The unit bounced back last year, holding down Top-5 marks in nearly every blocking metric. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports. 3. The Patriots tend to be one of the more reliable units from season to season - top-12 DST since 2018 - and 2022 is no different. A 60.0 is considered average, meaning all four rookies were above average on the season in PFF's eyes. It's Week 14, and while some team defenses are living up to the hype, others have fallen short or exceeded expectations. And there were few more disappointing performances than Washingtons defense ending the 2021 campaign ranked 27th in yards allowed per play (5.7). With so many talented quarterbacks and wide receivers in the NFL, secondary play is essential to defensive success. Its reasonable to bank on some regression in 2021, starting with better health at defensive end, where Chase Young and Montez Sweat combined to miss 15 games in 2021. Donalds peers are the NFLs all-time greats on defense the Reggie Whites and Lawrence Taylors of the world rather than anyone else currently playing. The only reason Hargrave doesnt come in any higher on this list is that his run defense has taken a hit since he joined the Eagles, with his PFF run-defense grades falling below 50.0 in each of the past two seasons. Team Defense Share & Export Taylor is the most likely player to step up. While passing DVOA was relatively close, things get a bit ugly for the Tampa Bay offense in rushing . Once the Bills' secondary gets healthier, this might be the best defense from top to bottom in the NFL. If the Broncos can turn things around this season, it'll likely be due to their defense continuing to hold opponents under 17 points per game. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, which is just one reason why this . Narrowing that focus to just the last five years, Jordan ranks first among edge defenders in snaps played (4,826) and fourth in PFF grade (92.0). 5 Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) celebrates a sack with defensive tackle Marquise Copeland (93) against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at State Farm Stadium. His 48 quarterback pressures as a rookie were over 10 more than any other rookie interior defensive lineman in the last five seasons. . , to provide a spark. Discover NFL team overall stats and rankings throughout the season. stands out as the clear star of Chicagos defensive line following their decision to cut ties with. The backbone of Philadelphias defensive line for years a 31-year-old, is aging. DEF: PFF Grade for Defense. ut its difficult to see where the pressure off the edge is going to come from in 2022. has a career PFF pass-rushing grade below 70.0, leaving it up to one of Seattles young edge rushers such as. , who has produced at a high level when healthy (88.8 PFF grade in 2021). They boast an elite real-life defense that features the likes of Randy Gregory, Bradley Chubb, and Pat Surtain II. But they did land the No. 2022 NFL defensive line rankings: Los Angeles Rams take top spot, Tampa Bay Buccaneers land at No. The other big addition to a defensive front that ranked 30th in PFF grade in 2021 was. That puts a lot of pressure on rookie, to hit the ground running, particularly after letting, Detroit has potential up front with a myriad of young, recent draft picks such as. The fourth-year . Despite the buccaneers having a disappointing start to the 2022 NFL season, they still have a top-10 defense. in the last four offseasons. Lawrence is a massive, 340-plus-pound presence on the interior who isnt just a run stuffer. Matthew Judon is never going to crack the elite tier of edge rushers, but he can be relied on to play the run and provide a steady stream of pressure. Theyve got an incredible pass rush, and theyve done it without several key players on the defensive line. Gary developing into the player who the Packers drafted him to be in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft while playing alongside returners like. , thats one of the best edge tandems in the league. Hes joined on the Saints defensive line by David Onyemata (22nd on PFFs interior defensive line rankings) and Marcus Davenport, who has produced at a high level when healthy (88.8 PFF grade in 2021). The addition of rookie Tyler Smith to replace the departed Connor Williams should bolster the left side. during the previous offseason, but last year was his first full season in Cincinnati after missing time due to injury in 2020. However, the Eagles have done a nice job of continuing to add depth and create a deep rotation this offseason. The 49ers have allowed the fewest points per game (12.2) and are No. However, Walker was drafted No. His 114 quarterback pressures since 2020 are fewer than only. 2022 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics. Both Boogie Basham (89.9) and Von Miller (89.2) rank top six among edge defenders in overall PFF grade this season, and Matt Milano (90.4) is the highest-graded off-ball linebacker. The backbone of Philadelphias defensive line for years a 31-year-old Fletcher Cox and 34-year-old Brandon Graham is aging. The Panthers have an extremely young group along the defensive line. The Cowboys just put together back-to-back dominant performances, giving up 20 combined points to the Commanders and the Rams. Settle had a limited role behind two entrenched starters in Washington, but hes earned PFF pass-rushing grades north of 72.0 in each of the last two seasons. Over the past two seasons in Baltimore, he has graded out in the 85th percentile of all players in PFF pass-rushing grade and the 97th percentile in PFF run-defense grade on a per-snap basis. is an X-factor for the unit entering his third season out of Charlotte. Minnesota will be counting on him to continue to provide interior pressure while also solidifying their run defense alongside free agent acquisition Harrison Phillips as they transition to a new scheme under Ed Donatell. CB Sauce Gardner - 88.5. 5) The Cowboys' vaunted offensive line was decimated by injuries in 2020, and they became average with a constant rotation of replacements. San Francisco 49ers (vs. Seahawks) 3. Tampa Bay will be relying on Hicks staying healthy and second-year edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka stepping forward in an increased role, but it still have Vea and Shaquil Barrett to lean on as the cornerstones of its front. Hes joined by veterans, Houston will also be looking for more out of 2020 second-round pick. Bengals tumble down to 28th despite win streak: Amid the loss of La'el Collins to a knee injury, the Bengals' offensive line drops four spots from last week's ranking. Arik Armstead is expected to move back to a primarily interior role, where hes been better as a pass rusher than run defender over the last four seasons. Baltimore added some size on the interior with Michael Pierces return in free agency in addition to drafting Travis Jones out of UConn. 100 snaps) Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Top 6 RB Derrick Henry: 85.9 TE Chig Okonkwo: 75.4 QB Ryan Tannehill: 74.9 WR Treylon Burks: 74.1 C Ben Jones: 72.6 TE Austin. Blacklock improved his PFF grade from 30.2 as a rookie to 50.4 in 2021, but the run game is his biggest area for growth after earning PFF run-defense grades below 40.0 in each of his first two seasons. His 25.6% pass-rush win rate was second in the league, behind only Bryce Huff, who played almost 300 fewer pass-rush snaps than Garrett. Since he was drafted in 2018, only the. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, can hit the ground running. 1 overall for his rare, physical traits and not his track record of college production. However, theres reason to believe Aidan Hutchinson, the No. Hicks might not quite be the same pocket-pushing presence he was in his first three seasons with the Bears, but he has profiled as an above-average run defender and pass-rusher for the position when healthy over the past three years. They only rank 17th in run defense, give up an average of 122.6 yards per game, and underperform when DT Jordan Davis is out of the lineup. The former first-round pick out of Clemson graded out in the 80th percentile on "true" pass rushes last season compared to the 29th percentile across his first two NFL seasons. losses put more pressure on third-year edge defender. Between Lawrence. The interior was bolstered by some familiar faces to Brandon Staley . Instead, Williams took a step back with a performance more reminiscent of his rookie season, struggling to progress in Robert Salehs first year as head coach. It pulls together any defensive lineman who spends the majority of their snaps lined up between the tackles. Jarrett fell off slightly from that level in 2021, but he still profiles as Atlanta's only defensive lineman who offenses have to worry about. The talent didnt go anywhere, though. However, there isnt a ton of proven, high-level NFL talent. Since he 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. September 18, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. (31) celebrates after intercepting the football against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Judon has recorded at least 35 pressures in each of the last five seasons. His 114 quarterback pressures since 2020 are fewer than only Aaron Donald, Chris Jones and Cameron Heyward. However, Buffalo also added DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle to its interior defensive line. Jacksonville has invested a lot of resources into the edge defender position with first-round picks spent on. Overall grades: Offense (min. "Each finished with . The Browns are in a similar boat to Las Vegas. However, the Eagles have done a nice job of continuing to add depth and create a deep rotation this offseason. The groin injury to, Either way, this is an elite defense that can win games by itself due to its pass rush and overall depth. . Expectations were sky-high for Washingtons defensive line and defense overall entering last season. Vea has missed some time over that stretch, but hes been a big part of one of the best run defenses in the NFL when on the field. Its difficult to imagine that his ability to defend the run wasnt a driving factor in the Chargers desire to trade for him this offseason. His 19.7% pass-rush win rate since 2020 ranks third at the position, behind only. picks and power rankings. Teams that have retained the same players for several seasons will see a bump in our rankings. But the strength of this group is the defensive line, led by Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead. Campbell may be nearing 36 years old, but there's no downswing in sight. The Jets defensive line was hamstrung last year by a preseason. Denver also ranks fourth in expected points added (EPA) allowed on run plays, behind only the Raiders, Colts and Saints. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports. Jets) 2. Prior to 2021, Jarrett rattled off four straight years with 80.0-plus PFF grades with the Falcons and established himself as one of the best all-around interior defensive linemen in the NFL. And this is what PFF wrote about Ramsey as the first-team flex defender. The Falcons had the unenviable distinction of having the only defensive line in the league to grade below 50.0 as a unit in 2022. His 91.8 PFF run defense grade is the best in the league, and he registered 27 defensive stops as well as two forced fumbles this season. who recorded 38 pressures as a rookie last season could step up in his second season out of UCLA. Between the trade compensation and a new contract, it wasnt cheap for the Colts to acquire Buckner, although he has provided plenty of production as return value. Nick Bosa: 94.73. Joe Burrow was pressured on 18 of his 42 dropbacks (43%) and sacked seven times in Super Bowl LVI against Aaron Donald, Von Miller and the rest of the Los Angeles Rams pass-rush unit. Atlanta took some steps to make things better this offseason by bringing in Lorenzo Carter and Arnold Ebiketie on the edge but relying on a second-round rookie and a fifth-year edge rusher who has never earned a PFF pass-rushing grade above 62.0 as the top two options at the position still isnt a spot you want to be in as a defense. 8. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo could break out if given an opportunity in a larger role. garnering a run-blocking grade of 84.2 from PFF, . Watt failed to reach that threshold again last year with the Cardinals. Hunter appeared in just seven games in 2021 (torn pectoral muscle) after missing the entire 2020 season with a herniated disc. The 49ers have one of the deeper edge rotations in the league with Samson Ebukam, Drake Jackson, Charles Omenihu, Kerry Hyder and Kemoko Turay all competing for snaps on the edge. The Dolphins blitz-heavy approach made possible by talent in the secondary such as, allows them to generate pressure via scheme rather than individual pass-rushing talent. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage. He has the combination of athletic traits and college production that typically translates to NFL success. The Giants defensive front has a high ceiling, but thats reliant on Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari performing at a high level in their first and second NFL seasons, respectively. He should once again anchor the strength of Pittsburghs roster a top-tier defensive front. Robert Quinn stands out as the clear star of Chicagos defensive line following their decision to cut ties with Khalil Mack. Jones and Nik Bonitto fit in with Bradley Chubb and DreMont Jones. Has the combination of athletic traits and not his track record of college production missing the entire season! 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