The NFL landscape is as fascinating as we've ever seen heading into the 2026 season.
The NFC was supposed to prove itself to be the inferior of the two conferences last season, but it was anything but. The NFC not only boasts the Super Bowl champion from the past two seasons (and three of the last five), but it looks absolutely loaded once again in 2026.
We've already taken a deep dive into all of the teams in the NFC, but what if we were to rank each team by its best defensive player heading into the upcoming season? This is a conference that boasts some of the best in the league at every level of the defense.
Our latest NFL Power Rankings are going to do exactly that -- rank every NFC team based on their biggest individual star on the defensive side of the ball.
NFL Power Rankings: Every NFC team ranked worst to best by their top defensive player
16. Minnesota Vikings: Andrew Van Ginkel, linebacker/edge rusher
The Minnesota Vikings said goodbye to a host of prominent defensive players this offseason, including Harrison Smith, Jonathan Greenard, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave. It was a bit of a rough offseason for the Vikings in terms of their defensive personnel, but Andrew Van Ginkel remains one of the more underrated impact players on the defensive side of the ball across the entire NFL.
Van Ginkel emerged under Brian Flores while the two were together in Miami, and he has continued to grow as a player in Minnesota. He earned 2nd-team All-Pro honors in the 2024 season but was limited to just 12 games this past season. Even with that, he still set a career-high with 10 batted passes.
He's a disruptive, versatile player who has to be accounted for on every snap.
15. Washington Commanders: Odafe Oweh, edge rusher
The Baltimore Ravens threw in the towel on Odafe Oweh last season, saying goodbye to their former first-round pick in a mid-season trade dump with the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh got the better of his brother John in that deal, because Oweh really blossomed under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
When he was traded by the Ravens, Oweh had no sacks in five games. When he got to the Chargers, he became a pass rushing machine, racking up 7.5 sacks in 12 games along with 13 QB hits. He showed that potential in 2024 when he racked up 10 sacks and 23 QB hits with the Ravens, so the Commanders paid up.
He got a four-year deal from Washington worth $100 million, proving that the Commanders believe his best days are yet to come.
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