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.
Below, I’ll dig into my midseason NFL defense power rankings of all 32 teams.
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.
31. Dallas Cowboys
Losing Micah Parsons turned the Cowboys into one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
30. Cincinnati Bengals
Another year of Joe Burrow ruined by an atrocious defense. The Bengals need to prioritize this group in the draft.
29. New York Jets
The Jets are in full-out rebuild mode after trading Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner.
28. Tennessee Titans
The Titans have some building blocks like Jeffrey Simmons, but they need some more help here.
27. Chicago Bears
No one is getting Dennis Allen’s unit confused with the ‘85 Bears.
26. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins cut bait with pass-rusher Jaelen Phillips at the trade deadline, weakening what was already an underwhelming unit.
25. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders’ defense feels like Maxx Crosby and a bunch of other dudes.
24. Arizona Cardinals
It will be interesting to see how this Cardinals defense looks without Jonathan Gannon.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles’ defense has performed well against bad offenses, but struggled against tougher tests.
22. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have made significant strides after allowing the most points in the NFL last season.
21. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have the upside to fly up these ranks after bringing in Sauce Gardner.
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 an improved coaching staff.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
It will be interesting to see if this rock-solid group regresses with a new coaching staff.
18. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons improved their pass rush; now they just need to see growth with a new coaching staff.
17. New Orleans Saints
The Saints surprisingly ranked 10th in EPA per play allowed this season.
16. Detroit Lions
The return of pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson provided a boost to this unit, but the Lions still struggle in pass coverage.
15. Baltimore Ravens
This group can show significant improvement with the right coaching hire.
14. Buffalo Bills
The Bills have a porous run defense, which is why they’re ranked so low here, despite a good pass defense.
13. Kansas City Chiefs
We can’t rule out a bounce back from Steve Spagnuolo’s group.
12. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers performed admirably under Robert Saleh despite dealing with so many injuries. What happens when they’re healthy?
11. Los Angeles Chargers
Jesse Minter’s unit isn’t dominant, but it’s well-schooled and consistently solid.
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.
9. Green Bay Packers
It’s a shame that Micah Parsons suffered a season-ending injury, since this group can be dominant at times.
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.
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. It will be interesting to see if Flores stays in Minnesota this offseason.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
This group showed a lot of growth as the season progressed. We could see a real breakout from them next year.
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.
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.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have a defense that is loaded with talent and well-coached by Vic Fangio.
2. Houston Texans
The Texans had a truly dominant defense this season. It’s a shame that their offense let them down.
1. Seattle Seahawks
Mike Macdonald is such a good coach, bringing out the best in a defense that is stacked with playmakers.
