position rankings . Interior defensive line is one of the wider-ranging positional designations in football. FPts: The number of fantasy points that our model predicts a player will score this season, based on the selected scoring system. The Texans lost one of their primary edge defenders during the 2021 season (Jacob Martin), but theyre still likely in better shape entering 2022. However, the Eagles have done a nice job of continuing to add depth and create a deep rotation this offseason. Staying healthy has been the difficult part for Davenport with missed time in each of his first four seasons. Michael Brockers one of the established veterans on the interior is coming off by far the worst season of his NFL career (40.6 PFF grade in 2021). They also lead the league in EPA allowed per passing play, at -0.225. Hes joined by veterans Jerry Hughes (34 in August) and Mario Addison (35 in September) alongside Jonathan Greenard. . picks and power rankings. . Not a member? 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. 1 spot: San Francisco is allowing the lowest EPA per play mark (-.229) in the NFL through five weeks. Through the first half of the season, Tampa Bay ranks 5th in the NFL in scoring defense, only allowing opponents 18.3 points per game. It is the default for leagues hosted on ESPN. Between Lawrence. However, Tuitt recorded 71 quarterback pressures (second-most among interior defensive linemen) the last time he saw the field in 2020. The last two Super Bowls have shown the impact that a dominant defensive front can have on the NFLs biggest stage. Donalds brilliance has been well documented, but his durability is an underrated aspect of his game. Despite Onyemata missing some time, his 141 quarterback pressures since 2018 are tied for 14th most among all interior defensive linemen. Okoronkwos 314 defensive snaps in 2021 marked a career-high, as did his 75.3 PFF pass-rushing grade. Smith is also coming off just 37 defensive snaps last season, dealing with a back injury of his own. Since 2016, those two rank first and fourth respectively among edge defenders in PFFs WAR metric. There was a graphic that was shared last week by a PFF . Ojulari does have one of those years under his belt already earning just a 56.9 PFF pass-rush grade despite some success in the pressure column (42). 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, which is just one reason why this . one of the established veterans on the interior is coming off by far the worst season of his NFL career (40.6 PFF grade in 2021). 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. However, Jones hasnt gotten much help from his teammates on the edge in recent years. Both LT Tyron Smith and RG Zack Martin went to the Pro Bowl. Thibodeaux has ideal pass-rush traits off the edge that led to a 91.5 pass-rushing grade at Oregon in 2021, but it can sometimes take players in the trenches a season or two to find their footing once jumping to the NFL. And Carolina needs those younger players to step up if the team wants to improve on its 5-12 record from last season. Teams. The only thing holding the Raiders down in these rankings is one of the weaker interior defensive lines in the NFL. The only other interior defensive lineman with a pass-rush win rate over 16% in that six-year stretch is Donald (23.3%). Barmores rookie season wasnt perfect, but he was already a more productive pass-rusher than any other rookie defensive tackle drafted in the past five years. Despite the buccaneers having a disappointing start to the 2022 NFL season, they still have a top-10 defense. Ranking 2022 NFL defenses: Rams, Bills, Saints most likely units to crack the top 10 Who will have a top-10 defense in 2022? The defensive tackle position remains the weak point of the unit after combining for a 33.1 PFF run-defense grade in 2021 (30th out of 32 teams). He ranks in the 66th percentile of all qualifiers at the position in PFF pass-rushing grade since 2020 compared to the 14th percentile across the first three years of his career. The run defense is easily the weakness on the Eagles defense. In each of the past seven seasons, Williams recorded at least 700 defensive snaps and at least 45 quarterback pressures. The former Tennessee Volunteer missed his rookie season in 2020 with injury, but he recorded 36 quarterback pressures in a rotational role last year. Once the Bills' secondary gets healthier, this might be the best defense from top to bottom in the NFL. Discover NFL team overall stats and rankings throughout the season. to keep this from being one of the worst units in the league again next season. Simmons is the centerpiece of a defensive front that the Titans have invested heavily in over the past few seasons. Wagner has a 77.9-plus PFF grade in every facet of play. 3. PFF is a little bit lower on both Landry and Dupree than Tennessee is given the size of their recently signed contracts, but both are still productive players who can capitalize on the interior push from Simmons and Autry. 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. The 318-pound defensive tackle was one of the positions best run defenders across the 2019 and 2020 seasons but took a step back with the Jets last year (57.3 PFF run-defense grade). Tuitt and Heyward are a very difficult duo to contend with on the inside. The unit bounced back last year, holding down Top-5 marks in nearly every blocking metric. And this is what PFF wrote about Ramsey as the first-team flex defender. QB Mitch Trubisky: 76.6 (356 snaps) QB Kenny Pickett: 75.5 (804 snaps) Before I get into everything, here comes the rant. on the edge. On the interior. Vea ranks among the top-10 interior defensive linemen in pressure rate (11.3%) since 2018, and hes been a big part of Tampa Bays second-ranked run defense in expected points added per play over the last four seasons. The Broncos are battling some injuries in the secondary and to Gregory, but this is still one of the best units in the NFL. 3 overall pick lept into the elite tier at the position. The 49ers have one of the deeper edge rotations in the league with. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports. Thats been a consistent theme throughout much of his career. Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence form a nice foundation on the interior, but the Giants need Thibodeaux and Ojulari to hit to really elevate the unit. He has the combination of athletic traits and college production that typically translates to NFL success. 2, as their defense has been outstanding this season. The only reason Allen isnt higher than eighth is that he hasnt had quite the same impact against the run. Wilkins PFF grade and positional rank by season Wilkins was one of the best run defenders at the position in 2021, but where he made the biggest stride was as a pass-rusher. However, there isnt a ton of proven, high-level NFL talent. J.J. Watt is still in the fold as an impact player up front, as his 18.3% pass-rush win rate when healthy last season ranked fifth among all interior defensive linemen with at least 100 pass-rushing snaps, but staying healthy has been the issue for Watt as he enters his 12th NFL season. There are several younger players, such as. It pulls together any defensive lineman who spends the majority of their snaps lined up between the tackles. Alex Highsmith is an X-factor for the unit entering his third season out of Charlotte. , New York is putting together an intriguing collection of talent along its defensive front. Hes earned his own tier after recording the highest overall PFF grade of any defensive player in each of the past five seasons. Entering the 2022 NFL season, we projected and ranked the top defenses in the NFL according to offseason personnel movements and overall finishes from 2021. However, Pittsburgh still has a top-three interior defensive lineman and top-three edge defender on the roster, as T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward both rank among the top-three players at their respective position in quarterback pressures over the last three seasons while also playing the run at a high level. Hes also been a highly productive interior pass-rusher on a per-snap basis. 3. 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). Team Defense Share & Export WR Robbie Anderson: 52.0 20. to the edge defender rotation. comes over with new head coach Matt Eberflus from Indianapolis after earning PFF grades between 60.0 and 67.0 in each of the last four seasons for the Colts. Hell be joined next season by one of the premier sack artists in the league over the past decade Chandler Jones. is looking for a breakout second season as the favorite for the LEO role in Bradleys defense. to lead the way. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, can hit the ground running. . The 318-pound defensive tackle was one of the positions best run defenders across the 2019 and 2020 seasons but took a step back with the Jets last year (57.3 PFF run-defense grade). repeatedly in Super Bowl LV, pressuring him on 31 of his 56 dropbacks (55%). Veas 11.3% pressure rate is a top-10 mark among 119 players with 500-plus pass-rushing snaps since 2018. Custom Options . After posting a 92.7 PFF grade from 2014 to 2019 (third among qualifying interior defensive linemen), Cox has earned just a 73.3 overall grade since 2020 (30th). Philadelphia added, is beginning to establish himself as one of the best, young interior defensive linemen in the NFL, as his 62 quarterback pressures in 2021 ranked fifth at the position. Taylor is the most likely player to step up. The backbone of Philadelphias defensive line for years a 31-year-old, is aging. It often takes rookie defensive linemen a little bit of time to find their footing. Both should help bolster their run defense alongside Calais Campbell and Justin Madubuike. The Broncos' defense is the only reason the team has had any success this season. Hutchinson dropping to 2 is a big W for Detroit. Chris Jones has been a force for the Chiefs since he was drafted in 2016. Players. 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. Both have 19 pressures and 80.0-plus pass-rushing grades through five weeks. 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. Obviously, the string of five-straight wins followed by five-straight losses really guided the ship, but, when Week 18 was over, the Dolphins were in the postseason for the first time in six years. Dan Fornek @fornekdf Aug 25, 2022, 2:50 PM EDT Light Mode Now that the NFL draft has concluded, it is time to zoom out and take a look at NFL rosters to figure out the players to target in rookie drafts and upcoming fantasy leagues. His 91.9 PFF pass-rushing grade last season trailed only Myles Garrett at the position, and no defender recorded more quarterback pressures than Crosby did over the course of the regular season. Hes been one of the more consistent run defenders in the NFL over the past few years, regardless of position. Edwards has shown that as much as linebacker is one of the most athletic-traits-driven positions in football, prospects with marginal physical tools can still become solid NFL starters. 2022 NFL defensive line rankings: Los Angeles Rams take top spot, Tampa Bay Buccaneers land at No. Lawsons return from injury is accompanied by the addition of first-round pick. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the 2022 Rams was the failure of the team to replace Von Miller and run into the season with Terrell Lewis and Justin Hollins . There seems to be a perception that Mack isnt elite anymore, but he ranked first at the position in PFF grade in his last healthy season in 2020. The interior was bolstered by some familiar faces to Brandon Staley Sebastian Joseph-Day and Morgan Fox along with Austin Johnson from the New York Giants. Calling Donald elite is doing him a disservice. His 19.7% pass-rush win rate since 2020 ranks third at the position, behind only Aaron Donald and Chris Jones. The only other interior defensive lineman with a pass-rush win rate over 16% in that six-year stretch is Donald (23.3%). On snaps where Parsons is lined up on the edge opposite Demarcus Lawrence, thats one of the best edge tandems in the league. Oweh had a solid rookie season against both the run and pass, ending the year with a 67.9 PFF grade. Once the Bills' secondary gets healthier, this might be the best defense from top to bottom in the NFL. Barrett, meanwhile, ranks first among all edge rushers in quarterback pressures since joining the Buccaneers in 2019 (232). The Bucs rank two spots higher than the Cowboys in passing with a DVOA of 17.9%, 11th overall. It still doesnt project as one of the best interior defensive lines in the league, but it should be significantly improved compared to last years group. Reader a seventh-year, 347-pound defensive tackle out of Clemson isnt the flashiest player at the position. They open up against Miami and . Oweh had a solid rookie season against both the run and pass, ending the year with a 67.9 PFF grade. Gross-Matos has played fewer than 400 defensive snaps in each of his first two seasons with 20 or fewer quarterback pressures both years. PRSH: PFF Grade for Pass Rush. in the last four offseasons. garnering a run-blocking grade of 84.2 from PFF, . Staying healthy has been the difficult part for Davenport with missed time in each of his first four 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. 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