The biggest defensive shakeups in the league all landed in very different places, and that’s exactly why the early 2026 rankings are so telling. Dallas spent the offseason trying to climb out of the league’s basement.
Cincinnati finally got the kind of interior force it had been missing. And Los Angeles?
The Rams built a front that looks downright absurd on paper.
Those three teams frame the story of the preseason defensive picture, but the top of the list is still where the most complete unit sits. Houston checks in at No. 1 after a 2025 season in which DeMeco Ryans’ group led the NFL in total yards allowed and scoring rate. Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr. remain the headliners, and the Texans added more depth with safety Reed Blankenship, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, and returning edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
Seattle follows at No. 2, fresh off a Super Bowl title and a season in which Mike Macdonald’s defense finished first in points per drive allowed and third-down defense. The Seahawks did lose cornerback Riq Woolen and safety Coby Bryant, but they kept key pieces in Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon on extensions.
Then comes the Rams at No. 3, and the jump they made is hard to miss. Los Angeles traded for Myles Garrett in June, added cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from Kansas City in March, and brought Aaron Donald back from retirement in August.
McDuffie summed up the scope of the overhaul after being told in the spring how much would change by fall: "I probably would've said you're lying, for real." Chris Shula now has one of the most loaded fronts in the league to work with.
Philadelphia lands at No. 4, and the Eagles remain in the upper tier even with the kind of issues that would knock most defenses down a few spots. Vic Fangio’s unit was one of the league’s stingiest by points allowed last season despite injuries and a shaky cornerback spot. The hope is that free-agent addition Riq Woolen can help solve that problem, though Jonathan Greenard’s pectoral injury has limited him for much of camp.
Denver comes in at No. 5, where Patrick Surtain II and a relentless pass rush keep the Broncos in elite territory. Vance Joseph’s defense has led the NFL in sacks and pressures since 2023. The floor did take a hit with Jim Leonhard leaving for Buffalo and John Franklin-Myers heading to Tennessee, but the overall standard remains high.
New England sits at No. 6, boosted by Christian Gonzalez looking like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in the Super Bowl. The Patriots should also be healthier after Gonzalez, Milton Williams, and Harold Landry all missed time in 2025. The question is depth off the edge behind Dre’Mont Jones and Landry.
Jacksonville is next at No. 7 after Anthony Campanile’s defense allowed the fewest points in football over the final eight weeks of last season. Travis Hunter, who was mostly on offense as a rookie before a knee injury ended his year early, is expected to spend much more time at cornerback in 2026.
Minnesota holds No. 8, and Brian Flores keeps proving he can squeeze top-five production out of a roster that doesn’t always scream top-five talent. The Vikings led the league in blitz rate under him last year. Harrison Smith and Jonathan Greenard are gone, which puts more on a young cornerback group, but Flores has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Baltimore checks in at No. 9 after a pass rush that faded badly once Nnamdi Madubuike went down got reinforcements in Trey Hendrickson, Calais Campbell and Zion Young. First-year coach Jesse Minter arrives from a Ravens background and a title-winning Michigan defense, and he gets to build around All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton.
Tampa Bay rounds out the top 10 with a front seven that looks much more dangerous than it did a year ago. Calijah Kancey is back, and rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. gives the Buccaneers another real weapon up front. Bain was viewed as the best pass rusher in April’s draft class, and his presence should let Kancey and Yaya Diaby settle into better fits.
The most notable movement outside the top tier belongs to Dallas and Cincinnati. The Cowboys were the league’s worst defense in 2025, allowing 30.1 points per game, but they made enough changes to get off the floor.
First-time coordinator Christian Parker now leads a rebuilt group built around Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark up front, and that’s enough to land Dallas at No. 17.
Cincinnati’s makeover is more targeted. The Bengals traded for Dexter Lawrence, giving them the interior anchor they’ve needed for years.
Even so, last season’s 36 passing touchdowns allowed keep them at No. 23.
A few other teams fill out the middle and lower half of the board. New Orleans comes in at No. 11 with Cameron Jordan and Chase Young.
Cleveland is No. 12 with Mason Graham and Carson Schwesinger. Pittsburgh sits at No. 13, the Chargers at No. 14, and Kansas City at No.
- Indianapolis lands at No.
16, Buffalo at No. 18, and the Jets at No. 19.
Detroit is No. 20, Green Bay No. 21, the Giants No.
22, Carolina No. 24, Tennessee No.
25, San Francisco No. 26, Washington No.
27, Chicago No. 28, Atlanta No.
29, Las Vegas No. 30, Arizona No. 31, and Miami at No.
In Other News...
Cashius Howell Is Suddenly At Center Of Bengals Defensive Hype
Cashius Howell has quickly become one of the most talked-about names around the Bengals defense, and it is easy to see why. Cincinnati used the draft to reshape its front, dealing away its first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence before spending its second-round selection on the Texas A&M edge rusher, who arrived with plenty of momentum after being named the 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American.
The early buzz has only gotten louder since then, with CBS Sports analyst John Breech going so far as to project Howell as the 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year and the Bengals as a playoff team. For a defense looking for impact players who can change the conversation, Howell is already being treated like much more than a mid-round addition, even if the real answer about how fast he can tilt games in Cincinnati still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have An Unexpected New Injury Concern Before Week 1
Week 1 practice brought one of those early-season reminders that the Bengals depth will be tested before the games even count. DJ Turner II showed up on the injury report with a hamstring issue and was limited, while JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins were both back to full participation as they continue working through their own recoveries. For a team trying to build rhythm right away, getting its top receivers on the field matters, but the attention shifted quickly to the new concern in the secondary.
Zac Taylor also spent time updating the status of several players while talking through the bigger picture of continuity and situational football as the season opener approaches. Those are the kinds of details that tend to matter more once the first kickoff arrives, especially for a Bengals team hoping to avoid any early disruption in a unit that needs all its pieces ready. For now, the key question is how much Turners hamstring affects the week ahead and whether it lingers past the initial practice report. [Read more 🡒]
Ja'Marr Chase Sent Bengals Fans An Encouraging Message Before Sunday
Ja'Marr Chases return to full participation in practice comes with a little extra reassurance for Bengals fans who watched him deal with a minor knee hyperextension last month. Entering the 2026 season, the star receiver said he feels fully healthy again, and he struck a confident tone about both his body and the energy around the team as preparations move toward opening weekend.
The timing of the schedule is one thing Chase clearly did not hide his opinion on, since he said he would rather not be dealing with 1 p.m. starts. But the bigger takeaway for Cincinnati is simpler: its top pass-catching threat sounds ready to go, and after a brief scare in the summer, that is the sort of update that matters most this time of year. [Read more 🡒]