If you don't have a good defense in today's NFL, you're simply not going to make it very far. Just ask the Cincinnati Bengals, who had one of the best and most dynamic offenses in the NFL last year and couldn't even make it to the playoffs thanks to their defense.
In today's NFL Power Rankings, we're going to be taking a look at the five worst defenses in the NFL heading into the 2025 season on paper. Can these teams beat low expectations? Absolutely, anything is possible in the NFL. But there are some defenses that lack talent overall, depth, and certainly star power. Some teams are dealing with rebuilding and others might be dealing with contract issues.
Whatever the case, let's take a look at the five worst defenses in the NFL -- on paper -- heading into the 2025 season.
NFL Power Rankings: 5 worst defenses in the league in 2025
5. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans lack a number of important things for any defense that would even be considered "good" in today's NFL. They don't have any sort of presence off the edge, for starters. The Titans sent their team leader in sacks and QB hits packing this offseason by letting Harold Landry walk out the door. Not that Landry was an elite presence off the edge, but they at least had something.
The Titans also lack a top-tier playmaker in the secondary, although you could make an argument for L'Jarius Sneed even coming off of injury. It remains to be seen whether Sneed is going to return to the form we saw from him with the Chiefs, and he could very well just be a bust for the Titans.
This is a team that ranked 30th in points allowed last season and they could end up at the very bottom of the league in 2025.
4. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are on extremely thin ice for this type of ranking going into the 2025 season. If it weren't for the emergence of Jaycee Horn last season, making his first Pro Bowl, this team would probably be the clear-cut worst defense in the NFL right now.
With that in mind, the trade of Brian Burns last offseason has left a gaping hole off the edge that the Panthers haven't been able to fill, and they also whiffed on their top priority in NFL Free Agency by not landing Milton Williams. This team allowed the most points out of anyone last season and didn't get much better in the offseason.
They had to pivot to secondary options in free agency and they are banking on a couple of day two picks (Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmeilen) among the rookie class.
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were one of the worst pass rushing teams in the entire league last season, and they attempted to overcorrect in the 2025 NFL Draft. The selection of Jalon Walker could end up being massive for them, but trading a future first-round pick for James Pearce Jr. was a risk that could be reckless.
The Falcons needed some kind of boost on the defensive front, and they're really banking on the young guys. Even with a veteran like Leonard Floyd coming in to reunite with Raheem Morris, this front seven is questionable, especially with the departure of veteran Grady Jarrett. The Falcons need those young players to step up quickly or this could be a really ugly season for them.
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.