Nick Bosa, EDGE, 49ers (6-4, 266 pounds). Weight Lbs 254lbs. 2022 marked the start of a new era for the Jaguars in a lot of ways: new head coach, new No. Rashan Gary, EDGE, Packers (6-5, 277 pounds). He led the NFL with 92 pressures in 2021, 15 more than Aaron Donald (who finished with 77). Who are the most impactful tight ends in the NFL right now? Cameron Jordan : 2 tackles, a sack & a forced fumbleDavid Onyemata : No tackles & a fumble recovery pic.twitter.com/Ypjpco3Y5R. Copyright 2023 FanRankings. the illegal contact rule was introduced in 1978. He's right there with his older brother Joey given his disruptive skills. Day 1 was favorable to running backs Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs who heard their names the first 12 picks, and wide receivers wound up having to wait a bit longer than they have in previous drafts. Dealt from Chicago to Baltimore, Roquan Smith was one of the biggest names to change teams before the NFL trade deadline. The weekend portion of NFL Super Wild Card Weekend was exactly that: SUPER. With NFL+, stay connected throughout the rest of the NFL offseason with special content from Training Camp, Hall of Fame, and more! Should Dan dial it back on snaps on some of the vets for guys like Bryant to play more? 2021 stats: 5 interceptions, sack, 50 total tackles, 16 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 24. Rattling off a career-high 16 sacks and 51 combined tackles in 2021, Garrett is proving himself to be a force on the defensive end. Garrett is one of only four players to have at least 58 sacks and 11 forced fumbles since 2017 (Aaron Donald, T.J. Watt, and Chandler Jones are the others). Ranking the NFL's most indispensable defensive players for 2022 from 1-25, Bills look Super Bowl-serious at top; 49ers, Broncos, Eagles on the rise. The ex-LSU star will bring the kind of sizzle, swagger and experience that can help this defense win big. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. In 35 career games, he's compiled 24.5 sacks, including 15.5 in 2021, good for fourth in the NFL. Arguably the best nose tackle in the league, Clark deserves every cent what the Packers are paying him. Donald has 98 sacks in his career, the most for a defensive tackle after his first eight seasons in NFL history (and fourth-most by any player). Photo: All Pro Reels / flickr / CC-BY-SA 2.0. It is hard to look past Myles Garrett as the best defensive end in all of the NFL. ), The Bengals run defense has struggled without D.J. Who SHOULD go No. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs (6-6, 310 pounds). Miller has at least one more big season left in him with good potential for double-digit sacks for the first time since 2018. Some might call it a football version of WAR. Which NFL D-LInemen do you love? He completed 60.9% of his passes which has drawn criticism from NFL Draft So Who's going to win Super Bowl LVII? Jordan continues to be one of the most consistent pass rushers in the league, playing at a high level into his 30s. The veteran David and rising youngster Devin White (fourth in tackles over the past two seasons) form a dynamic linebacking duo. Who is this year's George Pickens? Jordan, who the Saints drafted out of California during the 2011 NFL Draft, posted his sixth NFL season with at least double-digit sacks after finishing the 2021 NFL schedule with 12.5 total sacks. A group that is led by Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, Von Miller of the Buffalo Bills and Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers. Cameron Heyward, DT, Steelers (6-5, 295 pounds). See where he lands in the Next Gen Stats analytics team's ranking of the top 10 slot receivers right now. Khalil Mack, EDGE, Chargers (6-3, 267 pounds). Who are the best defensive linemen of 2022? Since Vea was drafted in 2018, only the New Orleans Saints have had a more efficient run defense by expected points added per play than the Buccaneers. Marshon Lattimore is a play-making corner -- he leads the NFL in passes defensed (74) since the Saints made him a first-round pick in 2017. Unfortunately, horrible injury luck struck the organization once again when Joey Bosa hurt his groin in Week 3 and was placed on injured reserve. This led to another First Team All-Pro selection. Flowers, who was drafted by the New England Patriots during the 2015 NFL draft, joined the Lions after the 2018 NFL season. 2021 stats: 12.5 sacks, 59 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits, 6 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles. There have only been three games where a defense did not blitz in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016), and all three have been the Bills under Sean McDermott: Week 6, 2020 vs KC Week 5, 2021 vs KC Week 1, 2022 vs LAR#BillsMafia. Von Miller's last sack as a Ram pic.twitter.com/NlrWbvFuE0. Hendrickson and T.J. Watt are the only two players in the league with at least 13 sacks in each of the last two years. With NFL+, stay connected throughout the rest of the NFL offseason with special content from Training Camp, Hall of Fame, and more! Ultimately, the 2022 season will really determine whether Bates drops off the NFL top 100 players list or moves up. Not only did Bosa lead all edge defenders in forced fumbles, he's one of only three defensive linemen with 10 sacks and five forced fumbles last year (T.J. Watt and Chandler Jones are the others). 1 on this list heading into 2022. As Von Miller gets set to move on with a fresh start for the Buffalo Bills, it is hard to look past how good the Texas A&M alum is on the field. Injuries have been an issue for Jones over the years, yet he's still third among all defensive tackles in sacks (32) and second in quarterback hits (94). They needed a veteran to boost the youth up front ahead of a strong back seven. It took a while for the Packers to understand where to best deploy Gary in their front seven. Only White (nine), Bruce Smith (seven) and Kevin Greene (six) have more 13-plus sack seasons than Watt -- whose four 13-plus sacks in his first five seasons are tied with White for the most in NFL history. His 67 pressures were sixth in the NFL and his 39 run stops were tied for fifth. The Eagles have been thriving on pass defense, allowing only 179.6 passing yards per game (best). The only defensive tackle with 30 quarterback hits in 2021, Allen finished with 62 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 64 pressures. So, who are the top dogs at the position in the early goings of the 2022 season? Clark, who finished last season appearing in 14 games, posted 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Eight years, 76.5 total sacks later, Khalil Mack continues to dominate on the defensive side of the football. 2 overall pick Chase Young, who's still working back from last season's torn ACL, this defensive front has generated the second-highest pressure rate with a four-man rush in 2022 (34.5 percent). He also excels at tackling and making big plays on the ball when teams decide to test him too much. Corner Jaire Alexander, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, is a rock star -- and he's paid like it. Vea needed a few seasons to get into the maximum shape with his massive frame, but he's now at the level of an elite run-stuffing linchpin with some scary inside pass-rush pop, too. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Like Allen in New Orleans, Todd Bowles was elevated to head coach this offseason after a strong run as the team's defensive coordinator (three straight top-15 finishes). The free agency frenzy is largely in the rearview, but we're hurtling toward the next major event in roster reconstruction. Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns (6-4, 272 pounds) There's a massive Thanks to hybrid defensive fronts and many players possessing the ability to move from the edge to the interior, the league has its most versatile group of defensive linemen in some time. It would be nice if the Falcons gave him more playmaking help in Dean Pees' system. There's a reason the Bills splurged on a 33-year-old Miller coming off a healthy second half run with the Rams that powered that team to a Super Bowl playing off Donald and Ramsey. His 58.5 career sacks were the second most (J.J. Watt, 61) by an active player in his first 68 career games and the fourth most in NFL history, trailing only Thomas (60), Watt (61) and White (77). Jackson is a natural ballhawk and might be the addition needed to allow the other Los Angeles team to make a Super Bowl run. Not only was Simmons excellent at getting to the quarterback, but his 40 run stops were fifth in the league. Adam Schein reveals the biggest winners and losers from the penultimate Sunday of the 2022 NFL regular season. The ex-Cowboy should help provide room for Bradley Chubb, who was held to zero sacks and limited to seven games last season, to reestablish himself as a top-end pass-rushing threat. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Miller finished with 50 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and a forced fumble in the regular season -- along with 55 pressures and 47 hurries (seventh in NFL). Yet he continues to be productive at his position, as his 43 hurries are sixth among all defensive tackles. Getting pressure with four pass rushers has long been the Eagles' defensive identity, and the start of the 2022 season has been no exception. And the tough D-line was boosted by the addition of D.J. It's tough to ignore how good Quinn was in 2021, a bounce-back season for one of the underrated pass rushers of the last decade. I remain enamored with the talent up front; former first-rounder Gregory Rousseau is coming of a four-sack debut season, while Ed Oliver put up a career-best 10 tackles for loss and 14 QB hits in '21. Hendrickson recorded 3.5 sacks in four games including sacks against Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. His 16.6% pressure rate was also the highest among defensive linemen in the league. Crosby didn't have the sack totals (eight) to back up his pressure rate, but he did finish fourth in quarterback hits (30) and was third among edge defenders in run stops (41). Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon (Junior) Thibodeaux is that type of uber-athlete who pops from the first play on tape to the last. Is the Jaguars' decision to make a big investment in Christian Kirk paying off so far? Tampa Bay has allowed the fewest rushing yards (82.5 per game), fewest yards per carry average (3.72), and fewest rushing touchdowns (32) over the last three years -- a stretch when Vea played 37 games (all starts). at Emerging as one of the best pass-rushing tackles in the league, Hargrave notched career-highs in pressures (58), quarterback hits (18), tackles for loss (nine), and sacks (7.5) in earning his first Pro Bowl selection. There were other Bucs who could have made this list, including Devin White and Antoine Winfield Jr., but the beefy Vea gets the nod as the devastating table-setter for Todd Bowles' front. What Watt has been able to accomplish in his first five seasons has been historic, as his 150 quarterback hits over his first 77 games trail only his brother J.J. Watt for the most in league history. Watt's 0.94 sacks-per-game average is the highest in league history, as he and Reggie White are the only players to have 13-plus sacks in four consecutive seasons (has 72 sacks in 77 career games). He's kept that up minus Hendrickson with help form Marcus Davenport. How good has Garrett been since he entered the league? The word elite doesn't do Aaron Donald justice at this point. Yes, please -- and thank you! Here are the top edge defenders in the 2022 NFL Draft. Hargrave also had 32 run stops on the year despite his struggles in run defense. He's just the fifth player to lead the league in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hits in a season -- joiningDeMarcus Ware, J.J. Watt,Chandler Jones, andAaron Donald. The Chiefs star forces double teams from the start of the game to the end allowing other members of the defense to get free shots at the quarterback. While Cincinnati currently ranks fourth in the NFL by allowing -46 rushing yards over expected this season, Reader leads the team with a 6.8 percent run stuff rate (min. There's a massive burden on the two-time first-team All-Pro to fire up all levels of Cleveland's defense with the big offensive questions looming, none bigger than Deshaun Watson's availability. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Manage Settings (Larry Ogunjobi signed with the Steelers in June. Aaron Donald is the best defensive player who has ever walked the face of the Earth. Alexander will be returning alongside 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes, who tied for most passes defensed (14) by a rookie last season. Garrett, who lands at number one on the Top 10 NFL Defensive Ends 2021-22 rankings list, also leads all edge players in the NFL according to PFF based on his 2021 NFL performance. When you think of a defensive end, you think of a dynamic freak athlete with excellent size, speed and strength forcing havoc on opposing backfields. As the NFL transitions to a more of passing game, it's become important for D-linemen to excel in the pash rush. Philadelphia ranks seventh in the NFL with 20.2 points allowed per contest on the defensive side of the ball. 2021 stats: 10.5 sacks, 51 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 20 QB hits, 7 forced fumbles, 13. Also excellent against the run, Heyward finished second among interior linemen with 46 run stops and finished with an incredible 3.7% missed tackle rate (which is excellent for any lineman). WebFind NFL Defensive Player stats for weekly and season totals including, tackles, sacks, INTs, forced fumbles, TDs, and more, on LINEUPS. 49 votes. WebThe Eagles' defense has been paving the way for the team, as they rank second-best in the NFL with 301.4 total yards ceded per game. Forty Time Secs 4.58. OK, so the 1985 Chicago Bears are not walking through that door. Quinn is one of eight active players with 100 career sacks (101), reaching double-digit sack totals five times. A number of potentially transformative quarterbacks are available via free agency, draft or trade. He also has the most sacks by any No. 1 overall pick has emerged as an all-around pass-rushing and run-stopping force. Simmons is one of the more underrated players in football, as his dominance in the interior isn't as noticed as it should be. 2021 stats: 137 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, half-sack, 4 passes defended, forced fumble, 21. Whenever Kansas City has a healthy doing disruptive damage in the middle of its front, it becomes a more active playmaking team behind him, too. 2021 stats: 4 interceptions, 77 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, QB hit, 16 passes defended, forced fumble, 5. EDGE Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints. Taylor is considered the greatest defensive player ever, and he's arguably the greatest outside linebacker in NFL history. Even without former No. There's no question who's No. The Giants are back in the playoffs! Only Bobby Wagner has more tackles than Lavonte David (1,220) since David entered the league in 2012. While Micah Parsons is the unquestioned face of this Cowboys defense, he's simply one out of many Dallas pass rushers enjoying success early this season. Look for Mack to have a bounce back season during the upcoming 2022 NFL schedule. His 49.5 sacks since 2016 trail only Donald amongst defensive tackles. I agree to receive the "With The First Pick Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Derwin James, S, Chargers (6-2, 215 pounds). Consistency is the name of the game for the Jets up front, as they've proven equally effective against both the pass and rush. Miller, who was a key member of the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl run, finished last season with 9.5 sacks while also adding four sacks within the playoffs (2 in Super Bowl LVI). The defensive front is loaded with talent, allowing the Niners to play sound zone coverage without sacrificing their ability to get after the QB (SEE: league-high 35.0 percent pressure rate on four-man rushes). Mack, who spent his first four seasons with the Oakland Raiders before joining the Chicago Bears, has been ranked as one of the highest edge players year in and year out by PFF. He completed 60.9% of his passes which has drawn criticism from NFL Draft pundits. However, with the loss of D.J. He also had two forced fumbles and 13 tackles for loss. The Cowboys are one of two teams (along with the Eagles) with at least five players owning eight-plus QB pressures (Parsons, Dorance Armstrong, Demarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler Jr. and Osa Odighizuwa). There's more athletic defensive linemen - ends and edge rushers- these days than ever such as Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and Robert Quinn. Which NFL D-LInemen do you love? Which game is featured at the top of NGS's unlikeliest victory rankings? Kancey is a polarizing prospect due to his size: at just 61, 281, Kancey is well below typical size thresholds for the NFL. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year deserves to be No. Buckner finished with seven sacks, 18 quarterback hits and 41 pressures last season. Defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers Nick Bosa has the comeback season of a lifetime during the 2021 campaign. His 22 pressures trailed onlyAaron Donald(23) and his 16 hurries led all NFL defenders, a critical part in the Rams winning a championship. Micah Parsons was a real Defensive Player of the Year candidate last season as a rookie thanks in large part to his pass-rushing prowess. The defensive backfield is special. Quarterback-needy teams, youre in luck: This is one heck of a quarterback class, with five signal-callers making the top 50. He averaged 1.5 sacks per game and finished with 12.5 sacks in the second half and overtime -- which also led the league. Entering his sixth season in the NFL, defensive end Myles Garrett has drastically improved every single season in the league. Using a combination of power, strength, and brute force, NFL defensive linemen punish elite offenses so the NFL's best defenses can get turnovers and claim glory. Garrett is a top-two edge defender in the league and could remain among the league's best for the next several years. Bosa has been one of the most dominant edge rushers in recent seasons, posting three consecutive 90.0-plus PFF pass-rushing grades. College Junior Oregon. What many don't look at, is the film. A massive force on the interior, Vea played a huge role in the Buccaneers finishing with the third-ranked run defense and allowing the fifth-fewest rushing touchdowns in 2021. Adam Schein provides his nine favorite landing spots for the Pro Bowl cornerback. He sets the tone for Cincinnati's well-rounded defense with his sturdy and often explosive pass rush. Players can see the top 10 defensive linemen in Madden 23 below and the rest of the ratings on EA's website. At 33, Jordan has developed a sneaky firm case for the Hall of Fame as the leader of New Orleans' front. Linebacker Demario Davis is a great leader and tackler. He also finished with 55 pressures and had a pressure rate of 11% for the third time in four years. Truthfully, though, it's the run defense that has the Jaguars ranked sixth on this list. He's is one of just five players with multiple seasons of 18-plus sacks (the NFL started recording sacks as an official stat in 1982). The Chiefs have extended him at times to the edge, but he's best anchoring the inside next to Frank Clark. Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings. Fresh off the NFL's Divisional Round, Adam Schein separates fact from fiction. The Super Bowl LVII matchup is set, but Chiefs-Eagles isn't the only pressing NFL matter. Heyward is the other excellent defensive lineman on the Steelers roster (yes there are two of them), turning another dominant season into his third First Team All-Pro selection in five years. 2021 stats: 12.5 sacks, 84 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 25 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, 2. 2021 stats: 118 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 22. He leads all interior linemen in tackles for loss (59) and is third in quarterback hits (99). The Next Gen Stats analytics team's top-10 ranking spotlights familiar names, breakout studs and instant-impact rookies. Who was second in the NFL to T.J. Watt in sacks? But Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry have picked up the slack, generating 13 pressures apiece so far this season. He joined Watt in being active with his hands vs. the pass, too. Terrell is another unheralded secondary stud as he's put it all together quickly with his size, speed and Clemson coverage pedigree. If the sack and pressure numbers go up, Wilkens will be in the conversation among the league's best. 1. In addition, Flowers has a knack to punch the ball out of both running backs and quarterbacks hands, recording 10 forced fumbles since 2016. 2021 stats: 8 sacks, 56 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 30 QB hits, 7 passes defended, NFL POWER RANKINGS: Bills look Super Bowl-serious at top; 49ers, Broncos, Eagles on the rise, 8. There are a lot of great NFL defensive linemen right now, such as Aaron Donald, J.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Chris Jones. Miller showcased 2021 stats: 10 sacks, 89 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, 9 passes defended, forced fumble, 9. Safety Justin Simmons has been a prolifically productive defensive back, piling up 331 tackles over the past four seasons, behind only Cincinnati's Jessie Bates in that span. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/draft2023/insider/story/_/id/36296827 One of the better run-stopping defensive tackles in the game, Wilkins' 43 run stops were tied for third in the NFL among interior linemen. His tackling needs some work, but Simmons is on his way to becoming one of the top interior linemen in the league. Look for Clowney to continue to form a dynamic duo with fellow top defensive end Myles Garrett in 2022 after resigning with the Browns. He's building a Hall of Fame resume as one of best edge defenders of his era. Fan Rankings is a registered trademark of Fan Rankings LLC. That would be Quinn, whose 18.5 sacks set a franchise record for sacks in a season. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Finishing with his fourth Pro Bowl appearance in five years (third consecutive), Bosa finished with 10.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, 61 pressures and seven forced fumbles -- more than he had in his first five seasons in the league. HONORABLE MENTION: Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns. Also where Nick Bosa, Khalil Mack, and more rank By Fan The 49ers have ranked in the top 10 in rushing yards allowed per game in each of the last three consecutive seasons. At 26 years old, Garrett is still squarely in his prime. 2021 stats: 3 interceptions, 16 passes defended, 81 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, sack, forced fumble, 18. This iteration of San Francisco's defense has playmakers at every level of the field, but the foundation is built in the trenches. This ranking may be low for Barrett, who finished with 65 pressures (seventh in NFL), 10 sacks (tied for 15th), three forced fumbles, and 22 quarterback hits last year. Mack is 31 and coming off a final injury-marred season in Chicago. Which matchup NEEDS to kick off the 2023 season? Best remaining NFL free agents at each position, Latest NFL OROY, DROY odds: Bijan Robinson favored, Eagles draft recap: What they definitely got right, NFL schedule release target date, plus 5 things we know, Ex-NFL GM's best picks, hidden gems in 2023 NFL Draft, Ranking NFL's top defensive linemen of 2022, Prisco's draft grades for all 32 teams: Eagles ace it, Best, worst, most interesting pick for all, Winners, losers from the draft: Crafty Colts, Undrafted free agent tracker: Team-by-team list of signings, 10 veteran moves that should happen post-2023 draft, Report: Bucs star Barrett's daughter, 2, drowns in pool, Steelers' draft haul one the team hadn't seen in 38 years. Reader on the field over the last two seasons, allowing 0.6 more yards before contact per carry.Reader has generated 10 defensive stops this season, tied for the 2nd-most among IDL.#RuleTheJungle https://t.co/KAh89pVvJl pic.twitter.com/gSfIgxKgoh. 2022 NFL season: Eleven one-year contracts that will pay off, Chargers safety Derwin James signs four-year, $76.5 million extension, Three keys to Eagles meeting lofty expectations; why Ravens' historic preseason win streak matters. Let's take a look 1. Not only did he finish fifth in the NFL in sacks with 14, but he also tallied 70 pressures with 27 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles while earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. He is a top-two edge defender in the league and could remain among the league's best for the next several years. There's no denying Heyward is one of the elite interior linemen in the game. If Miller is healthy, he's a force to be reckoned with every week. The Packers traded away Davante Adams, one of the best receivers in the game today, this offseason. The metric and overall scores draw from each unit's performance in Weeks 1-4. Here are my top defenses heading into the 2022 NFL season, Schein Nine-style: Nick Bosa, who received my vote for first-team All-Pro last season, is a beast. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Adam Schein ranks the nine most likely teams to lift the Lombardi Trophy, with neither the Eagles nor the Chiefs cracking the top three! Where does Jets rookie Sauce Gardner land? NOTE: Defensive line percentiles are based on components measuring each team's pass rush AND run defense. Bosa and Mack, who have both averaged over nine sacks per season in their NFL careers, are one of the most formidable pass-rushing tandems in the league, while Jackson (22 picks over the past three seasons) is the play-making corner this team has craved. Tennessee's front has been especially successful in getting after quarterbacks before they are able to go through their progressions, with 15 pressures within three seconds of the snap on non-blitzes this season (tied for second-most in NFL).
