2. Cincinnati Bengals
As bad as the Bengals were defensively last season, they could potentially be even worse this coming year.
The only reason they're not dead last on this list is because, as of right now, there's at least still a chance that Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart could suit up for them and upgrade that side of the ball.
But without those guys? It's hard to see the Bengals' defense preventing teams from scoring 30 points a game this coming year. They simply do not have the top-end talent to be competitive in their own division, much less the loaded AFC. It would require a significant and herculean effort from Joe Burrow and the offense to get this team back into the postseason without Hendrickson and Stewart in the fold.
1. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders get the title of "best worst NFL defense in 2025" if that is any consolation here. The amount of weight that Maxx Crosby is carrying here is absolutely astronomical.
If it weren't for Crosby, the Raiders would be the worst defense in the NFL and it would be by a million miles. They are one of the worst already, and they lost a number of their best players from last year's group. Robert Spillane played well for them at linebacker, Trevon Moehrig was an impact player at safety, and Nate Hobbs had been arguably their best corner for the better part of the last four years.
Those guys are all gone, and not exactly capably replaced.
The Raiders need to hope for a healthy year from Crosby, who missed time due to injury for the first time in his NFL career last season.