As the NFL Draft winds down, most fantasy managers are beginning to turn their attention to the depth charts to see who is going to be making an impact on their new teams this fall. Defense's are much more difficult to predict - especially when it comes to Fantasy Football. Based off of the draft and last years performances, we were able to generate a Top-5 List of Defense's that you should be honing in on - and three who may surprise you (and the rest of the league).
San Francisco 49ers Last year, San Francisco took a major step towards being one of the premiere defense's in the league. From a mid-grade year in 2021 to a 3rd Place Regular Season Finish - the 49ers look poised to run it back yet again. Javon Hargrave, Isaiah Oliver, and Austin Bryant are adding a bit of depth for Nick Bosa and Fred Warner's squad, and a full season of a healthy defense will mean wreaking havoc on the NFC West opponents. Many outlets are predicting the 49ers will finish with another Top-3 Defense, so grab them early if you can.
Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia may be the only team to lose in the Super Bowl and find a way to improve their team in all aspects. They've added a few explosive players through the draft, and through trading at the draft. And now - they're gearing up to be the NFC East Champs yet again. Fletcher Cox resigned for 1 season, Terrell Edmunds is joining the squad and so is James Bradberry. Unfortunately, they lost a few players (Kyzir White to Arizona and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to Detroit) - so there are a few holes they need to address on the back-end. That being said, the best defense is a good offense, and we all know what the Eagles offense is capable of. It will also give the rookies on the defensive side a chance to make a name for themselves. Philly may be a Top-2 Defense on paper, but I think they may land in the Top-5 range.
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys have been a defensive powerhouse for the last few years, and a lot of it has to do with Micah Parsons becoming a three-headed monster that cannot be stopped. That may or may not be accurate, but that's what the numbers are saying about this team. As of this writing, only Carlos Watkins has signed elsewhere from the Cowboys Defensive Unit last year - a player who didn't even play a snap last year. Anthony Barr would be the only other notable name to remain unsigned at this point - so the Cowboys look to be bringing back a powerhouse yet again. Add in their strong defensive draft (01.27 Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan | 03.27 DeMarvion Overshown, ILB, Texas | 04.27 Viliami Fehoko, DE, San Jose State | 06.01 Eric Scott Jr, CB, Southern Mississippi) and the Cowboys have a very convincing case to be the #1 Defense in the league this fall. Barring injury, projections show America's Team should be a Top-3 D/ST ranks yet again.
New England Patriots Last year's #1 Defense is already turning the page to next season - focusing mostly on their new offensive additions. WR Juju Smith-Schuster has joined the ranks to help get the ball moving, along with TE Mike Gesicki and former Jets RB James Robinson. So while the offense is trying to get back up-to-speed, the defense is standing strong. The only regular presence from last year's defensive unit that is projected to not return (retirement) is Devin McCourtney - but the Patriots drafted 5 defensive players (and three CB's) in an attempt to address any holes on the backend. Despite their efforts to address the concerns on the defensive side of the ball, experts don't see New England being a top tier defense. The offense struggled last year, and relying on the defense to get you out of games has been Belichick's bread and butter for years. He's done it in the past, but that was with Tom Brady - not Mac Jones. Projections say New England is expected to drop out of the Top-10 for Defenses this year, but I think their defense will be just fine because of their coach. I don't think their record will reflect their elite defensive scheme, but definitely pick them as a Top-5 D/ST this fall.
Seattle Seahawks Seattle had a sneaky good offseason, and an even better draft class. Pete Carroll's team added Dre'Mont Jones, Julian Love, Jarran Reed, Bobby Wagner, and Devin Bush to their already impressive defensive unit. And with a surprising wrap to last season, you can expect them to be on an upward trend come kickoff this fall. Mix that in with Devon Witherspoon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Derick Hall, Cameron Young and Mike Morris, this team will compete now, and be even more dangerous for years to come. I have the Seahawks as my final Top-3 Fantasy Defense this year, with the potential to take over the #1 spot if they play their cards right.
Honorable Mentions:
Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Pederson's team surprised the football world when they took the AFC South Division last year, one year removed from an abysmal 3-14 campaign. But Pederson's approach (and the team's willingness to buy-in) really changed the trajectory of their franchise in one off-season. Trevor Lawrence had a career year, Christian Kirk became a WR1 threat, and now they're hoping to string together another solid season to make it a habit. The teams around them in their division have all made drastic attempts to improve this offseason. The Colts landed their QB of the future, while the Texans got both their Quarterback and Defensive all-star in back-to-back picks. Can Jacksonville take the next step forward and push deep into the playoffs? Pederson has shown his teams are capable, so it will be a waiting game. Expect the Jags to be a Wild Card team at worst this year, but keep them on your Watchlist Team for a potential Waiver pick-up in a pinch.
Washington Commanders
There aren't a lot of positive things to say about the Commanders lately. On the field however, the Commanders are looking to pull a 180 on last year's story. Washington struggled to do anything productive - either on offense or defense. A lot of it had to do with injuries. To address that, the Commanders piled on the defensive depth train at the draft, adding 4 defensive players along with the highly anticipated return of Chase Young. Washington won't be a top-tier defense by any means, but they definitely have the means to surprise a lot of people. I wouldn't draft them, but they are floating around the 10-12 rank until they prove otherwise.
Detroit Lions
I might get a lot of laughs from this one, but Detroit was statistically one of the strongest defensive teams in the NFL from Weeks 11-18 last year. The Lions went 6-2 in their final eight games, scoring 27TDs and 234pts compared to allowing 163pts. This was with a YOUNG defense too - one of the oldest players (Alex Anzalone) is still the MLB Captain for the team - but we're not sure how much longer he will be around. Jack Campbell was added to replace him, and Malcom Rodriguez is still making a name for himself - let's not forget Isaiah Buggs, Aiden Hutchinson, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Emanuel Mosely, Cam Sutton... I can keep going, but I feel that I've proved my point. The already improved Lions Defense took a MASSIVE step forward by adding lots of key veterans who bring experience and coaching capabilities for the young players Brad Holmes is drafting. The Lions are arguably the favorite to win the NFC North and host their first playoff game at Ford Field, but don't go all-in on them out of the gate. I would take a flier pick on the Lions with a 15th Rd or Later pick as your secondary defensive option - but I would not be surprised if you end up flipping either the Lions Defense or your #1 Defense at the deadline... because all signs are pointing to Detroit finishing as a Top-10 Defense this year.
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