Who has the best NFL defense in 2024? Our weekly NFL defense rankings examine every unit across the league every week to determine the best defenses in the NFL.
Let’s dive into our NFL defense rankings following Week 1. Note: Our NFL defense rankings are season-long, but you can find our Week 2 fantasy defense rankings below followed by our analysis of all 32 defenses.
Related: Week 2 fantasy rankings
Week 2 fantasy defense rankings
- Dallas Cowboys D/ST vs New Orleans Saints
- Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST vs Denver Broncos
- New York Jets D/ST vs Tennessee Titans
- Cleveland Browns D/ST vs Jacksonville Jaguars
- Baltimore Ravens D/ST vs Las Vegas Raiders
- Indianapolis Colts D/ST vs. Green Bay Packers
- Seattle Seahawks D/ST vs New England Patriots
- San Francisco 49ers D/ST vs Minnesota Vikings
- Kansas City Chiefs D/ST vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST vs Cleveland Browns
- Houston Texans D/ST vs Chicago Bears
- New England Patriots D/ST vs Seattle Seahawks
- Los Angeles Chargers D/ST vs Carolina Panthers
- Chicago Bears D/ST vs Houston Texans
- Detroit Lions D/ST vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Denver Broncos D/ST vs Pittsburgh Steelers
- New York Giants D/ST vs Washington Commanders
NFL defense rankings: Worst NFL defenses 2024
32. Carolina Panthers (32)
The Carolina Panthers have the worst defense in the NFL. Ejiro Evero is a phenomenal defensive coordinator, but the Panthers front office traded away Brian Burns this offseason and left the cupboard bare. What happens when you can’t rush the passer whatsoever nor can you create penetration in the backfield? Your defense allows 8.7 yards per attempt with 3 touchdowns and 180 rushing yards, 2 scores and 4.9 yards per carry. The Los Angeles Chargers ground game should feast in Week 2.
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31. Washington Commanders (31)
Dan Quinn isn’t missed in Texas and the Washington Commanders roster is one of the weakest in football. Without All-Pro talent to really help him out, Quinn has to get very creative just to give the Commanders defense a chance and creativity isn’t his thing. That resulted in Washington allowing 6.4 yards per play to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 along with a 69.2 percent third-down success rate. Up next, the stoppable force (New York Giants offense) versus a movable object (Commanders defense).
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30. Arizona Cardinals (30)
We expected the Arizona Cardinals to have one of the worst NFL defenses in 2024 and they met that expectation in Week 1. James Cook (71 rushing yards) led a methodical Buffalo Bills’ run game that totaled 130 rushing yards and Josh Allen -137.7 QB rating and 10.1 ypa – feasted on Arizona’s secondary. For Los Angeles Rams fans or fantasy managers with Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, you should have a very fun Sunday in Week 2.
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29. Los Angeles Rams (28)
There’s just too much youth on the defensive line and far too little talent at cornerback right now to believe in the Los Angeles Rams defensively. Sean McVay and Co. are relying on Tre’Davious White, who is a shell of his former self, and that’s far from the only hole on this side of the ball. Already stuck with one of the worst NFL defenses in 2024, Los Angeles needs its offense to survive.
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28. Indianapolis Colts (23)
Fans understood that the Indianapolis Colts secondary would be a big problem this season, that’s what happens when a general manager doesn’t really address the glaring need in an offseason. What’s really troubling for Indianapolis is one of the worst rushing offenses in the NFL last season just put 213 yards on this Colts’ defense with Joe Mixon (159 yards, 5.3 yards per carry) leading the way. If opponents keep having this level of success, throwing on Indianapolis will get even easier and the play-action will be lethal. This is one of the worst NFL defenses right now.
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27. New York Giants (25)
The vaunted New York Giants defensive line managed just 1 sack on Sam Darnold. We certainly don’t believe it’s because this Giants defensive front was grossly overrated coming into the year, but a pass rush is mitigated when your defensive backs can’t hold up in coverage. The box score 312 total yards and 3 offensive touchdowns allowed – isn’t awful, but surrendering 6.1 yards per play is a red flag.
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26. Cincinnati Bengals (27)
We have to ignore the Cincinnati Bengals pass defense for now because the New England Patriots arguably don’t have an NFL-caliber passing game. then again, New England really didn’t need to throw the football effectively when Rhamondre Stevenson can average 4.8 yards per carry on his way to 120 yards and a score. This Bengals defense is now two years removed from being good and it might be another long, long season in Cincinnati.
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25. Los Angels Chargers (29)
We are huge fans of Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and are pretty confident with time, he can build one of the best NFL defenses. It’s just not happening in 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders offense isn’t good whatsoever and the offensive line – 4 sacks and 3 tackles for loss allowed (ESPN) – only make it worse. There is some nice talent on this Chargers defense and while we’re not sold on it playing well all season, you can target the Los Angeles D/ST in fantasy football for Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers.
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24. Denver Broncos (26)
New year, same Denver Broncos. Bad decision-making from the quarterback and a vanilla offense forced the Broncos’ defense to try and come through with a win. in Week 1, Denver held the Seattle Seahawks to a 25 percent third-down success rate (ESPN) and it generated 2 takeaways with 2 sacks. It wasn’t enough in a 26-20 loss. The Broncos defense will be tasked with stepping up again in Week 2 because this offense will be suffocated by one of the best NFL defenses in 2024 (Pittsburgh Steelers).
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23. Atlanta Falcons (24)
We’ll start with the good. The Atlanta Falcons defense sacked Justin Fields twice and held the Steelers to 5.3 yards per pass. Of course, Fields is a sack machine and he didn’t even win Pittsburgh’s quarterback competition this summer. Considering the Steelers ran for 137 yards with one of its top starts on the offensive line missing, Saquon Barkley’s Week 2 matchup against the Falcons defense looks like a delightful opportunity for him.
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22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (22)
Nothing we saw from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense really changed our opinion of this unit. However, an important caveat there is that one of the team’s best players (Calijah Kancey) couldn’t suit up in Week 1. We also have to be cognizant of the fact that Jayden Daniels (88 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns) is one of the best running quarterbacks Tampa Bay will face this season. With all those caveats acknowledged, this isn’t a good secondary and the Detroit Lions will probably have a very early Thanksgiving feast with it in Week 2.
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21. Seattle Seahawks (21)
Be patient. For as brilliant of a defensive mind as Mike Macdonald is, his schemes typically take 1.5 years for his players to get a firm grasp of. It also helped the Seattle Seahawks defense that Bo Nix almost always threw short in Week 1 and those tendencies are easy to gameplan for. Seattle can rise up our NFL defense rankings this season, but it’s going to take noteworthy performances against the likes of the Miami Dolphins (Week 3) and Detroit Lions (Week 4). For now, consider the Seahawks D/ST a strong play against the Patriots in Week 2.
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NFL defense rankings 2024: Buffalo Bills drop, Saints rise
20. Buffalo Bills (17)
Losing All-Pro nickel Taron Johnson could be a massive long-term blow for the Buffalo Bills. It also feels like this Buffalo Bills defense is snake-bitten because standout linebacker Matt Milano isn’t returning until late December. While we could highlight the excellent work by this Bills’ pass rush, more specifically Greg Rousseau (3 sacks and 3 TFLs), a weak Buffalo run defense (5.0 ypc and 124 yards allowed) could pose a big problem against teams like the Miami Dolphins (Week 2) and Baltimore Ravens (Week 4).
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19. Las Vegas Raiders (16)
We really wanted to believe in the Las Vegas Raiders defense entering the 2024 season. A lot of the confidence stemmed from the trio of Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins and Malcolm Koonce (injured reserve). Unfortunately, Week 1 hinted at a major flaw in this unit. While Justin Herbert averaged just 5.5 yards per attempt and had an ugly 31.8 ESPN QBR, the Chargers ran free 176 yards and 6.5 yards per carry- against Las Vegas. It looked reminiscent of a Raiders defense that allowed 135.6 rush ypg, 4.6 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns in their first 10 games last season (Pro Football Reference). Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson are very excited for this Week 2 matchup.
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18. Philadelphia Eagles (20)
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers offense made a lot of mistakes in Week 1. A counterpoint to that would certainly be that Philadelphia Eagles defenders had all kinds of problems with the abysmal field conditions in Brazil. Putting both of those points aside, Green Bay hung 414 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per play against the Eagles defense, while Philadelphia held Green Bay to a 27.3 percent third-down conversion rate. The Eagles are moving up the NFL defense rankings for now, but that says a bit more about the teams falling.
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17. Green Bay Packers (13)
Not a great first impression for first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. He dialed up the blitz against Jalen Hurts, recognizing it’s been a big weakness for the Eagles’ quarterback in recent years, but it wasn’t as successful. We’d also like to remind the Green Bay Packers that using a single-high safety is asking A.J. Brown to beat you deep. While it’s only Week 1, it feels like this Packers defense will be hot and cold all year.
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16. Jacksonville Jaguars (12)
The hope is that this is a temporary drop for the Jacksonville Jaguars in our NFL defense rankings. Ryan Nielsen is an excellent coordinator and the defensive front of Josh Hines-Allen, Arik Armstead and Travon Walker combined for 3 sacks on Sunday. Of course, when it didn’t get home, Tua Tagovailoa helped Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane combine for 315 receiving yards. That might just be a testament to this Dolphins’ passing attack and we do have some confidence the Jags’ defense rebounds big in Week 2 against Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns.
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15. Miami Dolphins (19)
We entered the 2024 season believing the Miami Dolphins defense could be very good in the second half, when this pass rush gets its impact players back. In Week 1, this injury-depleted front seven managed to sack Trevor Lawrence 3 times and held him to 139 net passing yards on 21 attempts. Jaelan Phillips (1 sack) should get better the further removed he gets from surgery and if Calais Campbell still has some juice left in the tank, this can be a league-average defense. Just know, Miami also allowed 128 rushing yards and 4.9 yards per carry.
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14. New Orleans Saints (18)
Utter domination for the New Orleans Saints on both sides of the ball in Week 1. It certainly helps to take advantage of a bottom-5 offense with one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, but this truly was utter dominance. Holding an opponent to a 10 percent third-down conversion rate and 3.5 yards per play, while tacking on 4 sacks and 2 interceptions will move you up the NFL defense rankings. However, New Orleans has a long way to go before we consider this one of the best NFL defenses this season.
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13. Minnesota Vikings (14)
Brian Flores took over the Minnesota Vikings defense last year and turned a bottom-5 unit into a league-average defense. So, the Vikings front office rewarded him by adding Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel (pick-six in Week 1) and Stephon Gilmore. Consider the Week 1 performance – 240 total yards and 3.5 yards per play allowed – an appetizer for what the Vikings defense can do this season. With that said, we wouldn’t recommend the Vikings D/ST in fantasy against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 and the rationale should be obvious.
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12. Tennessee Titans (15)
The Tennessee Titans defense looks like it could be a big problem for opponents. Caleb Williams isn’t your ordinary rookie and he is surrounded by an outstanding receiving corp. That’s what makes it so impressive to see this Titans defense limit Williams to 64 net passing yards and 3.2 yards per attempt. Not only that, Tennessee bottled up the Bears’ ground game (3.8 yards per carry). A repeat performance in Week 2 against the New York Jets will put Tennessee in company with the best NFL defenses.
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11. Detroit Lions (11)
The Detroit Lions defense isn’t close to playing up to their potential yet. That should be obvious considering the secondary features two rookie cornerbacks and a second-year safety. That also means that Sunday Night Football performance against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams is just a taste of what could be coming this year. The ceiling for Detroit is one of the 10 best NFL defenses in 2024. If they somehow find a way to land a No. 2 pass rusher during the season, this could be a top-5 defense.
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Best NFL defenses right now
10. Houston Texans (7)
Throws like the 60-yard touchdown strike Anthony Richardson threw to Alec Pierce are practically impossible to defend. With that said, this Houston Texans defense did seem to have big problems containing Pierce (125 receiving yards on 3 receptions). Remove Pierce from the equation and Indianapolis managed just 74 net passing yards on 16 pass attempts and it had a turnover. There are some things DeMeco Ryans will need to clean up with his team, but we’d highly recommend the Texans defense in September against the Bears (Week 2), Vikings (Week 3) and Jaguars (Week 4).
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9. Chicago Bears (10)
The Chicago Bears defense is just adding on to what it did last year. In the second half of the 2023 season, Chicago held its final 8 opponents to an average 70.5 QB rating with an 11-16 TD-INT ratio, 20 sacks and 93.9 rushing yards per game (Pro Football Reference). In Week 1, Tennessee got 3 of its points because of a Bears’ special teams turnover. Outside of that, this Bears defense surrendered just 14 points, 243 total yards, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions. The Bears D/ST won’t be a great play against the Houston Texans in Week 2, but this should be one of the 10 best fantasy football defenses in 2024.
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8. Baltimore Ravens (5)
The Baltimore Ravens defense just didn’t have the answers to slow down the Kansas City Chiefs, but the same thing could be said about 27 defenses across the NFL. We did expect Baltimore to take a step back defensively this season after all the personnel losses they suffered this offseason. What’s worth monitoring is if other NFL teams can have the same success attacking the middle of the field against the Ravens.
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7. New York Jets (3)
Part of the New York Jets’ issues in the season-opening loss can be attributed to rest. Not taking advantage of the preseason and relying on scrimmages against some bad teams doesn’t sharpen one of the best defenses in the NFL. It also might be wise for a Jets front office that already traded a quality draft pick for Haason Reddick to end this contract dispute, because New York managed just 1 quarterback hit and single-digit pressures on Bruck Purdy. Bringing Reddick back into the fold should fix that moving forward.
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However, it won’t do much to solve this run defense. Jordan Mason ran for nearly 150 rushing yards on Monday despite never breaking one for 25-plus. Allowing 5.3 yards per carry to the 49ers’ No. 2 back is just an awful look for this unit to open the year. If this Achilles heel carries over, it will prove just as costly in the winter.
6. New England Patriots (9)
If the New England Patriots defense can be this good even without Matthew Judon (traded) and Christian Barmore (blood clots), it’s going to be one of the best NFL defenses for a long time. A healthy Christian Gonzalez, even in his second season, looked like a future All-Pro cornerback against Ja’Marr Chase. Not to be outdone, this Patriots pass rush sacked Joe Burrow 3 times with a breakout performance from Keion White (2.5 sacks) leading the way. No Bill Belichick? No problem. We’d start the Patriots D/ST as a quality option in fantasy for Week 2.
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5. Kansas City Chiefs (5)
The Kansas City Chiefs defense isn’t going to be as good as it was last season. It was evident in Week 1 that this unit misses L’Jarius Sneed and the pass rush is better with Charles Omenihu (out) on the field. With all of that acknowledged, Kansas City still held Lamar Jackson to a 65.5 ESPN QBR, Derrick henry managed just 3.5 yards per carry and the Ravens’ offense went 1-for-4 in the red zone. If you can do that against Baltimore, you’re one of the best NFL defenses right now.
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4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8)
T,J. Watt is a force of nature. The box score (1 ack) might not scream Defensive Player of the Year, but the rate at which he gets held and the ease of which he creates pressure make life so difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Pittsburgh only had 2 sacks in this one, but pressure and strong coverage generated 2 takeaways and allowed the Steelers to hold Kirk Cousins under 160 passing yards on 26 attempts. If you have the Steelers D/ST in fantasy football, you’re delighted about the Week 2 matchup against Bo Nix. This is one of the best defenses in the league quite easily.
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3. San Francisco 49ers (8)
Even without linebacker Dre Greenlaw, the San Francisco 49ers defense once again game through. There’s no bigger takeaway from this game than the 49ers run defense. Last season, San Francisco couldn’t stop the run in the second half of the season and that carried over into the playoffs. Against a Pro Bowl talent in Breece Hall, San Francisco held the Jets’ star running back to 3.8 yards per carry. San Francisco’s secondary also deserves a ton of credit for really quieting Garrett Wilson after his early first-half success. If this 49ers run defense is legitimate, this is one of he 3 best NFL defenses again and that’s even without Greenlaw.
2. Cleveland Browns (2)
We certainly won’t put that loss on the shoulders of Myles Garrett and this Cleveland browns defense. Denzel Ward has 3 pass deflections, Za’Darius Smith had a sack and this Browns defense kept the Dallas Cowboys offense out of the end zone after Ezekiel Elliott’s score with 5:15 left in the second quarter. This is a phenomenal defense that will once again be tasked every week with having to bail out the offense. Unfortunately, as we’ve learned in recent years, this takes a toll. Great defenses get tired of carrying a team for three-plus months and regression starts showing up in December. It happened to Cleveland last year and history might repeat itself in 2024.
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1. Dallas Cowboys (4)
The Dallas Cowboys have the best defense in the NFL. Dan Quinn left and Mike Zimmer really might’ve taken this group to another level, even with N. 2 cornerback DaRon Bland sidelined for the first quarter of the season. In Week 1, the Cowboys defense held Cleveland to a minuscule 3.3 yards per play with an unfathomable 13.3 percent third-down success rate. Dallas has a more creative and versatile defensive coordinator than it did a year ago and it should lead to a fantastic year.
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As for Week 2, it would be hard to draw up a better matchup than this one. Derek Carr is one of the worst quarterbacks in football when pressured and the Saints have arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL. That’s a recipe for Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and the rest of this Cowboys defense to feast.
NFL defense stats 2023
NFL defense rankings FAQ
What is the best defense in the NFL?
The Dallas Cowboys have the best defense in the NFL right now.
What NFL defense is best for fantasy?
NFL defenses that generate a lot of takeaways and sacks, including the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns are great defenses for fantasy.
What is the NFL defense rankings?
Sportsnaut’s NFL defense rankings evaluate and rank all 32 NFL defenses each week, reviewing their performances and projecting how they’ll perform in their upcoming game based on matchups and NFL defense stats.
What team has the most sacks 2023?
The Baltimore Ravens lead the NFL with 57 sacks. The Dolphins, Ravens, Chiefs and Bills are the only NFL teams with 50-plus sacks this season.
NFL team sack leaders 2024
NFL teams with fewest sacks
- Dallas Cowboys – 6
- Minnesota Vikings – 5
- Buffalo Bills – 4
- Indianapolis Colts – 4
- New Orleans Saints – 4
- Carolina Panthers – 1
- Cincinnati Bengals – 1
- Las Vegas Raiders – 1
- New York Giants – 1
- Washington Commanders – 1
Who is the number 1 defense in NFL?
The Dallas Cowboys have the No. 1 defense in the NFL this season.
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Who has the best defense in NFL history?
The 1985 Chicago Bears had the best NFL defense ever. Led by three Hall of Famers – Mike Singletary, Richard Dent and Dan Hampton – Chicago allowed just 101 total points on its way to winning Super Bowl XX, including an NFL record two shutouts in the playoffs. In addition, the 1985 Bears’ defense held opponents to a 50.2 passer rating with a 46.5 percent completion rate and 17-37 TD-INT ratio in 19 total games and opponents averaged just 76 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry across 19 contests in the regular season and playoffs.
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Who has the weakest pass defense in the NFL?
The Washington Commanders have the worst pass defense in the NFL, allowing a league-high 104.1 QB rating, 259.3 passing yards per game and 35 passing touchdowns in 16 games.
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What is the best NFL pass defense?
The Cleveland Browns have the best pass defense in the NFL, holding opponents to a 72.7 QB rating with a league-low 56.4 percent completion rate and a 20-17 TD-INT ratio in 16 games.
What’s the top 5 defenses in the NFL?
The top 5 NFL defenses are the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets.
Who gives up the most passing yards in the NFL?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers allow the most passing yards in the NFL, allowing 260.3 passing yards per game.
What teams have the best defense in the NFL?
The Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys have the best defenses in the NFL based on our 2023 NFL defense rankings.
Who has the best run defense in the NFL?
The Chicago bears have the best run defense in the NFL, allowing a league-low 84 rushing yards per game.
Who has the worst defense in the NFL 2023?
The Washington Commanders have the worst NFL defense right now.
What defense allows most rushing yards?
The Arizona Cardinals allow the most rushing yards per game, allowing 147 rushing yards per contest to opponents this season.
What team has the most sacks in a season?
The Chicago Bears set the NFL record for most sacks in a season with 72 sacks in 16 games in 1984. Most recently, the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles became just the fourth team in NFL history to record 70 sacks in a single season.
NFL sack leaders 2022
- Joey Bosa, San Francisco 49ers – 18.5 sacks
- Haason Reddick, Philadelphia Eagles – 16 sacks
- Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns – 16 sacks
- Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs – 15.5 sacks
- Matthew Judon, New England Patriots – 15.5 sacks
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NFL sack leaders by year
- 2022: Joey Bosa, San Francisco 49ers – 18.5 sacks
- 2021: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers – 22.5 sacks
- 2020: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers – 15 sacks
- 2019: Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 19.5 sacks
- 2018: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams – 20.5 sacks
