1.) J.J. Watt
2.) Joey Bosa
3.) Jadaveon Clowney
4.) Muhammad Wilkerson
5.) Vic Beasley
No matter how you slice it up, J.J. Watt is, and probably will always be, #1 on this list for as long as he is active. Watt is a household name for a reason: he is the most dominating force in the NFL right now. Only his nagging injuries can slow him down or stop him. Watt is joined by teammate Jadaveon Clowney, who also had a monster season as a result of switching from linebacker to defensive end. The future of the Texans looks bright. Joey Bosa was an instant impact player his rookie season in the NFL. Bosa was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. His great stats don't even tell the whole story, as Bosa was constantly gameplanned against and yet he still made a lot of plays. Wilkerson has been quietly dominating in New York, where his character concerns get him into trouble. Vic Beasley led the NFL in sacks as a rookie this past season. He will be a factor in the Falcons pass rush for the next 15 years.
1.) Von Miller
2.) Khalil Mack
3.) Robert Quinn
4.) Chandler Jones
5.) Melvin Ingram
With more and more teams transitioning back to a 4-3, the selection for 34OLB was surprisingly thin. Miller is the clear cut top choice, he cannot be stopped. Miller single handedly won a Super Bowl for Denver as his insane pass rush supplemented Peyton Manning's poor play. Khalil Mack is great, but he played just as much 4-3 end as 3-4 olb this past season. Robert Quinn is 2 years removed from leading the league in sacks as a 4-3 DE, but with Wade Phillips coming to LA and bringing his 3-4 Over scheme with him, Robert Quinn now becomes the de facto 34 Sam OLB. His progression and success this season will be very intersting. Jones isn't the best pass rusher in the world, but he offers significant strength in run defense. Jones, only 27 this season, should continue to produce solid play. Ingram took a while to catch on, but has surpassed expectations recently since being paired with Bosa. LA Chargers are fortunate to have found 2 franchise cornerstones on defense.
1.) Luke Kuechly
2.) Jamie Collins
3.) Bobby Wagner
4.) Deion Jones
5.) Dont'a Hightower
Contrary to 3-4 OLBs, there were plenty of worthy selections for top 5 inside linebackers. Luke Kuechly is head and shoulders above every inside linebacker in the NFL. He is one of the best middle linebackers in the league since Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher. Luke, unfortunately, is recovering from a serious concussion and knee injury. His return to form is expected, but not garunteed. Jamie Collins is one of the best run stuffing linebackers in the NFL. He is a great prescense around the line of scrimmage, even if he is sometimes a liability in coverage. Bobby Wagner was the centerpiece of Seattles front 7 during their great stretch of games resulting in 2 Super Bowl appearences. Wagner is fast enough to run with recievers and strong enough to stuff the run. Jones is one of the most unique players in the NFL. He is the player that the Steelers envisioned Ryan Shazier to become. Jones is the fastest linebacker in the NFL and that is apparent when watching him on the field.
1.) Thomas Davis
2.) Sean Lee
3.) Lavonte David
4.) Telvin Smith
5.) Shaq Thompson
Davis and Kuechly form the top linebacking corps in the NFL. Davis is adept at blowing up screens as well as stuffing the run. He is older and slower now so he is a slight liability in the passing game. Davis' teammate Shaq Thompson steps in during those situations. Thompson is the modern prototypical LB. He is able to match up with todays big Tight Ends as well as slot recievers. David and Smith have put together multiple consistently outstanding years on their respective poor defenses. Both players are quite fast and strong making them a plus in coverage and run support.
1.) Aaron Donald
2.) Fletcher Cox
3.) Ndamukong Suh
4.) Gerald McCoy
5.) Geno Atkins
At defensive tackle, there are many big names and others who are big performers. Players like Kawaan Short and Damon Harrison just barely missed the cut for this list, which shows how deep the DT position is in the NFL. Aaron Donald has been the #1 DT since he stepped on the field after being drafted. He demands double teams on every snap and will wreak havoc on a quarterback who takes too long to get the ball out. Donald can play inside and outside on the defensive line. He is far and away the best pass rushing tackle, and has a strong case as the best run stuffer as well. Cox has been slept on as a top DT, but he is finally getting his due. Cox was a dominating force for the Eagles this season, and their transition to a pure 4-3 scheme will result in Cox's stats blowing up as he will now have an extra linemate to take some pressure off of him. Suh has been quiet as of late, but that can be attributed to him being game planned against every game. He always faces double teams yet still makes plays.
1.) Marcus Peters
2.) Chris Harris Jr.
3.) Desmond Trufant
4.) Josh Norman
5.) Janoris Jenkins
No cornerback is better at mirroring recievers than Marcus Peters. Aside from Chris Harris, no CB covered the opposition's #1 WR more than Peters. Peters has the more interceptions over the last 2 seasons than any other player. Chris Harris was PFF's #1 CB, as he allowed an extremely low completion percentage. While Harris didn't get many interceptions, he was able to shut down opposing recievers and force quarterbacks to look the other way. Harris was helped by strong saftey play as well as pass rush. Trufant doesn't stand out on the field, but he is a PFF darling and the advanced analytics love him. Trufant is efffecient at taking away the opposing teams #1 wr. Norman was he usual great self this past season, but rarely covered opposing teams #1 reciever. This resulted in a bad end to the season against the Giants, where OBJ went to work against the Redskins #2 corner. Entering next season, Norman will shadow #1 recievers all game. It will be interesting to see if he is successful at that.
1.) Harrison Smith
2.) Byron Jones
3.) Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
4.) Earl Thomas
5.) Glover Quin
The state of NFL Free Safety's is: poor. There is no clear standout at free safety, which is wierd considering the influx of tweener safteys such as Su'a Cravens and Jabrill Peppers. Harrison Smith tops this list as the most consistent performer, but he is not elite at any part of the game. He simply makes plays and does his job. Byron Jones is the most athletic safety in the league. He is one of the few bright spots on a bad Cowboys d. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix enjoyed a breakout season last year for the Packers. While HHCD had a poor supporting cast in the secondary, teams were forced to account for him on every play in the passing game. Earl Thomas and Glover Quin have each lost a step, but both still demand attention and are adept at creating turnovers.
1.) Landon Collins
2.) Eric Weddle
3.) Tony Jefferson
4.) T.J. Ward
5.) Keanu Neal
Landon Collins finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting this past season. Collins was a dominating force against the run and had the 3rd most interceptions in the league. Collins progression was one of the main reasons the Giants enjoyed a renaissance year on defense. Eric Weddle had a down year last season, but that can be plamed on the poor play of the rest of his secondary. Weddle has shown for years that he is one of the best safeties in the game. Like Harrison Smith, Weddle isn't elite in either aspect of playing safety yet he is extremely good against the run and the pass and he forces offenses to account for him. Tony Jefferson will be joining Weddle in Baltimore this upcoming season. Jefferson had a career year for the Cardinals this past season. It will be interesting if he can maintain that level of play.
| Name | Comment |
|---|