The NFL's Top Five Defensemen by Division: AFC East

McGee has been the bright spot of a dismal Bills defense in recent years, racking up seven interceptions over the past two seasons, while defending 39 passes. He’s also been quite the special teams stud, registering five touchdowns on kick returns in his career.

Despite his diminutive stature, McGee’s been a cornerback that can consistently be left on an island simply because of his recovery speed. He’s no one-trick pony, though—his consistently high tackle totals are a testament to his ability to help out in run support.

The Bills didn’t do a lot for their defense this offseason, but they’re counting on a healthy return to form for former All-Pro defensive end Aaron Schobel. First-round pick Aaron Maybin should bring complementary heat from the other side of the line, and two swarming defensive ends could result in more opportunities for McGee to make big plays.

Safeties are by far the most underrated position on defensive side of the ball; Kerry Rhodes, though, refuses to let us forget he’s on the field.

In seasons past, when he’s had to carry the load for the entire Jets defense, he’s been multi-dimensional in both rushing the passer and playing good coverage. He’s become a jack of all trades, a Rodney Harrison of sorts, quietly racking up nine sacks and 12 interceptions in his short four-year career thus far.

Last year, with much more talent around him, Rhodes saw a dip in his “big stats”; he only grabbed two interceptions and took the quarterback down one time, but he tallied tens more tackles than 2007.

Rex Ryan has plenty of experience utilizing his safeties—look no further than the storied success of free safety Ed Reed for an example of Ryan’s ability to maximize the potential of a talented safety. In Ryan’s hard-nosed blitz-heavy system, expect a lot of opportunities for more sacks and interceptions in the future for Rhodes.

Vince Wilfork has been the definition of the Patriots’ defense for his entire five-year career—big, strong, mean, a lot of attitude, and a non-stop motor that never gives up on the play until the whistle blows.

Wilfork may not rack up the sacks—he only totals 5.5 in his four–year campaign as the Patriots’ starting nose tackle; it’s his contributions away from the ball that seem to make the biggest difference.

The 3-4 defense has forced Wilfork to be selfless; where he could once rush the passer at will, he now is expected to hold blocks and allow the linebackers to sweep up the play behind him. He has done so with all the humbleness and grace that is congruent with Belichick’s locker room at all times.

Rarely does an offensive player make an impact on defense, but with Tom Brady’s return, expect opposing defenses to be playing from behind more often—this will give Wilfork more opportunities to rush the passer.

Jenkins was a force in both the running and the passing game for the Jets last season, carrying a load of 50 tackles and 3.5 sacks while forcing a fumble.

Last year was one of his strongest seasons, statistically speaking. I think his fans would say that he’s made huge strides since joining the Jets, even if his sack totals are a little lower than they were on the Panthers—he was rushing the passer a lot more often in Carolina, too.

He only figures to improve on last year’s success with the aide of Rex Ryan, whose mastery of the 3-4 scheme intermingled with a dash of the 4-3 will maximize Jenkins’ abilities both as a pass-rusher and a run-stuffer.

The New England Patriots have long been known for their three first-round defensive linemen, all of whom have been regarded as successful in their careers. None, though, have been more vital to the defense throughout their career than Richard Seymour.

Minus a disappointing season in 2007, which saw Seymour miss almost half the season with a knee injury, the defensive end out of Georgia has always produced big for the Patriots. He bounced back from that 2007 campaign, in which he registered only 1.5 sacks, to rack up a respectable eight.

As a 3-4 defensive linemen, he doesn’t get to rush the passer all that often; when he does, though, he usually gets there, or at least creates pressure. His stat sheet often looks like that of a 4-3 defensive tackle as a result, which still generates respectable numbers.

Though not as flashy as some other defensive linemen, Seymour has consistently gotten the job done for the Patriots and has helped them on their way to three Super Bowls this decade. This season is a contract year for him, so I’d expect even bigger things out of him than we’re used to.