is to be anything other than the NFL's worst such unit again next season. Philadelphias defensive line has consistently been one of the NFL's best at generating pressure without blitzing. Mike Moraitis. Hughes might be one of the more underrated edge rushers in the league based on sack totals. PFF brings you data-driven NFL rankings, stats, and player grades for every team and player in the National Football League. Its hard to separate the run that Miamis defense is on from the quarterbacks they have faced over that stretch. The team now has a pressure rate of just 20.2%, by far the lowest mark in the NFL. He struggled in contested-catch situations, pulling in just 16.7% of his contested targets, but did produce a 77.4 PFF . FUMR - Fumbles Recovered. The Tennessee Titans experienced a defensive revival in 2021, mostly thanks to a vaunted front four that was among the best in the NFL at getting after opposing quarterbacks. Last offseason, Trey Hendricksons departure wouldnt have represented a major loss. However, their 2021 contributions may be limited due to Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison still being in place as the starters at defensive end. The Seahawks inability to generate pressure with their defensive line last season, especially early in the year, became a national storyline. NFL . Trent Williams showed no rust after missing 2019 and finished with the highest grade among . All of a sudden, the Cardinals are struggling to stop the run, allowing 4.5 yards per carry on average and the worst yards after contact per carry figure in the NFL. The Falcons will be eager to see better seasons from both Fowler and a healthy Marlon Davidson in his second season after he earned a 58.1 grade on just over 100 snaps as a rookie. At some point, its time to accept that the Dallas defense isnt just vastly improved from a year ago, but its actually one of the best in the NFL, driven by elite performances from several key players. New Orleans has allowed a touchdown drive at the lowest rate in the NFL this season (16.6%) and has shown impressive depth despite injuries and COVID-19 leaving the team without key players. The Cowboys allowed 2.3 rushing yards before contact per attempt in 2020 a half yard more than any other defense in the NFL. They include starting quarterbacks and backups who filled in for QBs dealing with injuries at the end . Mason Cole - Out (Hamstring) - Cole played 36 snaps in Week 1 before going down with the injury and was replaced by Lamont Gaillard. His inability to play up to the level he performed at in Seattle has left Kansas City thin along the defensive line beyond Jones, even after the team signed, a combined $23.7 million per year to improve this unit heading into the 2021 season. Here are PFFs top defensive lines heading into the 2021 NFL season, with 3-4 outside linebackers included since they fall under the edge defender label. Baltimore enjoyed incredible depth in the secondary heading into the year and yet is still down to players who are being called up to the active roster during the same week to cover top NFL receivers. This time last year, they were leading the league in pressure rate and threatening all-time marks for how often they were putting opposing quarterbacks under duress. all look to be impact starters through the early stages of their NFL careers. Miami did just that, blitzing at a top-five rate of 41.2%. The Texans will need younger players, such as. , giving him one of the most lopsided pressure-to-sack rates of any player in the league. considering what he accomplished as a pass rusher last season. Ranking all 32 NFL defensive line units ahead of the 2021 season | PFF. That includes key players along the defensive front in, . and is one of New York's highest-graded players. Other big moves include the Baltimore Ravens defense tumbling as injuries just continue to decimate the group, and the San Francisco 49ers are back on the rise thanks to some impressive displays from their defensive front in recent weeks. To have our 32nd . on the interior is an impressive collection of run-stuffers, though. The Los Angeles Rams are officially in a rebuild and it couldn't come at a better time. All three have recorded at least 250 pressures since 2015 despite significant stretches of missed time due to injuries. He improved his pass-rushing grade from 68.7 in an injury-plagued rookie season to 86.9 in 2020. Allen has already proven to be an effective pass rusher across the first two years of his career, earning pass-rushing grades between 70.0 and 75.0 in both 2019 and 2020. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the PFF scores for the Lions overall performances in categories like receiving, run defense and . When discussing those in the new guard at cornerback who've established themselves as part of the "we got next . , and neither carries an overall PFF grade higher than 85.0. A game against, The Rams boast the second-best pressure rate of any defense in the league, built largely on the back of, lead all interior players, and he is only six short of catching, is his best since he went to the AFC Championship game with. PFF Ranking: Unranked. Mike Zimmer is still capable of dialing up plays to get his defense off the field, he just cant hide the problems on all of the other downs. INT - Interceptions. The Chiefs allowed over 17 points just once in their past eight games, and that came against Justin Herbert and the Chargers. The Rams boast the second-best pressure rate of any defense in the league, built largely on the back of Aaron Donald, who has been playing at his very best in recent weeks. The Patriots are coming off consecutive losses in which their opposition put up some points, but even in those games, the defense wasnt overwhelmed as much as it failed to make stops in key situations. Seattle has made several additions to help alleviate those issues, starting with trading for Carlos Dunlap in 2020 and signing Kerry Hyder this offseason. Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, and Hassan Ridgeway all return, all with the addition of free agent Ryan Kerrigan, along with draft picks, Milton Williams and Tarron Jackson. HUR - Hurries. But that step might not be as large as many expect. Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle provide the Football Team additionalinterior pass-rushing threats beyond the starters, as well. 2017-18. across free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft. Injuries hindered his impact in stops with Seattle and Tennessee, but he has still been disruptive when healthy. The Indianapolis Colts defensive line, led by All-Pro DeForest Buckner, was ranked 19th in the NFL entering the 2021 season by Pro Football Focus. We saw it this offseason in Cincinnati. Readers return should give Cincinnati a major boost on the interior, though. The Saints need that performance over the course of a full season opposite the always-reliable Cameron Jordan. Clearly, this is not where a team paying two defensive linemen north of $20 million would like to be ranked. Sort through all the defensive stat rankings and see who ranks as the NFL's best defense. These percentages were calculated using the league average distribution of snaps in 2020, and were adjusted so that the EDGE and IDL position groups each account for exactly 50% of a team's overall score. Those numbers could even improve with a healthy season from. Previously: 27th in NFL power rankings. , a significant jump on his previous career high. General manager Jason Licht managed to bring back every starter from last years championship team this offseason. And Baltimore lost two of its best individual pass rushers . The Dolphins still ranked only 14th in team pressure rate, in part because there arent many above-average pass rushers on their roster. His 22.0% pass-rush win rate since entering the league in 2016 is second to only Donald (23.4%). The Patriots are coming off consecutive losses in which their opposition put up some points, but even in those games, the defense wasnt overwhelmed as much as it failed to make stops in key situations. It still remains to be seen whether they have enough pass rush outside of what Hunter is able to provide. The Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham pairing has been at the core of the unit for nearly a decade, but Javon Hargraves addition in free agency last offseason gives Philadelphia another player on the interior who offenses must contend with on passing downs. The questions for Arizona arise on the interior, where Watt should see more time than he has in the past few seasons with Houston. 5 on the list. The Seattle Seahawks fall in the middle of the pack, ranking 14th on the list . Houstons defensive line ranked dead last in overall PFF grade as a unit (47.0) in 2020. Few defenses have as wide a range of performance as the Bengals this season. Mike Zimmer is still capable of dialing up plays to get his defense off the field, he just cant hide the problems on all of the other downs. Best Bets Tool. San Francisco has rescued its season and looks headed for the playoffs, even as a late-season injury to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo throws some doubt into the equation. The biggest issues have come in coverage, where the Lions have allowed a 17.3% explosive pass rate, 30th in the NFL. Davenport has impressed when at full strength over the past two seasons, though. All three ranked in the 83rd percentile or better at the position in run-defense grade last season. The Browns are struggling to deal with the loss of key players to injury or the COVID-19 list, and that has certainly had an impact on their defense. Goldmans run-defense grade across the 2018 and 2019 seasons ranked in the 92nd percentile among all players at the position. While we at PFF have made the argument that. His 22.0% pass-rush win rate since entering the league in 2016 is second to only Donald (23.4%). Chris Jones aligned back inside is a wrecking ball, amassing 58 pressures this season. Against the run, they rank 29th in yards per attempt and 31st in EPA per play allowed. at least give Las Vegas an intriguing mix of young edge rushers. Bosas rate was even higher last season (23.5%) than his career average. Leonard Williams leads the team with 43 pressures and is one of New York's highest-graded players. Hughes might be one of the more underrated edge rushers in the league based on sack totals. Ngakoue, Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby at least give Las Vegas an intriguing mix of young edge rushers. Brandon Staleys Rams defense last season led the league in passer rating allowed to opposing quarterbacks, but the Chargers this season rank just 21st, and thats the stronger area of their game. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Seattle has made several additions to help alleviate those issues, starting with trading for, this offseason. He recorded a career-high 85.4 PFF grade back in 2019 with Houston before injuries cut his 2020 Cincinnati debut short after just five games. in his second season after he earned a 58.1 grade on just over 100 snaps as a rookie. One would think that Pittsburghs defensive line is slated to take a step back after replacing Bud Dupree with Alex Highsmith. Sometimes they look excellent and cause real problems for opposing offenses, and on other occasions they little more than a speed-bump for the opposition. 1. Those three all finished among the top 35 interior defenders in the NFL in overall grade last season. The Saints need that performance over the course of a full season opposite the always-reliable, San Franciscos defensive line went from borderline unblockable in 2019 to underwhelming in 2020. If the NFL played only third downs, the Vikings would be one of the league's best defense. Its not often that a team signs a defensive end to a four-year, $60 million contract in the offseason and gets worse at the position. The team plays some variant of Cover 1 or Cover 3 on 59% of its snaps, and opponents are too easily attacking that. Cornerback, The Lions certainly play hard for head coach Dan Campbell, but they dont necessarily play well, especially on defense. Losing. first year with the team was nowhere near what the Falcons were expecting when they signed him to a multi-year deal last offseason. Kenny Clark and ZaDarius Smith are tremendous individual talents. Sportsbooks have access to data on everything from defensive line speed to weather conditions and more, and they use these data . The Kansas City Chiefs are back among the very best teams in the NFL following an ugly start to the year, and their defense is driving that resurgence after ranking as low as 30th in Week 8.