Cameron Heyward, DT, Steelers (6-5, 295 pounds). Heyward and Watt give Pittsburgh a dynamic duo, too. Sam Hubbard has pressured opposing quarterbacks on 17 dropbacks this season, trailing only Nick Bosa (22), Von Miller (18) and Josh Allen (18). Finishing his 2021 season with 12.5 sacks (tied for seventh in NFL), Jordan earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection and his fourth double-digit sack campaign in the last five years. Khalil Mack, EDGE, Chargers (6-3, 267 pounds). 30 run defense snaps), and the Bengals are currently without both of their starting defensive tackles from last year's AFC championship squad. But Year 3 the light went on, and now he's the lead pass rusher with support from Preston Smith opposite him minus Za'Darius Smith. We'll also use success over the past few seasons and future projections to help weigh the ranking, but 2021 performance is the key equation in the formula. The Next Gen Stats analytics team uses its newly launched Expected Return Yards model to identify the top 10 returners of the 2022 regular season. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Rams (6-1, 208 pounds). No IDL has heated up opposing quarterbacks more often than Daron Payne this season (14 pressures), and Jonathan Allen also ranks within the top 10 at his position (11 pressures, tied for ninth). Another tackle who can stand to improve in the run game, Allen was one of the best pass-rushing interior linemen in the league last year. This led to another First Team All-Pro selection. Crosby earned Second Team All-Pro honors as a result of his breakout season, emerging as one of the top edge rushers in the game. 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). For some, the 6-2, 207-pound cornerback with 4.36-second speed in the 40-yard dash and a proven track record against the premier wide receivers 80 pass rushes), has teamed with interior DL Quinnen Williams to give the Jets a powerful 1-2 punch in the trenches. Clark, who finished last season appearing in 14 games, posted 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Here are my top defenses heading into the 2022 NFL season, Schein Nine-style: Rank 1 San Francisco 49ers Nick Bosa, who received my vote for first-team All-Pro Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns (6-4, 272 pounds) There's a massive It certainly helps having the NFL pressure (22) and sack (6) leader in Nick Bosa too. Garrett is a top-two edge defender in the league and could remain among the league's best for the next several years. A better run stopper than what he showed in 2021, Buckner is still among the best interior linemen in the game. The NFL is blessed with a transitional group of defensive linemen in today's era. In fact, the Eagles are the NFL's only team boasting six players with at least eight QB pressures this season (Reddick, Cox, Graham, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat and T.J. Edwards). This iteration of San Francisco's defense has playmakers at every level of the field, but the foundation is built in the trenches. With that in mind, Adam Schein spotlights nine star players who need help from the 2023 NFL Draft. For new posts and be up to date to win $50 to Fanatics or Amazon. Also where Nick Bosa, Khalil Mack, and more rank, By Fan Rankings | June 01, 2022 - 01:35 PM. He anchors a superb front seven, which welcomes Arik Armstead back into the fold after he missed time with a knee injury in camp. A top-five finisher in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting seven consecutive seasons, Donald also already has a Super Bowl championship -- along with 6.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hits in 10 postseason games. 2. Fortunately for the Chargers, a pair of offseason additions have helped the defense stay resilient in the face of roster attrition. Miller showcased Earning his second Pro Bowl trip in three years, Clark's 22.5 sacks since the start of the 2022 season are the most in the league among nose tackles. The six-year NFL veteran and Minnesota Vikings stud defensive end, Danielle Hunter is well deserving of a spot as one of the Top 10 NFL Defensive Ends 2021-22 rankings. Though it's still early, Year 2 of the Robert Saleh tenure is off to a better start than the debut season, when the Jets gave up an NFL-worst 29.6 points per game. The Packers are back in the mix! Defensive coordinator Joe Barry surely earned the trust of both his players and head coach Matt LaFleur after piloting Green Bay to a ninth-place finish in yards allowed in his first year on the job. In his second full season with the Titans, Dupree should return to the form he showed during the 2019 NFL season. Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs (6-6, 310 pounds). He's the ultimate cleanup for Tennessee's defense. That's right; these aren't your older brother's Green Bay Packers, asking a top-10 offense to carry a bottom-ranked defense. Buckner finished with seven sacks, 18 quarterback hits and 41 pressures last season. The Steeler edge rusher finished the year with 22.5 sacks, tying the NFL record and earning DPOY honors for his efforts. New off-ball LB additions Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd have complemented the Jags' defensive line to form a formidable front seven. Garrett has established himself as an elite pass rusher, as evidenced by the 16 sacks, 33 quarterback hits, and 75 pressures he put up last season. Vote up the best NFL defensive linemen in 2022, and help decide who are the best rushers and run-stuffers in the NFL right now! 1. How good has Garrett been since he entered the league? 1. Who are the best defensive linemen of 2022? PFT's NFL 2022 defensive player of the year: Nick Bosa - ProFootballTalk Defensive end Nick Bosa finished the season with the most sacks in the NFL, and the The biggest comeback in NFL history. The PFF draft board was due for a refresh at the midway point of the 2022 college football season. 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. Aaron Donald leads all defensive players with a salary of $31.7 million for the 2022 NFL season. DL PJ Mustipher, Penn State DL Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma DL Cory Durden, NC State DL Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina LB Ivan Pace, When you combine the talent on the field with Ryans' smarts, you have a potent combo worthy of the No. Mack is 31 and coming off a final injury-marred season in Chicago. The Cleveland Browns stud ranked first among defensive ends in total defensive metrics, as well as first in pass rush while posting an overall score of 92.0 Garrett finished last season ranked 3rd in the NFL with 16 sacks to go along with three passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Now Hunter will be joined by pass rushing specialist ZaDarius Smith making it nearly impossible for other teams to double team both stars. Ultimately, the 2022 season will really determine whether Bates drops off the NFL top 100 players list or moves up. Do the Cowboys have a quarterback problem in Dak Prescott? Wilkins finished with 89 tackles, which tiedCameron Heyward for tops among all defensive linemen. Let's make this as simple as possible. 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). 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). Von Miller (Bills) Von Miller. NFL The most unthinkable walk-off win in recent memory. He's right there with his older brother Joey given his disruptive skills. Last season, Crosby was all over the field recording 56 total tackles, eight sacks, seven passes defended and 13.5 stuffs. Jones has improved against the run, solidifying his game as one of the league's best on the interior. Adam Schein ranks the 'WOW' moments from a wild Week 15. He remains the unquestioned leader and heart of a talented Indianapolis defense. However, with the loss of D.J. Trey Hendrickson, EDGE, Bengals (6-4, 270 pounds). Defensive Line Rankings 2022 NFL Draft While debates could be made whether he is an outside linebacker or defensive end, Miller ranks high at both spots no matter the team or division. After digging through the 2021 season, we've found five young defensive players who are on the verge of stardom. Khalil Mack continues to be among the leagues best edge defenders and has the highest PFF run-defense grade of any edge rusher over the past two seasons (90.6). He led the NFL with 92 pressures in 2021, 15 more than Aaron Donald (who finished with 77). The next step for Quinn? Leading the NFL with 18 tackles for loss since playing his first game with the Rams in Week 10, Miller also racked up 52 pressures (third in NFL) and nine sacks (tied for sixth) with Los Angeles, including the postseason. Jacksonville has stuffed opposing offenses for a loss or no gain on 27.2 percent of carries this season, the third-highest rate in the NFL (behind only Miami and Arizona). Fred Warner is a special player, earning the fourth-best defensive grade from Pro Football Focus among linebackers last season. Web50. But the athleticism ( 9.60 RAS) and production (7.5 sacks, 14.5 TFL in 2022) are impossible to ignore, and hes one of the most fun tape watches in the class. -- Keegan Abdoo, Mike Band and Cole Jacobson contributed to this piece. I love Surtain's upside and talent. Flowers posted at least 6.5 sacks in each of his first full seasons while appearing in at least 14 games. He was the only defensive tackle with double-digit sacks in 2021, while also ranking first amongst interior linemen in tackles, tackles for loss, and second in quarterback hits. Joey Bosa, EDGE, Chargers (6-5, 280 pounds). Which defensive linemen are considered edge rushers and which are interior linemen? Pass Rush of the Day: Speed Club Rip transition Chop Counter Spin by Frank Clark #DLIsBringingTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/UU0n5JYCOA. Just missed cut: Leonard Williams (Giants), Ed Oliver (Bills), Fletcher Cox (Eagles), Grady Jarrett (Falcons), Dalvin Tomlinson (Vikings), David Onyemata (Saints), Michael Brockers (Lions), Dexter Lawrence (Giants), Poona Ford (Seahawks), Grover Stewart (Colts). Watt is your Sporting News reigning Defensive Player of the Year after tying Michael Strahan's single-season sack record. His personality is as dynamic as his nasty game. 2021 stats: 4 interceptions, 77 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, QB hit, 16 passes defended, forced fumble, 5. 46. Let's take a look 1. The only defensive tackle with 30 quarterback hits in 2021, Allen finished with 62 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 64 pressures. The defensive backfield is special. NFL's top nine defenses in 2022: 49ers, Bills stand tall; Franchise cornerstones Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham have proven they can still be productive into their 30s, while new additions like Haason Reddick (who leads the NFL with three turnovers forced by QB pressure) and Jordan Davis have fit seamlessly into the rotation. Signing veteran safety Tyrann Matthieu was the icing on the cake. Jason Pierre-Paul is gone, but 2021 first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka can pick up the pass-rushing slack. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2023 season! if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'fanrankings_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',120,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-medrectangle-3-0');As NFL OTAs continue on and training camp is just around the corner, an opportunity to take a look at the top NFL defensive ends in 2022, as well as take a look back at the Top 10 NFL Defensive Ends 2021-22 rankings. Best players Bottom line: Watt is simply dominant. Nick Bosa. He's kept that up minus Hendrickson with help form Marcus Davenport. Only White has more sacks (87) over his first 77 games in league history. 2021 stats: 6 sacks, 19 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 7 QB hits, 20. Photo: All Pro Reels / flickr / CC-BY-SA 2.0. To preview the 2022 NFL season, we surveyed more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players to help us stack the top 10 players at 11 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon (Junior) Thibodeaux is that type of uber-athlete who pops from the first play on tape to the last. We've split the rankings into the top 10 edge defenders and top 10 interior linemen. Every snap, these mighty run stuffers must stymie the most athletic skill players, while demolishing any offensive linemen who stand in their way, which sounds easier than it is. Still, any defensive player The weekend portion of NFL Super Wild Card Weekend was exactly that: SUPER. He completed 60.9% of his passes which has drawn criticism from NFL Draft pundits. He'll continue to be a problem for opponents. See where they land in the Next Gen Stats analytics team's ranking of the top 10 most explosive rushers right now. 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. Unencumbered by fatigue, Buffalo's pass rush has generated the third-highest pressure rate this season (33.1 percent). NFL Whenever two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Tre'Davious White, who went down with a torn ACL in November, makes his way back onto the field, it will be, well, everything for this defense. Top 30 Best Defensive Players In NFL [Latest Updates] - Langley 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. 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. He tied T.J. Watt for the NFL lead in tackles for loss last season (21) too. 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. Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings. 2022 NFL 2021 stats: 12.5 sacks, 59 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits, 6 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles. Nick Bosa is on a whole other level. New off-ball LB additions Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd have complemented the Jags' defensive line to form a formidable front seven. Taylor is considered the greatest defensive player ever, and he's arguably the greatest outside linebacker in NFL history. 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. Safeties play a critical role in today's NFL. Will Jalen Carter slide? Where the things you see in every game are so absurd that you have to laugh about how opposing offenses game plan for him. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. They needed a veteran to boost the youth up front ahead of a strong back seven. Reggie White, Michael Strahan,DeMarcus Ware, andJ.J. Wattare the others. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. The likely first-ballot Hall of Famer will be hungry to win another title -- and show Seattle what it will be missing. Ranking the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Top Hendrickson has paid off big-time after cashing on his breakout season with the Saints. Defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers Nick Bosa has the comeback season of a lifetime during the 2021 campaign. NFL big board for Round 2: These are the best available players In 35 career games, he's compiled 24.5 sacks, including 15.5 in 2021, good for fourth in the NFL. 60 pass rushes). But they still have a great opportunity to make a legitimate Super Bowl run this season. These big-bodied stars clog up the middle in the run game, too: Allen leads his position in run stuffs (9) and is tied with New Orleans' Shy Tuttle for the most defensive stops (17), while Payne is right behind with 14 defensive stops of his own. He had only 48 pressures, yet ranked in 14th in quarterback hits (22) and third among all defensive linemen in passes defensed (six). He also has seven First-Team All-Pro selections in eight seasons and is the only player in the NFL with 400 pressures over the last five years. 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. Forget being ranked No. He tied T.J. Watt for the NFL lead in tackles for loss last season (21) with 15.5 sacks and 32 quarterback hits. Watt finished his 2021 season leading the league in sacks, quarterback hits (39) and fumble recoveries (three). Hargrave also had 32 run stops on the year despite his struggles in run defense. 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. He still was tied for fourth in the league at his position in sacks, third in tackles (68), tied for third in tackles for loss (10) and quarterback hits. Best HONORABLE MENTION: Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns. College Football's Best Players Not Taken in the 2023 NFL Draft Making his money in the postseason, Miller finished with 14 tackles, four sacks, six quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. 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). He's right up there with Jackson as the premier ballhawk corner. Defensive end for the San Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns (6-4, 272 pounds). Garrett is a star, one of just three players (along with Aaron Donald and T.J. Watt) to post double-digit sacks in each of the past four seasons. He led the NFL with 92 in 2021, which was 15 more than Aaron Donald. 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. Often the players closest to the ball are the ones that stand out the most, as players on the defensive line tend to have the most value. He's still performing at an All-Pro level into his 30s. Who's the more explosive ball-carrier, Justin Fields or Lamar Jackson? 2021 stats: 10 sacks, 89 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, 9 passes defended, forced fumble, 9. Traditional fantasy football owners will often scoff at those who play in individual defensive player (IDP) leagues, but rest assured, IDP leagues are still going strong. 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. He'll raise his game with Mack playing off him now. Jones is the most disruptive interior pass-rusher in the NFL outside of Aaron Donald. Like many teams on this list, the Titans have been able to create havoc while relying on a four-man rush, which they use on 73 percent of dropbacks (third-highest rate in the NFL). 2021 stats: 5 sacks, 31 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8 QB hits, pass defensed, forced fumble, 15. 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). 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. Before we dive in, though, a note on our methodology in this series: To help create quantifiable rankings, we have devised a formula that yields a Next Gen Stats percentile score, which measures how players are performing relative to their peers. Will Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa make the Pro Bowl? Free-agent tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day earned the best defensive grade from PFF of his career in 2020, when Staley was his coordinator with the Rams. It would be nice if he can get consistent help from Randy Gregory on the other side. He finished tied for second in the league among defensive tackles in pressures, tied for third in tackles for loss, and tied for sixth in tackles. The strength of this unit comes from the inside, as the Commanders are the only team to have two interior defensive linemen with double-digit pressures this season. Myles Garrett is the best Defensive End in the NFL right now going into the 2022-2023 NFL season. The evolution of the NFL offense continues to change year in and year out making it nearly impossible for defensive coordinators to be prepared each week. Not only was Simmons excellent at getting to the quarterback, but his 40 run stops were fifth in the league. And don't forget about linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, one of three rookies last season (with the Cowboys' Micah Parsons and the Raiders' Nate Hobbs) to notch 70-plus tackles and four-plus QB hits. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year deserves to be No. So Who's going to win Super Bowl LVII? Rashan Gary, EDGE, Packers (6-5, 277 pounds). Hendrickson recorded 3.5 sacks in four games including sacks against Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr. Here's a projection for Chubb to have a healthy rebound season to pick up where he left off two seasons ago leading Denver's pass rush in the transition from Miller.
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