Building the Perfect College Football Defense for 2018

Defense wins championships. And if we could piece together the best possible unit in college football, an offense might not even be needed.

That strength must start up front, with dominant interior players controlling the line of scrimmage. When complemented with disruptive pass-rushers, there's no need to bring extra pressure.

Still, the linebackers excel against both the run and pass. This front seven is loaded with household names, many of whom will likely be selected early in future NFL drafts. The secondary isn't as recognizable, but the defensive backs are as reliable as they come.

We've engineered a ruthless defense, one that perfectly fits together at every position of a 3-4 base and nickel alignment.

Interior Linemen

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Ed Oliver, Houston

The spotlight didn't shine on Oliver so brightly in 2017, but he was dominant. In two seasons with Houston, the defensive tackle has amassed 138 tackles with 38.5 stops for loss and 10.5 sacks. Oliver has also recorded 14 hurries, 12 pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

Dexter Lawrence, Clemson

Without question, Christian Wilkins deserves a place here, too. But we're going to pick his teammate, the 6'5", 340-pound Lawrence, because of the attention he commands up front. Using two linemen on the run-stuffer would decrease the available blockers for Oliver and our premier edge-rushers.

Edge-Rushers

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DE: Nick Bosa, Ohio State

After rotating as a freshman, Bosa spent his sophomore campaign in the backfield. According to Pro Football Focus, he racked up 65 total pressures last season. Bosa tallied 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. His polished combination of quickness, strength and technique will make an elite NFL defender—just like his brother.

EDGE: Clelin Ferrell, Clemson

While the other three linemen will beat blockers with strength, Ferrell is impressive winning with his burst. He's exceptionally quick off the line of scrimmage, and that speed has helped him record 30.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks in two years.

Linebackers

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OLB: Joe Giles-Harris, Duke

A semifinalist for the Bednarik Award last season, Giles-Harris finished the campaign ranked 16th nationally with 125 tackles. The then-sophomore collected 16 stops in the backfield—3.5 of which were sacks. He chipped in four pass breakups and an interception.

As a bonus, Giles-Harris and Devin Bush Jr. (listed below) would be interchangeable at their positions.

ILB: Devin Bush Jr., Michigan

This position is absolutely stacked. Khalil Hodge (Buffalo), Joe Dineen Jr. (Kansas), Devin White (LSU) and Dakota Allen (Texas Tech) are all excellent players worthy of a mention.

But we're giving the nod to Bush, who burst into Michigan's starting lineup in 2017 and showcased outstanding sideline-to-sideline speed. He gathered 95 tackles, including 10 for loss and 5.5 sacks, and Bush broke up eight passes and intercepted one.

ILB: T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin

Consistent, versatile and reliable: That's T.J. Edwards.

In three seasons with the Badgers, he's registered 84, 89 and 81 tackles. Additionally, Edwards has notched 26 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 13 pass breakups and seven interceptions. He allowed a 38.4 passer rating in 2017, per PFF.

Cornerbacks

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Deandre Baker, Georgia

Throwing at Deandre Baker is a big mistake nearly every time. As a junior, he posted three interceptions and nine pass breakups. Plus, per CFB Film Room, quarterbacks targeted Baker 34 times and he ceded only nine receptions the entire season.

Andraez Williams, LSU

In his freshman year, Andraez "Greedy" Williams backed up his nickname in a major way. He picked off six passes and interfered with 11 more. According to CFB Film Room, he surrendered just 20 completions, 299 yards and one touchdown on 58 targets.

Byron Murphy, Washington

Although he only logged only six appearances last season due to a broken foot, Byron Murphy and Jordan Miller formed a dominant combination. Murphy broke up seven passes and snagged three interceptions in his limited playing time.

Safeties

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Jaquan Johnson, Miami

With lockdown corners at each position, the safeties should be exactly that: a safety net. And that's Jaquan Johnson's specialty.

In 2017, he displayed impressive open-field tackling ability by tallying 54 solo stops en route to a team-best 96. Johnson added some playmaking skills with four interceptions—one returned for a touchdown—and three forced fumbles on the nation's No. 12 defense.

Andrew Wingard, Wyoming

Early in his career, Wingard made his largest impact as a run-stopping safety. He became a more complete player as a junior. Wingard topped the 100-tackle mark for the third straight season, pulled in five interceptions and broke  up three passes.

Between the two rising seniors, there would be few missed tackles and a whole bunch of proper positioning.

Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.