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
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