best defensive players in nfl 2022

2021 stats: 3 interceptions, 16 passes defended, 81 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, sack, forced fumble, 18. 30 run defense snaps), and the Bengals are currently without both of their starting defensive tackles from last year's AFC championship squad. Watt is your Sporting News reigning Defensive Player of the Year after tying Michael Strahan's single-season sack record. Just missed cut: Haason Reddick (Eagles), Harold Landry III (Titans), Chandler Jones (Raiders), Matthew Judon (Patriots), Rashan Gary (Packers), Emmanuel Ogbah (Dolphins), J.J. Watt (Cardinals), Brian Burns (Panthers), Frank Clark (Chiefs), Khalil Mack (Chargers). The other highest-regarded remaining players include Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Alabama defensive back Brian 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. Jason Pierre-Paul is gone, but 2021 first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka can pick up the pass-rushing slack. Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings. The PFF draft board was due for a refresh at the midway point of the 2022 college football season. 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. His blend of explosiveness, bend and length at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds is tailor-made to win off the edge in the NFL. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 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. Starting with the anchor of the reigning Super Bowl champions, here is Sporting News' latest ranking of NFL defenders who stand out a little from the rest: MORE NFL RANKINGS: QBs | RBs | WRs | Coaches. Micah Parsons, LB, Cowboys (6-3, 245 pounds). Keeping up that same level of production in 2022. So, who are the top dogs at the position in the early goings of the 2022 season? 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. This led to another First Team All-Pro selection. Wherever you are, this is how you football! He led the NFL with 92 in 2021, which was 15 more than Aaron Donald. His tackling needs some work, but Simmons is on his way to becoming one of the top interior linemen in the league. 1. The front seven is strong, with first-round pick Quay Walker joining tackling machine De'Vondre Campbell and veteran pass rushers Rashan Gary and Preston Smith. 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. The Detroit Lions entered the 2023 NFL Draft on April 27 with nine picks over the three-day draft, but that changed after multiple trades on Thursday and Friday nights. Alexander will be returning alongside 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes, who tied for most passes defensed (14) by a rookie last season. And Charvarius Ward joins a defensive backfield that helped San Francisco rank sixth in passing yards allowed last season. Teaming up four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Joey Bosa with three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Khalil Mack? 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. The next step for Quinn? He tied Jeffery Simmons for the second-most pressures among defensive tackles and was third in quarterback hits at his position (only Jonathan Allen and Aaron Donald had more). I love Surtain's upside and talent. The Jets are back in the basement. The ex-LSU star will bring the kind of sizzle, swagger and experience that can help this defense win big. They needed a veteran to boost the youth up front ahead of a strong back seven. Nick Bosa is as good as advertised and one of the best defensive ends in all of football. A number of potentially transformative quarterbacks are available via free agency, draft or trade. 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 Truthfully, though, it's the run defense that has the Jaguars ranked sixth on this list. Buffalo's depth along the defensive front is a testament to the organization's roster construction and player development. 2021 stats: 3 passes defended, interception, 13 total tackles, 19. Trey Hendrickson has generated the second-most pressures in the NFL (92) since joining the Bengals in 2021, but it's his counterpart on the left side of the line who has dominated this season. Forget being ranked No. His 67 pressures were sixth in the NFL and his 39 run stops were tied for fifth. He's building a Hall of Fame resume as one of best edge defenders of his era. 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. Heyward pretty much did everything for the Steelers, finishing with 89 tackles, 17 quarterback hits, 10 sacks and nine passes defensed. Also where Nick Bosa, Khalil Mack, and more rank, By Fan Rankings | June 01, 2022 - 01:35 PM. Bosa has been a force ever since he entered the NFL in 2016, and his 2021 season maintained that status. 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. Heres a look at the best players, weighing talent, career and 2022 achievement totals. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Nick Bosa, EDGE, 49ers (6-4, 266 pounds). With the 2023 NFL Draft nearly upon us, Adam Schein provides his nine strongest takes. In 35 career games, he's compiled 24.5 sacks, including 15.5 in 2021, good for fourth in the NFL. Through Week 4, Philadelphia leads the NFL with 13 sacks and a 10.7 percent sack rate when not blitzing. The long time New Orleans Saints star, Cameron Jordan continues to be a menace to opposing quarterbacks something he has been since his second season in the NFL. Mack is 31 and coming off a final injury-marred season in Chicago. 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. There's no denying Heyward is one of the elite interior linemen in the game. 1 CB Joey Porter Jr. USA Today Sports School: Penn State Who is he? Neither are the Purple People Eaters, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens or the Legion of Boom. At 33, Jordan has developed a sneaky firm case for the Hall of Fame as the leader of New Orleans' front. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Here are the latest betting odds for the defensive NFL Rookie of the Year award, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook: Will Anderson, Jr. (+340) Jalen Carter (+600) 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. The Eagles piled up a staggering seven such sacks when facing former Philly QB Carson Wentz in Week 3. The group of stars headlining the list of the Top 10 NFL Defensive Ends 2021-2022 rankings list, meet that requirement while also ranking as some of the most impactful players on the NFL football field. April 28, 2023 7:01 am ET. Their 2022 season will be their time to shine Jones has improved against the run, solidifying his game as one of the league's best on the interior. It's a familiar refrain. In today's exercise, the formula uses each defensive line's percentile score across a series of key metrics to create one composite score, indicating which units have performed best. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. While Bosa takes care of blowing up game plans on the edge, Warner has got the middle covered well against pass and run. He's the ultimate cleanup for Tennessee's defense. 2021 stats: 6 sacks, 19 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 7 QB hits, 20. Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Raiders (6-5, 255 pounds). How would you rank these Defensive Ends going into the 2022-2023 NFL season? The 49ers have ranked in the top 10 in rushing yards allowed per game in each of the last three consecutive seasons. 2021 stats: 137 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, half-sack, 4 passes defended, forced fumble, 21. Which NFL D-LInemen do you love? 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. Locking up James, who will hope to build on his 2021 season after missing all of 2020 and much of 2019 with injury, was monumentally important for head coach Brandon Staley's Super Bowl-caliber roster. Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Giants. Nick Bosa is on a whole other level. Whatever it is, you know indispensable when you see it, from drawing double-teams to making impact plays. He completed 60.9% of his passes which has drawn criticism from NFL Draft pundits. In his second full season with the Titans, Dupree should return to the form he showed during the 2019 NFL season. I can't wait to see what Raheem Morris, who is a great defensive coordinator, does in Year 2 with the team. What many people look at is sack numbers, because they're awesome, and he's top 5. 1 overall to the Panthers? 1 position here. The Packers traded away Davante Adams, one of the best receivers in the game today, this offseason. The Titans defensive tackle was one of the best in the league last year, as Simmons finished with 58 pressures and 8.5 sacks with 16 quarterback hits. The San Francisco 49ers star is coming off a 52 tackle season to go along with 15.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and eight plays stuffed behind the line of scrimmage. How do guys like Lamar Jackson, Bryce Young and Aaron Rodgers stack up against each other? The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 2021 stats: 5 sacks, 31 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8 QB hits, pass defensed, forced fumble, 15. As the NFL transitions to a more of passing game, it's become important for D-linemen to excel in the pash rush. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and prime-time regular-season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand and more! Aidan Crosby lived up to his first name and had maximum effect on a defense that is well short on reliable pieces. Should Dan dial it back on snaps on some of the vets for guys like Bryant to play more? 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. https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/draft2023/insider/story/_/id/36296827 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. But Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry have picked up the slack, generating 13 pressures apiece so far this season. Jaire Alexander, CB, Packers (5-10, 196 pounds). Watt's greatness deserves more than just a few paragraphs. Hendrickson has paid off big-time after cashing on his breakout season with the Saints. The Commanders have spent four of their last seven first-round picks on defensive linemen, and the investment has paid off handsomely. This iteration of San Francisco's defense has playmakers at every level of the field, but the foundation is built in the trenches. He feels just as comfortable thumping against the run as he does using his nose for the ball in coverage. Player Summary All Rights Reserved. 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). HONORABLE MENTION: Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns. 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). This rotation helps keep their pass rushers' legs fresh, an approach which has unleashed veteran offseason addition Von Miller. How good has Garrett been since he entered the league? It's simple: That player is a dominant force whose high level of play sets the tone for an entire defense, to the point that defense would struggle in several ways without him. 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. Derwin James, S, Chargers (6-2, 215 pounds). 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. 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). Fred Warner is a special player, earning the fourth-best defensive grade from Pro Football Focus among linebackers last season. Flowers, who was drafted by the New England Patriots during the 2015 NFL draft, joined the Lions after the 2018 NFL season. He seems to be everywhere against run and pass as the ultimate rangy modern linebacker. Forty Time Secs 4.58. Despite the numbers not showing up like we are used to from the Kansas City Chiefs defensive end, Frank Clark continues to be one of the best defensive players at his position year in and year out. The second-year Tennessee Titan and long time Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end continues to play at a high level despite missing six games last season. 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. Who are the best defensive linemen of 2022? 2021 stats: 15.5 sacks, 52 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 32 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, pass defensed, 7. Fred Warner, LB, 49ers (6-3, 230 pounds). Let's make this as simple as possible. 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). Now Hunter will be joined by pass rushing specialist ZaDarius Smith making it nearly impossible for other teams to double team both stars. Who are the most impactful tight ends in the NFL right now? 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. Its also a strong class at edge defender, running back, defensive tackle, cornerback and tight end. 2021 stats: 10 sacks, 89 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, 9 passes defended, forced fumble, 9. 2 draft pick. Hendrickson, who spent his first season with the Bengals last season, recorded his second straight season with at least 13.5 sacks while finishing the 2021 NFL season with 14 total sacks. Morgan Fox and Khalil Mack have generated 13 pressures each this season, with the former leading all interior defensive linemen with a 15.1 percent pressure rate (min. 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 A catalyst toward the Bengals' defensive line finishing with 42 sacks, Hendrickson was fourth in the NFL in pressures and eighth in quarterback hits. The Next Gen Stats analytics team reveals its ranking of the top 10 players at the position entering Week 15. Which matchup NEEDS to kick off the 2023 season? The free agency frenzy is largely in the rearview, but we're hurtling toward the next major event in roster reconstruction. His 58 sacks since 2016 (his rookie season) are sixth in the NFL and his 129 quarterback hits are fifth in the league. Adam Schein provides his nine favorite landing spots for the Pro Bowl cornerback. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. First-Team Defense. Though some folks certainly enjoyed it more than others Adam Schein spotlights the winners and losers of Saturday and Sunday. Philadelphia ranks seventh in the NFL with 20.2 points allowed per contest on the defensive side of the ball. Hendrickson recorded 3.5 sacks in four games including sacks against Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr. 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. Despite the injury, little concern is present for the Vikings entering the 2022 NFL schedule. EDGE Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints. L.A.'s regular-season defensive rankings -- 17th in yards allowed and 15th in scoring -- might not be much to look at, but Morris and Co. really turned it on during the championship run: The Rams ranked second among playoff teams in yards allowed per game (282.3) and third in points allowed per game (18.8). He changed his NFL name from Darius, but that changes nothing about his terrific all-around game. 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. Look for Mack to have a bounce back season during the upcoming 2022 NFL schedule. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. New off-ball LB additions Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd have complemented the Jags' defensive line to form a formidable front seven. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Even without former No. Reader (placed on IR after Week 3 with a knee injury), this team could soon be on the outside of this list looking in, given his immense impact on the run game. Watt finished his 2021 season leading the league in sacks, quarterback hits (39) and fumble recoveries (three). The pass rushers get the early love, but Ramsey had to make the top five because of elite shutdown coverage skills to clean up behind Donald. Von Miller, EDGE, Bills (6-3, 250 pounds). Where the things you see in every game are so absurd that you have to laugh about how opposing offenses game plan for him. View Profile. 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). James has had some trouble staying healthy in his career, but he turned the corner there last season to get back into his dominant rookie form, covering like a corner and flying upfield like a linebacker. The NFL is blessed with a transitional group of defensive linemen in today's era. Entering his sixth season in the NFL, defensive end Myles Garrett has drastically improved every single season in the league. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Rams (6-1, 208 pounds). With the Los Angeles Rams retooling the roster after suffering a brutal Super Bowl hangover last season, Jalen Ramsey is available for trade. 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. Learn more about NFL+. Poised for an even bigger season in 2022, Hargrave is evolving into one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the league. 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. A First Team All-Pro for the second consecutive season, Garrett has four consecutive double-digit sack seasons on his resume -- the second-longest streak in the NFL. In three seasons, Crosby has recorded 25 total sacks including a career high 10 as a rookie in 2019. 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). There are a lot of great NFL defensive linemen right now, such as Aaron Donald, J.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Chris Jones. Earning Second Team All-Pro honors for the third time in four years, Jones had nine sacks and 17 quarterback hits despite having only 27 tackles last year. Web50. Sam Hubbard has pressured opposing quarterbacks on 17 dropbacks this season, trailing only Nick Bosa (22), Von Miller (18) and Josh Allen (18). Unfortunately, horrible injury luck struck the organization once again when Joey Bosa hurt his groin in Week 3 and was placed on injured reserve. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. With NFL+, stay connected throughout the rest of the NFL offseason with special content from Training Camp, Hall of Fame, and more! He's great at what he does. 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. Getting pressure with four pass rushers has long been the Eagles' defensive identity, and the start of the 2022 season has been no exception. 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). 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. The most unthinkable walk-off win in recent memory. Adam Schein weighs in on major developments across the league, including Tom Brady's retirement, Denver's hiring of Sean Payton and much more. His 150 tackles for loss and 226 quarterback hits in his first eight seasons are second-most by a player in NFL history (and most for a defensive tackle). Eight years, 76.5 total sacks later, Khalil Mack continues to dominate on the defensive side of the football. He's been a top defensive tackle for several years as he heads into his prime. In the thick of roster-rebuilding season with the 2023 NFL Draft nearly upon us, Adam Schein examines nine burning questions across the league. 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. Cameron Heyward, DT, Steelers (6-5, 295 pounds). For an interior lineman, Heyward's tackling prowess is as impressive as occupying blockers. 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 What's the definition of a "indispensable defensive player" in the NFL? 2021 stats: 118 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 22. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Cameron Jordan, EDGE, Saints (6-4, 287 pounds). We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Which game is featured at the top of NGS's unlikeliest victory rankings? pic.twitter.com/5CHFDQZa7J. 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). Myles Garrett is the best Defensive End in the NFL right now going into the 2022-2023 NFL season. 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. Both groups do move outside and inside at times, but we're going where the majority of their snaps are played in 2021. Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns (6-4, 272 pounds) There's a massive Dealt from Chicago to Baltimore, Roquan Smith was one of the biggest names to change teams before the NFL trade deadline. He still needs to improve as a pass rusher, but had his best season under defensive coordinator Josh Boyer. the illegal contact rule was introduced in 1978. There's a bevy of top-end defensive players sitting atop the draft board Friday night. Through three seasons, Bosa has lived up to the hype of a No.

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