It’s almost time for training camps to start up around the NFL, giving us one last stretch to put in some time at the rankings factory and reminisce on the 2024 season before moving forward. This time, it’s a list that’s hard to make because so many defenders are playing high-level ball, and this is a wider-cast net than quarterbacks or wide receivers.
Front seven players are featured heavily in the top 10 defenders list, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a plethora of elite defensive backs in the league — some of which are very early into potential Hall of Fame careers.
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This isn’t meant to be a slight to great defenders like T.J. Watt, who's still seeking a contract extension with the Steelers, and Will Anderson Jr., who easily could have been on this list. There are just so many great defenders across the league right now that whittling it down to a list of 10 is a difficult challenge.
All 10 of these guys are gamebreakers, and there are many more that would’ve been valid members of this list, but it starts with two of the best pass rushers in the history of the NFL and a truly dominating cornerback.
NFL's Big 3 defenders
1. Micah Parsons, Cowboys edge
2. Myles Garrett, Browns edge
3. Pat Surtain II, Broncos CB
It can be hard (or impossible) to find consensus in the NFL and amongst its fanbase, but there does appear to be some sort of agreement that Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett and Patrick Surtain II are three of the most dominant players in the league. Those three players are able to just topple opposing passing games and impose their will on the players that they go against.
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Parsons, who still does not have a long-term deal done with the Cowboys, showed why he’s deserving of the No. 1 ranking on this list during his late-season mad dash after he returned from injury. In the nine games Parsons played after returning from a high ankle sprain, he had a whopping 11 sacks and 17 quarterback hits. According to TruMedia, the Cowboys ranked first in sack rate (10.3%), eighth in pressure rate (36.9%) and third in third and long conversion rate (18.2%). It’s safe to say Parsons’ return made a huge difference for the team and if he can stay healthy for the full season, he’s always a threat to put up monster sack totals.
Myles Garrett is in the same breath as Parsons. Despite making a fuss and demanding a trade, Garrett returned to the Browns on a contract that will pay him $123 million guaranteed over the next four years, which the Browns felt was a no-brainer move. Garrett cracked 100 career sacks this year, before he turned 30, and led the league in tackles for loss with 22 on the season. It would’ve been cool to see Garrett play for a team that had a shot to contend, but he’ll always be something that Browns fans can say is their own — an absolute missile against opposing offensive tackles.
Surtain is the best cornerback in the league. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is one of just seven defensive backs (Rod Woodson, Ed Reed, Bob Sanders, Charles Woodson, Troy Polamalu, Stephon Gilmore, Surtain) to win the award in the last 35 years of the league. The 2024 season he had was truly an all-time performance and he showed his value in all facets of the game. Coverage, tackling, making plays with the ball in hand — Surtain routinely showed last season why he’s at the top of the charts and why the Broncos felt totally comfortable handing him a four-year, $96 million contract prior to the start of the season. His presence alters the math for Denver’s defense and makes life much easier for the rest of his teammates.
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Elite defensive cornerstones
4. Fred Warner, 49ers LB
5. Derek Stingley Jr., Texans CB
6. Dexter Lawrence, Giants DT
7. Chris Jones, Chiefs DT
8. Nick Bosa, 49ers edge
This is where the list got hard, but again, there are a plethora of front seven players here. Despite having an inconsistent performance as a whole on defense, the 49ers do still boast two of the best defensive players in the league in linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa. Those two are expected to lead the 49ers into a new era of their defense, which lost some talent this offseason, under returning defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, and it’s a strong duo to start with. Warner is the consensus best linebacker in the league right now, and will be hoisting a gold jacket in Canton if he stays on his current path. He’s the field general with elite ability to play against the pass and covers up a lot of blemishes.
Derek Stingley Jr. is the next best cornerback in football outside of Surtain and he had a true shutdown season, culminating in erasing the Chargers’ passing game in Houston's wild-card win. For a player who was projected for NFL stardom as an 18-year-old-college freshman, he has lived up to the lofty expectations and become an eraser cornerback in man coverage. The Texans' defense can really turn up opponents with pass rushing, which only makes Stingley more potent as the pressures and errant throws pile up.
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Dexter Lawrence and Chris Jones are two of the most unique defensive linemen of this era. Lawrence’s size of speed and explosion at 340 pounds are a rare enough combination and make him a lethal pass rushing threat. He’s also an elite run defender and would get my pick as the best defensive tackle in the league in the post-Aaron Donald world, although there are plenty of viable choices for that crown. Jones is still playing at an incredibly high level and remains a true chess piece on the Chiefs’ defensive line that helps them stay flexible. At 300 pounds, it’s really absurd how he can turn the corner like a natural edge rusher and get home for sacks fairly routinely. It’s hard to find guys that size who can turn a corner, but Jones’ ability to do so should help him remain one of the top NFL players this season.
Lottery ticket talents
9. Kyle Hamilton, Ravens safety
10. Jalen Carter, Eagles DT
Kyle Hamilton and Jalen Carter are already two of the best players in the NFL and it’s been apparent so early in their careers. Each of them have rare physical gifts to go along with elite football knowledge and instincts that made them instant impact star defenders.
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Hamilton has one of the rarest skill sets in the league, especially when factoring in his size and what he’s asked to do. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he can cover all over the middle of the field while using his size to still be an enforcer downhill against the run. He has played all over the Ravens' defense and excelled at every spot, even becoming one of the best deep safeties in the league over the back half of last season. It seems silly to look back and remember that people thought Hamilton would be too slow to play in the NFL because he clearly already has a chance to become one of the best safeties in the history of the game.
Jalen Carter fit right into an Eagles defensive line that played perfectly to his strengths, and he took it up another notch during the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl title. At his best, he can be the most dominant defensive tackle in the league and his ability to diagnose quickly always has him in the right spot at the right time. He's just going to get better and better as he gets more reps in the NFL and his physical upside could easily vault him further up this list in the future.
Both of these guys are going to have to wait a bit before they can cash in on their first contract extensions, but they’re already no-brainer, market rate re-signing candidates.