Who has the best NFL defense in 2022? Our weekly NFL defense rankings examine every unit across the league on a weekly basis to determine the best defenses in the NFL.
While it’s important not to overreact too much to Week 1, the first game of the 2022 season provided plenty of useful information to evaluate as we go forward. Some teams with high expectations (Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles) fell short, but others delivered with promising signs for the future.
Bookmark this page throughout the 2022 NFL season for weekly analysis and previews of matchups for the top-20 teams. For fantasy purposes, our Week 2 fantasy defense rankings can be found at the bottom.
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Let’s dive into our NFL defense rankings coming out of Week 3 before previewing Week 4 matchups.
Stats courtesy Football Outsiders, Pro Football Reference, ESPN and Pro Football Focus.
Dropped from NFL defense rankings: New England Patriots (20), Minnesota Vikings (18)
20. Houston Texans (19)
The Houston Texans run defense played up to expectations on Sunday, sacking Justin Fields five times and picking him off twice on 2022 drop-back attempts. It proved to be a game to remember for rookie Jalen Pitre, who recorded both interceptions along with two tackles for loss and a sack. With all of that out of the way, opponents can run at will against a unit responsible for 607 rushing yards allowed entering Week 4.
19. Indianapolis Colts (UR)
Many expected Patrick Mahomes to hang 300-plus yards and three touchdowns against a vanilla Gus Bradly defense. Instead, the Indianapolis Colts defense did a nice job holding the NFL MVP candidate to one touchdown with a 78.5 passer rating. It’s a step in the right direction, especially with Shaquille Leonard nearing a return.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (17)
Trey Hendrickson returned to his 2021 form on Sunday afternoon. After recording zero sacks and one tackle for loss in the first two games, the Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher was credited with four quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks on Sunday. Cincinnati also compiled eight pass deflections and held the New York Jets to 3.8 yards per rush. It’s a step in the right direction, but this secondary will be outmatched I Week 4 vs Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill.
17. Baltimore Ravens (11)
Sunday did very little to address our concern with the Baltimore Ravens. They sacked Mac Jones three times and snagged three interceptions, but that says a lot more about the state of the New England Patriots offense. What’s alarming is DeVante Parker torching the Ravens’ secondary (156 yards) and New England had no trouble on the ground (145 yards, three touchdowns). The Buffalo Bills offense should eviscerate this group.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (9)
As we mentioned last week, making a fair evaluation of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense without T.J. Watt is going to take time. Thursday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns didn’t change the dynamics too much here. Pittsburgh’s defense opened up Week 3 by yielding 22 first downs and 376 total yards of offense. That included 171 yards on the ground. Cleveland only converted 37.5% of its third-down attempts, but its success on the ground and in the red zone stood out. Fortunately, things should be a little easier in Week 4 against the New York Jets.
15. Kansas City Chiefs (16)
Defensively, the Kansas City Chiefs played relatively well on Sunday. Of the 20 points allowed, one touchdown came on a drive that started at Kansas City’s 3-yard line. It summarized Sunday’s loss for this team. Kansas City held Indianapolis to 3.8 yards per play, shutting down Jonathan Taylor and doing an effective job against Matt Ryan until the game-winning drive. Based on this performance on the road, there’s no reason to move the Chiefs down in the Week 4 NFL defense rankings.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (UR)
It’s time to pay attention to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Entering Sunday, Jacksonville held opponents to a 71.8 quarterback rating, ranked fourth in knockdown rate (14.1%) and allowed the fourth-lowest scoring rate (17.4%) in the NFL. Week 3 proved this isn’t a fluke. The Los Angeles Chargers managed only 10 points with a 33.3% third-down conversion rate and two turnovers. If this continues against the Philadelphia Eagles, a top-10 spot in the NFL defense rankings awaits.
Related: NFL offense rankings
13. Cleveland Browns (11)
It certainly wasn’t a bad performance for the Cleveland Browns defense on Thursday Night Football. Holding the Steelers to 17 points and allowing just 1-of-9 conversions on third down, that’s a recipe for winning consistently. It’s even more impressive when you consider this happened despite a myriad of injuries. However, the Steelers’ offense is one of the worst in the NFL and Cleveland is now without Anthony Walker Jr. moving forward. Moving up the defense rankings just feels unlikely heading into Week 4.
12. Carolina Panthers (14)
The Carolina Panthers’ defense kept games close in the first two games only to see the offense squander opportunities. So, this unit took care of things on its own. Look past the 426 total yards allowed, the New Orleans Saints accounted for 90 yards and a touchdown in garbage time. Instead, focus on the three takeaways (two interceptions, fumble return touchdown), a 50% red-zone conversation rate and six quarterback hits. The Panthers have earned their place in the NFL defense rankings and they could climb higher with a strong showing against Kyler Murray.
11. Los Angeles Rams (10)
Another step in the right direction for the Los Angeles Rams defense. While we’ve seen Kyler Murray enjoy some success against this unit, the best versions of the Rams’ defense know how to stop him. It was evident in Week 3 as Los Angeles surrendered just nine points before Arizona used garbage time to pad its numbers. While the San Francisco 49ers have given the Rams some problems in a past, it could be a much different story in Week 4 with the 49ers’ offensive line in a bad state.
10. Miami Dolphins (12)
Jevon Holland is quickly becoming one of the best, young players in the NFL. He played an instrumental role in Sunday’s victory, sacking Josh Allen 1.5 times and deflecting two passes. Put aside the 497 total yards generated by the Buffalo Bills offense in Week 3, the more important numbers are Miami holding Allen and Co. to a 50% red-zone conversion rate, 5.5 yards per play and keeping them out of the end zone in the second half. Expect this pass rush and secondary to cause problems for Joe Burrow in Week 4.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (4)
The Los Angeles Chargers could be in trouble. Dropping in the NFL defense rankings goes beyond allowing 38 points and over 400 yards to the Jaguars’ offense. Los Angeles is now staring down the possibility of a lengthy absence for Joey Bosa, significantly depleting a top-heavy defense. A Week 4 draw against the Houston Texans should be a cupcake matchup, but there are red flags that better opponents will exploit.
8. New Orleans Saints (5)
The New Orleans Saints defense certainly isn’t the reason they lost in Week 3. Carolina averaged fewer yards per play (5.0) than the Saints’ offense and converted just 28% of its third-down conversions. New Orleans held Baker Mayfield to 170 passing yards on 25 attempts and only surrendered one offensive touchdown across 13 drives to Carolina. We trust this unit against quarterbacks, it’s allowed just 180 passing yards per game in the last two weeks. If there’s one area of concern, partially responsible for a slight dip in the NFL defense rankings, the Saints allowed a 100-yard rusher for the second time in three games.
7. Denver Broncos (9)
This is beginning to look like the version of the Denver Broncos everyone believed could be its peak form. Opponents are averaging 170 passing yards per game against the Broncos secondary, posting a pedestrian 86.4 quarterback rating. Even more noteworthy, Denver is holding the opposition to a 26.5% third-down conversion rate through three games. Facing a struggling Las Vegas Raiders offense in Week 4, we have every reason to believe the Broncos will strengthen their status as one of the best NFL defenses.
Related: Week 4 NFL schedule
6. Green Bay Packers (7)
The Green Bay Packers defense deserves all the credit for taking down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s more than fair to point out Tom Brady played without his left tackle and three top receivers. As we’ve seen throughout NFL history, though, he’s the best quarterback in NFL history for a reason. Green Bay snuffed out the Buccaneers’ rushing attack, left Brady under constant duress and it was all done without Jaire Alexander. Back near the top of our NFL defense rankings, the Packers are a nightmare matchup for the Patriots.
NFL defensive rankings: Top 5 defenses in 2022
5. Dallas Cowboys (7)
The Dallas Cowboys pressured Daniel Jones 24 times on Monday Night Football, the second-highest total in the last two years. In addition, Dallas held the New York Giants to a 27.2% third-down conversion rate, recorded five sacks and held every Giants’ pass-catcher under 50 yards. It all bodes well for a Week 4 matchup against Washington.
Look at what the Philadelphia Eagles just did to the Commanders’ offensive line. Washington allowed 20 pressures, eight quarterback hurries and nine sacks in Week 3. They now have to deal with DeMarcus Lawrence (Three sacks, three QB hits) against Samuel Cosmi (Four sacks allowed) and Micah Parsons attacking from a variety of angles. Expect Dallas to look like one of the best NFL defenses again.
4. Buffalo Bills (1)
The Buffalo Bills’ defense isn’t truly responsible for the loss on Sunday. Miami averaged just 5.4 yards per play. Even more impressive, especially in the heat, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle only combined for 135 receiving yards on an afternoon when the Bills played without Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Tre’Davious White, Ed Oliver, Jordan Phillips and Dane Jackson. With that said, Buffalo drops in our NFL defense rankings. It has everything to do with Hyde being lost for the season, that absence looms large moving forward.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need just one play to recapture their momentum and it happened on the Aaron Jones fumble. A potential 21-3 deficit provided this defense with new life and they locked down the Packers’ offense the rest of the way. This remains one of the best NFL defenses in 2022 and it will cause a few problems for Mahomes in Week 4.
2. San Francisco 49ers (2)
The San Francisco 49ers defense swarms opponents and takes just about everything away from them. Through three games, San Francisco allows just 148.3 pass yards per contest with eight sacks and three interceptions. Running the ball also isn’t a great option, demonstrated by the 2.8 yards per rush surrendered. It’s neck-and-neck for the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles in our NFL defense rankings.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (7)
The Philadelphia Eagles have the best defense in the NFL right now. In the last two weeks, opponents are averaging just 3.8 yards per play with a 34.5% third-down conversion rate against Jonathan Gannon’s group. It’s certainly a collective effort. After Darius Slay stole the show in Week 2, the Eagles’ pass rush set the tone in Week 3 with 17 quarterback hits and nine sacks. Add that to the effort against Minnesota and Philadelphia’s defense is now responsible for 24 quarterback hits and 11 sacks in the last two games. Watch what this front seven does in Week 4 against the Jaguars.
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Week 4 NFL defense rankings
- Philadelphia Eagles D/ST vs Jacksonville Jaguars
- Green Bay Packers D/ST vs New England Patriots
- Dallas Cowboys D/ST vs Washington Commanders
- Los Angeles Chargers D/ST vs Houston Texans
- Miami Dolphins D/ST vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Carolina Panthers D/ST vs Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers D/ST vs Los Angeles Rams
- Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST vs New York Jets
- Cleveland Browns D/ST vs Atlanta Falcons
- Denver Broncos D/ST vs Las Vegas Raiders
- Indianapolis Colts D/ST vs Tennessee Titans
- Arizona Cardinals D/ST vs Carolina Panthers
All and feedback on the NFL defense rankings can be sent to @MattJ_Sports on Twitter