Jarran Reed, Seattle Seahawks. Every pick the team made in the 2019 draft was spent on defense — three of those picks were spent on defensive linemen, including first-round pick. Tarell Basham, Jordan Jenkins and Kyle Phillips all topped 500 snaps in 2019, but none of them were able to generate more than 40 total pressures or earn a pass-rushing grade north of 70.0. Last season the team experimented with deploying Shaquem Griffin on the edge as a situational pass-rusher despite his weight (likely in the 215-220-pound range), in an attempt to generate some pressure. An increasingly effective rotational inside-outside pass rusher during his four years with the Ravens, Smith turned his play up several notches after the Packers gave him a four-year, $66 million contract and set him loose in Mike Pettine’s multiple fronts. 2020 NFL Draft defensive line rankings: Derrick Brown, Javon Kinlaw headline top-heavy group Let's take a look at the prospects you should know as we head into draft season Jones has been one of the best inside/outside defensive linemen in the NFL over the last few years, and he made a legitimate case for Super Bowl LIV Most Valuable Player with his pressures and deflections. Another former Panther, Star Lotulelei, also returns, but he’s graded above 60.0 just one time since 2014. This team is unusually well-stocked with run-defending nose tackles, with Abry Jones, Al Woods and rookie Davon Hamilton all on the roster. His coaches, teammates, and opponents understand his value, though. April 4, 2020. There is still the chance that this front could be very good, but it relies on improvement from the players drafted to ensure a smooth succession plan. Chase Young will be the most intriguing player to watch on Washington’s front line. The Detroit defensive line is still trying to find its identity and consistency under Matt Patricia. Bradley Chubb’s second season was derailed by injury, but he would need to significantly build on his rookie season to be able to pick up Miller's slack, as 13 sacks flattered his performance a little. Thorn: 2020 Defensive Line Pass Rush Rankings. Jurrell Casey, Denver Broncos Za’Darius led the league last season in total pressures (93), while even a relatively quiet season from Preston saw him pressure the quarterback 55 times. 26. After Cameron Wake, DaQuan Jones was the team’s best-graded lineman last year, and he was the best-graded among players with serious playing time (Wake saw just 195 total snaps). While Quinn has the talent to more than replace the pressure that Floyd generated (just 39 total pressures last year), he is less versatile in terms of alignment and stance than Floyd is and needs to be deployed with his hand in the dirt to effectively get after the quarterback. The talent is there for this defensive front to still be a plus unit, but it is far more of a question mark than it has been in the past couple of seasons. Second-year player Zach Allen may be the player most likely to take a step forward and make an impact, but his rookie season lasted an underwhelming four games before injury landed him on injured reserve. The Seahawks' defensive line was hugely dependent on Jadeveon Clowney in 2019. Reader was an outstanding nose tackle for the Texans, with more quickness than you’d expect from a 6'3", 347-pounder. He is still just 30 years old. Romeo had 34 total pressures on 377 pass rushes last season, and his PFF pass-rushing grade was actually below average (58.2). In 2018, he recorded 55 total pressures and earned solid grades across the board, but he was markedly worse in 2019. He added nine quarterback hits, 46 QB hurries and 39 run stops, and he was unquestionably a force multiplier in San Francisco’s Super Bowl defense. The BEST Defensive Line performances from the Combine! He barely featured for the team in the regular season but impressed in the preseason. Jordan Phillips had 10 sacks and might be confused for a legitimate pass-rush presence, but those sacks represented 10 of the 26 total pressures he managed all season long. element(); The team needs him to take a major step forward in 2020 if this unit is to be better than average. The Bengals’ defensive line remains anchored by the best players it has featured over the past decade — Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap — but the team does have some more interesting pieces in 2020. Veteran edge rusher Justin Houston was quietly back to something like his best last season for the Colts, aided by a reduced role that helped keep him healthy and let him focus on getting after the passer. 12. If Williams can show why he was such a coveted prospect and become a force as a pass-rusher in Year 2, he has the potential to transform this unit single-handedly. Eddie Goldman was a solid nose tackle last season, but nothing more. Hunter was a third-round pick in 2015 despite his first-round athleticism because he didn’t know the nuances of the position. Few franchises have undergone more change this offseason than the Carolina Panthers, and that extends to their defensive line. Multi-gap defensive linemen, “joker” players who can line up everywhere from the defensive line to free safety, and top-tier cornerbacks able to tailor their skills to just about any defense. Pierce is a huge load in the middle (340-plus pounds at just 6-feet in height) and should give the Vikings a run-stuffing presence who is also able to push the pocket against the pass. Tyler Lancaster is a run-first presence who has registered just 13 total pressures across two years and 323 pass-rushing snaps. Unlock NFL Player Grades, Fantasy & NFL Draft, Unlock Premium Stats, PFF Greenline & DFS. Matthew Judon led the team in sacks, total pressures and pass-rush grade but was still just 18th in the league in that last category. Watch the best moments from the defensive line at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. Landry has flashed the potential to be a high-end rusher but now needs to show more than potential and the ability to pick off low-hanging fruit. He has earned PFF grades in the 60s over the past two seasons, 20 full grading points lower than his best seasons of 2015-2016. Cameron Heyward was the best interior defender in the league outside of Aaron Donald; Javon Hargrave had a big season after taking over for the injured Stephon Tuitt; and Bud Dupree had career-highs in pressures, overall grade, run-defense grade and pass-rush grade. Second-year edge rusher Chase Winovich was impressive as a rookie but played fewer than 300 snaps in his first year. Depth is a real concern for this defensive front, which has few consistent threats and nobody outside of the players already mentioned who posted a pass-rushing grade north of 65.0 in 2019. He was a first-round talent according to PFF’s Big Board and could be an impact player for Cleveland if he can maintain that level of play. Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns And in each of his three seasons, the 6'4", 252-pound speed rusher has been an outstanding run stopper. Hitting the ground running as a rookie is tough, but Kinlaw has the talent to immediately contribute inside. By any measure, Donald is by far the best pass-rusher in football, owning the best pressure rate, pass-rush win rate and PFF grade of any player at any position over more or less any period of time since he entered the league. 19. Preston Smith, Green Bay Packers The most intriguing additions to the team and the competition for playing time came in the draft, where the Patriots added Michigan’s. The Giants have a group of solid options but don’t have much in the way of proven players who can get after the quarterback in a league that has never been more pass-happy. At 6'3" and 314 pounds, Clark can win everywhere from nose tackle to five-tech end, but he’s especially effective between the guard and tackle as a penetrating, pass-rushing force. } Watt has just become better from there, with 52 pressures in 2018 and 81 in 2019. 17. ReddIt. Last season, he totaled eight sacks and 77 total pressures. Whichever teams top the NFL defense rankings will challenge for the championship, and that's a fact. Rankins got back on the field after Week 4 last season but didn’t show his best play until Weeks 13 and 14 before being shut down again. That frees up plenty of opportunities for players to earn time, particularly to replace Van Noy. Vita Vea took a step forward in his second year, improving his PFF grade while playing significantly more snaps and more than doubling his pressure total from his rookie year. Digg. Depth is a concern for this defensive front, as outside of those star players of whom much is expected, there is a lot in the way of journeymen and average starters. It’s important to note that all interior defensive linemen and edge defenders have been grouped together for this exercise, so teams that run a base 3-4 will include their outside linebackers (edge defenders) in this writeup, and they will not be featured with the linebackers. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft may be the best pass-rusher to come into the NFL in a decade, and we have seen some excellent ones arrive over that time. Devon Kennard had the next highest pressure total, at 43. He barely featured for the team in the regular season but impressed in the preseason. The Steelers have some of the most proven quality in the league up front, but almost all of those players are coming off the best seasons they have produced to date, so there's reason to expect some form of regression heading into 2020. broke down with injuries and just weren’t the same players they had been in the past. Still, at times he was a liability in the run game and has seen his playing time decrease in each season in the league. He was able to statistically separate himself from players like the Bosa brothers and Myles Garrett during their college careers and could be a transcendent player for a defensive front that has had a lot of good players recently but, perhaps, lacked true star power. . Clark came into the NFL as a fairly one-dimensional player, but he has developed into a true every-down force. Hitting the ground running as a rookie is tough, but Kinlaw has the talent to immediately contribute inside. Joseph is now with the Chargers, while there remains the possibility that Griffen could return as long as he is on the open market still unsigned. Hunter and Pierce are the two proven commodities on the line, but the other two starting spots and the depth are a major concern. Tennessee is another team set to field a defensive line that relies on the development of its young players. that he graded at just 72.7 last year at LSU. When a player of Mack’s talent puts up 8.5 sacks, 70 total pressures, and 34 run stops and people are alarmed, it’s only because we expect so much more. That group will earn the bulk of playing time, with, Kinlaw was the most effective pass-rushing interior lineman in this draft, slotting in as the No. Miller has been arguably the best pure edge rusher of his generation, and if he can’t return to that form, it’s a tough thing for Denver to replace. He also forced eight fumbles and had two interceptions. Inside, the former Alabama pairing of Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen should be a pair to be reckoned with, but they were actually outdone in terms of snaps by Matt Ioannidis, who had the best pass-rushing grade (76.6) of the unit. The interior of the Chargers' line has been the issue in recent seasons, and they will be hoping that Linval Joseph helps shore up that group. Combined, they were on the field for fewer than 750 snaps, and neither player graded particularly well, especially given their past performances. } else if (document.attachEvent) { Montez Sweat will have a chance to take a step forward and potentially supplant Kerrigan, along with Young, if he can improve on his rookie performance. Simmons is hugely talented, and the team was confident enough in his ability to trade away stalwart defensive lineman Jurrell Casey for a throwaway late-round draft pick, but now is the time Simmons needs to prove them right. Injuries robbed Da’Shawn Hand of most of his second season after such a strong showing as a rookie, but he is a player who could still feature heavily. Once more, it’s difficult to see who the obvious source of edge rush pressure for this team will be, and that has been the Jets’ Achilles’ heel for the better part of a decade. Davenport has seen his pressure total, pressure rate, pass-rushing and overall PFF grade improve from his first to his second season in the league, and while he was good in 2019, he could become great in 2020. He flashed occasionally but ended up with just 10 pressures on 94 rushes. Greg Gaines adds to the run-stuffing expertise along the Rams' line, while Sebastian Joseph-Day saw almost 500 snaps last season and graded solidly across the board. In his rookie campaign, the second overall pick totaled nine regular-season sacks, four more in the postseason, and his 102 total pressures ranked second in the league behind only Green Bay’s Za’Darius Smith. In 2019, he put up a career-high 7.5 sacks, with 46 pressures and 40 run stops. The Giants are short on interior players who can truly pressure the passer and instead will rely on just squeezing the pocket. Over the last five years, only Khalil Mack and Von Miller have a higher overall PFF grade among edge rushers than Jordan — he is one of the most complete edge defenders in the game. Buckner signed a big-money extension and will be expected to alter the entire dynamic on the defensive line. * Baltimore’s edge rushers are still a question mark, but this team schemes up pressure better than any in the league, and they're the most blitz-heavy team in football. Few players were as divisive as Brown in the pre-draft process. He had 47 total pressures last season, but it took him 591 pass-rushing snaps to get them, and 33 of those pressures were just hurries. 4 edge rusher on PFF’s Big Board and certainly has the talent to provide pressure, even if he might need a situational role early. The development of Quinnen Williams likely determines how good this group can be in 2020. The Baltimore Ravens continue to make smart personnel decisions that should make a significant impact on their team. Ioannidis led the team in total pressures (55) and will look to maintain his role despite being surrounded by first-rounders. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. Bruce Irvin returns for a second stint with the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2012, but Irvin hasn’t earned a pass-rush grade north of 70.0 since his second season in Seattle. Factor in his 45 run stops, and you’ve got one of the most complete players at his position. His best season came back in 2017, but he has been a consistently positive force for the 49ers and should be again for the Colts this season. Gross-Matos is a classic example of a player whose traits have thus far been more impressive than his production or tape, but the Panthers will be hoping they can harness the things you can’t teach and develop the things you can. was the best-graded member of the group a season ago but will now be plying his trade in Miami in 2020, while, That frees up plenty of opportunities for players to earn time, particularly to replace Van Noy. Everson Griffen, Dallas Cowboys Watch the best moments from the defensive line at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. Listed as a defensive tackle on the Los Angeles Rams' roster, he also played a total of 338 snaps at left or right defensive end last season, per Pro Football Focus. Perhaps it was an off-year, or he was dealing with unspoken injuries. This class is coming to collapse the pocket. TUNE IN to NFL Network for 2020 NFL Draft coverage Last season, the Dolphins' defensive line earned the lowest pass-rush grade in the NFL, at just 57.6. 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