Bosa more than lived up to the hype he had coming out of college, and entering his 4th season fully healthy, fans should expect another massive jump in production. His fingerprints will no doubt remain visible on this defense. But when it comes to the pass rush, the tip of the spear remains the same. Look for Mack to have a bounce back season during the upcoming 2022 NFL schedule. Simmons' ability to play inside and outside played a role in helping him earn All-Pro honors for the first time. DL PJ Mustipher, Penn State DL Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma DL Cory Durden, NC State DL Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina LB Ivan Pace, Bosa and Mack, who have both averaged over nine sacks per season in their NFL careers, are one of the most formidable pass-rushing tandems in the league, while Jackson (22 picks over the past three seasons) is the play-making corner this team has craved. Jones recorded a 17.8% pass-rush win rate since he was drafted in 2016. Entering his sixth season in the NFL, defensive end Myles Garrett has drastically improved every single season in the league. It certainly helps having the NFL pressure (22) and sack (6) leader in Nick Bosa too. A number of potentially transformative quarterbacks are available via free agency, draft or trade. The Best Quarterbacks In The NFL Right Now. Adam Schein ranks the 'WOW' moments from a wild Week 15. Here's a look at some of the best This iteration of San Francisco's defense has playmakers at every level of the field, but the foundation is built in the trenches. 2021 stats (with Patriots): 8 interceptions, 58 combined tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 23 passes defended, forced fumble, 10. Howard is the last defensive back to make the cut because of stability over others' more flash-or-flameout play (see the Cowboys' Trevon Diggs) in coverage. 1 here. Who are the most impactful tight ends in the NFL right now? The other Josh Allen is having perhaps his best season yet, currently tied for second in the NFL with 18 QB pressures, behind only Nick Bosa (22). Starting with the anchor of the reigning Super Bowl champions, here is Sporting News' latest ranking of NFL defenders who stand out a little from the rest: MORE NFL RANKINGS: QBs | RBs | WRs | Coaches. Ranking the NFL's top 10 defensive tackles for 2022 - ESPN The Vikings pulled off the biggest comeback in NFL history last week, but the Next Gen Stats analytics team says it wasn't the most improbable comeback of the season. 2021 stats: 13 sacks, 84 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 30 QB hits, 3 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 6. Simmons is one of the more underrated players in football, as his dominance in the interior isn't as noticed as it should be. 1 on this list heading into 2022. Teaming up four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Joey Bosa with three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Khalil Mack? Cameron Jordan, EDGE, Saints (6-4, 287 pounds). The 49ers' defensive line is a brick wall against the run, allowing just 0.3 yards before contact on average (second-lowest in the NFL, trailing only Indianapolis). 2 draft pick. His tackling needs some work, but Simmons is on his way to becoming one of the top interior linemen in the league. Flowers, who was drafted by the New England Patriots during the 2015 NFL draft, joined the Lions after the 2018 NFL season. What's the definition of a "indispensable defensive player" in the NFL? Signing veteran safety Tyrann Matthieu was the icing on the cake. 30 run defense snaps), and the Bengals are currently without both of their starting defensive tackles from last year's AFC championship squad. Linebacker Demario Davis is a great leader and tackler. 2021 stats: 5 sacks, 31 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8 QB hits, pass defensed, forced fumble, 15. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Each week of the 2022 NFL season, the Next Gen Stats analytics team will present a different Position Power Ranking, meant to spotlight the top performances among a specific group of players. College Junior Oregon. For the second straight season, the Bills have at least eight defensive-front players logging between 20 and 60 percent of defensive snaps. Fortunately for the Chargers, a pair of offseason additions have helped the defense stay resilient in the face of roster attrition. The likely first-ballot Hall of Famer will be hungry to win another title -- and show Seattle what it will be missing. Who are the best defensive linemen of 2022? Best players Heyward's 43 sacks over the past five years trail only Donald. Its also a strong class at edge defender, running back, defensive tackle, cornerback and tight end. Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings. Watt's 0.94 sacks-per-game average is the highest in league history, as he and Reggie White are the only players to have 13-plus sacks in four consecutive seasons (has 72 sacks in 77 career games). In three seasons, Crosby has recorded 25 total sacks including a career high 10 as a rookie in 2019. Which game is featured at the top of NGS's unlikeliest victory rankings? Even without former No. Aaron Donald is the best defensive player who has ever walked the face of the Earth. Despite the numbers not showing up like we are used to from the Kansas City Chiefs defensive end, Frank Clark continues to be one of the best defensive players at his position year in and year out. The revamped Chargers pass rush started off this season with a bang, pressuring Derek Carr on over half of his dropbacks in Week 1. pic.twitter.com/5CHFDQZa7J. Locking up James, who will hope to build on his 2021 season after missing all of 2020 and much of 2019 with injury, was monumentally important for head coach Brandon Staley's Super Bowl-caliber roster. The Commanders have spent four of their last seven first-round picks on defensive linemen, and the investment has paid off handsomely. The NFL's best at every position Jeremy Fowler asked more than 50 NFL execs, coaches, scouts and players to rank every position's top 10 for 2022: Defense: DE/OLB | DT | LB | CB | S With Chandler Jones lined up opposite of Crosby, the stage is set for him to have an even bigger year in 2022. Should Dan dial it back on snaps on some of the vets for guys like Bryant to play more? The Next Gen Stats analytics team uses its newly launched Expected Return Yards model to identify the top 10 returners of the 2022 regular season. Copyright 2023 FanRankings. He finished tied for second in the league among defensive tackles in pressures, tied for third in tackles for loss, and tied for sixth in tackles. Watt is your Sporting News reigning Defensive Player of the Year after tying Michael Strahan's single-season sack record. Jones is the most disruptive interior pass-rusher in the NFL outside of Aaron Donald. To find out who they are, read on below. In the ground game, the Jets have stopped rushers for no gain or a loss on 24.8 percent of runs this season, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL. Adam Schein reveals the biggest winners and losers from the penultimate Sunday of the 2022 NFL regular season. Two of RotoBaller's lead fantasy football analysts - Pierre Camus and Chris Gregory - have put together their individual 2022 IDP rankings, which we have Hendrickson was one of the best free agent signings in 2021, backing up a strong 2020 season in New Orleans with an even-better first year in Cincinnati. NFL Yes, please. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Crosby earned Second Team All-Pro honors as a result of his breakout season, emerging as one of the top edge rushers in the game. Safeties play a critical role in today's NFL. He's right there with his older brother Joey given his disruptive skills. Here's a projection for Chubb to have a healthy rebound season to pick up where he left off two seasons ago leading Denver's pass rush in the transition from Miller. Fresh off the NFL's Divisional Round, Adam Schein separates fact from fiction. And the tough D-line was boosted by the addition of D.J. Bosa has been a force ever since he entered the NFL in 2016, and his 2021 season maintained that status. Do the Cowboys have a quarterback problem in Dak Prescott? We've split the rankings into the top 10 edge defenders and top 10 interior linemen. His 58 sacks since 2016 (his rookie season) are sixth in the NFL and his 129 quarterback hits are fifth in the league. He feels just as comfortable thumping against the run as he does using his nose for the ball in coverage. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Clowney, who was a standout defensive freak at the University of South Carolina, continues to put together a solid NFL career year in and year out. Crosby, who joined the Oakland Raiders as a rookie in 2019, was a dominant force for the Las Vegas Raiders last season en route to a playoff appearance. Where does he land in the Next Gen Stats analytics team's ranking of the top 10 off-ball linebackers right now?