7 NFL Teams That May Have Shutdown Defenses in 2023
In today's NFL, offensive playmakers garner the spotlight. Quarterbacks get the most MVP votes; wide receivers have become premium commodities; and though the running back market has taken a hit, players at the position have evolved into more well-rounded contributors.
With that said, teams can pave a pathway to the playoffs with a shutdown defense.
Three of the four teams that advanced to the 2022 conference championship games ranked within the top five in points or yards allowed. Two of those squads finished among the top five in takeaways.
Using those three defensive statistical categories along with third-down and red-zone touchdown conversion rates to define a shutdown defense, we can project which teams may field a dominant unit this year.
Based on rosters, coaching staffs and recent trends, seven teams have the makings of a top-tier defense, and the NFC East is well-represented in that group.
Buffalo Bills
1 of 7
Last year, the Buffalo Bills defense finished second in scoring, sixth in total yards and tied with three other teams for fourth in takeaways, but they came up short against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC divisional round.
Well, the Bills should be back in the hunt for a Super Bowl title with a stout defense to complement their high-powered offensive attack.
Though former defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has stepped away from his duties, head coach Sean McDermott has the play-calling experience to maintain a high-level group.
As the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers between 2011 and 2016, McDermott's units ranked within the top 10 in scoring twice and total yards four times in that span. In each of his last four years as a coordinator, the Panthers defense finished within the top 10 in takeaways.
McDermott will call plays for a stingy defense that welcomes a consistent pass-rusher in Leonard Floyd. He's registered at least nine sacks in each of the previous three campaigns. Though Von Miller is on the physically unable to perform list, general manager Brandon Beane told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network that hasn't ruled him out for Week 1.
Buffalo will find it difficult to replace two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, but it does have battle-tested veteran linebacker A.J. Klein, who played under McDermott in Carolina. He could take on a big role if Terrel Bernard and Tyrel Dodson aren't ready to man the middle alongside Matt Milano.
In the secondary, cornerback Tre'Davious White could return to Pro Bowl form after missing time between the 2021 and 2022 seasons on the mend from a torn ACL.
McDermott has a veteran defensive group that should remain one of the best in the league.
Dallas Cowboys
2 of 7
Under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Dallas Cowboys defense has trended in the right direction, surrendering fewer points and yards per game between 2021 and 2022. In both seasons, they have led the NFL in takeaways, which is why they make this list.
Though analysts tend to focus on points and total yards allowed in terms of stout defenses, a shutdown unit should be able to force turnovers at a high rate. Dallas has done that better than any other team over the past couple of seasons, and we should expect more of the same in 2023.
Last year, DaRon Bland, Trevon Diggs and Malik Hooker combined for 11 interceptions. Though we shouldn't bank on a wildly unpredictable individual stat for team projections, Diggs and Hooker have established themselves as ball hawks with 17 and 11 career interceptions, respectively.
On top of that, Dallas acquired Stephon Gilmore, who's a bit past his prime but has been one of the league's premier cornerbacks. Last year with the Indianapolis Colts, he allowed a 74 passer rating, a 56.2 percent completion rate and two touchdowns in coverage. The 32-year-old can still blanket pass-catchers on his side of the field.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence's pass-rushing numbers have dipped over the past few years, but he continues to find his way into the backfield on run downs (nine tackles for loss last year), and Dorance Armstrong has progressed well off the edge, registering a career-high 8.5 sacks last season.
Most importantly for the Dallas pass rush, it has a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Micah Parsons, who has registered 26.5 sacks in two years and will be a "pass-rushing linebacker" in the upcoming campaign.
If linebacker Leighton Vander Esch stays healthy for most of the year, the Cowboys defense doesn't have any glaring weaknesses.
New Orleans Saints
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Derek Carr had to like what he saw on the defensive side of the ball in addition to the offensive personnel when he signed with the New Orleans Saints this offseason.
Every year since 2020, the Saints have ranked within the top nine in points and yards allowed. Before 2022, they listed among the top 10 in takeaways for three consecutive campaigns, too.
Even though the Saints tied the Miami Dolphins for the second-fewest takeaways last season (14), head coach Dennis Allen, who will continue to call plays on defense, has a track record of fielding units that force turnovers.
So, Saints fans who have any concerns about new defensive coordinator Joe Woods should remember that it's still Allen's vision for the group, which is a net positive.
New Orleans has an All-Pro defender on all three levels of its defense, and each of those players has a more recent Pro Bowl campaign.
Up front, defensive end Cameron Jordan is the leader of the Saints' pass rush. Because he draws a lot of attention at the line of scrimmage, rookies Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey could have more opportunities to take down quarterbacks.
At linebacker, Demario Davis stabilizes the defense as the quarterback of the unit. Third-year veteran Pete Werner could take a leap in his development as a starter alongside Davis after logging 80 tackles, three for loss, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 2022.
The Saints' secondary is the strength of their defensive group. Tyrann Mathieu and Marshon Lattimore have decorated resumes. The latter just needs to stay healthy after missing 10 games last season, and the same goes for Marcus Maye who missed seven contests in the previous campaign.
Set to line up opposite Lattimore on the boundary, Alontae Taylor showed promise as a rookie last season, leading the team in pass breakups (11) while allowing an impressive 48.5 percent completion rate and a 62.6 passer rating in coverage.
If New Orleans forces more turnovers this year, which has been a hallmark for Allen's units, the defense may be the story of its road to an NFC South title rather than the addition of Carr.
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New York Jets
4 of 7
In 2022, the New York Jets defense ranked fourth in scoring, total yards, red-zone touchdown percentage allowed and listed third in pressure rate. It didn't have the turnovers, though, recording the third-fewest takeaways (16).
While Jordan Whitehead played well in both safety spots last year, recording eight pass breakups, two interceptions with a 54.8 percent completion rate and an 81.5 passer rating in coverage, the Jets don't have a secondary defender with a track record of forcing turnovers at a high rate.
Sauce Gardner, who won 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year, has the ability to track the ball. He logged three interceptions in all three of his collegiate terms at Cincinnati, but opposing quarterbacks may think twice about targeting him after the All-Pro cornerback led the league in pass breakups (20) last season. As a result, cornerback D.J. Reed may have more opportunities to flip the field with interceptions.
Gang Green's front seven will make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks at the line of scrimmage, which may lead to more takeaways.
With Quinnen Williams, Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Bryce Huff, Micheal Clemons and rookie first-rounder Will McDonald IV, the Jets will have waves of pass-rushers. Consequently, the secondary could pounce on a lot of hurried throws downfield.
As the centerpiece of the Jets defense, five-time Pro Bowler C.J. Mosley will have his guys in the right position to make plays.
Don't forget the impact of the team's notable offseason acquisitions, specifically quarterback Aaron Rodgers and running back Dalvin Cook.
The Jets finished 31st in average time per offensive drive last year (2 minutes and 31 seconds of game time). With the addition of Rodgers and Cook, they should be able to sustain and extend drives, which helps keep the defense fresh for complete games.
Philadelphia Eagles
5 of 7
In 2022, the Philadelphia Eagles had a historically productive pass rush with four defenders logging 11-plus sacks.
However, they lost one of those pass-rushers, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, to the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. They also lost their lead tacklers, T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White, as well as starting safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps in free agency.
Nevertheless, the Eagles reloaded on defense, injecting youth on all three levels of the unit. They could see three rookies make an immediate impact with the addition of defensive tackle Jalen Carter (top-10 pick), linebacker Nolan Smith (first-rounder) and safety Sydney Brown (third-rounder), who developed a nose for the football at Illinois, logging six interceptions last year.
In March, Philadelphia signed linebacker Nicholas Morrow and Terrell Edmunds to compensate for a couple of its free-agent departures. Moreover, linebacker Nakobe Dean and safety Reed Blankenship could assume bigger roles this year.
Despite the loss of defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who accepted an offer to become Arizona Cardinals head coach, new play-caller Sean Desai will work with a blend of high-potential youngsters and established playmakers such as Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
Last season, Philadelphia's defense finished within the top eight in scoring, total yards and takeaways as a complement to a budding offense led by quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts should continue to blossom, but he doesn't have to press in rough outings with a defense that's chock-full of talent.
San Francisco 49ers
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Skeptics may question whether the San Francisco 49ers can maintain a stout defense following the loss of defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who has taken on the Houston Texans' head coaching job.
During the 2021 offseason, Robert Saleh relinquished his defensive coordinator role to become head coach of the New York Jets, and San Francisco elevated Ryans to fill the position.
Despite Ryans' inexperience calling plays, the 49ers defense didn't skip a beat and allowed the fewest points and total yards and tied for the second-most takeaways last season.
This year, the 49ers will turn that aggressive unit over to an experienced defensive coordinator in Steve Wilks. Last year, as the interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers, his defense held opponents to 23 or fewer points in six of the last 11 games of the season.
Compared to last year's Panthers, Wilks gets a superior 49ers unit with an All-Pro on every level of the defense, assuming the team eventually comes to terms on a new deal with 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. He would rejoin fellow All-Pros Fred Warner and Talanoa Hufanga to solidify an elite group.
With the addition of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who's coming off his best year as a pass-rusher with a career-high 11 sacks, San Francisco isn't going to fall too far from its defensive rankings from the previous season if it's not the No. 1 unit.
The 49ers have been able to cycle through defensive coordinators while developing young talent into Pro Bowl and All-Pro playmakers.
Washington Commanders
7 of 7
The Washington Commanders round out our focus on the NFC East as the division of potential shutdown defenses.
Aside from a leaky defense in 2021, they have won a lot of games because of that side of the ball. In two of the last three years, the Commanders defense has finished within the top seven in scoring and third or better in total yards. Jack Del Rio, a proven coordinator, has led the unit in that stretch.
In addition to giving up a limited number of points and yards per contest last season, Washington's defense had the stingiest third-down conversion rate, showing the ability to get off the field once an offense gets behind schedule on down and distance.
For the 2023 term, Del Rio may get a healthy Chase Young, who's in a contract year. The Commanders declined his fifth-year option after he struggled to stay on the field between 2021 and 2022, missing 22 games.
If the 24-year-old plays at a level anywhere close to his 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign, the Commanders will challenge the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets for best defensive front in the league.
Remember, the Commanders have Pro Bowl defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne in the middle of their front line. On the edge, Montez Sweat has recorded 29 sacks and 113 pressures in four seasons. Young can complete a stout unit and elevate Washington's pressure rate into top-five range.
With the addition of Cody Barton and the steady growth of Jamin Davis, both coming off their most productive campaigns, Washington should have a solid linebacker unit, which hasn't been the case in recent years.
Most importantly for this defense to take a leap into shutdown status, it needs to force more turnovers, and the front office may have addressed that with the addition of rookie first-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.
In three terms at Mississippi State, the 22-year-old recorded 14 interceptions. If he brings those ball-hawking tendencies to the pro level in the regular season, Washington's defense can soar to new heights, not just limiting an opponent's scoring opportunities but also making game-changing plays.
College football statistics are provided by cfbstats.com.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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