Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. That adage still holds up in the modern NFL, as seen with the success of the Seattle Seahawks this season. We’ve seen other teams carried by their defense as well, including the Houston Texans, who got to the AFC Divisional Round despite a vanilla offense and a struggling quarterback.
When making these rankings, I’m considering how each group performed last year, while also trying to project what they may look like this upcoming season. This is based on current personnel, coaching staff, free agent signings, draft picks, and more. That’s why teams that may lose their defensive coordinator may not be as high as you’d expect.
Below, I’ll dig into my NFL defense power rankings of all 32 teams. After reading, you’ll have an idea of which teams should have the best defenses heading into the 2026 NFL season. So, without further ado, let’s get right into it.
NFL Defense Power Rankings
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2 | Houston Texans |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 4 | Denver Broncos |
| 5 | New England Patriots |
| 6 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 7 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 8 | Cleveland Browns |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers |
| 10 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 11 | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 12 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 13 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 15 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 16 | Detroit Lions |
| 17 | New Orleans Saints |
| 18 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 19 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 20 | New York Giants |
| 21 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 22 | Carolina Panthers |
| 23 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 24 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 25 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 26 | Miami Dolphins |
| 27 | Chicago Bears |
| 28 | Tennessee Titans |
| 29 | New York Jets |
| 30 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 31 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 32 | Washington Commanders |
NFL Defense Power Rankings 32-21
32. Washington Commanders
The Commanders desperately need an infusion of talent and improved coaching in this defense. I like how they’ve brought in Daronte Jones as new defensive coordinator, as he worked with Brian Flores in Minnesota.
31. Dallas Cowboys
Losing Micah Parsons turned the Cowboys into one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Perhaps a full season of Quinnen Williams will help this group. They also made a nice hire at defensive coordinator with Christian Parker, who came over from the Eagles with a lot of praise from players like Cooper DeJean.
30. Cincinnati Bengals
Another year of Joe Burrow ruined by an atrocious defense. The Bengals need to prioritize this group in the draft. The good news is that they have a high pick this year, so they can add an impact-player.
29. New York Jets
The Jets are in full-out rebuild mode after trading Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner. Defensive-minded head coach Aaron Glenn needs to start showing his value on this side of the ball.
28. Tennessee Titans
The Titans have some building blocks like Jeffrey Simmons, but they need some more help here. Perhaps they’ll address this with their first-round pick this year. You also have to think that new head coach Robert Saleh is able to get more out of this group, since he did that with the 49ers this year.
27. Chicago Bears
No one is getting Dennis Allen’s unit confused with the ‘85 Bears. However, they did show some flashes at times, including an impressive performance against the Rams in the NFC Divisional Game.
26. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins cut bait with pass-rusher Jaelen Phillips at the trade deadline, weakening what was already an underwhelming unit. New head coach Jeff Hafley comes over from the Packers, where he was defensive coordinator.
25. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders’ defense feels like Maxx Crosby and a bunch of other dudes. Let’s see what their new coaching staff looks like. Perhaps they’re waiting on the Super Bowl to end to bring in Klint Kubiak.
24. Arizona Cardinals
It will be interesting to see how this Cardinals defense looks without Jonathan Gannon. This team could look totally different next year with a brand new coaching staff.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles’ defense has performed well against bad offenses, but struggled against tougher tests. They’re pretty mediocre overall.
22. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have made significant strides after allowing the most points in the NFL last season. They’ll need to continue investing in this group because their identity has become a smash-mouth type of team.
21. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have the upside to fly up these ranks after bringing in Sauce Gardner. They also have some talent up front, including edge rusher Laiatu Latu.
NFL Defense Power Rankings 20-11
20. New York Giants
The Giants have a chance to be one of the most improved defenses in the NFL with John Harbaugh taking over. I could see this group flying up the ranks.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
It will be interesting to see if this rock-solid group regresses with a new coaching staff. They brought in Mike McCarthy, which should help the offense, but it remains to be seen on their defensive coordinator.
18. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons improved their pass rush; now they just need to see growth with a new coaching staff. Kevin Stefanski is a good hire; we’ll see what he brings to this franchise.
17. New Orleans Saints
The Saints surprisingly ranked 10th in EPA per play allowed this season. This is an improving group. Perhaps they’ll add to this with their high draft pick.
16. Detroit Lions
The return of pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson provided a boost to this unit, but the Lions still struggle in pass coverage. They need to get their running game back on track to help out the defense.
15. Baltimore Ravens
This group can show significant improvement with the right coaching hire. Jesse Minter has done great things with the Chargers and at Michigan, so I’m optimistic about a bounce-back here.
14. Buffalo Bills
The Bills have a porous run defense, which is why they’re ranked so low here, despite a good pass defense. With Sean McDermott now gone, let’s see what happens to this defense next year. It will depend on new head coach Joe Brady’s decision on next defensive coordinator.
13. Kansas City Chiefs
We can’t rule out a bounce back from Steve Spagnuolo’s group. They’re simply too well-coached. We could also see them add to this group through the draft.
12. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers performed admirably under Robert Saleh despite dealing with so many injuries. What happens when they’re healthy? Then again, with Saleh gone, there could be some regression.
11. Los Angeles Chargers
It will be interesting to see what happens to this defense now that Jesse Minter has moved on to be the Ravens’ next head coach.
NFL Defense Power Rankings 10-1
10. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have given up a lot of production through the air lately, which is why they’re fallers on this list. Chris Shula is looking less likely to leave for a head coaching job, so that’s good news.
9. Green Bay Packers
It’s a shame that Micah Parsons suffered a season-ending injury, since this group can be dominant at times. They lost Jeff Hasley, who took the Dolphins’ head-coaching job, so let’s see if they impacts anything.
8. Cleveland Browns
Myles Garrett and this defense deserve so much credit for keeping the Browns in games, especially since Cleveland ranks near the bottom of my NFL offense power rankings. I wonder how this group will look with a new coaching staff, led by Todd Monken, especially with Jim Schwartz moving on.
7. Minnesota Vikings
Vikings DC Brian Flores is one of the best in the business, but his unit has been hamstrung by injuries at times this campaign. With Brian Flores likely staying, that’s huge news for this defense.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
This group showed a lot of growth as the season progressed. We could see a real breakout from them next year. Don’t sleep on this team.
5. New England Patriots
Another defense that has gotten better as the season went on. We just saw them shut down the Texans in the AFC Divisional Game and the Broncos in the AFC Championship. This is quickly becoming an elite group.
4. Denver Broncos
The Broncos have shown cracks in their armor lately, but when they’re in top form, they’re among the best in the NFL. They got back on track vs the Patriots, though.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have a defense that is loaded with talent and well-coached by Vic Fangio. With improvements on offense, they could be better next year.
2. Houston Texans
The Texans had a truly dominant defense this season. It’s a shame that their offense let them down. Perhaps with improvements on offense, they’ll look better next year.
1. Seattle Seahawks
Mike Macdonald is such a good coach, bringing out the best in a defense that is stacked with playmakers. They’ve had a dominant season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about NFL defenses.
What is the most important on defense?
The most important on defense is pass rush. If the group can’t get to the quarterback consistently, they’re going to have a tough time. The next best is pass coverage. It’s a passing league nowadays, so this means much more than run defense.
Does defense win championships?
Yes, defense absolutely wins championships. Just look at how the Eagles completely shut down the Chiefs in the Super Bowl back in 2025.
Can you win a Super Bowl with a bad defense?
It’s certainly possible to win a Super Bowl with a bad defense, but it’s going to be difficult. Just look at Joe Burrow and the Bengals. They’ve missed the playoffs for two straight years because of this.
