Over the last decade, defenses have adapted to burgeoning offensive production, especially in the passing game, in several different plays. To counter the increasing use of three- and four-receiver sets with spread tight ends, the NFL has made slot defenders starters and virtually removed linebackers who can’t cover at least the flat from the roster… or turned them into situational edge-rushers. To deal with ever-increasing examples of the quick passing game from three- and five-step drops, most defenses are playing more man coverage with press coverage, and some defenses are blitzing at rates previously deemed unsafe.
The battle between offense and defense in the NFL is a non-stop cat-and-mouse game that has now gone on for over 100 years, and some defenses adapt and execute more adeptly than others. Coming into the 2020 NFL season, here’s how every defense stacks up — from worst to first.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals went all-out in the offseason to try and improve a defense that started and finished the season out of sorts. They signed former Texans defensive tackle D.J. Reader to pair with Geno Atkins, and signed Vikings reclamation cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander. In the draft, they tried to solve their obvious linebacker problems with the selections of Wyoming’s Logan Wilson and Appalachian State’s Akeem Davis-Gaither. But there isn’t enough to improve upon a group that posted just 31 sacks last season (though Reader is an underrated interior pass-rusher), and under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo in 2019, this defense often didn’t look as if it knew what it was supposed to be doing.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
Last one out the door, turn out the lights. Under former Executive VP of Football Operations Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars rid themselves of a large amount of defensive talent, and kept a defensive coordinator in Todd Wash who didn’t seem to know how to mitigate the damage. Losing Calais Campbell to the Ravens and trading A.J. Bouye to the Broncos in the offseason? Doesn’t help. Top pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, the best player left on that side of the ball, has expressed in no uncertain terms that he wants a new home. It’s a remarkable downturn from a defense that was one half of football away from the Super Bowl near the end of the 2017 season. First-round cornerback C.J. Henderson is an outstanding coverage player, but fellow first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson, the LSU pass-rusher, has “boom-or-bust” written all over him.
30. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers’ 5.2 yards per carry allowed wasn’t just the worst in the NFL last season; it was the worst any NFL defense had posted since the Bears allowed 5.3 yards per carry in 2013. Carolina also allowed 31 rushing touchdowns; the worst total by any defense since the 0-16 Lions did it in 2008. Not a great group of metrics in an era when running backs supposedly don’t matter. Obviously, new head coach Matt Rhule and his front office had to make improvements, which they did with the selection of Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown with the seventh overall pick. Carolina became the first team in the common draft era to select defensive players with every one of its picks, so the onus will be on pass-rusher Yetur Gross-Matos, safety Jeremy Chinn, and cornerback Troy Pride — the centerpieces of this all-time defenisve draft — to try and bring this defense back to at least league-average.
29. Houston Texans
Last we saw of the Texans’ defense, they were blowing a 24-0 lead to the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, as then-defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel made the unfortunate decision to play almost exclusively man coverage against Patrick Mahomes and the eventual Super Bowl champs in a 51-31 humiliation. Crennel is now an associate head coach for the Texans, with Anthony Weaver running the defense. One can only hope the change augurs well for a defense that finished 26th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metrics, 29th in the second half of the regular season, and fell off the face of the planet in the postseason.
28. Detroit Lions
It’s important to know your personnel and what they can reasonably accomplish. You’d think that Lions head coach Matt Patricia, the Patriots’ former defensive coordinator, would have a handle on that concept. Not so much. Last season, the Lions played the NFL’s most snaps in man coverage with 336. On those snaps, they allowed 23 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Losing safety Quandre Diggs halfway through the season to an ill-advised trade didn’t help, and losing cornerback Darius Slay to an ill-advised off-season trade won’t make things much better. Desmond Trufant, the former Falcons cornerback who the Lions signed to replace Slay, allowed nine catches on 15 targets for two touchdowns and two interceptions in man coverage last season. First-round cornerback Jeff Okudah, the best cornerback in this class, will have to get up to speed very quickly.
27. Washington Redskins
With the addition of second-overall pick Chase Young, the Redskins are in the interesting position of having five first-round picks along their defensive line — Young, Jonathan Allen, Ryan Kerrigan, Da’Ron Payne, and Montez Sweat, who was Washington’s first-round pick in 2019. That’s all well and good, and the Redskins did have 47 sacks and 83 quarterback hurries last season, but they also allowed 35 passing touchdowns — third-worst in the league — to just 13 interceptions. In the offseason, Washington traded Quinton Dunbar, the one cornerback who performed at an above-average level in 2019, to Seattle. Dunbar’s subsequent legal issues notwithstanding, Washington isn’t in a better position to stop its opponents from throwing the ball all over the place, even with a front five that rivals any other in potential.
26. New York Giants
In 2019, Big Blue’s pass defense started out bad, and got worse over time — the Giants finished 32nd in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics in the second half of the season, and their secondary gave up 22 touchdowns while picking off just three passes. Rookie cornerback Deandre Baker was the primary issue, as he allowed eight touchdowns with no interceptions, and a 130.9 passer rating allowed. Baker’s current legal issues could have him on the outs with the team over time. The good news comes in the form of James Bradberry, the former Panthers cornerback who signed a three-year, $45 million contract to be the fulcrum of that secondary, and has the talent to do it, and second-round defender Xavier McKinney from Alabama. The Giants’ run defense was a strength, though there’s still a clear need for pass rush assistanec.
25. Las Vegas Raiders
Last season, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock picked up some real steals in the draft, and on defense, edge-rusher Maxx Crosby and cornerback Trayvon Mullen made important contributions. But the rest of the secondary was a mess, which the Raiders’ brain trust has tried to fix with the first-round selection of Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette, and fourth-round cornerback Amik Robertson from Louisiana Tech. Both are aggressive man-coverage defenders, which fits the team’s current ideology, and the free-agency additions of linebackers Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski should have things trending up a bit in the franchise’s first season in Las Vegas.