best defensive players in nfl 2022

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. The Kentucky gunslinger threw for 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2022. 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. With the 2023 NFL Draft nearly upon us, Adam Schein provides his nine strongest takes. The Eagles piled up a staggering seven such sacks when facing former Philly QB Carson Wentz in Week 3. 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 future Hall of Famer has generated 18 pressures this season (tied for second-most in the NFL), despite having just 78 pass rushes (tied for 94th). He had only 48 pressures, yet ranked in 14th in quarterback hits (22) and third among all defensive linemen in passes defensed (six). Rashan Gary, EDGE, Packers (6-5, 277 pounds). Height Feet 6-4. Also where Nick Bosa, Khalil Mack, and more rank, By Fan Rankings | June 01, 2022 - 01:35 PM. 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. These was only one player in the NFL with more than 80 pressures last season -- and that honor belonged to Crosby. 2021 stats: 4 sacks, 33 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, 3 passes defended, forced fumble, 23. He led the NFL with 92 pressures in 2021, 15 more than Aaron Donald (who finished with 77). IDP: Top 50 DLs, LBs and DBs: Mike Clay: Dynasty & Rookie rankings: Tristan H. Cockcroft: PPR Top 200: Eric Karabell: Superflex Top 200: Cheat Sheets: He also has the most sacks by any No. 2021 stats: 8 sacks, 56 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 30 QB hits, 7 passes defended, NFL POWER RANKINGS: Bills look Super Bowl-serious at top; 49ers, Broncos, Eagles on the rise, 8. Where does he land in the Next Gen Stats analytics team's ranking of the top 10 off-ball linebackers right now? 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. Adam Schein reveals the biggest winners and losers from the penultimate Sunday of the 2022 NFL regular season. Clowney finished the 2021 NFL schedule ranked 20th in the NFL with nine sacks to go along with two forced fumbles and 8.5 stuffs behind the line of scrimmage. Not only did he finish fifth in the NFL in sacks with 14, but he also tallied 70 pressures with 27 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles while earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. If the sack totals improve, he will find his way toward the elite in the league. The reinforcements have also made a big impact against the run -- the Chargers rank seventh in defensive success rate on run plays this season (64.2 percent) after ranking 31st last season (52.7 percent). He finished with 77 pressures, 12.5 sacks, 25 quarterback hits, 19 tackles for loss, and a career-high 84 tackles. 2021 stats: 9 sacks, 27 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, 5 passes defended, forced fumble, 12. Adam Schein ranks the top nine QBs worth pursuing this offseason. All Scouts Average Overall Rank 4.1. Bosa came back strong from his major knee injury (torn ACL) to get into the DPOY conversation in Year 3. In a league featuring so much pass-catching talent, what's the pecking order at wide receiver right now? Now, let's get to 2021 -- another dominant year for Donald. The metric and overall scores draw from each unit's performance in Weeks 1-4. See where they land in the Next Gen Stats analytics team's ranking of the top 10 most explosive rushers right now. Jones remains one of the elite pass rushers at his position, dominating the interior of the line once the Chiefs moved him back inside in the second half of 2021. Another All-Pro season appears to be in store. Nick Bosa, EDGE, 49ers (6-4, 266 pounds). Not a bad weekend of football, eh? Jason Pierre-Paul is gone, but 2021 first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka can pick up the pass-rushing slack. Clark deserves more recognition for the position he plays, as it's difficult for a nose tackle to put up stats. This week, we've assembled a list of the top 10 defensive lines heading into Week 5. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. 2021 stats: 16 sacks, 51 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 33 QB hits, 3 passes defended, forced fumble, 3. 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. 1 on this list heading into 2022. Make that three Chargers on the list and a second worthy safety. There's no way to sugarcoat it. Heyward's nine passes defensed led all interior linemen, and were five more than Donald and Derrick Brown (second on the list). Despite the changes, one of the most impactful positions on the defensive side of the ball is the defensive end position. They needed a veteran to boost the youth up front ahead of a strong back seven. Heyward and Watt give Pittsburgh a dynamic duo, too. In addition, Hendrickson posted three forced fumbles and 34 total tackles while also showing his play making abilities during the postseason. The addition of Von Miller to the No. What's next for Lamar Jackson? He joined Watt in being active with his hands vs. the pass, too. It certainly helps having the NFL pressure (22) and sack (6) leader in Nick Bosa too. 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. The word elite doesn't do Aaron Donald justice at this point. Tampa Bay has allowed the fewest rushing yards (82.5 per game), fewest yards per carry average (3.72), and fewest rushing touchdowns (32) over the last three years -- a stretch when Vea played 37 games (all starts). 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. Eight years, 76.5 total sacks later, Khalil Mack continues to dominate on the defensive side of the football. Byard is the best safety in the NFL and deserves much more attention for that status. Miller has at least one more big season left in him with good potential for double-digit sacks for the first time since 2018. In 176 NFL games, Jordan has recorded 107 career sacks to go along with 13 forced fumble and 10 fumble recoveries. He's already a game-changing pass rusher in the league. He completed 60.9% of his passes which has drawn criticism from NFL Draft He's is one of just five players with multiple seasons of 18-plus sacks (the NFL started recording sacks as an official stat in 1982). Is Bijan Robinson worth a top-10 pick? The other Josh Allen is having perhaps his best season yet, currently tied for second in the NFL with 18 QB pressures, behind only Nick Bosa (22). The reputation is still there for Buckner, even if he didn't earn an All-Pro selection for the first time in three years. He completed 60.9% of his passes which has drawn criticism from NFL Draft pundits. View Profile. Whenever Kansas City has a healthy doing disruptive damage in the middle of its front, it becomes a more active playmaking team behind him, too. So Who's going to win Super Bowl LVII? If the sack and pressure numbers go up, Wilkens will be in the conversation among the league's best. He was just one of four defensive tackles to finish with 50 tackles, eight sacks, and 15 quarterback hits last season -- joining Donald, Allen, and Hargrave. Kevin Byard, S, Titans (5-11, 212 pounds). Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns (6-4, 272 pounds). The numbers may not be there for Wilkins -- who was one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs from last season -- yet he's one of the game's top young tackles. The front seven is reliably difficult to run against, helping New Orleans rank fourth or better in run defense in each of the past four seasons. He anchors a superb front seven, which welcomes Arik Armstead back into the fold after he missed time with a knee injury in camp. Injuries have been an issue for Jones over the years, yet he's still third among all defensive tackles in sacks (32) and second in quarterback hits (94). The only other interior defensive lineman with a pass-rush win rate over 16% in that six-year stretch is Donald (23.3%). Who should win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022? Will Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa make the Pro Bowl? And it's not just because they have a legendary quarterback in Aaron Rodgers -- it's also because they have a lockdown defense. This is even more impressive when you consider that Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier rarely send any extra bodies -- the Bills have blitzed on just 11 percent of dropbacks this season, the only defense with a blitz rate under 16 percent. 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. 2021 stats: 12.5 sacks, 59 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits, 6 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles. All Scouts Average Position Rank 2. Aidan Clark's 41 quarterback hits are second among all nose tackles since 2017 and his 32 defensive tackles in that span lead his position (sixth in NFL). Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? His 67 pressures were sixth in the NFL and his 39 run stops were tied for fifth. 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). 2021 stats: 9.5 sacks, 47 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 28 QB hits, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery, 25. He'll raise his game with Mack playing off him now. The Next Gen Stats analytics team provides a ranking of the top 10 players at the position in 2022, with some names that could surprise you. And the tough D-line was boosted by the addition of D.J. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. His peers are the all time greats, like Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor. 2021 stats: 137 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, half-sack, 4 passes defended, forced fumble, 21. 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. Two of RotoBaller's lead fantasy football analysts - Pierre Camus and Chris Gregory - have put together their individual 2022 IDP rankings, which we have With NFL+, stay connected throughout the rest of the NFL offseason with special content from Training Camp, Hall of Fame, and more! There's a massive burden on the two-time first-team All-Pro to fire up all levels of Cleveland's defense with the big offensive questions looming, none bigger than Deshaun Watson's availability. Jadeveon Clowney, who put up one of the better seasons of his career last year playing alongside Myles Garrett, was smart to come back for more in 2022. 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. He's still performing at an All-Pro level into his 30s. All Rights Reserved. He's running it back to wreak havoc on the entire league again after a fifth consecutive double-digit sack season inside. Watt's 0.94 sacks-per-game average is the highest in league history, as he and Reggie White are the only players to have 13-plus sacks in four consecutive seasons (has 72 sacks in 77 career games). 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). ), The Bengals run defense has struggled without D.J. Hunter, who has posted at least 12.5 sacks in three of his first six seasons appeared in just seven contests last season after tearing his pectoral muscle. 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). His 22 pressures trailed onlyAaron Donald(23) and his 16 hurries led all NFL defenders, a critical part in the Rams winning a championship. Now after signing with the Los Angeles Chargers, Mack is still deserving of a top five spot on the Top 10 NFL Defensive Ends 2021-2022 rankings list. 2021 stats: 15.5 sacks, 52 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 32 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, pass defensed, 7. 1. There's a bevy of top-end defensive players sitting atop the draft board Friday night. Corner Jaire Alexander, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, is a rock star -- and he's paid like it. Dupree who has recorded as many as 11.5 sacks when healthy, is a menace on the outside and a player opposing teams must account for on every snap. 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. DeMeco Ryans picked up the defensive coordinator torch last season when Robert Saleh left to coach the Jets, and the brilliant Ryans didn't miss a beat, pushing the defense to its third consecutive top-five finish in yards allowed. Taylor is considered the greatest defensive player ever, and he's arguably the greatest outside linebacker in NFL history. Donald is making his case as the GOAT of interior defensive linemen. Joey Bosa, EDGE, Chargers (6-5, 280 pounds). 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. Only White has more sacks (87) over his first 77 games in league history. 2021 stats: 5 sacks, 31 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8 QB hits, pass defensed, forced fumble, 15. Hargrave also had 32 run stops on the year despite his struggles in run defense. The stats may not show it, but Vea continues to play at a high level. Who was second in the NFL to T.J. Watt in sacks? One of the better run-stopping defensive tackles in the game, Wilkins' 43 run stops were tied for third in the NFL among interior linemen. Entering his sixth season in the NFL, defensive end Myles Garrett has drastically improved every single season in the league. 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. Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Giants. Some of whom are even among the best NFL players of 2022. In the thick of roster-rebuilding season with the 2023 NFL Draft nearly upon us, Adam Schein examines nine burning questions across the league. At 33, Heyward looks revitalized coming off his second career double-digit sack season. After Tennessee lost star edge defender Harold Landry to a season-ending injury prior to Week 1, expectations were certainly tempered for the Titans' defensive front. The likely first-ballot Hall of Famer will be hungry to win another title -- and show Seattle what it will be missing. 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. Who tops the list? Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Quentin Johnson, Zay Flowers, and Jordan Addison eventually all went in succession in the back half of the first round. This led to another First Team All-Pro selection. In addition, Clowney ranked among the top defensive edge players ranked by PFF. #1. 46. Big corner with the chops to excel in press coverage or zone. The veteran David and rising youngster Devin White (fourth in tackles over the past two seasons) form a dynamic linebacking duo. 2021 stats: 22.5 sacks, 64 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 39 QB hits, 5 forced fumbles, 7 passes defended, 4. 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. What many don't look at, is the film. Donald already has three Defensive Player of the Year awards, tying him withJ.J. Wattand Lawrence Taylor for the most in NFL history. Through three seasons, Bosa has lived up to the hype of a No. Who's the more explosive ball-carrier, Justin Fields or Lamar Jackson? Marshon Lattimore is a play-making corner -- he leads the NFL in passes defensed (74) since the Saints made him a first-round pick in 2017. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. He's earned his own tier above at this point. 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). 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. Mack, who appeared in just seven games last season, recorded six sacks. While he managed to miss all but 2 games during 2020, Bosa exploded onto the scene, accumulating the 4th most sacks of the season with 15.5, and combining to make 52 total tackles. Jones is the most disruptive interior pass-rusher in the NFL outside of Aaron Donald. Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns (6-4, 272 pounds) There's a massive In the wake of Kansas City's thrilling triumph over Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII, Adam Schein is overflowing with takes. Buffalo's depth along the defensive front is a testament to the organization's roster construction and player development. Jalen Ramsey -- who, along with Donald, made the list of players I think should be in the "Madden 99 Club" -- is the best corner in the game. 2021 stats: 12.5 sacks, 84 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 25 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, 2. Adam Schein weighs in on major developments across the league, including Tom Brady's retirement, Denver's hiring of Sean Payton and much more. In three seasons, Crosby has recorded 25 total sacks including a career high 10 as a rookie in 2019. Still, any defensive player His fingerprints will no doubt remain visible on this defense. He feels just as comfortable thumping against the run as he does using his nose for the ball in coverage. 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. 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). Fresh off the NFL's Divisional Round, Adam Schein separates fact from fiction. pic.twitter.com/5CHFDQZa7J. NOTE: Defensive line percentiles are based on components measuring each team's pass rush AND run defense. Vita Vea, DT, Buccaneers (6-4, 347 pounds). 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! The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Lukas Van Ness, Iowa. Getting pressure with four pass rushers has long been the Eagles' defensive identity, and the start of the 2022 season has been no exception. Like Miller, there's some of that DPOY pop left in him for a contender. Which matchup NEEDS to kick off the 2023 season? Cam Jordan, who has recorded double-digit sacks in four of the past five seasons, is a stud. At 33, Jordan has developed a sneaky firm case for the Hall of Fame as the leader of New Orleans' front. He's the ultimate cleanup for Tennessee's defense. Only one player put up 80+ QB pressures last season - Maxx Crosby. What Watt has been able to accomplish in his first five seasons has been historic, as his 150 quarterback hits over his first 77 games trail only his brother J.J. Watt for the most in league history. Cameron Heyward, DT, Steelers (6-5, 295 pounds). 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. Only Bobby Wagner has more tackles than Lavonte David (1,220) since David entered the league in 2012. Jordan, who the Saints drafted out of California during the 2011 NFL Draft, posted his sixth NFL season with at least double-digit sacks after finishing the 2021 NFL schedule with 12.5 total sacks. Micah Parsons was a real Defensive Player of the Year candidate last season as a rookie thanks in large part to his pass-rushing prowess. Are the two home teams -- Kansas City and Philadelphia -- clear favorites on Championship Sunday? The Kentucky gunslinger threw for 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2022. His tackling needs some work, but Simmons is on his way to becoming one of the top interior linemen in the league. He changed his NFL name from Darius, but that changes nothing about his terrific all-around game. Manage Settings Bosa and Watt were the only two players in the NFL to finish in the top four in sacks, quarterback hits, and tackles for loss on the year. Tennessee's front has been especially successful in getting after quarterbacks before they are able to go through their progressions, with 15 pressures within three seconds of the snap on non-blitzes this season (tied for second-most in NFL). And corner Carlton Davis, who has more passes defensed than anyone in the NFL in the past three seasons despite missing seven games in 2021, will be back, healthy and newly enriched.

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