Ranking Every NFL Defense After the 2025 Draft
We live in an age when the NFL is more heavily tilted toward the offense than ever before. Each year, the rules change in an effort to boost offensive production that much more.
A defensive player could log 200 tackles, 25 sacks and cure every illness known to man, and he wouldn't win MVP honors. We're two or three years from a wide receiver being named Defensive Player of the Year.
But here's the thing: Defense still wins championships. Just ask Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is still having nightmares about the pounding he took from the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
All 32 NFL teams just spent the offseason attempting to get better defensively, although some had more work to do than others. It was easier for the Eagles to offset personnel losses than for the Carolina Panthers to offset the fact that they stunk on defense in 2024.
Still, every team did the best it could, even if some had more success than others. With the 2025 NFL draft and the majority of free agency done, let's rank all 32 NFL defenses, from tomato can to terrifying.
32. Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers showed some signs of life over the second half of the 2024 season, but the defense was another story.
There was one team in the NFL that allowed over 30 points per game last year, and if you guessed the Panthers, you get a gold star. They were also dead-last in run defense, giving just under 180 yards per game. Only two teams managed fewer sacks than Carolina's 32.
The Panthers aren't completely bereft of talent defensively, though. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown eclipsed 100 total tackles last year, while cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Tre'von Moehrig received big contracts from the team in free agency. And there are hopes edge-rusher Nic Scourton and safety Lathan Ransom can make significant contributions as rookies.
But as is the case with so many defenses at the bottom of this list, it's not easy to see where a big bump in sacks is coming from with the Panthers, and their linebacker duo of Josey Jewell and Christian Rozeboom don't strike fear into the hearts of opposing running backs.
31. New Orleans Saints
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The New Orleans Saints have a new defensive coordinator in Brandon Staley, and while addressing the media, he said his defense will rely on versatility in 2025:
"We're going to try to be flexible enough to be able to defend all the different types of offenses that you have to play against. And we want to be specific in the matchup; we want to make sure that we go into every game with a plan to win. But a lot of what we're going to do is centered on who this group of guys is that we're going to be coaching."
The problem in the Big Easy is personnel. Edge-rusher Cameron Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis were once excellent players, but they are both in their mid-30s. The cornerback duo of Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor isn't especially impressive, and the Saints gave edge-rusher Chase Young $17 million a season despite just 5.5 sacks in his first year with the team.
There isn't a defensive position group in New Orleans that is above average, and the Saints defense probably isn't getting any help from the offense in 2025.
30. Tennessee Titans
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In some regards, the Titans weren't bad defensively last season—they ranked second in both total defense and pass defense. No team in the AFC allowed fewer yards in those categories.
However, the Titans struggled against the run, giving up over 133 yards per game on the ground. No team in the AFC surrendered more points per game than the 27.1 they allowed.
There's little reason to believe things will be markedly better in 2025.
The team signed a new defensive signal-caller in Cody Barton, and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed is a quality player who played a major role in the pass defense faring well last season.
But outside defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, it's hard to see where Tennessee is going to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. As things stand, starting edge-rushers Dre'Mont Jones and Arden Key combined for just 10.5 sacks last year.
If you can't get after the quarterback, sooner or later the back end will break down.
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29. Las Vegas Raiders
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The Raiders possess one of the best edge-rushers in the league in Maxx Crosby, who tallied 7.5 sacks in 12 games on the way to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.
However, they were 26th in scoring defense last year, largely because outside of Crosby, the team doesn't have a ton of talent on that side of the ball.
The Raiders gave big bucks to defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in free agency last year, but his first season in Vegas lasted just five games.
Edge-rusher Malcolm Koonce was also bitten by the injury bug. After eight sacks in 2023, he missed the entire 2024 campaign with a knee injury.
Get past the defensive front, and things get even uglier. After the departure of linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo, the No. 1 linebacker is Elandon Roberts who has never played 60 percent of a team's snaps in a season.
The Raiders' biggest addition in the secondary (safety Jeremy Chinn) has a passer rating against of over 130 each of the past two seasons.
Crosby can't do it all himself.
28. Atlanta Falcons
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The Atlanta Falcons have had all kinds of trouble rushing the passer in recent years.
Last season, they finished with the second-fewest sacks in the league for the second time in three years. Per Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut, they were also 27th in pass-rush win rate in 2024.
To Atlanta's credit, it went hard at edge-rushers in the offseason, signing veteran Leonard Floyd and drafting a pair of pass-rushers in Round 1 in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot told reporters he expects the duo to make an immediate impact in the NFL:
"Make no mistake about it: It is very hard to find pass rushers, and it is very hard to get out there on your first day and do it. But I got so much confidence in the people in the building to be able to go out there help these guys go out there and be the best version of themselves every single time."
If those young pass-rushers can get home with any regularity, the Falcons have the talent on the back end to outperform this ranking.
But if the team struggles rushing the passer again in 2025, it's going to be another long year for the defense.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
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The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled in a big way defensively last year. They were last in the AFC in total defense, surrendering 389.9 yards per game. Only three teams gave up more points per game than the 25.6 the Jaguars allowed.
It was a disappointing showing and then some, especially considering the talent the team has on paper in the front seven.
Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker combined for 18.5 sacks last year, and inside linebacker Foyesade Oluokun has been one of the league’s most productive players at his position in recent years when healthy.
The $64,000 question for the Jaguars this year is the defensive backfield after the team drafted Colorado phenom Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall. He has been clear that he wants to continue to play both ways in the NFL, but the Jags have said he will mostly play wide receiver, early on at least.
Jacksonville’s secondary added veteran safety Eric Murray in the offseason, but the defensive backfield (sans Hunter) is an issue—the Jaguars were dead-last in the NFL in pass defense in 2024.
It’s going to take more than a few snaps per game from Hunter for Jacksonville to make any real move up these rankings.
26. Indianapolis Colts
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The Indianapolis Colts had a rough season defensively last year. They ranked 29th in the NFL in total defense, 26th against the pass, 24th in the league against the run and 24th in scoring defense.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a clear path to marked improvement in 2025.
Edge-rusher Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player selected last year, but his four-sack rookie season was a disappointment. Fellow edge-rusher Kwity Paye's career has followed a similar track; there have been flashes, but he has struggled generating consistent pressure off the edge.
The cupboard isn't completely bare, though. DeForest Buckner is arguably the best 3-technique tackle in the game. The Colts spent big on the secondary in the offseason, signing cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Camryn Bynum. Linebacker Zaire Franklin led the league last year with 173 total tackles.
But Franklin also missed a whopping 24 tackles last year and has whiffed on 56 tackles total over the past three seasons, and the other linebacker spot in Indy is a question mark.
There’s room for improvement in Indianapolis, but we’ll need to see it to believe it.
25. New England Patriots
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The New England Patriots were better on defense than offense last year, but that isn’t saying a lot. They ranked outside the top 20 in most statistical categories and fielded the most punchless pass rush in the league.
The Patriots entered free agency with more cap space than any team in the league, and they weren't shy about spending it to bolster the defense.
Edge-rusher Harold Landry III, defensive tackle Milton Williams (who got the biggest contract of any player who changed teams this offseason), linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Carlton Davis all received big deals.
However, while there were multiple additions, there are also several questions. Landry is the only proven edge-rusher on the roster. The inside linebacker spot next to Spillane is uncertain. Young cornerback Christian Gonzalez has flashed at times but also has durability issues.
It’s possible the Patriots could roll out one of the league's most improved defenses in 2025—they certainly paid to do so.
But the success (or lack thereof) of the team's new-look pass rush will go a long way toward determining just how improved they truly are.
24. Cincinnati Bengals
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After a disappointing season in which the Cincinnati Bengals' lack of defense cost them a playoff spot, the team fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and replaced him with Al Golden.
While speaking to reporters, linebacker Logan Wilson said he has been impressed by what he’s seen of Golden so far:
"He's a player's coach. I think he'll empower us. It will give us a different type of energy. Get back to the fundamentals of ball disruption and things like that. Turnovers are obviously the big part of playing defense. Especially the more we can give the ball back to our offense with how explosive they are."
A new coordinator should help, but what the Bengals really need is a more consistently productive edge-rusher opposite 2024 sack king Trey Hendrickson. They will hope rookie first-rounder Shemar Stewart will be that guy, but he had just 4.5 sacks in three seasons at Texas A&M.
Getting the pass rush going is critical for the Bengals, whose secondary is average on a good day. The team will get some help from the explosive offense, but the defense needs to be able to get a stop or two as opponents attempt to match Joe Burrow score for score.
23. Washington Commanders
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The Washington Commanders impressed defensively against the pass last year—only two teams allowed fewer yards through the air.
However, the Commanders were just average in total defense and scoring defense, largely because of a run defense that gave up 137.5 yards per game on the ground—third most in the league.
Unfortunately, there's little reason to expect that run defense to be markedly better this year. The Commanders lost tackle Jonathan Allen in free agency, and his replacement (Javon Kinlaw) is a downgrade. Bobby Wagner will likely one day find himself enshrined in Canton, but at 35, his best days are behind him.
Edge-rusher Dorance Armstong was essentially a bust in his first season in D.C., logging just five sacks. He's not getting a ton of help from his batterymate this year, whether it's Clelin Ferrell or Deatrich Wise Jr.
Throw in legitimate questions in a secondary headlined by cornerback Marshon Lattimore and potential issues at safety after the departure of Jeremy Chinn, and the odds on the Commanders exceeding expectations again in 2025 aren't especially good.
22. New York Jets
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It’s a new age in New York. There’s a new head coach in Aaron Glenn and a new defensive coordinator in Steve Wilks.
Glenn told reporters the plan for the Jets this year is a defense that is tenacious and versatile in equal measure.:
"Once we get everybody on this defense that we know we want to get, then we'll build a scheme off of that. I've been a part of the wide-9, I've been a part of the react attack where we've got to stay square to the line of scrimmage. Once we get all the people we want to get in this building, listen, Steve's going to do a hell of a job. He's been a part of building a number of different defenses that you can see through his career. We look forward to that."
The Jets put as much effort into retaining their own players as they did others, resigning the likes of linebacker Jamien Sherwood. They also have homegrown stars like defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner.
But swapping out D.J. Reed for Brandon Stephens at cornerback was a negative, and the team's young edge-rushers need to show they can turn the occasional hot streak into a consistently productive season.
21. Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins are one of the harder teams to peg in these rankings.
With star cornerback Jalen Ramsey the subject of rampant trade speculation, the team’s secondary could quickly become a sticking point—the depth chart behind him at cornerback is, um, yeah.
The front seven is equally uncertain. The Dolphins were quietly fourth in total defense and 10th in points allowed despite the absence of edge-rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips for a big chunk of the year. Both are back, but they have extensive injury histories at this point in their careers.
Youngster Chop Robinson offers a measure of security there. But the team lost safety Jevon Holland in free agency, and while first-round pick Kenneth Grant is a talented space-eater, it can be argued he was a reach at No. 13 overall.
With Ramsey on the roster and a healthy Chubb and Phillips on the team, Anthony Weaver's defense could be underrated here. But from all indications, Ramsey's days in South Florida appear to be numbered.
And the void that he will leave in the defensive backfield knocks the Miami defense just outside the top 20.
20. Cleveland Browns
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The Cleveland Browns were 27th in scoring defense a year ago, but that was due at least in part to an offense that regularly put the team in untenable situations.
An argument can be made that they are undervalued here. After an offseason trade request, edge-rusher extraordinaire Myles Garrett is back. The addition of rookie Mason Graham could give Cleveland a formidable inside-out punch up front.
The Browns have massive questions at linebacker, especially if Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah can't return from his neck injury. The team attempted to address that uncertainty with both a veteran (Jerome Baker) and a rookie (Carson Schwesinger), but the team’s luck at that position in recent years has been atrocious.
In the secondary, the Browns have a talented trio of cornerbacks in Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome and Martin Emerson. But there's a hole at safety opposite Grant Delpit, although there are a few veteran free agents who could fill the void.
The Browns have the talent to smash this ranking if things break the right way. But the last time things broke the right way in Cleveland was 1964.
Don't hold your breath.
19. Arizona Cardinals
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The Arizona Cardinals were a middle of the pack defense a year ago, but the team was wildly aggressive in upgrading on that side of the ball in both free agency and the draft.
The crown jewel of the team’s free agent acquisitions was edge-rusher Josh Sweat, who dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. It will fall to Sweat to spearhead an Arizona pass rush that posted a middling 41 sacks in 2024.
The draft is where the Cardinals really blasted away at the defense. Beginning with Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen at No. 16, six of their seven picks came on defense, including one of the draft’s biggest potential steals in Will Johnson in Round 2.
Johnson and fellow rookie Denzel Burke could find themselves playing relatively early—the CB room in Arizona remains a question mark. The even bigger one is the team’s linebackers—top option Akeem Davis-Gaither has spent most of his professional career as more of a special-teams contributor than a full-time starter.
There’s potential for improvement here, but the defensive ceiling in the desert still isn’t especially high.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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In some respects, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South as much in spite of their defense in 2024 as because of it.
The team excelled against the run, giving up just 97.8 yards per game on the ground—fourth-fewest in the NFL. But the pass defense was equally bad, surrendering 341.8 yards per contest—fourth-most in the league.
Those struggles can be at least partly attributed to a pass rush that lacked any kind of consistent pressure off the edge. The team tried to fill that need in free agency, inking veteran edge-rusher Haason Reddick to a one-year, "prove it" deal.
Veteran safety Antoine Winfield Jr. missed almost half of the 2024 season, and his return should be a sizable boost to the pass defense as well. The Buccaneers spent their second pick in this year's draft on a cornerback in Benjamin Morrison and double-dipped at the position in Round 3 with Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish.
It would hardly be an upset if one of those youngsters works his way into a prominent role early in the 2025 season.
And if that secondary becomes even average, the Buccaneers could wind up much higher on this list.
17. San Francisco 49ers
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The San Francisco 49ers struggled through a miserable 2024 season, largely because of injuries. And frankly, the offseason wasn’t that much kinder to them. Salary cap constraints hit the defense hard, with multiple starters signing elsewhere in free agency.
However, the Niners did the best they could to patch those holes. The team’s first-round pick was spent on Georgia edge-rusher Mykel Williams, who will replace Leonard Floyd on the edge opposite Nick Bosa. Linebacker Nick Martin was selected in Round 3 to offset the loss of linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Second-rounder Alfred Collins will be tasked with stepping into the void created by the loss of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. The team also had to shuffle the secondary after cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Talanoa Hufanga left.
After four years away, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is back in Santa Clara, and the team still has linchpin players like Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner. If the newcomers in the Bay Area are quick studies, San Francisco’s defense could rebound in 2025.
But there’s an awful lot of uncertainty in San Francisco—uncertainty that makes it impossible to rank the defense higher than middle of the pack.
16. Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears didn’t have a lot of success a year ago, and in some respects both units struggled equally—the defense finished the 2024 campaign 27th in total defense.
However, the Bears are another team where the defensive struggles were due at least in part to an offense that couldn't stay on the field. And while that defense didn't receive the offseason overhaul that the offense did, there's still more than a little room for optimism in the Windy City.
The Bears did upgrade the front seven in free agency, signing Grady Jarrett to plug up the middle and Dayo Odeyingbo as a running mate for Montez Sweat. The linebacker position didn't need work, as Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards are one of the better duos in the NFL.
Chicago didn't make any additions to the secondary in the draft until Day 3, but assuming safety Jaquan Brisker makes a healthy return, the Bears have a sneaky-good back end that includes Brisker, safety Kevin Byard III and cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson.
There will likely be more than a little hype surrounding the 2025 Bears.
It's at least partially deserved.
15. Los Angeles Chargers
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The Los Angeles Chargers made the postseason last year, and their defense played its part—the team finished just outside the top 10 in total defense, seventh in the NFL against the pass and allowed fewer points per game than any team in the league, just 17.7 points per contest.
There has been quite a bit of turnover this year, but Jesse Minter's unit still has the ability to be stout in 2025.
Edge-rusher Joey Bosa is in Buffalo now, but the team has a ready-made in-house replacement in Tuli Tuipulotu, who amassed a career-high 8.5 sacks a year ago. However, the pressure will be on 34-year-old Khalil Mack to recapture at least some of the form that led to a career-high 17 sacks in 2023.
There’s continuity at linebacker with youngster Daiyan Henley and veteran Denzel Perryman, but with Asante Samuel Jr. gone the Chargers needed a starter at cornerback. They settled on veteran Donte Jackson, who spent last year in Pittsburgh.
L.A. drafted a quartet of young defenders in the 2025 draft, but those players will likely be reserves to begin their careers. Safety Derwin James Jr. is a rock on the back end, but continued progression from the other defensive backs will be necessary if the Bolts are going to crack the league's top 10 defenses.
14. Los Angeles Rams
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Last year, for the first time in a long time, Rams general manager Les Snead actually used his first-round draft pick.
And selected edge-rusher Jared Verse went on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The Rams have a young front-seven that includes Verse, Byron Young and Braden Fiske that is the foundation of the defense.
That defense added another edge-rusher in Josaiah Stewart in the third round of this year’s draft, and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic believes the Michigan product could see more than a little playing time right off the jump:
"The high-motor pass rusher has the athleticism and personality to fill the role in the five-man rush packages left by Michael Hoecht in free agency. Stewart will now be the youngest, but he already has the personality and position flexibility to slot into what the Rams call their 'Cheetah' package, which presents extra pass rushers who can either purely rush, simulate pressure or even drop into coverage in some instances."
The cornerbacks in Los Angeles are the defense's clear weakness—there's a reason the Rams are mentioned so often in Jalen Ramsey rumors. The starting linebackers aren't world-beaters, either.
But this is a team well-equipped to win in the trenches. And winning in the trenches wins football games.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been known for having a stout defense, and the team played well defensively in some categories last year; they were eighth in total defense and sixth against the run.
However, a Pittsburgh pass rush that is perennially among the league-leaders in sacks had a rather pedestrian 40.
Of course, that was as much a matter of injury as performance. There isn’t a better edge-rusher in the NFL than T.J. Watt, and he and Alex Highsmith are right at the top of the list of the league's best pass-rush duos.
Combined with defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and rookie first-rounder Derrick Harmon, the Steelers have the weapons to do damage up front.
Inside linebacker Patrick Queen is a good player, as is safety DeShon Elliott. Minkah Fitzpatrick is widely regarded as one of the best deep safeties in the NFL.
The potential problem in the Steel City (as has been the case for a while now) is at cornerback. Darius Slay was signed in free agency, but he's 34 and on the downslope of his career. Joey Porter Jr. showed flashes as a rookie, but he needs to be more consistent.
If the Steelers can improve markedly over last season's 25th-ranked pass defense, they could regain their status as one of the league's most formidable defenses in relatively short order.
12. Seattle Seahawks
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The Seattle Seahawks didn’t rank inside the top 10 in many defensive categories last year. But while the team may not have been great defensively, it was solid, ranking in the top half of the league across the board.
Seattle’s 45 sacks actually did rank inside the top 10, and the Seahawks possess a solid defensive front.
With veteran Leonard Williams anchoring the defensive line and longtime Dallas Cowboy Demarcus Lawrence joining Boye Mafe at edge-rusher, they should be solid at the point of attack and a thorn in the side of opposing quarterbacks.
Seattle also has a pair of decent inside linebackers, especially if Tyrice Knight continues to improve opposite Ernest Jones IV.
It's the secondary where Seattle really has the potential to thrive in 2025. With rookie Nick Emmanwori joining Julian Love, the Seahawks have a pair of the versatile safeties that NFL teams covet nowadays.
Seattle also has one of the better collections of cornerback talent in the league, with Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon and even Josh Jobe all ascending young talents at the position.
Outside of Emmanwori, the Seahawks focused mainly on the offensive side of the ball. But it wouldn't be any kind of real upset if Seattle has the NFC West's best overall defense in 2025.
11. New York Giants
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Based on last year's numbers, seeing the Giants listed this high might seem odd—they ranked outside the top 20 in total defense, run defense and scoring defense. But the times could be changing for Big Blue.
The addition of third overall pick Abdul Carter to a cadre of edge-rushers that already included Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux could give the Giants a fearsome trio of pass-rushers.
With defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence coming off nine sacks in just 12 games, the G-Men could be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
Bobby Okereke didn’t have the 2024 season many expected, but he and veteran Micah McFadden are a capable pair of linebackers. The Giants were already quietly eighth against the pass last year, and the secondary has some new faces in 2025.
Safety Jevon Holland gives the team a playmaker at the back of the defense who should alleviate some of the pressure on youngster Tyler Nubin. Paulson Adebo's breakout season in New Orleans last year was cut short by injury. But he should help stabilize the cornerback position in New York.
There's a pathway to the Giants being the NFL's most improved defense in 2025.
10. Dallas Cowboys
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This one will raise a few eyebrows. After all, the Cowboys were a bottom-five defense in terms of yards allowed, run defense and scoring defense last year.
But that defense was also decimated by injuries. The year before, Dallas was one of five NFL teams that allowed less than 300 yards per game. The Cowboys were also fifth in scoring defense, giving up 18.5 points per game. They were also highly effective at rushing the passer in 2024, logging 52 sacks.
The Cowboys' best defensive player is edge-rusher Micah Parsons, who had at least 12 sacks for the fourth time in as many years in 2025. They also retained defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and added playmates for Parsons in second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku and veteran Dante Fowler Jr.
There’s turnover at linebacker, which could be an issue moving forward. After one year with the team, Eric Kendricks has given way to free-agent signing Kenneth Murray Jr. With DeMarvion Overshown likely to miss a big chunk of the season, journeyman Jack Sanborn could see a larger role, especially early on.
It's a corner where the Cowboys could see their biggest boost. Both DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs missed considerable time last season (16 games total), and if that duo is healthy and newcomer Kaair Elam can be even average in the slot, the Dallas secondary could be as stingy as it has in quite some time.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
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Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense gets most of the run, but the Chiefs wouldn't have dominated the AFC over the past several years without help from the defense.
Last year, they were ninth in total defense, eighth against the run and fourth in points allowed.
The Chiefs were relatively quiet in free agency on defense, outside the addition of a couple of defensive backs. Kristian Fulton has the potential to be an upgrade at cornerback, while Mike Edwards was a cost-efficient replacement at safety for the departed Justin Reid.
The team was more aggressive defensively in the draft. Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott has real chance for early playing time after Tershawn Wharton and Derrick Nnadi left in free agency.
Louisville edge-rusher Ashton Gillotte may not see playing time right away, but Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo loves depth off the edge. Fellow third-rounder Nohl Williams of Cal could also earn some early snaps as a sub-package cornerback.
Outside defensive tackle Chris Jones, linebacker Nick Bolton and cornerback Trent McDuffie, the Kansas City defense doesn't have a lot of big names. But Spagnuolo has a history of molding talent into a cohesive and formidable defense.
8. Green Bay Packers
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The Green Bay Packers have long been something of an underrated defensive team—they ranked seventh or better in total defense, run defense and scoring defense last season. It's a unit without any glaring weaknesses.
If there's a weak spot in the front seven, it's on the edge, where the team needs Lukas Van Ness to step up this season opposite Rashan Gary. The team added a pair of edge-rushers on Day 3 of the 2025 draft, but the odds those rookies make a major impact in 2025 aren't great.
Devonte Wyatt and long-time Packer Kenny Clark are a good duo at defensive tackle, while Quay Walker and second-year pro Edgerrin Cooper are an excellent linebacker duo, especially if Cooper can build on the momentum he displayed down the stretch last year.
Were veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander to be traded (as has been rumored), it would open a hole in the Green Bay secondary. But the Packers brought in Nate Hobbs in free agency to shore up the cornerbacks, and in players like Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine, they aren't short on talent at that position or at safety—in his first season in Titletown last year, Xavier McKinney finished second in the NFL in interceptions with eight.
7. Minnesota Vikings
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There were some things that the Minnesota Vikings did very well a year ago. And others they did not.
A Minnesota front seven anchored by edge-rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard was highly successful harassing opposing quarterbacks in 2024, tallying 49 sacks. That pass rush should be all the more frightening this year after the team shelled out big bucks in free agency to retool the defensive tackles, bringing in a pair of big names in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
The Vikings were also excellent at taking the ball away last year, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the league lead in that category with 33. 24 of those takeaways were interceptions, but it’s in the defensive secondary where questions start to mount.
For all those picks, the Vikings weren’t a difficult team to throw on in 2024—they surrendered the fifth-most passing yards per game in the league. They retained cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., but little else was done to upgrade that position. They also lost safety Camryn Bynum, and while Josh Metellus and Harrison Smith are a capable duo, Smith is 36.
If Minnesota's pass defense improves, the Vikings could have the best one in the entire NFL. But if the back end falters again this year, the season will again end in disappointment.
And this ranking will be too high.
6. Detroit Lions
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And you wonder why the NFC North is such a tough division.
In some respects, the Lions are similar to their defensive counterparts in Minnesota—Detroit was fifth in the league last year against the run and seventh in points allowed, but the pass defense was its Achilles’ heel—only two squads surrendered more yards through the air than the Lions.
Of course, they also played most of last season without edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who was leading the league with 7.5 sacks last year when he suffered a season-ending broken leg.
With a healthy Hutchinson back in the fold, a line that also features tackles Alim McNeil and DJ Reader and edge-rusher Josh Paschal should be a problem for opponents, especially with first-rounder Tyleik Williams also working into the mix inside.
Lions linebackers Jack Campbell and Alex Anzalone aren’t stars, but they are solid starters. It's the back of the defense that will determine Detroit's status in 2025 though.
Brian Branch is one of the best young safeties in the NFL, and batterymate Kerby Joseph led the league with nine picks last year. The acquisition of free-agent cornerback D.J. Reed is an upgrade over Carlton Davis, but the likes of Terrion Arnold and Amik Robertson will have to step up and be more consistent this season.
The Lions defense benefits from a lot of positive game scripts—if the secondary can take a step forward this year, Detroit's defense could join the offense as one of the better position groups in the game.
5. Baltimore Ravens
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Here we go again.
The Ravens were nearly impossible to run on—no team allowed fewer yards on the ground last year than Baltimore’s 80.1. The Ravens were also a respectable ninth in scoring defense, ranked second in the NFL with 54 sacks and posted a plus-six turnover differential.
But the Ravens struggled against the pass—only the Jacksonville Jaguars were more porous in terms of yards allowed per game through the air.
Baltimore’s first draft pick was used to strengthen that secondary—with Georgia’s Malaki Starks joining Kyle Hamilton at safety, the Ravens have potentially the best one-two punch at safety in the league. The Ravens also replaced the departed Brandon Stephens with Chidobe Awuzie at cornerback, which appears a net positive.
Move into the front seven, and questions give way to strength—and fear from opponents. Roquan Smith is regarded in some circles as the best off-ball linebacker in the game. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike wasn’t able to match is 2023 sack production last year, but there aren’t many 300-plus pounders with his pass-rushing chops. Edge-rusher Kyle Van Noy had a career year in 2024, and Odafe Oweh, rookie Mike Green (who led the FBS in sacks last year) and David Ojabo offer the Ravens a mix of experience, talent and youth outside.
4. Houston Texans
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The Houston Texans have the best defense in the league that rarely gets discussed as one of the defenses in the league.
Last year, the Texans were ranked in the top-11 in total defense, pass defense and run defense. Houston was fifth in takeaways and fourth in the NFL with 49 sacks.
The Texans don’t have many defensive weaknesses on paper. In third-year pro Will Anderson Jr. and veteran Danielle Hunter, Houston has the NFL’s best edge-rusher duo. Houston’s defensive tackles aren’t great, but they’re solid. The linebacker corps led by Azeez Al-Shaair is as deep as any in the NFL and just added another experienced starter in free agency in E.J. Speed.
The Texans also added a veteran playmaker in the secondary in safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who joins a group that includes cornerbacks Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre. It was a relatively quiet draft for the Texans defensively, but third-round corner Jaylin Smith of USC offers depth at defensive back and a potential subpackage option.
It was the Texans defense that completely smothered the Los Angeles Chargers in Houston’s Wild Card Round last year. And if CJ Stroud and the offense holds up their end of the bargain, the Texans have the talent and depth defensively to make an even deeper postseason run.
3. Buffalo Bills
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The Buffalo Bills made the defensive front-seven a priority in the offseason, first by adding edge-rusher Joey Bosa in free agency and then by blasting away at the front in the 2025 draft. Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters he wants a front that is both talented and deep.
"We want it to be deep," Beane said. "We want it to have a variety of skill sets, and we want competition. I want it to be hard as hell to be one of the however many D-linemen we keep together on this 53."
The secondary got addressed first in the draft in Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, but from there Hairston hit the defensive line—hard. Buffalo traded up for interior lineman T.J. Sanders. Brought in edge-rusher Landon Jackson in Round 3. And made it three D-Linemen in a row in Round 4 with tackle Deone Walker.
The Bills were already well set-up defensively, whether it was Greg Rousseau outside, an excellent trio of linebackers in Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams or a defensive backfield that includes one of the NFL’s pre-eminent slot players in cornerback Taron Johnson.
Defensive lapses have long haunted the Bills in the postseason. But this squad could be the one that finally puts Buffalo over the top—and into the Super Bowl.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
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With all due respect to Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts, he didn’t win that game—the Eagles defense did.
That defense is going to look a lot different in 2025—but it’s still a frightening group.
The Eagles lost a number of big names in free agency, including edge-rusher Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Milton Williams. But Philly already had potential replacements for those players in-house in youngsters Nolan Smith Jr. and Jordan Davis, and the first-round selection of Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell offers the team both pop off the edge and depth at off-ball linebacker if Nakobe Dean’s injury lingers. The Eagles also made one of the better free agent signings of the offseason on the edge, nabbing Azeez Ojulari from the rival Giants.
The Eagles’ other off-ball linebacker (Zack Baun) broke out last year to the tune of 151 total tackles. But it’s the Philly secondary that’s truly terrifying.
The Eagles double-dipped at cornerback last year with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and both quickly became quality starters. Philly brought in veteran cornerback Adoree Jackson in free agency, and second-round safety Andrew Mukuba has a good chance to start as a rookie.
The Eagles used their first five draft picks in 2025 on defenders, and with that influx of young talent and one of the league’s best defensive coordinators in Vic Fangio, Philly’s defense should once again be among the best in the NFL.
1. Denver Broncos
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Last season, the Denver Broncos were seventh in total defense and third in scoring defense—and that feels like the team’s floor in 2025.
The Broncos are absolutely loaded defensively. Zach Allen has quietly become one of the NFL’s better interior pass-rushers. Edge-rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper combined for 24 of Denver’s league-leading 63 sacks last year.
At linebacker, Alex Singleton missed most of last year, but back in 2023 he was third in the league with 177 total tackles. He will be joined by Dre Greenlaw, who came over from San Francisco after 120-stop seasons in both 2022 and 2023.
Greenlaw wasn’t the only 49er the Broncos poached—the team also signed Talanoa Hufanga. Combined with Brandon Jones, who had a career-best 115 stops last season, the Broncos now have two quality starters at safety.
The Broncos also have the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Now, Surtain has a new running mate in rookie first-rounder Jahdae Barron, who was widely regarded as the best cornerback in this class not named Travis Hunter.
On paper at least, this is a defense without weaknesses. A unit loaded with talent at all three levels.
If the Broncos defense plays up to its potential, the Orange Crush will be back.
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