The NFL's Top 10 Defensive Additions During 2016 Offseason

From June 7-9, seven NFL teams went through their mandatory three-day minicamps. This Tuesday, the other 25 clubs will spring into action.

As was the case last week, it’s again time to take a closer look at the players acquired by the league’s franchises this offseason—be it via free agency, the draft or trade. The focus the first time around was on the top 10 offensive pickups. This time, the onus is on the other side of the football.

The criteria is the same. The ensuing list is made up of key additions who are not only well-suited for their new defensive systems, but are also able to fill big-time needs for their current employers. And all 10 players (as well as some honorable mentions) will have significant impacts this fall.

Honorable Mentions

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Honorable Mentions

The following players (listed in alphabetical order) were not quite able to crack the top 10, but this is a quality list of veterans and rookies in its own right.

DE Joey Bosa (San Diego Chargers)

The third overall pick from Ohio State should give San Diego defensive coordinator John Pagano some nice options. Teamed with new nose tackle Brandon Mebane, Bosa should help bolster a unit that ranked 20th in the league in total defense and managed only 32 sacks.

DT Nick Fairley (New Orleans Saints)

The 2011 first-round pick of the Detroit Lions spent one year with the Rams. Now neither he nor the team is in St. Louis. Fairley will be a nice piece to pair with 2016 first-round pick Sheldon Rankins, and he will bolster a defense that not only allowed an NFL-record 45 touchdown passes this past year, but also ranked 31st in the league against the run.

OLB Bruce Irvin (Oakland Raiders)

All-Pro outside linebacker/defensive end Khalil Mack was second in the league with 15 sacks last season with Oakland. Irvin, who learned to play outside linebacker from current Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. in Seattle, will get his share of quarterback traps. Oakland’s 38 sacks from a year ago may be just scratching the surface.

CB Janoris Jenkins (New York Giants)

In four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, the 27-year-old Jenkins played in 60 games and totaled 12 takeaways in those contests. He returned four interceptions and two recovered fumbles for touchdowns. He will benefit from a new-look Giants defensive front that now includes Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison.

DE Chris Long (New England Patriots)

Released by the Rams after eight seasons and 50.5 sacks, the 2008 second overall pick is looking to get his career back on track after two injury-shortened years. Latching on with arguably the best organization in the league appealed to the former Virginia Cavalier. 

“I love the way we go about business,” Long said to reporters in late May at the New England Patriots OTAs, per Mike Petraglia of WEEl.com. “I love getting out here and competing. It was a competitive couple of days. I have [a] lot to worry about to get to the point where I can do my job the way I want to do it here. There’s a lot of learning for me. I’m excited to learn and pick it up. You’ve just got to be a sponge.”

Long’s savvy may be his biggest asset as New England looks to equal or top its total of 49 sacks in 2015.

DE Olivier Vernon (New York Giants)

This past season, only the Oakland Raiders' Khalil Mack earned a higher grade in terms of edge-rushers from the staff at Pro Football Focus.

Vernon comes to a team that fell from 47 sacks in 2014 to just 23 quarterback traps one year later. He totaled 5.5 sacks in his final seven games with the Miami Dolphins and comes with high expectations.

DE Mario Williams (Miami Dolphins)

The Dolphins are deep on the defensive front thanks to Williams, Ndamukong Suh, Cameron Wake and Earl Mitchell, to name a few.

Released by Buffalo after a five-sack season in 2015, the four-time Pro Bowler will add to his total of 96 career sacks often this year. Will new Miami head coach Adam Gase name Williams a team captain in his club’s two meetings with the Bills?

10. ILB Reggie Ragland, Buffalo Bills

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One year after giving up the fourth-fewest total yards in the league, the Buffalo Bills slipped to 19th in total defense.

Along with a pass rush that finished with only 21 sacks (down from an NFL-best 54 sacks in 2014), the defense was vulnerable to the run.

Enter 22-year-old inside linebacker Reggie Ragland, courtesy of the University of Alabama. Chris Brown of the team's official website spoke with the team’s second-round pick, who already had an appreciation for the help he was getting from new teammates Preston Brown and Manny Lawson, in late May:

"

They’re great guys to be around. Every time I need a question answered I can ask those guys and they spit it right back at me. So I’m very thankful to be in that position with those guys. I’m learning a lot out there with them guys and how they carry themselves and go about business in the meetings. I’m just observing everything they do so I can be as good as them out on the field.

"

Ragland could replace Brown as a starter on the inside. The latter was ranked last at his position by Pro Football Focus in 2015. In their final 10 games, the Bills allowed 120.7 rushing yards per contest and held just one opponent under the century mark.

9. DT Brandon Mebane, San Diego Chargers

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Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane knows a little something about stellar defense.

In mid-May, he spoke with Ricky Henne of the Chargers' official website about his new team in San Diego and what he’s seen so far:

"

There is so much talent on this team, it’s unreal. I was telling guys there is more talent on this defense than there was in Seattle. If you look at the draft, you have four first round draft picks and you have five second round draft picks all on defense. In Seattle, you only had two first-rounders and one second-rounder. If we put it together, just play together and work on our skill, I think the sky is the limit for our defense. It’s amazing. The skill. The talent level. It’s there. All we’ve got to do is just believe in each other and play together.

"

The former Seattle Seahawks stalwart spent nine seasons in the Pacific Northwest. The club finished in the league’s top 10 in run defense in each of the past four years. A hamstring issue hampered Mebane last year, and he was limited to only nine games. After a slow start this past fall, the numbers show he played his best football in the second half of the season.

Now the 31-year-old defender will lend his expertise to a Chargers squad that ranked 27th in the NFL against the run this past year. Flanked by Corey Liuget and rookie Joey Bosa, Mebane will command extra attention and free up his new and talented teammates to create plays.

8. CB Brent Grimes, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Slowly but surely, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been crawling their way back to respectability.

Since finishing with a 10-6 mark in 2010, the team is a dismal 23-57 and has lost 10 or more games four times in five years.

This past year, the Bucs tripled their win total from a 2-14 finish in 2014. The club was in playoff contention with a 6-6 record before dropping its final four contests. Despite ranking 10th in the NFL in total defense, Tampa defenders allowed 43 offensive touchdowns—12 rushing and 31 passing. It marked the fourth time in five years this squad has surrendered 30-plus scores through the air.

Hence why 32-year-old cornerback Brent Grimes was signed by the Buccaneers after being cut loose by the Dolphins earlier this year. In three campaigns in Miami, he picked off 13 passes, half of his career total (26), and was named to the Pro Bowl each season. The move happily reunites the veteran defender with new Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Both were members of the Atlanta Falcons for five seasons together (2008-12), with Smith as the club’s head coach.

“It’s a big deal for me, because I like the system,’’ Grimes said in early March to Roy Cummings, then of the Tampa Tribune. “And one thing I know about Mike Smith is, he’s a great coach as far as everybody on the field knowing where they need to be and knowing what their assignment is, and he pays great attention to detail.”

Knowing what the coach wants to do and having the ability to mentor young cornerbacks such as 25-year-old free-agent pickup Josh Robinson (Minnesota Vikings) and rookie Vernon Hargreaves (the team’s first-round pick in April) make this a win-win for the Buccaneers.

7. DE Chandler Jones, Arizona Cardinals

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You’re never hurting as an organization if you’re able to obtain one of Bill Belichick’s defenders from the New England Patriots.

Especially if the acquisition fills a vital need.

A first-round pick in 2012 from Syracuse University, defensive end Chandler Jones racked up 36 sacks and 10 forced fumbles in regular-season contests with the team that drafted him. He was dealt to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason as part of a trade that included guard Jonathan Cooper making his way to Foxborough.

A first-time Pro Bowler in 2015, Jones led the Pats with 12.5 sacks this past year, and the team finished second in the league with 49 quarterback traps. The Cards totaled only 36 sacks in 2015, nine of those coming in one afternoon against the Green Bay Packers. The team’s sack leader was Dwight Freeney, who remains unsigned.

The Cardinals’ three-man front also includes two-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell and rookie defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, the 29th overall selection in April’s draft. Look for defensive coordinator James Bettcher to maximize the talent of Jones, who saw action at outside linebacker with the Patriots—making him an ideal fit for Arizona’s aggressive 3-4 scheme.

6. FS Reggie Nelson, Oakland Raiders

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In 2014, only the New York Jets totaled fewer takeaways (13) than the Oakland Raiders (14). This past season, the Silver and Black upped that total by forcing 25 turnovers—still a somewhat mediocre total that was topped by 11 teams.

One of those clubs was the Cincinnati Bengals, who employed free safety Reggie Nelson. The nine-year pro, who turns 33 in late September, led the NFL with 10 takeaways (eight interceptions, two fumble recoveries). The first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007 has collected 36 turnovers—picking off 30 passes—in his stay in the league.

He’s suited for what this team needs on the defensive side of the football. He’s an opportunistic playmaker who will help shorten the field for the Oakland offense. He’s lined up nearly everywhere in the secondary in his career, one that began by playing three seasons under current Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio—then the sideline leader with the Jaguars.

5. DT Damon Harrison, New York Giants

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Lost in the reality that was the most generous defense in the NFL in 2015 was the fact that there was plenty of blame to go around.

Yes, the New York Giants gave up the most total yards and most passing yards in the league. Their pass rush managed only 23 sacks—less than half as many as it totaled the previous season (47). Hence why the free-agent additions of defensive end Olivier Vernon and cornerback Janoris Jenkins were wise moves.

But this was a defense that also ranked 24th against the run. A season earlier, only two teams in the league gave up more yards on the ground.

And that’s why you could make the case that defensive tackle Damon Harrison was the Giants’ biggest offseason addition. His ability to clog the middle will frustrate opposing runners. That will put teams into obvious passing situations, and the 27-year-old former undrafted free agent will help free up Vernon and fellow defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

A year ago, only the Rams’ Aaron Donald played the run at his position better than Harrison. After seeing little playing time in his first season with the New York Jets in 2012, he earned high grades for his performance with the club the past three years.

4. ILB Jerrell Freeman, Chicago Bears

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It might be a hard sell when you add an inside linebacker from a team that finished 26th in the NFL in total defense and 25th against the run.

But the numbers speak the truth when it comes to Jerrell Freeman. Per Pro Football Focus, only Carolina Panthers inside linebacker Luke Kuechly earned a higher grade at his position this past season. Freeman finished second on the Indianapolis Colts with 112 stops in 2015, adding three sacks and one interception. The 30-year-old pro knows what Chicago Bears head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio need from him this year.

“Being a three-down linebacker,” Freeman said to John Mullin of CSNChicago, not long after he signed with his new club. “Being able to stay on the field, cover, my understanding and being able to dissect plays, just being a playmaker. Just doing what I've been doing. I guess that's plenty.”

Freeman has racked up 100-plus tackles in three of his four seasons. Add in 12 sacks, four interceptions and 16 passes defensed, along with the confidence and work ethic, and the Bears have added a player who has done his homework.

“My greatest strength is understanding and knowing my job and understanding the defense,” added Freeman, per Mullin. “I'm a big studier. You may not know a lot about (Division III) guys, but we don't get athletic scholarships. We get academic ones.”

A Chicago defense that allowed 120.9 yards per game on the ground this past year is going to look a lot better.

3. CB Sean Smith, Oakland Raiders

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Cornerback Sean Smith has never put up big numbers when it comes to interceptions.

In seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, Smith (who turns 29 on July 14) never picked off more than two passes any year. He has totaled just 10 interceptions during his career, one that has seen him miss only four games over that span. Smith has also knocked down 12 or more passes in five of his seven seasons in the league.

He spent the past three years with the Chiefs, making him familiar with the wide receivers of the AFC West. Now he is the potential headliner in a secondary that includes two other newcomers—free safety Reggie Nelson and 2016 first-round draft choice Karl Joseph, the physical strong safety from West Virginia University.

A 7-9 finish in 2015 was a big improvement from the club’s 3-13 finish the previous season. But Oakland also ranked 26th in the NFL against the pass and gave up just under 25 points per game. Back in March, Pro Football Focus’ John Breitenbach broke down the impact the veteran defensive back would have on the Oakland secondary.

The addition of Smith was a plus for the Silver and Black and, conversely, a big blow to one of the Raiders’ biggest adversaries within the division.

2. ILB Danny Trevathan, Chicago Bears

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Two spots earlier, we mentioned another new Chicago Bears inside linebacker, Jerrell Freeman.

Pro Football Focus ranked Freeman as the second-best player at his position this past season. The 26-year-old Danny Trevathan was sixth on the same list. So what makes former Denver Broncos defender and Super Bowl 50 champion Trevathan a better choice for the team?

It’s as simple as familiarity. His three years with John Fox as his head coach in the Mile High City are immeasurables that can’t be overestimated. Trevathan enjoyed a stellar 2015, and his play in all aspects, most notably against the run, made him an important addition.

Chicago was tied for 22nd in the league in rushing defense this past year. He and Freeman, along with fellow free-agent pickup Akiem Hicks and second-year nose tackle Eddie Goldman, will make the Bears' front seven more formidable.

1. CB Josh Norman, Washington Redskins

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After giving potential free-agent cornerback Josh Norman the franchise tag earlier this year, the defending NFC champions showed off their best spin move.

In April, the Carolina Panthers rescinded the tag and let the 2015 All-Pro hit the open market. In a matter of days, the Washington Redskins secured his services with a five-year, $75 million deal, per Spotrac.

In a recent interview on ESPN 980 Redskins Radio, safety DeAngelo Hall spoke about his new secondary mate.

"

He’s made a lot of plays, but he still has some growing and some learning to do. So just being able to move him and have him cover some No. 2 receivers in this league, he’s going to dominate. He’s going to absolutely dominate. Just signing Josh has just been so great for our defense as a whole, because it just allows us to be that much better (at other positions). It’s almost like having a No. 1 scorer, and then you come in and you bring in another guy who’s a bona fide No. 1 scorer. It just makes us instantly better.

"

Norman is an instant upgrade for a defense that has surrendered 30-plus touchdown passes in three of the past four seasons. He comes off a career year in which he had 56 tackles and a team-high 18 passes defended and totaled six of Carolina’s NFL-best 39 takeaways. Two of his four interceptions were returned for scores, and Norman also forced three fumbles. Washington’s 25th-ranked pass defense has improved by leaps and bounds.

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com. All player ratings courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

All 2016 free-agent and salary-cap information, contract terms and 2016 transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth charts via Ourlads.