10. Buffalo Bills
Sean McDermott is no longer with the Buffalo Bills, so they'll be changing defenses for the first time in a while. Jim Leonhard is taking over as the Bills' new defensive coordinator and will be a first-time play-caller at the NFL level after working in Denver the past couple of seasons under Vance Joseph.
The Bills need to stay healthy defensively, but the primary focus is going to be getting better against the run. The Bills ranked 30th in the NFL, allowing 5.1 yards per carry last season. They gave up 24 rushing touchdowns, 2nd-most in the NFL. Because of that, the Bills were below average on 3rd downs (24th) as teams were able to get into favorable down-and-distance situations. Even with one of the better pass defenses in the league, this team still struggled.
They're hopeful that the additions of free agent Bradley Chubb and 2nd-round pick TJ Parker can give them those missing pieces on the defensive front to get over the hump.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers
There is no Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh anymore, so even though the Steelers' defense didn't change much in terms of player personnel, there will be an adjustment for everyone on that side of the ball. Luckily for the Steelers, Mike McCarthy was able to bring in Patrick Graham to come in and run that unit, and Graham has done a really underrated job given the circumstances at his recent stops.
The Steelers forced a lot of turnovers last season, and were pretty reliant on that category for their overall defensive success, but they also have guys who can get after the quarterback quickly. They finished last season top 10 in both total pressures and sacks, and should give opposing teams fits in that category once again in 2026.
There are two significant newcomers to mention with the Pittsburgh secondary: Safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Jamel Dean. Those two guys will hopefully give a huge boost to a unit that ranked 29th against the pass last season.
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