NFL · 10 months ago

Ranking the Top 32 NFL Defenses for the 2024 Season

Zack Cook

Host · Writer

32. Carolina Panthers
It's pretty hard to get excited about the unit that the Carolina Panthers are trotting out there on Sunday's. After allowing nearly 50 points in Week 1 to New Orleans, it really can only go up from here in Carolina. For now, it's difficult to rank them anywhere but in the basement.

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1. Kansas City Chiefs
Despite having Patrick Mahomes on offense, the Kansas City Chiefs were often led by the defense in 2023. Some pieces departed, but the Chiefs are still expected to carry one of the NFL's best. Chris Jones signed a monster extension in the offseason and will continue leading this group. Steve Spagnuolo's defense continues to be top tier in the league.

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2. Pittsburgh Steelers
There are many strong pieces for the Pittsburgh Steelers on defense, led by T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. If the Steelers can find a way to solve some issues in their secondary, which they look to have early on, there's no reason this can't be the top unit in the NFL.
3. Minnesota Vikings
Even if you disagree with some of his coaching, Brian Flores knows how to get the most out of his defense. The Minnesota Vikings had issues in their secondary in 2023. Will the new addition of Stephon Gilmore help put them on track to be better this season?
4. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a nice mix of youth and veterans on defense. We've really been waiting for this group to take the next step on this side of the football, and the talent is there for them to make a big leap forward in 2024.
5. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans made a big splash in free agency and signed Danielle Hunter on defense. With Hunter in the fold and Will Anderson Jr. poised to take another big step forward, defense is looking like a big bright for Houston moving forward.
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6. New England Patriots
Although the offense is looking questionable at best, the same can't be said about the New England Patriots on defense. With Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez making their return, expect the Patriots to be elite on defense in 2024.
7. San Francisco 49ers
After having big issues stopping the run in 2023, the San Francisco 49ers went out and addressed that in free agency. With a major force in Nick Bosa still leading the way for San Francisco, the 49ers remain right there with the best defenses in all of football.
8. Detroit Lions
The defensive line will continue to be a strength for the Detroit Lions in 2024, highlighted by Aidan Hutchinson. Still, their secondary is young and is coming off a difficult season, leaving some concerns on that side of the football in Detroit.
9. Dallas Cowboys
After hiring Mike Zimmer as defensive coordinator, the Dallas Cowboys have a real chance to be a top defense in 2024. Getting back Trevon Diggs will help, and we already know the elite presence Micah Parsons brings to the table.
10. Baltimore Ravens
Retaining breakout star Justin Madubuike will help keep the Baltimore Ravens as a top defense in 2024. If there's a team that develops talent better on defense than the Baltimore Ravens, we can't find it on our list.
11. New York Jets
Even after losing Bryce Huff in free agency, the New York Jets are poised to boast one of the best defenses in the NFL this year. Sauce Gardner is right there with the best in football leading their secondary. Even with some early injuries, the Jets defense is poised to find success in 2024.
12. Chicago Bears
One of the reasons that we're still seeing Matt Eberflus as head coach of the Chicago Bears in 2024 is because of the job he did with this defense to close out the year. The Bears remain a force against the run, and if they can find some internal solutions for their pass rush, they could sneak into the top 10 by the end of the year.
13. Cleveland Browns
For a solid portion of the 2023 season, the Cleveland Browns were the best defense in the NFL. Injuries complicated matters, but with a healthy unit and Myles Garrett still in his prime, the Browns should be the standard on defense in the NFL this season.
14. Las Vegas Raiders
If the Las Vegas Raiders are going to find success under new head coach Antonio Pierce, it's going to be because of their defense. Led by a veteran elite presence in Maxx Crosby, the Raiders defense is probably being undervalued heading into 2024.
15. Jacksonville Jaguars
Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen has helped elevate defenses in the past, and we're quietly expecting him to do the same with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. Bringing in Arik Armstead and pairing him with Josh Hines-Allen should take this defense to another level.
16. Buffalo Bills
With a healthier version of their defense in 2024, the Buffalo Bills should be improved on that side of the football. Still, the Bills saw some key components depart this offseason in free agency, meaning there are certainly some question marks centered around this group going into Week 1.
17. Los Angeles Chargers
We might be a little bit too low on the Los Angeles Chargers defensively. Jim Harbaugh coached teams typically find a way to punch above their weight class, even if the talent level isn't necessarily there. That might be what we see transpire for the Chargers in Year 1 under Harbaugh.
18. New Orleans Saints
Age is certainly going to play a big factor in whether the New Orleans Saints defense is productive in 2024. The Saints are taking some pretty big gambles on that side of the football, which could come back to bite them. Still, there are some really good pieces that can ball out on any given Sunday.
19. Philadelphia Eagles
With the amount of youthful pieces that the Philadelphia Eagles continue to add on defense, it feels as though it's only a matter of time before this unit takes it to another level. Until they prove they have that in them, we'll be content keeping them in this range.
20. Miami Dolphins
The key for the Miami Dolphins defense to be competent in 2024 revolves around their overall health. With Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips being relied upon in key roles, if this duo can stay on the field, it'll go a long way in helping Miami on that side of the football.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to keep some key pieces on defense entering the 2024 campaign. Despite those being quality pieces such as Antoine Winfield Jr., it's hard to see there being a lot to get excited about moving forward on this unit from a growth standpoint.
22. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have some strong pieces in their secondary, headlined by arguably the top cornerback in the NFL with Patrick Surtain II. The Broncos will need more production off the edge if they want to find success in 2024, but there are some interesting pieces with this group that can hit.
23. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans were active on defense this offense. The Titans big acquisition came from the Kansas City Chiefs in L'Jarius Sneed. Widely regarded as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, Sneed has the potential to help take Tennessee's secondary, and defense, to another level.
24. Seattle Seahawks
With defensive minded new head coach Mike Macdonald leading the charge, there's certainly more positivity surrounding the Seattle Seahawks on defense. The Seahawks need to hope that some of their young talent on defense can elevate their play and take that next step in their development.
25. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons were active in free agency and the trade market to try and improve their defense this offseason. The Falcons took some big swings this offseason, and they have to hope that trading for Matthew Judon pays off.
26. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have a strong defensive line and potential pass-rush, but there's still a glaring need to really upgrade the secondary. Until the Colts manage to do that, it's hard to rank them any higher on this list.
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27. Cincinnati Bengals
If the Cincinnati Bengals can continue to improve their young secondary, there's reason to really think this unit could develop into something better than where we've currently ranked them. For now, the Bengals don't inspire a ton of confidence, but they can certainly change our mind.
28. Los Angeles Rams
After losing Aaron Donald to retirement, it's hard to know exactly what to expect from this unit in 2024. The Los Angeles Rams have a jumbled bunch on defense, and after trading away Ernest Jones, we're left even more bearish on this unit as a whole.
29. New York Giants
The New York Giants have some nice pieces on defense, especially after acquiring Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers this offseason. Still, we didn't exactly see them generate a ton of consistency last year, which has us pausing our expectations. The Giants might surprise us, but we'd rather be late to the party.
30. Washington Commanders
Dan Quinn has the ability to get the most out of the Washington Commander's defense. The issue is that the Commanders just don't have a ton of talent on that side of the football, which creates an interesting challenge. Quinn will have to get very creative in order to keep the Commanders in football games.
31. Arizona Cardinals
The offense and defense of the Arizona Cardinals couldn't be more polar opposites heading into 2024. There's reason to be bullish about the Cardinals scoring points this season, but they're going to have score a lot in order to outscore their defensive deficiencies.
32. Carolina Panthers
It's pretty hard to get excited about the unit that the Carolina Panthers are trotting out there on Sunday's. After allowing nearly 50 points in Week 1 to New Orleans, it really can only go up from here in Carolina. For now, it's difficult to rank them anywhere but in the basement.

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1. Kansas City Chiefs
Despite having Patrick Mahomes on offense, the Kansas City Chiefs were often led by the defense in 2023. Some pieces departed, but the Chiefs are still expected to carry one of the NFL's best. Chris Jones signed a monster extension in the offseason and will continue leading this group. Steve Spagnuolo's defense continues to be top tier in the league.

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Ranking the Top 32 NFL Defenses for the 2024 Season

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