NFL Defense Rankings 2025: Evaluating All 32 Defenses after Week 9, Week 10 Fantasy Defense Rankings

Our weekly NFL defense rankings examine every unit across the league to determine the best defenses in the NFL. With the preseason wrapped up, let’s dive into our evaluations for the worst and best NFL defenses this season. We’ll update our NFL defense rankings, with analysis on all 32 teams, every Sunday night each week.

Our NFL defense rankings are updated as of Tuesday, November 3. We’ve provided evaluations on NFL defenses for all 32 teams coming out of Week 9. But first, our Week 10 Fantasy Defense rankings.

Week 10 Fantasy Defense Rankings

Here’s a quick rundown of our fantasy defense rankings this week. You can find analysis on each of the defenses further below.

1. Cleveland Browns D/ST vs New York Jets
2. Denver Broncos D/ST vs Las Vegas Raiders
3. Houston Texans D/ST vs Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Detroit Lions D/ST vs Washington Commanders
5. Los Angeles Rams D/ST vs San Francisco 49ers
6. Seattle Seahawks D/ST vs Arizona Cardinals
7. Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST vs Los Angeles Chargers
8. Buffalo Bills D/ST vs Miami Dolphins
9. Carolina Panthers D/ST vs New Orleans Saints
10. New York Jets D/ST vs Cleveland Browns
11. Philadelphia Eagles D/ST vs Green Bay Packers
12. New England Patriots D/ST vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13. Los Angeles Chargers D/ST vs Pittsburgh Steelers
14. Indianapolis Colts D/ST vs Atlanta Falcons
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST vs New England Patriots
16. Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST vs Houston Texans (if CJ Stroud plays)
17. Baltimore Ravens D/ST vs Minnesota Vikings
18. Green Bay Packers D/ST vs Philadelphia Eagles

Related: Week 10 Fantasy Rankings

1. Seattle Seahawks (1)

The Seattle Seahawks defense is cooking right now. After holding the Commanders to 14 points (7 in garbage time) and 290 total yards, opponents are now averaging just 15 points and 272.3 total yards per game versus Seattle in the last three contests. In that stretch, quarterbacks have completed only 58.4 percent of their passes, averaged 4.6 yards per attempt and put up a 72.3 QB rating. If Kyler Murray starts versus the Seahawks defense in Week 10, he’s in for a rough Sunday.

2. Houston Texans (2)

A matchup between two of the best NFL defenses went exactly as you’d expect. The Houston Texans only sacked Bo Nix once on Sunday, but pressure and excellent coverage kept him under 175 passing yards (4.7 yards per attempt) with aa 53.4 ESPN QBR. A defensive clinic with 2 takeaways and a 4.4 yards-per-play average allowed just isn’t enough when your quarterback is Davis Mills. The Texans defense will feast on Jacksonville in Week 10, but that might not be enough to win.

3. Denver Broncos (3)

In their first game without All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II, the Denver Broncos defense understandably had issues covering Nico Collins. Stopping No. 1 wide receivers is going to be a problem for them for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, Denver’s pass rush (7 QB hits and 4 sacks) stepped up and this front neutralized the Texans’ run game (2.8 yards per carry). Brock Bowers will put up big numbers versus the Broncos defense in Week 10, but the pass rush will also wreak havoc in the Raiders’ backfield.

4. Los Angeles Rams (4)

After holding the Saints to 224 total yards and 10 points, opponents are now averaging just 15.9 points, 18.6 first downs, and 302.9 total yards per game against the Los Angeles Rams defense this season. Over that eight-game span, the Rams defensive line has dominated both in getting to the quarterback (27 sacks) and neutralizing the run game (99.75 rushing yards per game). Los Angeles now gets its rematch against San Francisco, an offense that put up 507 total yards against it in the last meeting.

5. Cleveland Browns (6)

The Cleveland Browns aren’t breaking up this unit at the NFL trade deadline, so there’s every reason to believe this will remain one of the best NFL defenses in 2025. Cleveland is coming off the bye, something it might have needed defensively after allowing 422 total yards to New England. Even after that performance, the Browns defense entered Week 9 ranked fifth in yards-per-play average allowed (4.8), third in sack rate (9.7 percent), and third in yards per drive allowed (24.7). The Browns defense can almost single-handedly beat the Jets in their Week 10 matchup.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9)

With injuries decimating the team defensively, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has had to step its game up in recent weeks. In its last three games before the Week 9 bye, Tampa Bay held opponents to 15.3 PPG, 339 total yards per game, and just 17 first downs per game, with quarterbacks averaging a 68.5 QB rating. Tampa Bay’s pass defense will immediately be put to the test this coming Sunday against Drake Maye, who will take downfield shots if the Patriots’ offensive line gives him a clean pocket. However, New England’s run game should be absolutely snuffed out by a Buccaneers’ run defense that has allowed just 92.6 rush ypg and 3.9 ypc.

7. Detroit Lions (6)

Of the 27 points allowed to the Vikings in Week 9, the Detroit Lions defense surrendered 17 of those in the first half. In the second half of Sunday’s game, Detroit allowed just 10 points and 110 total yards on six drives, with those points coming on drives that started in Lions’ territory. All of that is to say Detroit’s defense will rebound immediately in Week 10 with a strong showing versus a short-handed Commanders offense.

8. New England Patriots (7)

After shutting down Bijan Robinson (46 rushing yards, 3.8 ypc), the New England Patriots defense is now limiting the opposition to 75.4 rushing yards per game this season with just 3 rushing touchdowns allowed across 9 games. Drake London (9-118-3) did have a monster performance, but he was the only thing going for Atlanta versus New England’s defense on Sunday. Given how injury-depleted the Buccaneers’ receiving corps is, the Patriots defense should have another strong showing in Week 9.

9. Indianapolis Colts (10)

The Indianapolis Colts defense deserved a win in Week 9. After all, this group limited Pittsburgh to a 25 percent third-down conversion rate, 3.7 yards per play, generated a takeaway, alowed 1.7 yards per carry (38 rushing yards) and sacked Aaron Rodgers 3 times. The Colts put on a defensive showcase. Indianapolis’ pass rush is starting to come alive, but its that run defense that will be tested by Bijan Robinson’s big-play ability in Week 10.

10. Los Angeles Chargers (12)

Make it 3 sacks in three games for Odafe Oweh since being traded. He led the way in a sour-sack effort by this Los Angeles Chargers defense on Sunday, a game in which the Titans went just 1-for-9 on third downs and mustered 206 total yards. All of that is to say, the points allowed (20) don’t matter because the defense wasn’t at all responsible for the two touchdowns allowed. With Joe Alt now out, this Chargers defense will need to be just as good on Sunday Night Football versus the Steelers.

11. Buffalo Bills (19)

The Buffalo Bills defense picked the perfect game to have its season-best performance. Patrick Mahomes might have ‘only’ been sacked 3 times on Sunday, but he finished with a 44.1 percent completion rate because he was constantly under pressure from this Bills pass rush. There is a bit of concern for Buffalo given Michael Hoecht suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, leaving this defensive front without two of its best linemen (Ed Oliver). However, we’re still buying into this performance and Buffalo should eat Miami’s offense and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa alive in Week 10.

12. Kansas City Chiefs (8)

That’s closer to the version of the Kansas City Chiefs defense that we saw early in the season. While Buffalo “only” put up 28 points on Sunday, it should have been a 30-burger, and there are other numbers (404 total yards, 6.3 yards per play, and 58.3 percent third-down conversion rate) that hold just as much weight as points. Josh Allen was sacked 3 times, but plenty of that came late in the game, and Kansas City also has to acknowledge that it allowed 100-yard games to both James Cook and Dalton Kincaid. Barring the addition of a No. 2 pass rusher at the NFL trade deadline, this will be a fringe top-10 defense.

13. Green Bay Packers (11)

Barring the addition of a defensive tackle or an outside cornerback at the NFL trade deadline, the Green Bay Packers defense simply won’t live up to its potential this season. Opponents are now averaging 4.3 yards per carry versus Green Bay in the last five games, and that’s leading to shorter third-down attempts, which means less time for this pass rush and easier opportunities for quarterbacks to exploit the Packers’ boundary corners. Green Bay matches up very poorly versus the Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 10.

14. Philadelphia Eagles (13)

Given how Jaire Alexander has looked over the last year, we don’t expect that acquisition to have much of an impact on this Philadelphia Eagles defense. However, this Eagles defense was playing pretty well before the bye versus the pass, allowing just 0.8 touchdowns per game, with a 61.8 percent completion rate and an 83.4 average QB rating in its last four games. Plus, Adoree Jackson should be returning in Week 10, and Brandon Graham is adding some much-needed pass-rushing depth for Philadelphia. Set to face the Packers’ offense in Week 10, it will be Jalen Carter and the Eagles’ defensive line that determines if they can slow down Jordan Love and Co.

15. Minnesota Vikings (19)

In Detroit on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings defense allowed the Lions to go just 5-for-17 on third down (29.4 percent conversion rate) while averaging just a modest 4.4 yards per play with 12 negative plays (7 TFLs and five sacks). It felt reminiscent of the old Vikings defense. Credit really goes to both Brian Flores and Minnesota’s defensive line, with a game plan and collective performance that were desperately needed. If they can keep this up in Week 10 versus Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, we’ll be back to believing this is one of the 10 best NFL defenses this season.

16. Atlanta Falcons (14)

The Atlanta Falcons pass rush (6 sacks and 6 QB hits) went to work on Sunday, but that was really the only bright spot for this unit. DeMario Douglas (100 yards) torched Atlanta deep, and the Patriots’ tight ends combined for 83 receiving yards and 8 receptions. Set to face an outstanding Colts offensive line in Week 10, we don’t anticipate Atlanta faring well.

17. Arizona Cardinals (17)

The Arizona Cardinals defense welcomed back top corner Garrett Williams on Monday Night Football and first-round pick Walter Nolen made his NFL debut. What Jonathan Gannon out of it is a unit that held Dallas to just 17 points, a modest 5.1 yards-per-play average and 3 takeaways. Getting Williams back is the real difference-maker here and it now provides Gannon with a much more reliable secondary, allowing him to get more creative with Josh Sweat, Calais Campbell, Nolen and Co.

18. San Francisco 49ers (16)

It’s very difficult to put much stock into how the San Francisco 49ers defense performed in Week 9, given they faced a Giants offense that was dependent on Devin Singletary, Darius Slayton, and Theo Johnson to be its playmakers. On top of the soft matchup, San Francisco sacked Jaxson Dart just twice on 35 dropbacks, and New York still averaged 5.3 yards per play and went 5-for-12 on third downs. It will be far more difficult in next Sunday’s matchup versus Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams.

19. Baltimore Ravens (21)

The Baltimore Ravens defense is still falling well short of where expectation levels were before the season, but it’s now at least moving toward a league-average level. In the last three games, opponents have averaged just 13 points and 315 total yards per game, with Baltimore’s run defense (85.7 rush ypg allowed) and pass defense (78.5 QB rating allowed) making significant strides. Drawing a Week 10 matchup versus the Vikings, it’ll be a great test to see how this secondary fares versus Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (16)

The takeaway-generating machine that was this Jacksonville Jaguars defense is gone. In its place, you have a unit that isn’t nearly as effective at generating pressure as it should be and that can’t get critical third-down stops. If the Jaguars’ pass rush can’t get multiple sacks next week against the Texans offensive line, it will be past time to be concerned about this unit as a whole. One thing is for certain: this unit will have issues covering Nico Collins.

21. Carolina Panthers (22)

Having Derrick Brown makes quite the difference for this Carolina Panthers defense. They allowed a 5.9 yards-per-play average and a 53.9 percent third-down conversion rate on Sunday at Lambeau Field, but 2 takeaways and a 20 percent red-zone touchdown rate helped limit Green Bay to 13 points. Given the Saints issues running the football, we’re not at all concerned about the Panthers’ run defense (174.5 rush ypg allowed in last two weeks) specifically for the Week 10 matchup.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers (24)

Takeaways (six) were the saving grace for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. 3 interceptions, 2 strip-sacks and a forced fumble created by this Steelers defense created short fields that the offense desperately needed. It was a great performance. With that said, turnovers can be very random and the season-long performance by Pittsburgh’s defense on a play-by-play basis remains concerning.

23. New Orleans Saints (20)

The New Orleans Saints defense had been stringing together some nice performances in recent weeks, but that came to a halt on Sunday. Los Angeles ran the football well (171 yards), had explosive plays through the air and Matthew Stafford was extremely efficient in attacking the Saints secondary. There are also lingering NFL trade rumors regarding prominent members of the Saints defense. For now, we’d expect a modest defensive performance in Week 10 against Carolina.

24. New York Jets (28)

Sauce Gardner will be returning from a concussion in Week 10 and that’s a desperately needed boost for this New York Jets defense. New York doesn’t really have a No. 1 receiver it needs to worry about, so Gardner coudl just be deployed to take away one side of the field. Given how predictable and vanilla the Browns’ passing game is with Dillon Gabriel under center, the Jets defense should perform well.

25. Chicago Bears (23)

The injuries to this Chicago Bears secondary showed in Week 9, with the Bengals putting up 470 passing yards and averaging 10 yards per pass attempt. This is a bad defense, but it draws a fortunate matchup in Week 10 against the New York Giants.

26. Las Vegas Raiders (26)

Given the Jacksonville Jaguars effectively played this game without their two best wide receivers, we’ll focus on the Las Vegas Raiders run defense. Las Vegas allowed 151 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on Sunday, with Travis Etienne also putting up 31 receiving yards. Heading into a Thursday Night Football matchup versus the Broncos, Denver should feed J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey with Bo Nix then attacking this Raiders defense on play-action and rollouts.

27. New York Giants (25)

As anticipated, Christian McCaffrey had a field day against the New York Giants defense in Week 9. San Francisco also did a nice job protecting Mac Jones with the quick passing game, allowing him to average 9.8 yards per attempt with 2 touchdowns and a 135.2 QB rating against the Giants secondary. Chicago’s offense has a great shot at a 30-burger, as long as it avoids mental mistakes, against New York in Week 10.

28. Tennessee Titans (30)

There’ll be next to nothing left on this Tennessee Titans defense after the NFL trade deadline. That’s music to the ears of every opponent remaining on the Titans schedule after their Week 10 bye. Tennessee’s defnesive coordinator Dennard Wilson deserves better than this, but it’s going to take multiple offseason to overhaul this defense and that’s only if the new front office nails the draft.

29. Miami Dolphins (29)

After a respectable performance in Atlanta, the Miami Dolphins went right back to having one of the worst NFL defenses in 2025. Lamar Jackson made 4 passing touchdowns look easy, all the while completing 78.3 percent of his passes with a 140.3 QB rating versus Miami. In Week 10, Josh Allen and James Cook face a Dolphins defense that has allowed opponents to average 7.2 yards per attempt, 145.6 rushing yards per game and 5.9 yards per play this season.

30. Washington Commanders (27)

Opponents are now averaging over 400 total yards and 30 points per game against the Washington Commanders defense in the last three contests. An injury-decimated pass rush has left this group incapable of generating pressure without blitzing, and the Commanders’ cornerbacks have been the worst starters in football when dropping back in coverage. You saw the results on Sunday Night Football, and you’ll see the same in Week 10 when Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam LaPorta get to face this defense.

31. Dallas Cowboys (31)

The Dallas Cowboys went out and acquired an off-ball linebacker (Logan Wilson) who was benched in favor of rookies by the worst defense in the NFL. Quite the solution. Following Monday’s loss to Arizona, the Cowboys defense has now allowed 159.7 rushing yards per game and a 5.3 yards per carry average to opponents. Meanwhile, quarterbacks average 237.7 passing yards and 2.5 passing touchdowns per game against the Cowboys secondary. The thing is, Dallas has actually proven fairly capable of generating pressure this year. Heading into the bye, we don’t anticipate any real improvement from this unit.

32. Cincinnati Bengals (32)

After allowing 47 points and 576 total yards to the Bears offense on Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals defense enters Week 10 allowing the most total yards per game (426.6), the most points per game (33.3), the most first downs (215) and the second-highest conversion rate on third downs (49.1). Whether opponents want to run the football (166.4 rush ypg allowed and 5.4 ypc) or pass it (23 touchdowns and 104.7 QB rating) they will have success versus the Bengals defense.

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