should improve matters in 2021, but the Lions still have a ways to go to get back to average. In Smiths absence, Rashan Gary has developed into an elite pass-rusher, racking up 68 pressures and an 86.0 PFF pass-rushing grade this season. Ranking all 32 NFL defensive line units ahead of the 2021 season | PFF. has matched his contract with elite production. Los Angeles Rams. interior pass-rushing threats beyond the starters, as well. The next step will be adding more of a power element to complement his high-end burst and bend. No team blitzes more than Miami (43.1%), and the same is true for the team's defensive backs (26.4%). EDGE 2: 14.5%. , whose 5,658 regular-season snaps since joining the Rams in 2012 rank ninth among all players at the position. 1 seed in the NFC, is that they are still expecting legitimate reinforcements in the form of Jaire Alexander and Za'Darius Smith. Injuries hindered his impact in stops with Seattle and Tennessee, but he has still been disruptive when healthy. Any defense with Vic Fangio involved as a coach is going to be good, and the Denver unit has had some elite performances this season despite lacking quality personnel in some areas. was their most productive pass rusher in 2020, but even he finished the year with only a 64.5 pass-rushing grade. Its easy to forget, given how bad Detroits defense has been these past two seasons, that Flowers is one of the better defensive linemen in the league when healthy. The Rams boast the second-best pressure rate of any defense in the league, built largely on the back of Aaron Donald, who has been playing at his very best in recent weeks. There are not enough superlatives in the football language guide to bestow on Donald. 22. 2017-18. Brown and Gross-Matos still have plenty of room to grow heading into 2021, but Burns already began to show signs of becoming one of the NFLs elite pass rushers last year. Sportsbooks have access to data on everything from defensive line speed to weather conditions and more, and they use these data . He finished with 11 career interceptions and three pick-sixes. 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. He earned a career-high 89.6 overall grade in 2020 and was the sixth-most valuable interior defender in the league, according to PFF WAR. And that was despite, earning an 85.4 overall grade on over 1,000 defensive snaps. The Dolphins still. Lawson should provide much-needed pass-rushing ability off the edge. Outside of Quinn, the next highest pressure total on the team is just 24, and the team ranks 27th in pressure rate overall. 32. His 17.1% pass-rush win rate was a top-10 mark among all interior defenders. We saw it this offseason in Cincinnati. They needed more of a pass-rushing presence after ranking 29th in the NFL in team pressure rate a season ago. They rank eighth and seventh, respectively, in PFF WAR at their positions since the start of the 2019 season. Mason Cole - Out (Hamstring) - Cole played 36 snaps in Week 1 before going down with the injury and was replaced by Lamont Gaillard. Donald still managed 13.5 sacks along the line. The Bears have dealt with a lot of injuries, but it hasnt always mattered, such as in games like that Vikings matchup. NFL Defensive Team Rankings 2022-23 AFC . I think the ranking is based on total PFF score and then factoring in schedule and conference so I don't think it cares your WR room is injured. And Baltimore lost two of its best individual pass rushers . Thanks to that dominant performance in the trenches, the Steelers offensive line climbed one spot in the Week 16 rankings, moving up to No. Sometimes they look excellent and cause real problems for opposing offenses, and on other occasions they little more than a speed-bump for the opposition. San Francisco has rescued its season and looks headed for the playoffs, even as a late-season injury to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo throws some doubt into the equation. First-round rookie Jaelan Phillips could begin to change that next season, coming off an 86.6 PFF grade last season at the University of Miami. Seattle isnt quite catastrophic at anything but is below average at almost everything. Favorable Defensive Matchups Ravens vs . PFF's assessment of every Michigan football player drafted in the 2023 At the same time, they are keeping 2021 first-round rookie, Tampa Bays defense continues to deal with injuries, forcing depth players to assume a greater role to varying degrees of success. 1 seed in the NFC, is that they are still expecting legitimate reinforcements in the form of. Things arent getting any better with Watt no longer in town. A lot of weight will fall on the shoulders of second-round pick, was everything Indianapolis hoped he would be last season. The attention he commands frees up other players to enjoy career years, as Dante Fowler Jr. and Leonard Floyd can attest. There are a lot of teams particularly excited about this offensive tackle class, and rightfully so. 2023 NFL Draft: Best research stats from notable prospects health, which has been the opposite of reliable for much of his NFL career. Goldmans run-defense grade across the 2018 and 2019 seasons ranked in the 92nd percentile among all players at the position. The biggest issues have come in coverage, where the Lions have allowed a 17.3% explosive pass rate, 30th in the NFL. Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat and Chase Young all look to be impact starters through the early stages of their NFL careers. Davenport has impressed when at full strength over the past two seasons, though. PFF ranks Seahawks offensive line 14th in yearly rankings The Cincinnati Bengals got better on the back end, whereas the San Francisco 49ers faltered by drafting a kicker over a cornerback in the third round. The Texans' entire approach to this season appears to have been scattershot and absent of a coherent strategy. The Rams dont have the same quality of depth as the other top-five defensive lines in these rankings. . Other big moves include the Baltimore Ravens defense tumbling as injuries just continue to decimate the group, and the San Francisco 49ers are back on the rise thanks to some impressive displays from their defensive front in recent weeks. Detroits defensive line unit finished the 2020 season ranked 30th in PFF grade, ahead of only the Vikings and Texans. The Bears are banking on Quinn to replicate his success in 2022. Offensive Line Rankings 2-11 They are going to be without, How good Kansas Citys offense is remains somewhat up in the air, but there's little doubt that their defense is cooking at this stage. NIT betting, odds: An all-Conference USA final could be in the cards. That being said, Miamis blitz-heavy nature is suffocating to those quarterbacks. Among them, only Lamar Jackson is a formidable name in 2021, and even he has struggled for large portions of the season. 2023 Rookie RB Rankings for Dynasty Fantasy | Fantasy Points Its not often that a team signs a defensive end to a four-year, $60 million contract in the offseason and gets worse at the position. Miami did just that, blitzing at a top-five rate of 41.2%. Titans land in top 10 of Pro Football Focus' defensive line rankings. PFF (@PFF) / Twitter The Seahawks will also need to replace Jarran Reed at the 3-technique position, but they're without any candidates they should feel comfortable with as things stand. Their best defensive lineman . Their best defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons graded over 10 points higher as a run defender than as a pass rusher in 2020. This is the same article I've written yearly Barrett's Rookie Model: Running Back Rankings (2022, 2021).Today's article will slightly differ from our recent pieces on rookie wide receivers and tight ends.Most of the content in today's article was written before the 2023 NFL Draft. It should be a much-improved unit heading into next season. The Saints season has gone off the rails since losing, Any defense with Vic Fangio involved as a coach is going to be good, and the Denver unit has had some elite performances this season despite lacking quality personnel in some areas. The Broncos have been forced deep into contingency plans at linebacker, with both starters lost for the season to injury, but players like Jonas Griffith are still performing well in relief. He ranks in the 82nd percentile of players at the position in pass-rush grade and in the 88th percentile of edge defenders in run-defense grade since 2019. Quinton Spain has played some of his best football, and there were other positive contributors, but not one member of the line played all 17 games, and the play of the backups has . Safety, led the team in total pressures (25) through the first 13 weeks of the 2020 campaign. 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. 1) Nick Chubb / Cleveland Browns PFF O-line Ranking: No. Donalds 81 pressures lead all interior players, and he is only six short of catching Maxx Crosby for the league lead at any position. As a result, its difficult to field a great defense with a below-average defensive line. T.J. Edwards has begun to emerge as a quality linebacker to fill a desperate need for the team. Parsons has 60 total pressures despite playing as an off-the-ball linebacker most of the time. D.J. 2021-22. AP Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt. Against the run, they rank 29th in yards per attempt and 31st in EPA per play allowed. Trent Williams showed no rust after missing 2019 and finished with the highest grade among . Emmanuel Ogbah was their most productive pass rusher in 2020, but even he finished the year with only a 64.5 pass-rushing grade. PFF also released its NFL offensive line rankings, and once again, San Francisco comes in at ninth. He recorded a run-defense grade below 40.0 and a pressure rate well below 10% for the season. These percentages were calculated using the league average distribution of snaps in 2020, and were adjusted so that the EDGE and IDL position groups each account for exactly 50% of a team's overall score. , a significant jump on his previous career high. Highsmith finished his rookie season with a higher pass-rush win rate (16.5%) than Dupree (13.7%) last year. AP Offensive Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp. With MVP front-runner Patrick Mahomes under center in K.C., I have zero concerns about the Chiefs' offense. Slay now carries an 85.9 PFF coverage grade, is allowing a 73.9 passer rating when targetedand has multiple defensive scores to his name. 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. (79.7) remain one of the best inside duos in the NFL. The Panthers rank sixth in the league in yards per pass allowed (6.7), and Stephon Gilmores play since he made it back onto the field suggests there are still plenty of high-quality performances left in the tank going forward. 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. The defensive line is at the center of both the pass-rushing unit and the run-defense unit. 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. . This ranking doesnt feel fair to Grady Jarrett. Ngakoue. Here is how the production of each player on a team's defensive line was valued. This table explained. 1. Youth is the theme across Carolinas defense. in his second season after he earned a 58.1 grade on just over 100 snaps as a rookie. despite playing as an off-the-ball linebacker most of the time. The less said about the fourth team the better, as the New York Jets prop up the rankings in 32nd place. and has multiple defensive scores to his name. Clowneys presence should keep teams from focusing all of their attention on. The team still has major personnel problems both at pass-rusher without Danielle Hunterand at cornerback, where four out of the top five players have allowed a 100.0-plus passer ratingthis season. 6. Follow all of your favorite Pennsylvania teams at Eagles Wire, Sixers Wire, Nittany Lions Wireand Steelers Wire! He jumps off the snap like a dog that . Indianapolis will be relying on rookie Kwity Paye and several players yet to produce at a high level in starting roles (Al-Quadin Muhammad, Tyquan Lewis, Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu and Isaac Rochell). How good Kansas Citys offense is remains somewhat up in the air, but there's little doubt that their defense is cooking at this stage. Von Miller recently said he's still running around here beating everybodys ass when discussing his return to form from an ankle injury that kept him out of the 2020 season. Jadeveon Clowney has seemingly gone from being overrated to underrated in the span of a few seasons. at the 3-technique position, but they're without any candidates they should feel comfortable with as things stand. But does it matter when they boast the single most disruptive force in the NFL? Mike Moraitis. Frank Clark has his highest PFF pass-rushing grade (69.9) since 2018, and Melvin Ingram has accrued multiple pressures in every game since the team acquired him from Pittsburgh. Ranking top 10 cornerbacks in NFL for 2021: Jalen Ramsey leads pack (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. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. are tremendous individual talents. This groups success next season will largely depend on the impact of younger players such as. 2018-19. 18. Only the, There is no team worse at rushing the passer this season than the Falcons. Training Camp Tour: Rams' top-tier defensive line continues to impress. 1 . Safety Jamal Adams led the team in total pressures (25) through the first 13 weeks of the 2020 campaign. Jordan Elliott is a name to watch in his second season out of Missouri. Pierce and Tomlinson both rank in at least the 83rd percentile of interior defenders in run-defense grade over the past four seasons. His 22.0% pass-rush win rate since entering the league in 2016 is second to only Donald (23.4%). New York currently ranks 27th in aFPA to both the tight end and wide receiver positions, making the trio must-starts in Week 5. Passing Leader: Tom Brady, 5316 Yds. Several offseason additions on the interior such as. Best Cornerbacks in the NFL 2023: Sauce Gardner Tops the List, Jalen Sometimes they look excellent and cause real problems for opposing offenses, and on other occasions they little more than a speed-bump for the opposition. He joins a group that already features T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu, all of whom made PFFs list of the top 32 players at their respective positions entering the 2021 NFL season. Here are PFFs top defensive lines heading into the 2021 NFL season, with 3-4 outside linebackers included since they fall under the edge defender label. Ravens (8-9, No. Detroits defensive line unit finished the 2020 season ranked 30th in PFF grade, ahead of only the Vikings and Texans. All three ranked in the 83rd percentile or better at the position in run-defense grade last season. 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. Terrell who is playing at an All-Pro level. Bengals defensive line. 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. Best Bets Tool. John Franklin-Myers is a rare bright spot, notching 45 pressures and an 80.8 overall PFF grade. And Baltimore lost two of its best individual pass rushers Yannick Ngakoue and Matthew Judon in free agency this offseason. But does it matter when they boast the single most disruptive force in the NFL? 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. Hughes might be one of the more underrated edge rushers in the league based on sack totals. still being in place as the starters at defensive end. and his 80th-percentile pass-rushing grade since 2017 should help in that department. , and neither carries an overall PFF grade higher than 85.0. as the top three options on the defensive tackle depth chart form one of the weaker interior groups in the league following. PDEF - Passes Defended . The group was led by Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry and . He has 71 pressures, already 21 more than a year ago, and an 84.5 PFF pass-rushing grade, a significant jump on his previous career high. , and his stat line in coverage includes an interception and, The strength of the Titans' defense is at the safety position, with both, The Colts have been a turnover machine for much of the season, with linebacker. That includes key players along the defensive front in Shaquil Barrett and Ndamukong Suh. Los Angeles will have to replace. The Jaguars' defense cant stop the pass well enough, and the problems originate in the secondary. Bosa and Ford's return to play alongside, could give the 49ers one of the best edge rotations in the NFL. His inability to play up to the level he performed at in Seattle has left Kansas City thin along the defensive line beyond Jones, even after the team signed Jarran Reed this offseason. Randy Gregory will have an opportunity to finally put it all together as the starting left edge defender in Dan Quinns new defense in Dallas. 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 . Minnesota ranks 18th in successful play allowed rate overall but fourth on third down. HUR - Hurries. Pro Football Focus Ranks Seahawks Defensive Standouts Heading Towards Seattle isnt quite catastrophic at anything but is below average at almost everything. The team plays some variant of Cover 1 or Cover 3 on 59% of its snaps, and opponents are too easily attacking that. The Steelers defense is no longer Blitzburgh, nor is it the best in the league at generating pressure. Dupree will be asked to pick up a lot of that slack, but his pass-rushing stats didnt always accurately reflect his level of play in Pittsburgh. It would be harsh to say the wheels have fallen off this defense, but cracks have started to appear where none were earlier in the season. and Miller if Miller does return to 100%. Seattle has made several additions to help alleviate those issues, starting with trading for Carlos Dunlap in 2020 and signing Kerry Hyder this offseason. Ngakoue, Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby at least give Las Vegas an intriguing mix of young edge rushers. on the season, and even the better performers and those who have played the most snaps are giving up a. . He was the most valuable edge defender in the league last season by PFF's, heading into 2021 but returns nose tackle. The team's stable of impressive defensive backs gives it strength in vital areas to defend the pass. 2023 NFL Power Rankings: Evaluating all 32 teams after the NFL Draft He joins a group that already features. He is coming off four straight seasons with overall grades of at least 80.0. Even with Miller at a level or two below his peak, Denver has a lot of talent up front. NFL Offensive Player Rankings after the 2022 regular season; three Several offseason additions on the interior such as Michael Brockers, Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill along with the return of a healthy Trey Flowers should improve matters in 2021, but the Lions still have a ways to go to get back to average. The AFC's No. Although the Eagles could lose right guard Isaac Seumalo to free agency, their front five should keep rolling thanks to offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. The Texans' entire approach to this season appears to have been scattershot and absent of a coherent strategy. 1 seed won't be active again until the Divisional Round, but once the . The 2021 first-round pick has shown obvious physical ability but is not the pass-rusher yet that Barrett is. San Franciscos defensive line went from borderline unblockable in 2019 to underwhelming in 2020. That group will look to match a league-leading 45.1% pressure rate in 2020. Despite his size, he graded out better as a pass-rusher than a run defender in college and won 9.4% of his pass-rushing snaps in 2022. PFF's NFL Power Rankings for the 2021 NFL season : 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. 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. 2023 NFL draft cheat sheet: Prospect picks, rankings, stats first year with the team was nowhere near what the Falcons were expecting when they signed him to a multi-year deal last offseason. 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. It still remains to be seen whether they have enough pass rush outside of what Hunter is able to provide. 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. INT - Interceptions. Over the past month, the entire Atlanta defense has two fewer pressures than Aaron Donald has by himself. To have our 32nd . Befitting a 3-13-1 team that earned the No. , and the team ranks just 28th in pressure rate, in part because its just too easy to pass the ball against that injury-riddled secondary. 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. The first six years of his NFL career have featured up-and-down play and extended suspensions, but he was playing the best football of his career down the stretch of 2020, earning an 80.5 overall grade on his 270 defensive snaps. Only the Saints have allowed a touchdown drive at a lower rate than the Patriots this season (17.1%). PFF brings you data-driven NFL rankings, stats, and player grades for every team and player in the National Football League. 2022 Basic Defensive Line Stats. He earned just a 30.0 run-defense grade in 2020. Gaillard posted a 83.2 pass blocking grade in the remaining 46 snaps . pairing has been at the core of the unit for nearly a decade, but. Hughes might be one of the more underrated edge rushers in the league based on sack totals. 32. One of the best seasons of Darius Slays career has helped propel Philadelphia up the rankings, among other standouts. His 17.1% pass-rush win rate was a top-10 mark among all interior defenders. The team's stable of impressive defensive backs gives it strength in vital areas to defend the pass. We saw it this offseason in Cincinnati. The Los Angeles Rams are officially in a rebuild and it couldn't come at a better time. https://theeagleswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/08/philadelphia-eagles-defensive-line-rankings-pff-nfl/, Bills TE Dawson Knox on Buffalo potentially acquiring Zach Ertz. No defense has forced more turnovers than Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports. have the tools to develop into a dynamic edge-rushing duo, but 2021 may still be a year too early for that to take hold. View 2020 NFL Team Defense stats, Team Defense leaders & player - Points Allowed Team Defense statistics. The group ranked 30th in expected points added allowed per run play and had the lowest pressure rate in the league both with and without blitzing. The defensive line is no exception, with the Panthers expected to start. 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. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. The only interior defensive linemen worth more wins above replacement than Jones last season were, , on the other hand, has not, earning PFF grades of 63.3 and 54.3 in his two seasons with the team. Trey Hendrickson will likely be a downgrade from Carl Lawson, considering what he accomplished as a pass rusher last season. Readers return should give Cincinnati a major boost on the interior, though. hasn't produced to the level the Bills expected when they selected him in the top 10 of the 2019 NFL Draft. He still needs to show he can play up to that level as a starter over the course of an entire season. Even T.J. Watt, phenomenal as he has been, has generated pressure at a lower rate than in the past. (54.1 PFF grade as a rookie) to make a second-year jump to get back toward the elite group we saw two years ago. Minnesota also brought in Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. With work still left to do for those two and little to get excited about on the interior, this should be one of the lower-graded units in the league again next season. Trey Hendrickson has proved to be an excellent free-agent acquisition, building on the career year that got him paid in the first place. from an opt-out. 16): This ranking is not based on the stunning decision to fire Brian Flores. East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (90) celebrates after recovering a fumble during the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Jets were not a good football team in 2020. The Buffalo Bills remain on top, but their division rival New England Patriots are right behind them, with the Miami Dolphins ' improvement . ranked only 14th in team pressure rate, in part because there arent many above-average pass rushers on their roster. They rank eighth and seventh, respectively, in PFF WAR at their positions since the start of the 2019 season. Sign up for the Eagles Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 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 Lions certainly play hard for head coach Dan Campbell, but they dont necessarily play well, especially on defense.