The All-Pro conversation on defense always gets messy fast, and that’s part of the fun. Some spots are crowded with familiar names.
Others are wide open enough for a breakout to crash the party. CBS Sports took a swing at projecting first-time defensive All-Pros for 2026, and a handful of young defenders stand out as the names to know.
At edge rusher, the pick is Jared Verse of the Browns. Verse put up the sixth-most pressures last season with 80, and his game is built around a powerful bull rush.
The next step is clear: add more hand-fighting tools so he can beat blockers in more ways. He flew a little under the radar in Los Angeles because the pass rush was treated like a group effort, but the move to a new setting could change that conversation.
The track record at this spot also matters - over the past five years, nine of the 14 edge rushers chosen first- or second-team All-Pro were first-round picks. Verse went 19th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Among the other names to keep in the mix are Abdul Carter of the Giants, Jacksonville’s Josh Hines-Allen, Jaelan Phillips of the Panthers and Tuli Tuipulotu of the Chargers.
Inside, the spotlight falls on Byron Murphy II of the Seahawks. Murphy did plenty of the unglamorous work in Seattle’s defense, helping free up a deep group of edge rushers, but he still produced on his own.
According to TruMedia, he ranked No. 19 in pressures among players with 200-plus pass-rush snaps in 2025, and he finished with seven sacks, eighth-most among interior defenders. Derrick Brown of the Panthers and Jordan Davis of the Eagles were also in the mix, but nose tackles usually have a hard time breaking through unless they’re Dexter Lawrence.
New England’s Milton Williams was the main competition for Murphy. The first-round trend is strong here too: seven of the 11 defensive tackles named first- or second-team All-Pro over the last five years were taken in Round 1.
Murphy was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Linebacker may be the trickiest position to judge from the outside, and Carson Schwesinger of the Browns is the example CBS Sports landed on. The issue at linebacker is that tackle totals can fool you; where a player is making plays matters just as much as how many he racks up.
Schwesinger had 11 tackles for a loss last season, fourth among off-ball linebackers, behind the Vikings’ Eric Wilson, the Dolphins’ Jordyn Brooks and the Raiders’ Devin White. He brings range and looks comfortable working in space.
This is also one of the two defensive positions, along with safety, where more non-first-round picks have made All-Pro than first-rounders. Schwesinger was a second-round pick and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2025.
Cornerback is always a tougher call because the production swings so much from year to year, and the usual names have already built their résumés. Jaycee Horn of the Panthers is the choice here.
He’s still just 26 and entering what would be his sixth NFL season, even though injuries limited him to 22 games over his first three years. Over the last two seasons, though, he has missed only three games.
Carolina gave him a contract extension in March of 25, and he picked off five passes before that. If the Panthers’ front, including edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, is more disruptive in 2026, Horn should have more chances to turn coverage into turnovers.
Denzel Ward of the Browns has yet to make All-Pro, but it may be too late for that to change. Joey Porter Jr. was a possibility before missing a lot of training camp time, while Baltimore’s Nate Wiggins, Jacksonville’s Travis Hunter and Cincinnati’s DJ Turner were mentioned as sleepers.
At safety, the name to watch is Nick Emmanwori of the Seahawks. He already played a meaningful role on a Super Bowl-winning defense, and the hope now is that he can put together a full season after essentially missing four games while recovering from an injury.
Seattle’s front, led by Mike Macdonald, should keep creating chaos and opening chances on the back end. Emmanwori’s 6-foot-3 frame gives him the length to clutter passing lanes and cover ground.
Over the last five years, 10 of the 13 All-Pro safeties were drafted in the top 100. Detroit’s Brian Branch would have been in the discussion, but a torn Achilles in 2025 knocked him out of the picture.
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