12. New York Giants - Dexter Lawrence, DT
Dexter Lawrence is probably the best player on that New York Giants offensive line, but Abdul Carter might take that honor from "Sexy Dexy."
11. Houston Texans - Danielle Hunter, EDGE
Danielle Hunter has been a premier pass rusher for years with the Minnesota Vikings, and I believe he's got a few more high-end years left in the tank.
10. Green Bay Packers - Xavier McKinney, SAF
Xavier McKinney left the New York Giants and had the best season of his career with the Green Bay Packers. Saquon Barkley did the same thing on the Eagles in 2024! Anyway, McKinney and the Packers are 10th in these power rankings.
9. San Francisco 49ers - Nick Bosa, EDGE
Nick Bosa is a Defensive Player of the Year and is the younger brother of Joey Bosa. The younger Bosa brother has 62.5 sacks in his first six years in the NFL and has made five Pro Bowls.
8. Las Vegas Raiders - Maxx Crosby, EDGE
Maxx Crosby is a four-time Pro Bowler and missed games for the first time in his career in 2024. He still managed 7.5 sacks in 12 games. Crosby has 59.5 sacks in 95 career games since it began back in 2019.
7. Kansas City Chiefs - Chris Jones, DT
Chris Jones is a borderline Hall of Famer, but is a three-time Super Bowl champion and has been a stalwart along the Chiefs defensive line for years now.
6. Philadelphia Eagles - Zack Baun, ILB
Getting an extension from the Eagles this offseason, Zack Baun burst onto the scene in 2024 and got to experience what it's like to play in an elite Vic Fangio defense.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers - TJ Watt, EDGE
Fifth in our NFL defense power rankings is TJ Watt, a future Hall of Famer and Defensive Player of the Year. Watt had another insane season in 2024 and is one of a few players on this slide who needs a contract extension.
4. Dallas Cowboys - Micah Parsons, EDGE
Micah Parsons doesn't have a contract extension from the Dallas Cowboys as he enters his fifth year in the NFL. Is Jerry Jones going to find a way to pay his best player? Parsons can do it all.
3. Cincinnati Bengals - Trey Hendrickson, EDGE
Trey Hendrickson has turned into a sack master for the Cincinnati Bengals, but he's without a contract extension and could holdout in the 2025 season if he doesn't get an offer he likes.
2. Cleveland Browns - Myles Garrett, EDGE
The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett is on a Hall of Fame track and is one of the lone bright spots of the Cleveland Browns franchise.
1. Denver Broncos - Patrick Surtain II, CB
The winner of the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, Patrick Surtain II is the best defensive player in the NFL and just saw the Broncos defense find a way to get better in the 2025 offseason.