still being in place as the starters at defensive end. In a year that makes no sense, few things will rival the madness of the Chicago Bears, while missing their entire starting secondary, holding. Things arent getting any better with Watt no longer in town. Lawson should provide much-needed pass-rushing ability off the edge. highest PFF pass-rushing grade (69.9) since 2018, 111.8 passer rating (Shaquill Griffin) and a 90.3 passer rating (Tyson Campbell), notching 45 pressures and an 80.8 overall PFF grade. has seemingly gone from being overrated to underrated in the span of a few seasons. Chaisson came on stronger down the stretch last season but recorded just a 9.2% pressure rate overall. Continue this thread. The AFC's No. He has above-average PFF grades across the board and a 75.2 overall mark, and his stat line in coverage includes an interception and four pass breakups. PFF Ranking: Unranked. Los Angeles will have to replace Michael Brockers, whose 5,658 regular-season snaps since joining the Rams in 2012 rank ninth among all players at the position. The folks at Pro Football Focus grade every player on every play, but PFF also scores the teams as a whole on different metrics as well. The Browns are struggling to deal with the loss of key players to injury or the COVID-19 list, and that has certainly had an impact on their defense. A team can lean more on the blitz when its starting cornerbacks are Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. Seattle has made several additions to help alleviate those issues, starting with trading for, this offseason. That includes key players along the defensive front in Shaquil Barrett and Ndamukong Suh. Clowneys presence should keep teams from focusing all of their attention on Myles Garrett, creating more one-on-one opportunities for both players. Bengals defensive line. Cleveland ranked No. The team plays some variant of Cover 1 or Cover 3 on 59% of its snaps, and opponents are too easily attacking that. 9. They did not make any upgrades across the defensive line. While Dallas' edge group features some promise, the team needs several interior players to take big steps forward. A lot of weight will fall on the shoulders of second-round pick, was everything Indianapolis hoped he would be last season. EDGE 1: 19.1% of overall score. The offensive line is expected to be one of the Detroit Lions' strengths in 2021, and Pro Football Focus sees it that way too. It should be a much-improved unit heading into next season. The defensive line is no exception, with the Panthers expected to start. A game against Cincinnatis high-flying offense this week may propel them even further up the rankings. Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 defensive lines heading into the 2021 NFL season and Philadelphia dropped three spots from last summer, coming in at No. PDEF - Passes Defended . Youth is the theme across Carolinas defense. Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) celebrates a sack of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) with teammates Cameron Heyward (97) and Stephon Tuitt (91) during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Ravens (8-9, No. All of a sudden, the Cardinals are struggling to stop the run, allowing 4.5 yards per carry on average and the worst yards, contact per carry figure in the NFL. No defense has forced more turnovers than Dallas. He finished with 18.5 sacks and was one of the few bright spots for the Bears in 2021. The Steelers defense is no longer Blitzburgh, nor is it the best in the league at generating pressure. Even with Miller at a level or two below his peak, Denver has a lot of talent up front. The questions for Arizona arise on the interior, where Watt should see more time than he has in the past few seasons with Houston. New York proceeded to add Sheldon Rankins, Vinny Curry and Carl Lawson to the group in free agency, placing an emphasis on improving the unit. The recent addition of Sheldon Richardson also gives them a more viable pass-rushing threat on the interior than either Pierce or Tomlinson. There isnt a member of the unit with an overall PFF grade this season over 77.0, and just one full-time starter is even above 70.0. The Patriots are coming off consecutive losses in which their opposition put up some points, but even in those games, the defense wasnt overwhelmed as much as it failed to make stops in key situations. Bryce Hall has been in a tough situation in the secondary but has acquitted himself relatively well, and he may have earned himself a role in the future. are tremendous individual talents. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES . Cornerback, The Lions certainly play hard for head coach Dan Campbell, but they dont necessarily play well, especially on defense. AP Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt. But they did have several promising seasons from young defensive linemen, namely. The biggest issue for the Raiders, though, is that their pass defense has nose-dived, with the team allowing a 107.1 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks. Follow all of your favorite Pennsylvania teams at Eagles Wire, Sixers Wire, Nittany Lions Wireand Steelers Wire! He earned a career-high 89.6 overall grade in 2020 and was the sixth-most valuable interior defender in the league, according to, and several players yet to produce at a high level in starting roles (. Defense . AP Offensive Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp. The quarterbacks during the Dolphins 7 game win streak???? The team now has a pressure rate of just 20.2%, by far the lowest mark in the NFL. However, their 2021 contributions may be limited due to Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison still being in place as the starters at defensive end. Bosas rate was even higher last season (23.5%) than his career average. They are giving up the highest passer rating to opposing quarterbacks (113.6) and the highest rate of explosive passing plays (18.4%), and they allow both scoring drives and touchdown drives at the highest rate in the NFL. Only the Cowboys are forcing turnovers at a greater rate than the Colts this season, and that has been able to make up for some weaknesses in personnel on defense. NFL . Cornerback Tavierre Thomas is the only defensive back to see significant playing time this season with even an average grade, and he has been impressive, allowing just a 44.1 passer ratingwhen targeted. While we at PFF have made the argument that coverage is more valuable than pass rush, elite pass rushers are more reliable from year to year than elite coverage defenders. This time last year, they were leading the league in pressure rate and threatening all-time marks for how often they were putting opposing quarterbacks under duress. 2022 Basic Defensive Line Stats. The unit loses Roy Robertson-Harris and Brent Urban heading into 2021 but returns nose tackle Eddie Goldman from an opt-out. The Falcons will be eager to see better seasons from both Fowler and a healthy Marlon Davidson in his second season after he earned a 58.1 grade on just over 100 snaps as a rookie. Poona Ford could receive more time there in 2021. There is no team worse at rushing the passer this season than the Falcons. The Jaguars' defense cant stop the pass well enough, and the problems originate in the secondary. However, the Rams still have to replace all three of their next best line pass rushers opposite of Donald from 2020: Brockers (Lions), Morgan Fox . Baltimore enjoyed incredible depth in the secondary heading into the year and yet is still down to players who are being called up to the active roster during the same week to cover top NFL receivers. Philadelphias defensive line has consistently been one of the NFL's best at generating pressure without blitzing. And any resemblance this unit bears to the famed Legion of Boom is purely aesthetic. Clearly, this is not where a team paying two defensive linemen north of $20 million would like to be ranked. But Green Bay's surrounding pieces keep this unit from ranking inside the top 10. did raise his overall grade from 55.8 as a rookie to 68.1 last season, though. The team still has major personnel problems both at pass-rusher without, Few teams have been dealt as rough a hand as the Ravens when it comes to injuries. Losing. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. He earned PFF grades of at least 85.0 in each of his final two college seasons and could earn a more prominent role on Clevelands defensive line in 2021. 32. He is arguably the front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year, and he is now more of a one-man band compared to earlier in the year. With MVP front-runner Patrick Mahomes under center in K.C., I have zero concerns about the Chiefs' offense. NFL . Only the, There is no team worse at rushing the passer this season than the Falcons. The attention he commands frees up other players to enjoy career years, as Dante Fowler Jr. and Leonard Floyd can attest. Pittsburgh Steelers. 2022 NFL Defensive Linemen Rankings. Thats to be expected after the team traded away one of the NFL's best interior defenders (, for all but 80 combined defensive snaps in 2020 because of injury. 1. Ranking all 32 NFL defensive line units ahead of the 2021 season | PFF. Across the past five seasons, Clowney ranks in the 86th percentile at the position in pass-rushing grade and in the 97th percentile in run-defense grade. The defensive line is no exception, with the Panthers expected to start Brian Burns, Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos next season. The Raiders no longer lead the league in pressure rate. NFL Week 18 - The Dallas Cowboys finish the 2021 season on top of the Football Outsiders DVOA ratings, with a bit of an extra boost from a bunch of Philadelphia backups.The Cowboys had their best single game of the year on Sunday, putting up 96.0% DVOA with a 51-26 win over the Eagles. But does it matter when they boast the single most disruptive force in the NFL? Hargrave ranks in the 91st percentile of qualifying interior defenders in pass-rushing grade since 2019. Perhaps rookie safety Trevon Moehrig will buck the trend, but so far Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden are churning out busts. Part of the reason Buffalo ranks merely in the middle of the pack here is that. They include starting quarterbacks and backups who filled in for QBs dealing with injuries at the end . The biggest issues have come in coverage, where the Lions have allowed a 17.3% explosive pass rate, 30th in the NFL. New England invested heavily in improving that group this offseason, adding. But the worst pick they made - and my vote for the stone-cold worst selection on Day 2 . The Seattle Seahawks fall in the middle of the pack, ranking 14th on the list . pairing has been at the core of the unit for nearly a decade, but. . The next highest were the Green Bay Packers (79.9) and the Washington Football Team (76.6). Mike Tannenbaum's QB rankings Rankings are updated through the end of the 2021 regular season. It was a unit that played both the run and pass at an elite level in 2020. The back half of the season has not gone well for Carolina, but at least the defense remains a formidable unit. (30.2), to take big steps forward if their defensive line is to be anything other than the NFL's worst such unit again next season. Thats to be expected after the team traded away one of the NFL's best interior defenders (DeForest Buckner) and was without Nick Bosa and Dee Ford for all but 80 combined defensive snaps in 2020 because of injury. The Buffalo Bills remain on top, but their division rival New England Patriots are right behind them, with the Miami Dolphins ' improvement . Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports. . That group will look to match a league-leading 45.1% pressure rate in 2020. The Packers' defense has struggled in recent weeks against some impressive offenses and some not-so-impressive offenses. All three ranked in the 83rd percentile or better at the position in run-defense grade last season. Part of the reason Buffalo ranks merely in the middle of the pack here is that Ed Oliver hasn't produced to the level the Bills expected when they selected him in the top 10 of the 2019 NFL Draft. Allen and Sweat, in particular, took clear steps forward last season. Trent Williams showed no rust after missing 2019 and finished with the highest grade among . The Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham pairing has been at the core of the unit for nearly a decade, but Javon Hargraves addition in free agency last offseason gives Philadelphia another player on the interior who offenses must contend with on passing downs. No edge defender graded higher as a pass rusher on true pass-rushing snaps than him in 2020. departure wouldnt have represented a major loss. 1 seed in the NFC, is that they are still expecting legitimate reinforcements in the form of. The Seahawks inability to generate pressure with their defensive line last season, especially early in the year, became a national storyline. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports. There are a lot of teams particularly excited about this offensive tackle class, and rightfully so. One of the best seasons of Darius Slays career has helped propel Philadelphia up the rankings, among other standouts. Houston Texans. Bosa is responsible for 62 pressures, yet he and Derwin James are the only Chargers defenders with 70.0-plus overall PFF grades for the season. Houstons defensive line ranked dead last in overall PFF grade as a unit (47.0) in 2020. , giving him one of the most lopsided pressure-to-sack rates of any player in the league. Whether the unit misses a beat in 2021 relies on Marcus Davenports health, which has been the opposite of reliable for much of his NFL career. The 163rd overall player on the PFF big board, this is a bit of a reach for the Lions, but Martin is a big player who can fill a role in the middle of their defensive line at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds. He recorded a career-high 85.4 PFF grade back in 2019 with Houston before injuries cut his 2020 Cincinnati debut short after just five games. Trey Hendrickson will likely be a downgrade from Carl Lawson, considering what he accomplished as a pass rusher last season. New Orleans has allowed a touchdown drive at the lowest rate in the NFL this season (16.6%) and has shown impressive depth despite injuries and COVID-19 leaving the team without key players. The Colts have been a turnover machine for much of the season, with linebacker Darius Leonard, in particular, perfecting the peanut-punch method of tackling and punching the ball out at the same time. Whether the unit misses a beat in 2021 relies on. But that's a big ask, as he's 32 years old. PFF brings you data-driven NFL rankings, stats, and player grades for every team and player in the National Football League. Johnathan Hankins, Quinton Jefferson and Solomon Thomas as the top three options on the defensive tackle depth chart form one of the weaker interior groups in the league following Maurice Hursts release. this season. , elite pass rushers are more reliable from year to year than elite coverage defenders. The Browns are struggling to deal with the loss of key players to injury or the COVID-19 list, and that has certainly had an impact on their defense. The team had few players who could create consistent true pressure while fielding one of the worst defenses in the league against the run. Readers return should give Cincinnati a major boost on the interior, though. The Vikings' defensive line ended up as one of the NFL's worst in 2020. The back half of the season has not gone well for Carolina, but at least the defense remains a formidable unit. Las Vegas Raiders. The Tennessee Titans experienced a defensive revival in 2021, mostly thanks to a vaunted front four that was among the best in the NFL at getting after opposing quarterbacks. Over the past month, the entire Atlanta defense has two fewer pressures than Aaron Donald has by himself. More league info Jordan Elliott is a name to watch in his second season out of Missouri. Against the run, they rank 29th in yards per attempt and 31st in EPA per play allowed. A platoon of underrated defensive linemen seven of whom have at least 20 pressures this season help make the entire structure work. Robert Quinn is vying for the league lead in sacks but has just 42 pressures overall, giving him one of the most lopsided pressure-to-sack rates of any player in the league. Only the, At some point, its time to accept that the Dallas defense isnt just vastly improved from a year ago, but its actually one of the best in the NFL, driven by elite performances from several key players. They still held up against an elite offense when they effectively stopped Green Bay from scoring in the second half in Week 16, but its just been less consistent than it was earlier in the season. Los Angeles Rams. Hughes might be one of the more underrated edge rushers in the league based on sack totals. . Mike Moraitis. Rushing Leader: Jonathan Taylor, 1811 Yds. View 2020 NFL Team Defense stats, Team Defense leaders & player - Points Allowed Team Defense statistics. Bobby Wagner is, predictably, the only member of the unit with at least above-average PFF grades in every facet of play, and he has 51 defensive stops to his name. Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat and Chase Young all look to be impact starters through the early stages of their NFL careers. The Raiders have struggled to generate any kind of pass rush for years now. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Joey Bosa is one of the best defensive linemen in the game, but lately, this defense hasnt been giving him enough help. Luckily for the Giants, the interior defensive line was their deepest position group last year. But Green Bay's surrounding pieces keep this unit from ranking inside the top 10. Safety Jamal Adams led the team in total pressures (25) through the first 13 weeks of the 2020 campaign. Jadeveon Clowney has seemingly gone from being overrated to underrated in the span of a few seasons. Between Chandler Jones, J.J. Watt and Markus Golden, the Cardinals have an impressive collection of players who can win off the edge. Whatever your favorite defensive statistic is, the Jets are probably the worst in the NFL at it. Much of the Ravens pass-rushing success in recent years has been a function of scheme rather than individual talent.
