AFC Defense Rankings

#1 - Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags were so close to getting to Superbowl 52 and they did it on the back of their defense. The Jags may well have the top defense in the NFL at the moment and they are clear winners in the AFC. This unit does not have a weakness and most of the top performers on the team are young with potential to get better. They may miss Paul Posluszny’s leadership but the depth of talent should make up for that. A.J.Bouye and Jalen Ramsey make the best Cornerback duo in the league and a pass rush led by Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell can be dominant. Telvin Smith and Myles Jack are great Linebackers in a league with very few superstars at the position.

#2 - Houston Texans

In 2016, the Texans defense was at the top of their game and looked like one of the top units in the league. Last year, they were really hurt by the injury to J.J.Watt. Watt should be back and firing in 2018. The addition of Tyrann Mathieu, in the secondary, gives the Texans an added dimension. Jadaveon Clowney has grown in to one of the best pass rushers in the league and the return of Watt should only aid his growth. Starting safety, Andre Hal, has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma so we’ll have to see how that plays out but we hope his recovery is swift. The Texans have a few holes but they’ll still be good.

#3 - Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers boast an awesome pass rush and one of the best Corners in the league. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram will continue to give Quarterbacks nightmares in 2018. Casey Hayward has emerged as, arguably, one of the best Corners in the league and the secondary should be improved further with the introduction of 1st round rookie, Derwin James. The Linebacking corps is serviceable but lacks any star potential although Uchenna Nwosu is a good-looking rookie. The concern for this unit would be if one of the starters gets injured as they don’t appear to have great depth.

#4 - Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have a number of experienced veterans players who continue to make plays and allow their defense to keep the team in games. Linebacker, Terrell Suggs (35), and Safety, Eric Weddle (33), should continue to roll back the years. C.J.Mosley is a top Linebacker and the D-Line looks strong with Michael Pierce, Brandon Williams and Brent Urban seemingly manning the starting spots. At Corner, Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr are joined by youngster, Marlon Humphrey, to make a nice-looking group.

#5 - Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers’ defense was dealt a massive blow with the loss of Ryan Shazier last year but this unit is still pretty formidable. The defense plays quick and has pass rush presence through T.J.Watt and Bud Dupree. The D-Line is tough, led by Cameron Heyward. Jon Bostic will have to step up in place of Shazier and the secondary will be reliant on Joe Haden continuing to play at a high level. The Steelers will be fielding new safeties this year with free agent signing, Morgan Burnett, and first rounder, Terrell Edmunds, coming in.

#6 - Denver Broncos

The Broncos possess some elite players on defense but the unit hasn’t been able to match the heights that they did in Superbowl 50. Von Miller is an awesome pass rusher and they’ve added Bradley Chubb to, potentially, make an unstoppable pairing. Chris Harris is a great Corner and Bradley Roby will continue to step up especially now Aqib Talib has departed. Derek Wolfe, Brandon Marshall and Darian Stewart are all plus starters. This unit would benefit from some better play from the offense as the lack of depth might be shown up if injuries and tiredness kick in as the season progresses.

#7 - Tennessee Titans

The Titans made the playoffs in 2017 without being exceptional on either offense or defense. Throw it forward a year and the defense could be very good given that they return with some nice additions in 1st round draft pick, Rashaan Evans, and free agent Corner, Malcolm Butler. The Unit already has some nice players: Jurrell Casey is a top D-Tackle, Brian Orakpo is an aging but effective Pass Rusher and Kevin Byard is a surprisingly good safety. If the team can avoid injuries, the Titans defense should see them return to the playoffs.

#8 - New England Patriots

Bill Belichick will surely continue to get the best out of this group despite a perceived lack of talent. Matt Patricia has departed to become Lions Head coach so that may have an impact. Donta Hightower returns from injury to upgrade a young Linebacking corps. The D-line well exceeded expectations last year and players like Malcolm Brown will have to continue their development. Amazingly, given the departure of Malcolm Butler, the secondary is the strength of this unit with Stephon Gilmore, Devin McCourty & Pat Chung playing at a very high level. This is a unit, as with the team itself, that you can never underestimate.

#9 - Kansas City Chiefs

I’m torn on the Chiefs defense and that’s why I have them in the middle of the pack. They undoubtedly have some great talents including Pass Rusher, Justin Houston, and Safety, Eric Berry, but I think they’ll struggle in 2018 given the loss of playmaking Cornerback, Marcus Peters. Kendall Fuller has arrived in place of Peters but he’s not as talented and this is a downgrade. Chris Jones is a very good end in the 3-4 scheme and Anthony Hitchens has arrived from Dallas to bolster the inside linebacking corps. Derrick Nnadi and Breeland Speaks may need to step up early as rookies for this unit to flourish.

#10 - Miami Dolphins

In 2018, the Dolphins defense will have to cope without one of the best Defensive Tackles in the league after the release of Ndamokung Suh. Miami has a lot of talented young players and some aging vets who still can play at a very high level. Cam Wake is 36 but, even though he will be on a snap count in 2018, can still rush the passer with great speed and power. Reshad Jones is one of the best safeties in the league and he’ll benefit from the introduction of rookie first rounder, Minkah Fitzpatrick. Linebacker and Corner may continue to be problematic and the depth in those positions looks limited.

#11 - Buffalo Bills

In recent years, the Bills have tended to lean on their defense to make them competitive. 2017 was no different but the defense may have taken a slight step backwards. The unit still boasts some great players such as pass rusher, Jerry Hughes and Defensive Tackle, Kyle Williams. Tre’Davious White ha a great rookie year at Corner and Micah Hyde is a great Safety. In the draft, the Bills selected Linebacker, Tremaine Edmunds. Edmunds should start immediately but the Linebacking corps as whole looks deficient. Vontae Davis and Star Lotulelei have been added to provide veteran experience to the team.

#12 - Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have some impactful players on defense but they also have a lot of question marks going into the 2018 season. Vontaze Burflict is, unquestionably, a great Linebacker but he is a headache and starts the season suspended for 4 games. Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap headline a strong D-Line which is the strength of this unit. The secondary is good but will need some improvement in 2018, William Jackson could be a star but he’s only given a small sample size so far. Carl Lawson is another player who looks like he’ll have a bright future in Cincinnati.

#13 - New York Jets

The Jets have added some nice pieces to their defense in recent years but have also lost some stellar players. I like what they have done this offseason with the additions of Trumaine Johnson and Avery Williamson but they might feel that they could have done more given their excess cap space. The unit does have some good young players with the standouts being lineman, Leonard Williams, and Safety, Jamal Adams. It’s hard to see who will provide the pass rush for the Jets and how they will shut down opponents passing games but not many teams will be able to run heavily on them.

#14 - Oakland Raiders

The Raiders defense was poor in 2017 and will have to make massive improvements this year to allow the team to challenge again. Weirdly, the Raiders have one of the best defensive players in the league in Khalil Mack but his brilliance was not enough to push this unit forward last year. The Raiders will have 2 new starting Linebackers this year with veterans, Derrick Johnson and Tahir Whitehead, coming in. The secondary is a concern and 2nd year man, Gereon Conley, needs to find his feet quickly. Rookie, Maurice Hurst, joins a talented D-line unit that could be good if they find the right level of rotation.

#15 - Cleveland Browns

The Browns continue to look short of talent on defense and this unit could still be considered a work in progress. Myles Garrett is the standout player as a 2nd year pass rusher but he’s joined by some underrated talent. Jamie Collins seems to have, eventually, settled in well and Joe Schobert is a plus Linebacker, they are joined by Mychal Kendricks who has recently joined from the Eagles. The Browns drafted Denzel Ward to play Corner and he’ll start immediately. Ward improves a poor looking secondary that will rely on the emergence of Jabrill Peppers and will hope that Damarious Randall can come in, fresh from Green Bay, and contribute straightaway.

#16 - Indianapolis Colts

From top to bottom, the Colts roster appears to have multiple holes to fill and the defense seems sparse of talent and playmakers. It’s hard to pick out any good players from this unit but, when you dive deeper, the potential is there. The Colts will rely on young talent to drive this unit in 2018 and Tarell Basham, Darius Leonard, Malik Hooker and Quincy Wilson seem destined for extensive playing time. 2018 may be a hard year for this unit but these youngsters will benefit from the playing time and they’ll either sink or swim.