5 Most Improved Defenses Ahead of 2026 NFL Training Camp
Even in an offense-driven league, NFL teams need a defensive unit capable of making timely stops to neutralize high-powered offenses.
Teams can counter offensive attacks with aggressive pass-rushers, stout run defenders and stifling intermediate-to-deep coverage. Several clubs made offseason moves to check off those elements for units that struggled mightily last season.
Here are the five most improved defensive units based on acquisitions through free agency, the draft and trades. Key offseason additions for each team are listed.
This list excludes clubs that finished within the top five in scoring and total yards in the 2025 campaign.
Carolina Panthers
1 of 5.jpg?w=3840 "Panthers Football")
Key additions: DT Lee Hunter, ILB Devin Lloyd, Edge Jaelan Phillips
The Carolina Panthers signed arguably the best inside linebacker and edge-rusher available on the free-agent market. In terms of contract value (h/t Spotrac), Lloyd and Phillips signed the biggest contracts at those respective positions.
Lloyd is coming off his first Pro Bowl season and made the second-team All-Pro list, recording 81 tackles (six for loss) five interceptions (returning one for a touchdown) and seven pass breakups. He's an established three-down defender who can make game-changing plays on any given down.
Before the 2025 trade deadline, the Miami Dolphins sent Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles. He finished the previous campaign with 53 tackles (seven for loss), five sacks, 35 pressures and four pass breakups. His numbers with both teams are similar, showing consistency regardless of the situation.
The Panthers didn't have a player finish with more than five sacks last season. If Phillips stays healthy, he should lead Carolina in that stat category. In a featured role, the 27-year-old edge-rusher could record his first double-digit sack season in a breakout campaign.
Carolina also added Hunter in the second round of the draft. At 6'3", 318 pounds, he can shoot gaps to make plays behind the line of scrimmage, especially on run downs. In four collegiate terms, the aggressive defensive tackle racked up 32 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Derrick Brown and Hunter can be a game-wrecking duo on the interior of the defensive line.
Los Angeles Rams
2 of 5.jpg?w=3840 "Rams Football")
Key additions: Edge Myles Garrett, CB Trent McDuffie, CB Jaylen Watson
The Los Angeles Rams double-dipped on cornerback help, acquiring McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs and signing Watson, who also suited up for the Chiefs over the last four years. Then, general manager Les Snead shook the NFL landscape with a blockbuster trade for Garrett on June 1.
Los Angeles traded Jared Verse and multiple picks for Garrett, who will change how teams prepare for this new-look defensive front. He'll command double teams, which will create opportunities for Pro Bowler Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, all young, productive players along the front line.
Furthermore, the Rams' move for Garrett might bring Aaron Donald out of retirement, which would elevate this front line to the best in recent history, with two players combining for five Defensive Player of the Year honors.
McDuffie and Watson should be upgrades over the Cobie Durant, Darious Williams and Emmanuel Forbes, the perimeter cornerback trio from the previous season.
McDuffie has inside-outside versatility. Head coach Sean McVay noted that the All-Pro cornerback lined up "all over" the secondary during the spring, though he will likely play most of his snaps on the outside.
Watson is a pure boundary cover man who's allowed passer ratings below 80 in his last two campaigns. In 2025, he snagged two interceptions, a sign that the fifth-year pro could see an increase in his ball production going forward.
Yes, the Rams finished 10th in defensive scoring last season, but they ranked 17th in total yards allowed. With Garrett, McDuffie, Watson and maybe Donald, this unit could finish No. 1 in both statistical categories this upcoming season.
New York Jets
3 of 5.jpg?w=3840 "Jets Rookies Football")
Key additions: DE David Onyemata, NT T'Vondre Sweat, NT Darrell Jackson Jr., ILB Demario Davis, Edge David Bailey, Edge Joseph Ossai, Edge Kingsley Enagbare, CB Nahshon Wright, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB D'Angelo Ponds, S Dane Belton
This year, head coach Aaron Glenn will call plays, and he'll do it with new faces on all three levels of the defense. Gang Green's revamped unit will feature a mix of proven veterans and high-upside up-and-comers.
Davis is back for his second stint with the Jets and brings a wealth of starting experience with three combined Pro Bowl-All-Pro campaigns on his resume. Bailey, Ossai, and Enagbare join Will McDonald IV to form an intriguing pass-rushing quartet. The Jets selected Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. As arguably the top pure pass-rusher in this class, he recorded 14.5 sacks in his final collegiate season.
New York acquired Sweat from the Tennessee Titans, signed Onyemata and selected Jackson in the fourth round of the draft to clog the middle. At 6'4", 366 pounds at the peak of his prime, Sweat is the big man to keep an eye on among the interior additions.
Entering his ninth season, Fitzpatrick will be a leader in the secondary. The 29-year-old hasn't been a ball hawk since 2022, but he's allowed passer ratings below 90 for five of the previous six seasons. Behind him, Belton can provide quality depth.
On a one-year, $3.5 million deal, Wright may be one of the biggest free-agent steals. He broke out in a Pro Bowl year last season, logging five interceptions and 11 pass breakups with the Chicago Bears. The 27-year-old late-bloomer needs to show more consistency in coverage, though. Along with his career-high numbers, he allowed six touchdowns.
Although Ponds lined up primarily on the perimeter in college, he will likely play in the slot because of his 5'8", 182-pound frame, but don't underestimate the feisty cornerback because of his size.
Ponds is a solid tackler and gets his hands on the ball. He registered 118 tackles (8.5 for loss), 20 pass breakups and five interceptions in his last two collegiate terms at Indiana. As a former NFL cornerback, Glenn may see a lot of himself in Ponds.
.jpg?w=3840 "Falcons Cowboys Football")
.png?w=3840 "Rams Bears Football")
Tennessee Titans
4 of 5.jpg?w=3840 "Titans Football")
Key additions: DE Jermaine Johnson II, DE John Franklin-Myers, DE Jacob Martin, DT Jordan Elliott, DT Solomon Thomas, DT Keldric Faulk, LB Anthony Hill, LB Mohamoud Diabate, CB Cor'Dale Flott, CB Alontae Taylor, CB Joshua Williams, S Tony Adams
Under new head coach Robert Saleh, the Tennessee Titans overhauled their defense. He brought in some of his former players from the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. The Titans acquired Johnson from Gang Green and signed Franklin-Myers, Elliott, Martin, Thomas and Adams. With their familiarity with Saleh's scheme, they could all contribute in decent roles.
Faulk is a rookie first-rounder who can make an impact on all three downs. He recorded 109 tackles (19.5 for loss), 10 sacks and six pass breakups in three collegiate seasons at Auburn.
Cedric Gray should be a lock as one of the starting linebackers following a strong showing in the previous campaign. As a rookie second-rounder out of Texas, Hill could push Cody Barton for the other starting inside linebacker position. Diabate can provide quality depth.
On the back end, Taylor has had issues in pass coverage, though he did improve his missed-tackle rate from 18.3 to 7.8 percent over the last two seasons. Flott is a better cover defender. In 2025, he allowed just one touchdown and a 73.3 passer rating.
Saleh has been praised for his defensive play-calling prowess. He'll call the shots on that side of the ball, so his fingerprints are on these personnel moves. Saleh already knows most of these players' strengths, especially in the front seven, which will help turn around one of the worst scoring defensive units from the previous season.
Washington Commanders
5 of 5.jpg?w=3840 "Commanders Football")
Key additions: NT Tim Settle, DE Charles Omenihu, LB Leo Chenal, LB Sonny Styles, Edge Odafe Oweh, Edge K'Lavon Chaisson, CB Rasul Douglas, CB Amik Robertson, S Nick Cross
The Washington Commanders earned a spot on the most-improved defenses list because their pass rush should be exponentially better than last season. They signed Oweh to a four-year, $96 million contract and inked Chaisson to a one-year, $11 million deal.
In 2025, Oweh and Chaisson combined for 47 pressures and 15 sacks—their individual numbers in those categories were nearly identical.
Last season, Washington finished 26th in pressure rate, and Von Miller accounted for about 21 percent of the club's sack total (42). Oweh and Chaisson will elevate those pass-rushing numbers as one of the league's most productive edge-rushing duos.
In the middle of the unit, Chenal and Styles are both three-down defenders.
Chenal logged 218 tackles (17 for loss) and seven sacks through four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He has surrendered just two touchdowns in coverage for his career and allowed a solid 88.4 passer rating last season.
Styles has a safety background from his early years at Ohio State, though he transitioned well to the linebacker, recording 182 tackles (17 for loss), seven sacks and an interception over his last two collegiate terms.
Washington patched up the secondary with short-term deals for Cross, Douglas and Robertson. All three have experienced ups and downs in recent years, but they could be effective in their respective roles.
Cross plays at his best closer to the line of scrimmage in run support and on blitzes. Since 2021, Douglas has registered 16 interceptions, recording multiple in four of the previous five seasons. Robertson struggled in coverage last year, giving up eight touchdowns, but he allowed passer ratings below 91 and only five touchdowns between 2023 and 2024.
Player contract details are provided by Over the Cap, unless otherwise noted.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
.jpg?w=3840 "Chiefs Bills Football")
.jpg?w=3840 "AEW Dynamite Live Grades 🔠")