25. Quandre Diggs, Seahawks: His first full season in Seattle was his best. He had the most interceptions of his career with five and the second most total tackles with 64 and his first pro-bowl nod.
24. Jaquiski Tartt, 49ers: After tearing a tendon in his foot Tartt’s future with the 49ers was in question. This offseason he signed a one-year deal with just under 1 million dollars in value on the contract. This year he looks to stay healthy for 17 games and help the struggling Niner defense get back to the top.
23.. Kareem Jackson, Broncos: Last year in Denver he had a career high in tackles (89) but only one interception. On the plus side he only allowed 278 yards in 16 games. His age puts him this far down on the list but otherwise he is great.
22. Adrian Amos, Packers: The second fiddle to Darnell Savage in Green Bay, Amos has put together a decent career so far as that second fiddle. His numbers reflect poorly on his abilities because of Savage being on the other side and Jaire Alexander being a guy other teams do not target.
21. Landon Collins, Washington: He is a hard-hitting safety that is hugely overpaid but he plays for the best defense in the league. That fact alone puts him in this spot on the list. He will be fully healthy for the start of the season and could change the mind of many critics.
20. Devin McCourty, Patriots: Devin will play in twice as many games than he misses, and he is the voice of the highly touted Bill Belichick defense. Again, his stats don’t show it, but he is an amazing defender and plays off the stat sheet.
19. Jabrill Peppers, Giants: Many forget he was a Heisman candidate and just how athletic he is. He does only have one interception per year which hurts him and another thing that hurts him is that the Giants want him to play up like a linebacker.
18. Jordan Poyer, Bills: A fantastic second guy to Micah Hyde and a great complimentary piece to Tredavious White on the left side of the defense. With the pass rush being the main focus of the Bills offseason the only thing the secondary could do is get better.
17. Anthony Harris, Eagles: Harris joins a new team this year so we don’t know how he will gel into that defense. He is a ballhawk although he only has nine career interceptions. Last season he had a career high with 262 yards allowed but it was a down season by the Vikings overall.
16. Antoine Winfield Jr, Buccaneers: His success has only come from the playoff run last season and became a league favorite when he put the peace sign in Tyreek Hill’s face. This season will be different, and he will make a big leap in production this season.
15. Darnell Savage Jr, Packers: He is a third-year player who has surpassed his peers and can play in the box if need be. Savage will only get better.
14. Marcus Williams, Saints: Infamously known for missing the tackle on Stephon Diggs but he is much more than that. 2020 was considered a down year for Williams with only three interceptions and seven pass defended but the trajectory of his career means he will have an up year this season. The defensive line has become better despite the loss of Hendrickson, making his job easier.
13. John Johnson III, Browns: The transition from Los Angeles’ stout defense to Cleveland will come with some hiccups but a player of his caliber will not have a tough time. The return of Grant Delpit will loom huge for Cleveland as well.
12. Micah Hyde, Bills: Playing on the weak side of the defense (opposite of Tredavious White) Hyde has a huge task. Over the years he has lived up to it and has been a huge contributor to a top 5 defense year in and year out. He may not be the cornerstone of the defense, but he is fantastic.
11. Kevin Byard, Titans: A year removed from being in the top 5 conversation he might have fallen off because of the lack of stats, but that’s because he wasn’t targeted nearly as much. I expect his numbers to increase dramatically since the Titans defense will be horrible.
10. Derwin James, Chargers: a career littered with injuries, James is primed to have a healthy season and on top of that an all-pro season. A defense that has improved drastically since last offseason will only get better with the addition of James and that keeps him in the top 10.
9. Tyrann Mathieu, Chiefs: I hate him, but he is good. A little overrated but top 10 for sure, super solid.
8. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers: The guy who relies on defensive stats to have him in the top 10 but seems like is everywhere on the field. This guy will always be near the ball whether it be picking it off or getting beat deep on a pass. One outweighs the other so that’s why he is clearly number 8.
7. Jamal Adams, Seahawks: Dubbed blitz boy by 11-year-olds Adams is much more than that. Like Minkah he is always by the ball, good or bad, but is the heart of the Hawks stellar defense. I am
curious how it looks without Shaq Griffin on the outside.
6. Eddie Jackson, Bears: A true ballhawk whose numbers are down because of the lack of targets. Sine he lost his running mate, Adrian Amos, and his stats suffered from that. He will be entering his prime on a defense that will only get better.
5. Marcus Maye, Jets: A surprising guy to the casuals but the true fans know this guy is the real deal. He will play under the franchise tag this season and should expect a huge payday next offseason if he continues his play. He will not record a lot of stats this season as he is the only bright point on this Jets defense and will likely see limited targets.
4. Harrison Smith, Vikings: This guy will not be left off anybody’s top lists for the foreseeable future. He can pay in the box, he can be a ballhawk, and he can cover these seemingly uncoverable Tight ends.
3. Budda Baker, Cardinals: The best tackler on this list and at the moment the highest paid. He was tracked down by DK Metcalf on a INT return but will be around the ball to make a play on every down.
2. Justin Simmons, Broncos: This guy could be put number one with how often he makes the deciding plays in the games, but I have him here because he is overvalued by Denver. The position should never be paid as much as Defensive ends, but it seems he wants that much money, and they might overpay.
1. Jessie Bates III, Bengals: To the many he is ranked to high but to the knowing he is ranked properly. The only Bengal that’s top ten at any position. If you go back and watch Bates’ all-22 film you would realize he is the best safety in the league, and until you do don’t argue this take.
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