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RotoBaller breaks down every NFL team's defense in our latest NFL Power Rankings. Where do all 32 teams stand on defense ahead of the 2025 NFL regular season?
NFL Power Rankings: Every Team's Defense From Worst to First
While high-flying offenses and flashy quarterbacks get all the love in the modern NFL, the importance of defense in shouldn’t be overlooked. Scoring lots of points can take your team a long way, but the inability to get stops on defense will eventually catch up to you. With the start of the 2025 NFL regular season just days away, let’s take a look at every team’s defense in our latest NFL Power Rankings…
#32. Carolina Panthers
While the Carolina offense and Bryce Young showed some fight down the stretch last season, the same can’t be said of the Panthers defense. Carolina was the only team in the NFL who allowed over 30 points per game last year, and they still play in a division with the high-octane Bucs and Falcons.
#31. New Orleans Saints
Another NFC South squad who will struggle to slow down the other teams in the division in 2025. New Orleans’ once-talented defense has been hit hard by salary cap restrictions and father time in recent years. Some of the team’s best remaining players are in their mid-30s, and the front office’s biggest offseason investment was in an often-injured Chase Young.
#30. Cincinnati Bengals
The team’s drawn-out drama with star Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson was finally put to bed recently, and it’s a good thing, as the Bengals will need all the help they can get on the defensive side of the ball. Hendrickson is the team’s only star on defense, and Cincinnati will have a new defensive coordinator at the helm following their abysmal 2024 performance.
#29. Las Vegas Raiders
Like the aforementioned Bengals, the Raiders are reliant on a lone star Edge rusher – Maxx Crosby – on the defensive side of the ball. And while Crosby is an all-world talent and extremely productive, he doesn’t have much support around him. New head coach Pete Carroll will bring some fresh energy to this group, but they remain low on talent and stuck in an AFC West division that features some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
#28. Tennessee Titans
On paper, the Tennessee defense wasn’t all bad in 2024, as they were one of the most successful teams in the league against the pass. However, at the end of the day the Titans coughed up just over 27 points per game, which was the most in the AFC last season. Tennessee let Harold Landry III and Quandre Diggs walk during the offseason, and will struggle to get pressure on opposing QBs in 2025.
#27. Indianapolis Colts
Indy was one of the NFL’s most uninspiring defenses in 2024, finishing the season 29th in the league in total defense, while failing to positively stand out in any facet. There is some help on the way in 2025 though, as the Colts added a quality player in cornerback Charvarius Ward this offseason.
#26. Jacksonville Jaguars
Dead last in the NFL in pass defense in 2024, Jacksonville landed two-way star Travis Hunter in a blockbuster NFL Draft day trade. However, with the season less than a week away, Hunter’s true role in the Jaguars secondary remains something of a mystery.
#25. New England Patriots
New England certainly upgraded their 2025 outlook with the addition of new head coach Mike Vrabel during the offseason. In addition to Vrabel, the Patriots spent money on key free-agents such as Harold Landry III, Carlton Davis, and Milton Williams. They have a great chance to outpace this ranking by the end of the season.
#24. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have failed to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks for years. Last season, the team finished with the second-fewest sacks in the league. Atlanta’s front office tried to address that glaring issue in the draft, selecting both Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round. The type of impact those two young stars have will heavily influence how this defense performs in 2025.
#23. Washington Commanders
New Commanders head coach Dan Quinn schemed his tail off last season, raising a Washington defense that was putrid in 2023 to average levels in 2024. Despite the vast improvement, the Commanders defensive front was still routinely gashed on the ground, allowing the third-most rushing yards in the NFL, and will now be without stalwart Jonathan Allen in 2025.
#22. Miami Dolphins
There is some exciting young talent along this Dolphins defensive front in Chop Robinson and rookie Kenneth Grant. However, Miami’s secondary is overflowing with question marks following the decision to clean house by shipping Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh and cutting ties with Kendall Fuller.
#21. Cleveland Browns
After some Myles Garrett drama during the offseason, Cleveland came to terms with its future Hall-of-Famer on an extension that will keep him on the Browns defense. This team isn’t without talent, as they will add first-round pick Mason Graham alongside Garrett on the defensive line. The problem is that they’ve received little help from the team’s offense, which will likely once again put them in bad positions this season.
#20. New York Jets
It’s a fresh start for Gang Green, as former Lions defensive coordinator – and Jets player – Aaron Glenn takes the helm in the Big Apple. With a players like Sauce Gardner in the secondary and Quinnen Williams up front, this New York defense has a nice floor, as well as some upside, depending on how long it takes Glenn’s scheme to click.
#19. Dallas Cowboys
The loss of a player like Micah Parsons is unmeasurable in multiple ways. With Parsons now in Green Bay, the Cowboys are left with a defense that has a clouded outlook, at best. Dallas coughed up 27.5 points per game last season – the second-most in the NFL in 2024.
#18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs were one of the league’s most prominent pass-funnel defenses last year. Tampa Bay effectively stone-walled the run – relinquishing just 97.8 rushing yards per game – but were carved up through the air, coughing up nearly 342 passing yards per contest in 2024. Better injury luck in the secondary should help them to improve this year.
#17. Arizona Cardinals
Arizona was a perfectly-mediocre defense in 2024, and while they’ve made every attempt to upgrade things on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, it remains to be seen how much those changes will move the needle. Former Eagle Josh Sweat will be an impact player right away for the Cardinals, while rookie draft additions Walter Nolen III and Will Johnson could take some time.
#16. Chicago Bears
The Bears were simply bad all around in 2024, and it’s fair to wonder how much the team’s horrid offense negatively impacted the Chicago defense. It wouldn’t be surprising to see some improvement from the unit in 2025 with veteran Grady Jarrett joining the d-line. Montez Sweat remains a dynamic player, while the Bears linebackers form one of the NFL’s best units.
#15. New York Giants
Big Blue looks formidable on paper, adding Penn State phenom Abdul Carter to a defensive front that already boasts Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence. However, the rubber will still need to meet the road at some point for a Giants defense that finished bottom-12 in the league in points and yards allowed last year. They won’t be aided by a brutal schedule that includes facing dynamic offenses within their division.
#14. San Francisco 49ers
There’s a chance the Niners blow this ranking out of the water, as Robert Saleh returns to lead the San Fran defense in 2025. However, this unit was flat-out bad for much of 2024, allowing the fourth-most points in the NFL. While their performance last season can largely be blamed on injuries, the Niners were hit hard with offseason departures, including the loss of Dre Greenlaw, Javon Hargrave, and Charvarius Ward, among others.
#13. Los Angeles Rams
Despite the explosive addition of NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse in 2024, the Rams finished just 26th in Defensive DVOA last season. Those weaknesses can be traced to the inability to stop the run – L.A. allowed 4.6 yards per carry last year – as well as a questionable secondary. This defense is very good at getting after opposing QBs – and should be considered an ascending unit as a whole – but they will need to improve in other areas this season.
#12. Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter appears to be a rising star, as the Bolts impressed in his first season. However, Minter will have to overcome the loss of Joey Bosa and Asante Samuel Jr., among others. Derwin James remains a rock in the secondary, but Khalil Mack is now 35 years old. L.A.’s fortunes will largely depend on their development of young, unproven talent in 2025.
#11. Buffalo Bills
Defensive playoff lapses have destroyed the Bills in recent years, and the organization appears to have made a decisive effort this offseason to prevent that painful history from repeating itself. Buffalo added big-name edge rusher Joey Bosa in free agency, and threw the kitchen sink at the defensive side of the ball in the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting defensive players with their first five picks.
#10. Pittsburgh Steelers
This defense starts with T.J. Watt, and Steelers fans are likely breathing a sigh of relief that the front office recently got together on a contract extension. The same hasn’t happened for veteran Cameron Heyward, though he’s expected to play in 2025. A preseason injury to first-round pick Derrick Harmon is a setback, but Pittsburgh has plenty of depth up front.
The offseason additions of veterans Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay add some depth to a secondary that had some question marks surrounding the outstanding Joey Porter Jr..
#9. Minnesota Vikings
Minny defensive coordinator Brian Flores deployed one of the NFL’s most creative and successful schemes last season. The Vikings were an aggressive unit that tied for the NFL lead in takeaways with 33 and harassed opposing QBs enough to rack up 49 sacks.
However, when offensive lines were able to pick up Flores’ exotic blitzes, quarterbacks found success against a Minnesota secondary that allowed the NFL’s sixth-most passing yards last year. If the Vikings can shore up their secondary, they could be one of the league’s most fearsome opponents in 2025.
#8. Seattle Seahawks
This rankings lends itself more to a projection of this defense’s growth in 2025, rather than their 2024 production. Former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald will have another year under his belt with his high-level scheme in place, and the Seahawks have quickly amassed some quality talent for Macdonald.
Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen might be the best cornerback duo in the NFL, while athletic freak Nick Emmanwori joins a safety group that already boasts Julian Love. That’s all without mentioning Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence up front.
#7. Detroit Lions
Detroit’s powerhouse 2024 campaign collapsed down the stretch thanks to an almost unfathomable amount of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Now, the Lions must overcome the departure of beloved defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, while also hoping that Aidan Hutchinson’s return from a leg fracture is a smooth one. There is plenty of depth in Motown when healthy, as Terrion Arnold, Bryan Branch, and Kerby Joseph anchor a standout secondary behind a defense that’s strong at every level.
#6. Kansas City Chiefs
While Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce get all the superstar publicity, it has been the Chiefs defense that’s been the real backbone of this team over the past two years. Kansas City finished 2023 ranked second in points allowed, and followed that by finishing last season ranked sixth. Chris Jones remains the headliner for this unit, and is still one of the most disruptive forces in the NFL. Trent McDuffie and Nick Bolton aren’t household names, but are some of the best in the league at their respective positions.
#5. Green Bay Packers
An already-good Packers defense is now supercharged thanks to the organization’s blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons. The generationally-talented Parsons is one of only two players in NFL history to record 12+ sacks in each of his first four pro seasons, with the other being Reggie White. He’ll join a Green Bay defense that was already without any glaring weaknesses and was rock-solid statistically in 2024.
#4. Baltimore Ravens
New offensive coordinator Zach Orr overcame a sluggish start to his tenure at the outset of 2024, as the Ravens were one of the league’s best units down the stretch last season. Baltimore allowed just 16.9 points per game after Week 9 last year and now add intriguing rookie talents Malachi Starks and Mike Green ahead of the 2025 campaign.
#3. Houston Texans
The Texans can sometimes get lost in the shuffle when discussing the NFL’s best defenses. That seems unlikely in 2025, as it will be hard to ignore the talent Houston will put on the field. Head coach DeMeco Ryans will deploy an elite pass-rushing duo in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Following a breakout campaign in 2024, the only thing that can keep cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. from superstar status is his checkered injury history.
#2. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles defense undoubtedly faces some turnover following last year’s Super Bowl-winning campaign, as losing players such as Josh Sweat and Milton Williams can’t be ignored. However, it feels as though this roster is capable of continuing to churn out defensive stars, as talents such as Nolan Smith Jr. and Jordan Davis are waiting in the wings for 2025.
#1. Denver Broncos
The rich get richer, as the Broncos add free-agent acquisitions Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, as well as first-round draft pick Jahdae Barron to a defense that was already one of the NFL’s best. Reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II, will lead a lockdown secondary, while Denver’s defensive front allowed the league’s second-fewest yards per carry in 2024.
This defense is stacked from top to bottom, and it would be a shock if they aren’t one of the NFL’s best groups this season.
