NFL defense rankings 2024: Best and worst NFL defenses right now

By Matt Johnson

·Updated: December 29, 2024

Who has the best NFL defense in 2024? Our weekly NFL defense rankings examine every unit across the league every week to determine the best defenses in the NFL.

Let’s dive into our NFL defense rankings following Week 17. With the 2024 regular season nearing its conclusion, our evaluations will largely focus on the long-term outlook for teams eliminated from playoff contention and look ahead to how playoff contenders are looking defensively.

NFL defensive statistics are from ESPN, RBSDM.com and Pro Football Reference.

NFL defense rankings after Week 17: Worst NFL defenses 2024

32. Carolina Panthers (30)

Many of the worst NFL defenses in 2024 at least had a multi-game stretch where they performed reasonably well. That’s just never been the case for the Carolina Panthers. Week 17 marked the third time a Panthers’ opponent scored 40-plus points and the ninth time Carolina allowed 30-plus points. The Panthers have to part ways with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, but the next defensive play-caller will need far more talent to make this even be a below-average defense in 2025.

31. New York Giants (31)

The season-ending injury to Dexter Lawrence turned a fringe bottom-10 defense into a bottom-3 unit. That speaks to Lawrence’s impact and how much work still needs to be done on this side of the ball. Fortunately, New York will have the trio of Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns and Lawrence in 2025, but there are plenty of additions needed in New York’s secondary. With Brian Daboll presumably getting fired, it’s safe to assume a new defensive coordinator will also be coming in.

30. New York Jets (27)

After fielding two of the best NFL defenses over the last two seasons, the New York Jets imploded defensively after they fired head coach Robert Saleh. There’s certainly room for optimism in 2025 because a new defensive coordinator gets to work with a group that includes Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams and C.J. Mosley, but the likely departure of cornerback DJ Reed Jr. will have major ramifications for this pass defense next season. Barring big additions, the ceiling for this unit might be a top-15 defense in 2025.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (32)

The NFL stats at the end of the regular season will look much better than this Jacksonville Jaguars defense performed this year. Before the final stretch in December against the worst NFL offenses, opponents averaged a 111.5 QB rating, 70.9 percent completion rate and over 400 total yards per game from Weeks 1-11 against this Jaguars defense. That’s the defense we saw for the majority of the season. Assuming the Jaguars make a coaching change, the source of hope stems from landing a defensive coordinator who is a better schematic fit for the talent on this side of the ball.

28. Tennessee Titans (26)

The Tennessee Titans’ defense just imploded down the stretch in 2024. A portion of that can be attributed to the offense and special teams consistently putting this unit in bad spots. Injuries also play a partial role. The results are the same either way, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson just couldn’t make the necessary adjustments in the second half of the season to fix all the issues. With that said, this was his first season as defensive coordinator and the Titans front office should provide him with more help next season.

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27. New England Patriots (25)

The bottom line for the New England Patriots defense is simple, a coaching change needs to be made. New England’s roster is largely the same from last season but this unit went from a top-12 defense to a bottom-10 unit under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. The Patriots have more than $100 million in cap space this offseason, but the offense needs a lot of help. A coaching change needs to be the first step towards fixing this side of the ball.

26. Atlanta Falcons (29)

We expect Jayden Daniels to light up this Atlanta Falcons defense. After all, opponents from Weeks 5-14 averaged a 113.3 QB rating and 71.4 percent completion rate versus this Falcons defense with a 23-4 TD-INT ratio. Atlanta might be able to generate a few pressures against this Washington Commanders offensive line, but Daniels will buy time and should fare very well attacking this defense from a clean pocket.

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25. New Orleans Saints (22)

It’s hard to feel good about this New Orleans Saints defense heading into 2025. The best players on this Saints defense – Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan – will be 36 years old next season. Tyrann Mathieu is playing like a replacement-level player at this stage of his career and we haven’t seen promising development from Bryan Bresee, Alontae Taylor or Payton Turner. With very little cap space to work with, barring a brilliant defensive mind coming in as head coach, this could be one of the worst NFL defenses in 2025.

24. Chicago Bears (28)

Thursday Night Football ended a brutal stretch for this Chicago Bears defense. Over a six-game span from Weeks 11-16, Chicago allowed 277.3 passing yards and 135.8 rushing yards per game with opponents scoring 20 total touchdowns during that stretch. It also saw teams average a 110.3 QB rating against Chicago. We tend to attribute the numbers given up to the Seattle Seahawks – 143 net passing yards, 0 touchdowns and 3 sacks – to the weather and a turnstile Seahawks offensive line. However, it still provided something for this Bears defense to carry over into the offseason with a new defensive coach coming in to fix things.

23. Las Vegas Raiders (24)

For teams out of the playoff mix, it’s time to look ahead to 2025 with our NFL defense rankings. For the Las Vegas Raiders, that means this defensive line getting back Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins. That immediately bodes well for this pass rush, especially if Las Vegas can upgrade this secondary during the offseason. An even bigger question will be what we see from edge rusher Tyree Wilson, who is poised to enter his third season with just 7.5 sacks and 4 starts to his name.

22. Indianapolis Colts (19)

We’ve been pretty pessimistic with the Indianapolis Colts defense for most of the season and the dreadful Week 17 performance is another example of why. Indianapolis simply lacks the talent in the secondary to scare quality passing attacks, which gets these cornerbacks exposed when the Colts’ pass rush can’t get home. Off-ball linebacker is also a problem and if general manager Chris Ballard and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley return in 2025, there’s really no reason to believe things will suddenly improve or the voids in the secondary will be fixed.

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21. Cincinnati Bengals (22)

We were prepared to give some kudos to the Cincinnati Bengals defense, which looked pretty sharp for three quarters against the Denver Broncos. That all changed in a 14-point fourth quarter. In-between a Bo Nix interception, Denver had two seven-play touchdown drives that covered 70-plus yards, including Marvin Mims’ 25-yard touchdown on 4th down with 14 seconds left. Even with the Pittsburgh Steelers offense struggling as of late, it’s difficult to see this Bengals defense getting enough stops in a must-win game.

20. Cleveland Browns (21)

The decision to tweak the Deshaun Watson contract, creating cap space in 2025, strongly implies the Cleveland Browns will try and compete in 2024. With that being the plan, All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett will presumably stick around. Garrett’s return paired with a healthy Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah does bode well for this unit taking a step forward next season. However, Cleveland still has some voids to address at cornerback and it could use a No. 2 edge rusher to help Garrett out.

NFL defense ranklings 2024: Chiefs keep climbing

19. San Francisco 49ers (16)

The San Francisco 49ers will be without Dre Greenlaw on Monday Night Football, just another in a long list of injuries this defense has struggled to overcome in 2024. Looking ahead to the offseason is where things get really interesting. Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward and Talanoa Hufanga are all eligible for unrestricted free agency, with even two departures putting San Francisco at risk of taking another step backward next season.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20)

Adam Thielen beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary twice for touchdowns on Sunday. Outside of that, the Bucs’ defense shut things down. The Carolina Panthers averaged just 4.4 yards per play and went 2-for-9 on third-down attempts. There have been better performances from Tampa Bay’s defense as of late, but this same unit had big problems just a week ago versus Cooper Rush and CeeDee Lamb. This pass defense probably isn’t good enough to make noise in the playoffs, but that could change if Antoine Winfield Jr gets healthy.

17. Dallas Cowboys (12)

Even with Jalen Hurts out and then Kenny Pickett, the Dallas Cowboys defense still allowed a 6.2 yards-per-play average to the Philadelphia Eagles. This group has played fairly well late in the season, but the absences of Trevon Diggs, DeMarvion Overshown and DeMarcus Lawrence really show up against good competition. Unfortunately for Dallas looking ahead to 2025, it’s hard to bet on Diggs staying healthy and Overshown’s knee surgery will likely keep him out for the start of the season.

16. Washington Commanders (17)

Losing Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) for any length of time could be a massive blow for this Washington Commanders defense. On the bright side, the imminent return of Jonathan Allen before the NFL playoffs will make a significant impact on this pass rush. Washington still lacks the blue-chip talent to stop elite offenses, which will doom this team in the playoffs, but Dan Quinn’s work this year has still exceeded expectations.

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15. Arizona Cardinals (18)

At least Jonathan Gannon’s defense is showing a little more fight before the end of the regular season. This unit had fallen off in its previous four games, allowing a 109.2 QB rating and 6-1 TD-INT ratio while being decimated (150.8 rush ypg and 5.7 ypc) on the ground. On Saturday night, Arizona held the Los Angeles Rams to 189 passing yards and 68 rushing yards, with just 13 points allowed. We are really looking forward to seeing what this Cardinals defense can look like in 2025 with more starting-caliber talent added to it in the offseason.

14. Miami Dolphins (14)

At least the Miami Dolphins defense is finishing the season relatively strong, especially amid absences from Kaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. First-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver Jr. has done a nice job considering all the injuries, too. While Miami never had a really good defense this year, it was easily the most table thing about this team.

13. Kansas City Chiefs (15)

It’s only a four-game stretch, but the Kansas City Chiefs defense is looking much better as of late. In matchups against the Chargers, Browns, Texans and Steelers, Kansas City ranks fifth in Defensive EPA per Play (-0.118) with the seventh-lowest Success Rate (39.6 percent) allowed to opponents. Over that same four-game span, opponents are averaging just 177.5 passing yards per game with a 64.8 QB rating, 3-7 TD-INT ratio and this Chiefs defense has mustered 15 sacks (3.8 per game). Chris Jones should be healthy for the Divisional Round and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will have extra time to prepare for a matchup. Everything is looking up for this unit heading into the playoffs.

12. Los Angeles Rams (13)

The Los Angeles Rams defense was torched by Josh Allen in Week 14 for over 400 total yards and 6 touchdowns. That’s the outlier over the last six games. From Weeks 12-17, Los Angeles held quarterbacks to an 86.6 QB rating with more sacks (nine) than passing touchdowns allowed. In the last three games – 219 passing yards and 83.7 rushing yards per game allowed with a 36.8% third-down conversion rate – this unit has been even better. While the Rams’ secondary is still prone to losing a lot of matchups in man coverage, this pass rush is stepping up thanks to rookie Jared Verse and Braden Fiske.

11. Detroit Lions (11)

Looking ahead to Week 18, it’s safe to project this decimated Detroit Lions defense having major problems slowing down the Minnesota Vikings. The absence of Alim McNeill and Aidan Hutchinson will make pressuring Sam Darnold a mountain-sized challenge and the Vikings’ offensive weapons will find holes all over the field. Getting linebacker Alex Anzalone back before the playoffs will be a moderate boost for this Lions defense, but issues rushing the passer are what raise significant concerns against playoff opponents like the Vikings and Eagles. If anyone can find a way to overcome it, though, it will be defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

10. Green Bay Packers (5)

From Weeks 9-16, the Green Bay Packers defense had the fourth-best EPA per Play (-0.07) and the unit really seemed to be making great strides under first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Sunday is another example that the Packers’ pass rush, especially with the injuries in the secondary, just isn’t good enough. Sam Darnold had all day to throw and with top defensive backs Jaire Alexander and Evan Williams sidelined, Green Bay was torched. Green Bay still has a good defense, but even if Alexander and Williams both return for the Wild Card round, the absence of premium pass rushers is a glaring Achilles heel that will get this defense exposed versus elite competition.

9. Buffalo Bills (10)

It’s all about the playoff matchups for this Buffalo Bills defense. Locked into playing in the Wild Card round, Buffalo should have little trouble if it draws a first-round matchup against the Denver Broncos. Even advancing to the Divisional Round, the Bills defense shouldn’t have much trouble handling the Pittsburgh Steelers or Los Angeles Chargers. After that, issues would arise. Buffalo’s last meeting with the Baltimore Ravens saw Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry put up 253 rushing yards. The Chiefs offense, which is vastly improved since its last meeting with Buffalo, still averaged 5 yards per play with a 50 percent third-down conversion rate. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua feasted on this Bills’ secondary as did Jared Goff a week later. All of this is to say, Josh Allen will need to play hero ball when a trip to the Super Bowl is on the line.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (3)

The downward spiral continues for this Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Over the last five games, opponents are averaging 253.2 passing yards and 123.4 rushing yards per game with a 39.6 percent third-down conversion rate. In that time, opposing quarterbacks ahve a 13-4 TD-INT ratio with a 70.3 percent completion rate and 108.6 QB rating. It’s not going to get any better in Week 18 versus Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Injuries are partially to blame, but the Steelers’ defense has really imploded for over a month now. The only reason they are sticking around this high in our NFL defense rankings right now is because other units have dropped off and Pittsburgh had a top-3 defense entering December.

7. Houston Texans (6)

Losing Jimmie Ward, Jalen Pitre and Azeez Al-Shaair in recent weeks partially explains the recent defensive woes for the Houston Texans. Another part of the equation is wear-and-tear, with a Texans offense unable to sustain drives putting more snaps on Houston’s defense. No matter what you attribute it to, the results remain the same. Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson ahve put up a combined 107.3 QB rating and 67.2% completion rate against this Texans defense in the last two weeks and Houston has also allowed 375 rushing yards (187.5 per game) over that stretch. The numbers in Week 18 against the Tennessee Titans won’t matter much, this defense is headed for a one-and-done in the playoffs.

6. Los Angeles Chargers (8)

The hope is that Saturday’s defensive clinic in a 40-7 win over the Patriots was a get-right game for the Los Angeles Chargers defense. Jesse Minter’s group feasted on a great matchup, netting 7 tackles for loss, 5 QB hits and 4 sacks as they routinely tore through the Patriots’ offensive line. Consistent penetration let Los Angeles allow just 3.8 yards per play, 181 total yards and a 20 percent third-down conversion rate. However, we can’t ignore the NFL stats coming into Week 17.

Los Angeles Chargers defense (Weeks 10-16): 234.3 pass ypg allowed, 142.7 rush ypg allowed, 14-5 TD-INT, 7.2 ypa, 99.3 QB rating, 41.8% third-down conversion rate allowed

Over that seven-game span, Los Angeles ranked 27th in EPA per Play (0.099) and 22nd in opponents’ Success Rate (46.3 percent). Given this Chargers defense will likely draw a Wild Card round matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, these issues need to be worked out quickly.

Best NFL defenses right now

5. Seattle Seahawks (7)

The Seattle Seahawks realistically aren’t going to make the playoffs, but that doesn’t change our excitement for the future of this defense. As we wrote in our NFL defense rankings entering the season, there’s a steep learning curve with Mike Macdonald’s scheme and it would take months before the improvements showed. The NFL stats have shown the hard work is paying off.

Seattle Seahawks defense (Weeks 4-9): 261 pass ypg allowed, 13-4 TD-INT, 8.4 ypa, 68.7% completion rate, 108 QB rating, 1.7 sacks per game, 151 rush ypg allowed, 4.9 ypc
Seattle Seahawks defense (Weeks 11-17): 188.7 pass ypg allowed, 10-6 TD-INT, 6.4 ypa, 64.2% completion rate, 85.9 QB rating, 3 sacks per game, 102 rush ypg allowed, 4.3 ypc

Learning Macdonald’s scheme certainly plays a part, as does the in-season acquisition of off-ball linebacker Ernest Jones. He is a free agent in 2025, but he proved his value to Seattle and is a strong candidate to be re-signed. Either way, there’s a lot of young talent on this defense and we expect an even bigger leap in 2025.

4. Baltimore Ravens (9)

The remarkable turnaround for this Baltimore Ravens defense continues. It all started when Marcus Williams was benched, creating the new safety tandem of Kyle Hamilton an Ar’Darius Washington. The NFL stats speak for themselves. From Weeks 11-17, the Ravens defense ranks third in EPA per Play (-0.123) with the lowest Success Rate (37.9 percent) allowed to opponents. It also shows up in the basic number, like Baltimore holding its last six opponents to 171.2 passing yards and 95.8 rushing yards per game with a 29.1 percent third-down conversion rate allowed. The Ravens have had one of the best NFL defenses since mid-November and we’ve seen enough to believe the turnaround is for real.

Baltimore Ravens defense (Weeks 11-17): 171.2 pass ypg allowed, 4-4 TD-INT, 21 sacks (3.5 per game), 5.9 ypa, 60.6% completion rate, 75.5 QB rating allowed, 3.9 yards-per-carry average, 9 total touchdowns

3. Denver Broncos (4)

The Denver Broncos got No. 2 cornerback Riley Moss back in Week 17 and the Bengals went after him repeatedly. Facing the equivalent of a No. 1 receiver in Tee Higgins, Moss was torched in his first game back. Denver entered the week still ranked second in EPA per Play (-0.116) since Week 10, but this unit just hasn’t been quite as sharp in recent weeks. Denver does benefit with a Week 18 matchup against the Chiefs’ backups and this could be one of the best defenses in the NFL playoffs, but making it is far from a guarantee now.

2. Minnesota Vikings (2)

Credit: Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

The Minnesota Vikings looked like they had the best defense in the NFL for three quarters on Sunday and then the fourth-quarter implosion happened. It should serve as a lesson before the playoffs that Minnesota simply can’t take its foot off the break against good teams. The three quarters of domination certainly matter a lot more than the final 15 minutes and the return of linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was certainly felt on Sunday. Heading into a matchup against the Lions, Minnesota’s defense might ultimately be the X-factor that gives this team the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (1)

With Jalen Hurts out, the Philadelphia Eagles defense knew that clinching the NFC East would be on their shoulders. They came through. Philadelphia made Cooper RUsh – 35.6 ESPN QBR and 2 interceptions – look like a backup quarterback and it was easy work with CeeDee Lamb out. The Eagles have consistently had the best NFL defense for over two months now and while they had issues versus the Commanders a week ago, you can find rough performances by all of the best NFL defenses within the last few weeks.

NFL defense stats 2024

NFL defense rankings FAQ

What is the best defense in the NFL?

The Philadelphia Eagles have the best defense in the NFL right now.

Which NFL defense has forced the most turnovers?

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills lead the NFL in takeaways this season with 31.

What NFL defense is best for fantasy?

The Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos are some of the best NFL defenses to target in fantasy.

What is the NFL defense rankings?

Sportsnaut’s NFL defense rankings evaluate and rank all 32 NFL defenses each week, reviewing their performances and projecting how they’ll perform in their upcoming game based on matchups and NFL defense stats.

NFL team sack leaders 2024

NFL teams with fewest sacks

Denver Broncos – 49
Houston Texans – 45
Baltimore Ravens – 44
Dallas Cowboys – 42
Minnesota Vikings – 42
New York Giants – 41
Green Bay Packers – 40
Los Angeles Chargers – 40
New York Jets – 39
Philadelphia Eagles – 39

Buffalo Bills – 32
Los Angeles Rams – 31
Detroit Lions – 31
Tennessee Titans – 28
Miami Dolphins – 28
New England Patriots – 27
Jacksonville Jaguars – 26
Carolina Panthers – 26
Cincinnati Bengals – 25
Atlanta Falcons – 23

Who is the number 1 defense in NFL?

The Philadelphia Eagles have the No. 1 defense in the NFL this season.

Who has the best defense in NFL history?

The 1985 Chicago Bears had the best NFL defense ever. Led by three Hall of Famers – Mike Singletary, Richard Dent and Dan Hampton – Chicago allowed just 101 total points on its way to winning Super Bowl XX, including an NFL record two shutouts in the playoffs. In addition, the 1985 Bears’ defense held opponents to a 50.2 passer rating with a 46.5 percent completion rate and 17-37 TD-INT ratio in 19 total games and opponents averaged just 76 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry across 19 contests in the regular season and playoffs.

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Who has the worst pass defense in the NFL?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the worst pass defense in the NFL, allowing the most passing yards per game (264.3), the most touchdown passes (27) and the highest QB rating (108.3).

What’s the top 5 defenses in the NFL?

The top 5 NFL defenses are the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Who gives up the most passing yards in the NFL?

The Jacksonville Jaguars allow the most passing yards in the NFL this season.

What teams have the best defense in the NFL?

The Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings have the best defenses in the NFL this season.

Who has the best pass defense in the NFL?

The Philadelphia Eagles have the best pass defense in the NFL, allowing the fewest passing yards per game (173.4), the fifth-fewest passing touchdowns (15) and the sixth-lowest QB rating (82.8).

Who has the best run defense in the NFL?

The Baltimore Ravens have the best run defense in the NFL, allowing the fewest rushing yards per game and the lowest yards per carry average.

Who has the worst defense in the NFL?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the worst NFL defense right now.

Who has the worst run defense in the NFL?

The Carolina Panthers have the worst run defense in the NFL this year, allowing the most rushing yards per game (173) and the second-most rushing touchdowns (19).

What team has the most sacks in a season?

The Chicago Bears set the NFL record for most sacks in a season with 72 sacks in 16 games in 1984. Most recently, the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles became just the fourth team in NFL history to record 70 sacks in a single season.