NFL Analysis

1/11/24

11 min read

Super Wild Card Weekend NFL Defensive Line Rankings

By Maxx Forde

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It’s that time of year. The days are short, the so-called skill position players are wearing long sleeves and the loser packs up their locker stalls and say their goodbyes. It’s time for playoff football.

It’s a common football mantra repeated by coaches at all levels of the game across the country — if you win the line of scrimmage, you’ll win the game. The teams that have made it into the tournament this year are proof positive of that. Many of the teams that ranked highly at the season’s midway mark are the same teams still alive today.

With the stakes raised and the margins reduced, even the slightest advantage where the big men roam can flip a game on its head and change the fate of a franchise. 

Note: Below you’ll find those rankings with notes on the things that show up on the film that helped slot each team where they are.

Key injuries take into account players who are on IR or are projected to miss time in the playoffs as of writing.

Defensive Line Rankings

1. San Francisco 49ers

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 3 (3)

Key Injuries: Drake Jackson

At the halfway point, the San Francisco 49ers' defensive front still looks like an elite unit on film. They were generating pressure but still missing the counting stats (namely sacks) people want to see.

Well, that changed during the season's back half, as those pressures ended with a quarterback on the ground more frequently. That allowed the 49ers to take over games against several teams in these playoffs. They play fast and physically. They have depth and star power, and they play with attitude.

2. Dallas Cowboys

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 1 (1)

Key Injuries: None

Speed. That is what you see when you turn on the Dallas Cowboys' defensive film. Eleven hats, flying around, causing chaos and playing as one. That speed translates to the defensive front, where it can live in the back of an offensive lineman’s head — get off on the ball a beat too slow and that defender will be wreaking havoc in the backfield in a hurry.

Not only does that speed help make plays, but because of that psychological component for the offense, it can also force errors, such as false starts. The Cowboys have the personnel to take over a game on the defensive front, even against the league's elite offensive lines.

3. Cleveland Browns

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 5 (5)

Key Injuries: Maurice Hurst

The Cleveland Browns' defense is strong all over, allowing the fewest yards league-wide this season. When we’re looking at the trenches, it has to start with the edges. On one side, you have one of the game’s premier defenders Myles Garrett. On the other side, one of the game’s premier motors in Za’Darius Smith.

Smith’s extra effort can often help flush the quarterback or close escape routes, meaning even if he doesn’t make the play, it provides opportunities for others to finish it. On the interior, they have a solid rotation that is able to keep the big fellas fresh and effective.

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 2 (2)

Key Injuries: None

The Philadelphia Eagles' defensive line is interesting to rank. The Eagles have quality depth capable of making plays, and they do, but they’ve disappeared for stretches of games more than you’d like to see from a group with their capabilities.

When they are running hot, it is a thing of beauty. Striking the man across from them, restricting gaps, getting off and making plays. However, the Eagles' defense is a pass funnel, and the defensive line isn’t getting home on a consistent enough basis to take those shot plays out of the playbook.

We’ve seen the talent, and they have put it together enough to warrant this ranking, but the Eagles have another level that they can unlock if they just figure out how to play their best ball on a play-by-play basis.

5. Baltimore Ravens

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 8 (7)

Key Injuries: Tyus Bowser, David Ojabo

The 2023 version of the Baltimore Ravens defense accumulated the NFL's most sacks, and as I said in this write-up about them at the midseason point, “sacks get stacks.” If that is the case, the Ravens defense is getting paid, and Justin Madubuike will be first in line after a 13-sack season from a 3-4 defensive end spot — a spot that you often have bad rushing angles from.

While a good portion of that lead league is converting on a high percentage of their pressures, this front has restored the tradition that Baltimore has formed on that side of the ball. They aren’t quite the early 2000s Ravens defenses, but they are strong enough to at least carry the mantle.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 4 (4)

Key Injuries: T.J. Watt

I’ll cut to the chase, the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line was shaping up to be higher in these rankings. Unfortunately, they lost a bonafide superstar in T.J. Watt for at least the first week of these playoffs. While the Steelers still have plenty of talent, Watt is the type of player who is capable of turning a game on its head.

The Steelers won football games because of their defense this year, and specifically at times, even scored a game-winning TD. Veterans like Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith will have to pick up the slack and allow Watt’s replacements to play as free as possible. This is still a good front, but I don’t think we can class it in the elite tier without their elite star.

7. Kansas City Chiefs

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 6 (6)

Key Injuries: None

This season has been a down year by the Kansas City Chiefs' standards, but that has not been because of the defense. In fact, Kansas City is home to the second-best scoring defense in the league. Yet, the Chiefs just snuck into the playoffs in a relatively weak AFC West.

The powerhouse of that defense resides in Chris Jones, a player who commands double teams, makes plays in spite of those doubles and frees up the guys next to him for 1-on-1 looks. Essentially, Jones’ talent opens up things for the rest of the front, and they took advantage this year. A major beneficiary is second-year player George Karlaftis, who took a step forward and supplied solid pressure off of the edge.

8. Buffalo Bills

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 9 (8)

Key Injuries: Jordan Phillips

The Buffalo Bills have one of the league's deepest defensive line units when it comes to experienced and reliable depth as well as a good mix of different play styles.

As an offensive lineman, depending on who is lined up across from you, you might see a speed rush or a bull rush that will snap your head back. This makes the Bills a tough draw for any offense.

9. Los Angeles Rams

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 25 (14)

Key Injuries: None

There were low expectations for the Los Angeles Rams this year. The roster was stripped down and replaced with youth that started a little slow and came on a bit later in the season in support of all-world DT Aaron Donald.

Donald being Donald and drawing consistent double teams allowed rookie Kobie Turner to step his game up, with the rest of their pass rush coming by committee. While they’ve become a decent group relative to the league at large, they are a bit behind when it comes to the standard carried by the playoff teams.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 23 (13)

Key Injuries: Mike Greene

If you’ve been listening to me and Tanner Kern on the 33rd Team’s Win the Line, you’ll know we have high praise for Vita Vea and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' front seven.

Removing the linebackers from the picture, it’s not quite as clear though. One thing is for certain: their identity and physical style of play show up in the run game, where they can reset the line of scrimmage and earn the right to pass rush.

Once they get to that rush, it’s a different story. They consistently win and put pressure on opposing passers. In fact, it wasn’t a defensive lineman or even a linebacker who was second in sacks on the team; it was safety Antoine Winfield Jr.

Needing to blitz to get home on a regular basis puts the secondary at risk of giving up the kind of explosive plays that might end a season at this time of year.

11. Green Bay Packers

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 12 (10)

Key Injuries: None

There might not be any A-list superstars on the Green Bay Packers' front, but guys like Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary and Preston Smith are in that next tier. That's based on their physicality, which is a trait that bleeds over into the rest of the group.

Though we’re guaranteed no more Lambeau games until next season, something about a punch-you-in-the-mouth Packers team feels right, especially this time of year. If nothing else, any team that has to go against Green Bay will feel it when they wake up the next day.

12. Detroit Lions

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 11 (9)

Key Injuries: None

The Detroit Lions’ defense plays a physical brand of football. In football, there is a saying that, "the film is your resumé."

When you get the lights turned down and that projector screen lights up, there is no questioning Detroit’s toughness. However, to make any kind of a serious run, they will need somebody to step up rushing the passer aside from Aidan Hutchinson.

13. Houston Texans

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 18 (12)

Key Injuries: Hassan Ridgeway

DeMeco Ryans’ impact is apparent when you study the Houston Texans. This team hustles and does not quit on plays.

While that is a fantastic first step in setting a culture that can sustain long-term success, they don’t have the same type of talent the other playoff teams do.

14. Miami Dolphins

Midseason Ranking (Among Playoff Teams): 14 (11)

Key Injuries: Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Andrew Van Ginkel, Cameron Goode

The Miami Dolphins' edge rushers have been ravaged by injury in a way that is almost unbelievable. Coming out of the regular season finale, it looks like they’ll be forced to start off of their practice squad, having lost their top-four edge defenders.

They don’t have enough in the defensive interior to make up for that. As such, they check in last in these rankings.

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Maxx Forde

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Maxx Forde is a former CFL and FBS defensive lineman, playing for the BC Lions 2015-2018 after a standout career at the University of Idaho 2010-2014 where he was a two-year team captain and three-time Coaches Award winner.