NFL Defense Rankings 2025/26: Is Jacksonville’s Defensive Resurgence Real?

After being one of the biggest disappointments of the 2025 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have finally gotten hot. Their defense is a big reason why, with the pass rush ramping up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With the Jags competing for a division title over the final five weeks, many are left wondering if the defensive resurgence will hold up. We’ll share how their latest win affected their rankings, as well as the rest of our NFL Defense Rankings.

We update our NFL Offense Rankings weekly, but here, it’s all about the backbone of every team: the defense.

Here are our rankings for all 32 NFL defenses.

Ranking All 32 NFL Defenses

32. Las Vegas Raiders

The good news for the Raiders is that the pass defense was sharp on Sunday, thanks in part to a pair of sacks by Maxx Crosby. However, that effort was undone by the run defense. Kimani Vidal went off for 126 yards and a touchdown, averaging an impressive 5.0 YPC. The state of the Vegas offense is dragging down their already bad defense, making them the worst in the NFL in 2025. 

31. Washington Commanders

If the Commanders were at least average on defense, they would be in the hunt to make the NFC playoffs. Unfortunately, that's not the case, with Washington ranking in the bottom five of the league in yards allowed (388.3), scoring (26.9 PPG), and takeaways (7). They were bad again on Sunday, allowing the Broncos to gain 402 yards and score 27 points.  

30. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals finally jump out of the bottom spot of our rankings after a 32-14 win against the Ravens. While they weren’t great at limiting yards, the defense made up for it by forcing five turnovers. That led to just over 21 minutes of possession for Baltimore, helping to secure a stunning road upset for the Bengals. We’ll see if they can keep the momentum going as they head to Buffalo in Week 14. 

29. Tennessee Titans

The Titans struggled to stop the Jags’ pass attack, but the run defense was suffocating. They allowed 70 yards on 27 rushes (2.6 YPC), keeping the time-of-possession battle close despite Tennessee managing just 11 first downs. The defense also had to deal with their offense playing poorly, resulting in the lopsided loss. This was a strong defensive effort, though it ultimately didn’t matter to this 11-loss team. 

28. New York Giants

The Patriots had little problem lighting this offense up on Monday Night Football. They scored 30 points in the first half, before letting off the gas in the second. The defense finished allowing 33 points on 395 yards. If there is a silver lining, it is the defense’s success in the red zone, keeping the Pats out of the end zone on four of their five visits. The good news is that the defense will face softer tests in the coming games against the Commanders, Vikings, and Raiders. 

27. New Orleans Saints

The defense gave the Saints a great chance to get a win in Week 13. They limited Miami to 21 points on 298 yards, surrendering just one touchdown. The Dolphins registered just 16 first downs, failing to score on both of their red-zone trips. The defense also added four sacks, six QB hits, seven TFLs, and one interception. While New Orleans is allowing 24.4 points per game, they rank 12th in yards allowed (314.6).

26. New York Jets

In true Jets fashion, the defense tried to squander one of New York’s rare games where the offense gets hot. The Falcons' missing Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London didn’t make much of a difference, with Atlanta scoring 24 points on 389 yards. However, the defense did do just enough to secure the win, thanks to its seven TFLs, PDs, and QB hits. Third-year defensive end Will McDonald IV broke out of his slump to deliver four QB hits, keeping expectations high for the 2026 season. 

25. Dallas Cowboys

While they let off the gas in the fourth quarter, we came away impressed by the Cowboys' defense. They allowed 362 yards and 28 points, but stopped eight of the Chiefs' 13 third-down attempts. Given the high-scoring game, those stops made a massive difference, allowing the Cowboys' offense more time with the ball. Unfortunately, Jadeveon Clowney is dealing with a hamstring injury and could miss at least one week. Given the state of the Dallas pass rush, his loss would have a significant impact. 

24. Miami Dolphins

Miami’s pass defense struggled in the second half, but the defensive front made up for it. They held the Saints to 3.0 YPC on the ground while adding four sacks, eight QB hits, and five TFLs. Rasual Douglas delivered a crucial interception in the second quarter in Miami’s red zone, which would ultimately help prevent an impressive comeback attempt from New Orleans late in the second half. While this is still a bad defense, they have looked far better over the last few weeks. 

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs gave up 386 yards against the Cardinals, but only allowed 17 points in their win. They struggled against the pass and run, but made big plays that mostly kept Arizona out of the end zone. Vita Vea and Yaya Diaby were both electric, posting a sack each and combining for five QB hits. The defense forced a pair of turnovers while recording two sacks and seven QB hits. 

22. Arizona Cardinals

This defense was far better than we expected on Sunday in Tampa Bay. The Bucs finally had Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving back on the field, but Arizona wasn’t fazed. They held their opponent to 279 yards and 4.9 yards per play, registering five TFLs in the process. Josh Sweat led the effort with a pair of sacks, tying his career-high of 11 in a season. 

21. Chicago Bears

While the Bears held the reigning Super Bowl champs to 15 points on Sunday, we still don’t trust this defense. They rank in the bottom eight in the league in yards per game (359.0) and scoring (25.6), despite improving on those numbers last week. The pass rush remains a problem, especially as the secondary gives up big plays. Expect this defense to get toasted by a red-hot Packers offense on Sunday, ending their brief run as the NFC’s top seed. 

20. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts' defense only allowed 20 points at home on Sunday, but Houston managed 364 total yards and 24 first-downs. That allowed them to control the pace of this game, which was close throughout all four quarters. The stats aren’t too bad, but their drop in our rankings is about more than that. This has always been a mediocre unit, but they will now face far more pressure as Daniel Jones and the explosive offense slow down. We believe they will crumble, making it difficult for the Colts to make the playoffs. 

19. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens' defensive performance against the Bengals isn’t as bad as the numbers may suggest. They allowed 32 points on 382 yards, but were put in an impossible spot as their offense turned the ball over five times. The defense allowed only 12 points on those, which is impressive considering they spent almost 40 regulation minutes on the field. This isn’t a great defense, but we aren’t ready to write them off after this heartbreaking loss. 

18. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers' offense lost the game against the Bills on Sunday, but the run defense didn’t help. They allowed Buffalo to rush for 249 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.9 YPC. The pass defense was better, only allowing Josh Allen to pass for 123 yards and a touchdown, picking him off once. However, the pass rush failed to register a sack and hit Allen just once. They also allowed Buffalo to convert 53% of their 15 third-down tries, eliminating any hope of a comeback. 

17. Atlanta Falcons

 After an incredible Week 12 performance, the Falcons delivered another disappointing defensive performance on Sunday. They allowed one of the league’s worst offenses to score 27 points on 269 yards, despite limiting the Jets to 16 first-downs. The defense did manage seven TFLs, though it wasn’t enough to avoid an embarrassing road loss. Atlanta’s defensive game plan is strong, but its talent has been unable to execute it consistently. With the offense continuing to struggle as it deals with injuries, things won’t get easier for the defense any time soon. 

16. Carolina Panthers

You had to watch the Panthers-Rams game to appreciate the defensive effort Carolina put forward. While they gave up 28 points on 379 yards, they made up for it by forcing three turnovers, one of which was returned for a crucial touchdown. This defense doesn’t have a ton of talent, but they are playing hard as they look to overtake the Bucs in the NFC South. We remain impressed by how much better this unit has gotten, regardless of their underwhelming season stats. 

15. Jacksonville Jaguars

We’ve kept the Jags in our bottom ten for most of the season, but are finally ready to believe in this defense. A big reason for that is a revitalized front, which has been fantastic over the last three weeks. The unit has 12 sacks, 21 QB hits, and 25 TFLs over that span, helping propel the Jags to the top of the AFC South standings. The timing for their improved play is perfect, as the team will finish against three unreliable offenses and a Colts team led by a quarterback playing on a broken leg. 

14. San Francisco 49ers

The Niners re-enter the top half of our rankings after a strong showing against a Browns offense that seemed to finally have some momentum. They allowed just over 250 yards and forced two turnovers, despite allowing Cleveland to average 4.5 YPC on the ground. The win puts the Niners just a half-game out of the NFC West lead, which is incredible considering they are without Fred Warner and Nick Bosa and dealing with injuries all over the offense.

13. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles' run defense is broken, and it doesn’t appear they have a fix. They allowed the Bears to rush 47 times for 281 yards (6.0 YPC) and two touchdowns. Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift both rushed for 125+ yards, averaging over 5.8 YPC. Philly is now ranked in the bottom ten in rushing yards per game (128.9) and YPC (4.5). Expect that to be a problem again this week against the Chargers’ duo of Kimani Vidal and Omarion Hampton.

12. Minnesota Vikings

There isn’t much more the Vikings’ defense could have done in their 26-0 loss to Seattle. Seattle only managed 219 yards of offense, averaging a measly 3.5 yards per play. Seven of the 26 points came off a pick-six by the Seattle defense, while another seven were scored after another interception from Minnesota’s own red zone. The defensive front was excellent, with four sacks, five QB hits, seven TFLs, and two fumbles recovered. The secondary also played well, defending six passes, making this an impressive defensive effort. 

11. Detroit Lions

The Lions' defense was beaten up by their NFC North rivals again in Week 13. The Packers scored 31 points on 359 yards and completed all three of their fourth-down attempts. The run and pass defense were both bad, despite a strong first quarter. This isn’t a bad defense, but it's clear they lose the edge they had over the last few seasons. They must step up this week against a great Cowboys offense if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

10. Los Angeles Chargers

This defense has the unique ability to look either elite or horrific on any given Sunday. Fortunately, the former was what we saw in Week 13. LA dominated the line of scrimmage, which helped limit a truly awful Las Vegas offense. The Raiders would finish with 156 yards of offense, converting just 25% of their third-down attempts and both of their tries on fourth. As a result, the Chargers now rank third in yards per game (275.3), despite ranking outside the top ten in scoring (21 PPG). 

9. Buffalo Bills

Holding an NFL team to 166 yards of offense is always impressive, but the Steelers' offense deserves much of the blame. Aaron Rodgers completed just 10 passes for 117 yards, but that was mainly due to receivers missing their spots and dropping some passes. The Buffalo defense deserves credit for forcing a pair of turnovers and making big stops as Pittsburgh began to gain momentum. This defense will need to remain consistent if they want to remain in the AFC East title race. 

8. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs had no answers for the Cowboys' offense on Thanksgiving, surrendering 31 points on 457 yards. The lack of a pass rush remains a concern, as the team failed to record a sack despite six QB hits. Inconsistency from George Katlaftis continues to haunt the defensive front, despite Chris Jones playing better over the last few weeks. They are now 18th in the league with an opposing passer rating of 93.7 and 31st in completion percentage (69.5). 

7. Cleveland Browns

This was a better defensive effort than the final score will show. Cleveland allowed 26 points, but 13 of those points came off offensive turnovers that gave the Niners the ball within the Browns' 35-yard line. The unit finished allowing just 252 yards and hit the QB seven times, with Myles Garrett registering his 19th sack of the season. The Niners' offense finished averaging only 3.9 yards per play, but it was enough to outscore an awful Browns’ offense.

6. Denver Broncos

After a stellar showing against the Chiefs in Week 12, the AFC West-leading Broncos struggled to stop a beat-up Washington offense. Marcus Mariota led the team to 26 points on 419 yards and converted all three fourth-down attempts. They were able to control the pace of this game, leading to 30 first downs and over 35 minutes of possession. The defense was saved by managing eight TFLs and nine PDs, helping to avoid an ugly loss. This defense remains great, but has been beaten several times this season.

5. Green Bay Packers

Outside of an ugly second quarter where the Lions scored 14 points, this Packers defense looked stout in Detroit on Thanksgiving. They kept Jared Goff under pressure for most of this game, resulting in three sacks, seven TFLs, and seven PDs. While they were bad on third-down (8-13), they stopped the Lions on both their fourth-down attempts. Micah Parsons continues to destroy opposing offensive lines, posting 2.5 sacks, three TFLs, and four QB hits. If it weren’t for Myles Garrett, we’d have Parsons locked in to be the 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. 

4. New England Patriots

The Patriots earned their way into our top five after an incredible showing on Monday Night Football. They held a hot Giants offense with Jaxson Dart under center to 15 points on 239 yards. The defense posted five TFLs, seven PDs, and seven QB hits. The defense set the tone very early, delivering massive hits as they seemed to fly all over the field. They also delivered a strong message to Theo Johnson, who had an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty early for fighting, which led to him taking some crushing hits and dropping a crucial pass. 

3. Los Angeles Rams

As absolutely no one expected, the Panthers lit up the Rams' defense, posting 24 points (defense added 7) and 358 yards en route to a stunning upset. The Rams' defense didn’t look all bad, but it was consistently beaten in big moments. Carolina was able to convert over half its third-down attempts, and all three fourth-down tries. While that ultimately led to the Rams' loss, the unit wasn’t helped out by the offense turning the ball over three times. 

2. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks hop up to our second spot after bouncing back from a shaky Week 12 showing. While the Vikings' offense is clearly broken, the stats from the defensive effort are eye-popping. They shut the Vikings out, allowing 162 yards and 11 first downs. The defense also posted five turnovers, four sacks, seven QB hits, six PDs, and an 80% stop rate on third down. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV led the effort with 12 tackles and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

1. Houston Texans

The Texans remain atop our rankings after limiting the Colts to 16 points on 281 yards. Six of those points came after CJ Stroud threw an interception on the first play of the drive, forcing the defense right back onto the field. Outside of that, this unit was nearly perfect. They stopped 70% of their AFC South rivals’ third-down attempts and both of their fourth-down attempts, allowing just 17 first-downs. The difference in this game was the Texans' ability to contain the explosive Jonathan Taylor, whose long rush was just 12 yards, his second-lowest mark of the season.

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Top Five NFL Passing Defenses

5. Green Bay Packers

The Packers' pass defense faltered in the second quarter of their win against the Lions, but still surrendered just 233 net passing yards.

4. Denver Broncos

While Marcus Mariota passed for almost 300 yards against this defense on Sunday, it took him 50 tries to do it with a measly 5.9 yards per attempt average. 

3. Los Angeles Chargers

While LA’s defense has been inconsistent overall, it has been great against the pass, ranking second in passing yards allowed per game (168.3) and in quarterback rating (78.1).

2. Buffalo Bills

The Bills stay in our second spot after an incredible performance against the Steelers, allowing 108 net passing yards and registering an interception. 

1. Houston Texans

The Texans' pass rush was quiet for most of their Sunday win against the Jets, but the secondary stepped up to limit Daniel Jones to a 52% completion percentage of his passes for 201 yards.

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Top Five NFL Rushing Defenses

5. Houston Texans

The Texans did a solid job against the league’s leading rusher on Sunday, with Jonathan Taylor managing a long rush of just 12 yards.

4. New England Patriots

The Patriots' run defense started strong against the Giants, but ended up struggling to contain veteran Devin Singletary, who averaged 5.7 YPC and scored a touchdown. 

3. Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle run defense got bailed out by the offense on Sunday, forcing Minnesota to work through the air. That saved them from more damage from Jordan Mason, who averaged 7.8 YPC on six carries. 

2. Denver Broncos

While the Broncos allowed Marcus Mariota to scramble for 55 yards, they held Chris Rodriguez Jr. to 41 yards on 11 rushes. 

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags surrendered just 67 yards on the ground against the Titans in Week 16, despite the Tennessee backfield averaging 4.8 YPC.

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NFL Defense Rankings 2025