The 2024 NFL Regular Season is just a week away, and everyone is getting pumped up for America’s favorite sport. Here are the eight players who will be the best defensive players in their division this year.
Getty Image / Sam Hodde
We are officially one week away from the NFL season getting underway next Thursday night when the Baltimore Ravens take on the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Here are the eight players who will be the best defensive players in their respective divisions this year,
AFC East: New York Jets CB Sauce Gardner
Getty Image / Cooper Neill
The third-year corner’s second season was not as impressive as his sensational rookie campaign, but he was still one of the league’s best at the position, making a second straight All-Pro team. In a division pretty void of true top-end defensive talent, Gardner will be the cream of the crop.
AFC North: Cleveland Browns Edge Myles Garrett
Getty Image / Myles Garrett
Unlike the AFC East, the AFC North is absolutely loaded with top-end defensive talent like Ravens stars Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton, Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, and Steelers stars TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
But, Myles Garrett, last year’s NFL Defensive Player of the year, will once again emerge as the division’s best defensive player over TJ Watt.
AFC South: Texans Edge Will Anderson
Getty Image / Michael Owens
With respect to other pass-rushers like Josh Allen in this division, the ultra-talented Anderson is set to build off a fantastic rookie season with a monster second-year campaign. Expect him to terrorize quarterbacks all year long.
AFC West: Raiders Edge Maxx Crosby
Getty Image / Dylan Buell
While TJ Watt, Myles Garrett, and Micah Parsons always get the most attention as the league’s top edge players, Maxx Crosby is right there with them. He has led the NFL in tackles for loss the last two seasons and has 28 sacks over that time frame. Expect that to continue.
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys Edge Micah Parsons
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Micah Parsons has finished in the top three of Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his three years in the league. Expect the most talented defensive player in the league to finally win the award this year as he plays for an expected record-setting extension next year. Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record of 22.5 could be in jeopardy.
NFC North: Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson
Getty Image / Todd Rosenberg
Lions edge Aiden Hutchinson is a close runner-up here, but Jaylon Johnson emerged as one of the league’s best cornerbacks last year. With an improved pass rush in Chicago, there’s no reason why Johnson won’t take another big leap this year and build on his All-Pro season from a year ago.
NFC South: New Orleans Saints CB Marshon Lattimore
There isn’t a single true superstar defender in the NFC North. But, Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore will continue to be one of the league’s best true cover corners. If he can stay healthy, expect an All-Pro season out of him.
NFC West: San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner
Getty Image / Michael Owens
With respect to the Rams’ Aaron Donald and 49ers teammate Nick Bosa, Fred Warner gets the nod here. He’s the most versatile and complete linebacker in the league. While off-ball linebackers have seen their value decrease around the league, the 49ers defense would be lost without Fred Warner.