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NFL power rankings, 2026: Ranking the best defense in every division

NFL Spin Zone · Jul 22, 2026 15:45 · 7 min read

NFL Power Rankings, 2026: Ranking the best defense in every division — Houston Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The newest NFL Power Rankings take a look at the best defense in every division around the NFL heading into the 2026 season. How do the top units stack up?

Even if the rules keep being bent to be more favorable for the offenses around the league, the old adage still rings true for the NFL in 2026: Defense wins championships.

We saw evidence of that last year as the Seattle Seahawks finished with the #1 overall defense in the league and won the Super Bowl rather handily. Entering the 2026 season, the deck has been reshuffled, teams are chasing that same success Seattle had, and we have a brand-new slate of contenders.

In our newest NFL Power Rankings, we're going to attempt to sort out the best defense from each division around the NFL. That means, in some cases, great defenses will be left off the list, because we can only pick one from each division for this exercise. After all of the moves that have been made this offseason, we've compiled what we believe to be the top defense from every division around the league, looking at last season's success while also projecting for 2026 based on all of the moves that have been made.

2026 NFL Power Rankings: Ranking the best defenses from every NFL division

8. NFC South: New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints might have already been the most underrated defense in the NFL last year, and they could be sneaking up on people once again in 2026.

Although it wasn't the best all-around season you'll ever see from a defense, the Saints posted some really fascinating numbers overall:

Total yards allowed: 9th
Pass defense: 4th
Yards per carry allowed: 6th
3rd down efficiency: 3rd
Red zone efficiency: 10th
Sacks: 10th

In many categories that really matter, the Saints were better than anyone would probably guess based on their team success last season. They also made some really smart additions in 2026, bringing back linebacker Kaden Elliss, trading for former Raiders top pick Tyree Wilson, and taking a shot on former Browns starting cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.

This unit didn't just catch lightning in a bottle last season, either. They have some really strong depth at every level. Don't be surprised if they are entrenched in the top 10 of most major categories in 2026.

7. AFC North: Baltimore Ravens

Based on points allowed last season, the best defense in the AFC North would be the Cleveland Browns, but they no longer have the heart and soul of that unit with Myles Garrett traded to the Los Angeles Rams.

Based on notable veteran names, it would be the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But based on projections for the upcoming season, I'm taking the Ravens as the best defense in the AFC North. The decision to hire Jesse Minter as their head coach should automatically take this defensive unit to the next level, and the arrival of Trey Hendrickson off the edge gives the Ravens a desperately-needed every-down presence, even if he's coming off an injury-impacted season in 2025.

The Ravens have the personnel on the defensive side of the ball to have a major bounce-back anyway, but the addition of Minter

6. NFC North: Green Bay Packers

There is obviously some concern over the Green Bay Packers' defense, at least at the start of the season, due to the ongoing recovery process of superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons. When Parsons went down late last season against the Broncos with a knee injury, the Packers' entire season went off the rails.

Now, they are going to be getting used to life without guys like Rashan Gary (who may have worn out his welcome anyway), Quay Walker, and even depth pieces like Kingsley Enagbare.

The new defensive coordinator is former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who is taking over with Jeff Hafley off to the Miami Dolphins as their new head coach. Gannon's defense has always been favorable for pass rushers of all shapes and sizes, so there's optimism that players like Devonte Wyatt and even free agent Javon Hargrave can return to form on the interior, with Lukas Van Ness still needing a breakout in his fourth season.

A lot of this Green Bay defense is revamped, but there was also a need for some fresh blood on that side of the ball. We'll see how quickly Gannon can put all of the pieces together, especially without Parsons, but there are a lot holes to poke in every NFC North defense right now. When Parsons returns, the Packers may have the fewest.

5. AFC East: New England Patriots

As much as people might want to poke fun at the way the Patriots' offense laid an egg throughout the course of the playoffs last year (and they aren't wrong), there's no question that the New England defense stepped up in a big way.

Mike Vrabel knows what he's doing when it comes to calling a good defense and scheming against an opponent. A couple of the things he's done better than most coaches in the NFL since he became a head coach are getting the most out of his players and managing every situation over the course of a game.

The Patriots' personnel defensively might not be the most impressive in the NFL, though they do have some stars. The group of pass rushers off the edge would have to be the biggest concern for this team moving forward, but even a team that ranked dead last in the NFL in sack differential last year (sacks allowed vs. sacks defensively) was able to beat some really strong teams throughout the playoffs.

Even if it was ugly offensively.

This defense for the Patriots is, overall, pretty well-rounded. The secondary is their biggest reason for optimism of a return to the top 5 overall defenses in 2026, led by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and veteran free agent pickup Kevin Byard, who is still picking off passes left and right.

4. NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles

A Vic Fangio-coached defense is almost always going to be somewhere among the best in the NFL. He's inevitable.

Fangio's defense for the Eagles last season was the biggest reason why that team had such a high floor, even amidst some brutal struggles offensively. They ranked 5th in total points allowed and 8th against the pass, but the Eagles struggled a bit against the run over the course of the season. Situationally, they ranked 9th in the red zone (a hallmark of Fangio's defense), but 21st on 3rd downs.

There were a number of personnel issues highlighted last year for this Eagles team, including the need for more juice off the edge. That's why they made the in-season trade for Jaelan Phillips, and after failing to re-sign him in free agency, they had to go out and make another trade to get Jonathan Greenard.

And if he's at full strength, Greenard should not only raise the floor for Fangio's pass rush, but really thrive with Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis drawing so much attention on the interior.

With the talent they have at all three levels, it feels like the Eagles are once again destined for a top-5 defensive ranking.

3. NFC West: Los Angeles Rams

Given the additions they've made this offseason, it feels like the Los Angeles Rams should be higher than third on this list, but there are two teams with similar levels of star power and more continuity defensively.

Just because the Rams look elite on paper -- and they do -- doesn't mean that they're going to immediately be the #1 defense in the NFL without contest.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, how sick does this Rams defense look?

The addition of Myles Garrett off the edge was one of the most unexpected developments of the offseason, and it speaks volumes that it has completely overshadowed the other blockbuster trade they made early in the offseason to acquire cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs.

That move alone would have had the Rams up to 3rd on this list, but getting Myles Garrett -- even though they had to give up Jared Verse in the process -- makes this Rams defense Super Bowl-ready. And they might not be done if Aaron Donald agrees to ultimately come out of retirement.

There's so much to like about this defense, even though their depth at cornerback/in the secondary is still shaky.

2. AFC West: Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have had one of the best defenses in the NFL for the past two seasons, and they're bringing almost everybody back for another run.

Denver's defense has set franchise records in sacks now in back-to-back seasons, challenging the all-time record of 72 (1985 Bears) with 68 during the 2025 season. Getting after the quarterback is the hallmark of this defense, led by coordinator Vance Joseph, but the Broncos have elite playmakers at all three levels.

The secondary is led by star cornerback Pat Surtain II, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year in the NFL and basically the real-life equivalent of Create-a-Player at the cornerback position. Surtain's consistency and dominance permeate that side of the ball, but the Broncos have stars all over the place.

Zach Allen's 47 quarterback hits last season were second to none in the NFL, including Myles Garrett (39). The Broncos may have three legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidates on the same team in Surtain, Allen, and edge rusher Nik Bonitto.

The only starter being replaced this offseason is John Franklin-Myers, who didn't even play 50 percent of the snaps last season. This Broncos defense is loaded and ready for a championship run.

1. AFC South: Houston Texans

Even if it's by a thin margin, there isn't a better defense in the NFL right now than DeMeco Ryans' unit with the Houston Texans.

The Texans have an absolutely suffocating defense with the ability to dominate in a variety of different ways. In terms of roster construction, this unit has it all:

Elite presence off the edge
Top-tier linebacker play
Elite secondary

Houston's embarrassment of riches on the defensive side of the ball is the example everyone else in the NFL is striving for. Houston's unit is not only talented, but they have chemistry and continuity.

This is a group that ranked 2nd in points allowed last season, 1st in yards allowed, 4th in sacks, and 3rd in takeaways. They're difficult to move the ball on, no matter what way you slice it.