As a feature in the 2024 Sharp Football Preview Book, the Sharp Football Analysis team ranked positional units across the league for the 2024 season.

The ranking guidelines were up to the specific voter with the only requirement that the focus is on the upcoming season only, not the future outlook.

With a combination of numbers, film, and projections, the rankings were averaged for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive front seven, defensive secondary, and head coach.

Next up: 2024 NFL front seven rankings.

In addition to Warren’s deep, detailed write-up on all 32 NFL teams, each chapter of Warren Sharp’s 2024 Football Preview features page after page of full-color charts, stats, and heatmaps as well as the full unit rankings for every squad. Click here for a full FREE chapter from the 2024 Football Preview.

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2024 NFL Front Seven Rankings

Score based on average ranks of positional unit (on a 100-point scale) for all 32 teams, from Sharp Football staff voters. If all voters had a team at #1, that score would be 100. Ties are broken by the highest vote on any ballot. 

What team has the best defensive front seven in the NFL?

32. Arizona Cardinals

Last year, the Cardinals were voted the worst front seven and unfortunately, they’ve repeated in 2024. Arizona had the second-worst pressure rate in the NFL last season and sacked the opposing quarterback just 33 times.

31. Denver Broncos

Denver’s front seven was a disaster last year. It allowed 10 or more rushing yards to running backs at the league’s third-highest rate and generated pressure in 2.5 seconds or less at the league’s fifth-lowest rate. No meaningful pass rush help was added this offseason other than third-round pick Jonah Elliss.

30. Tennessee Titans

Tennessee ranked 23rd in pressure rate generated in 2.5 seconds or less and then lost Denico Autry, who led the team with 53 pressures a season ago. Second-round nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat was the most notable offseason addition, but he’s unlikely to give a significant boost to the pass rush.

29. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta’s front seven finished 29th in our rankings this season. The Falcons lost both of their leading sackers from a year ago with Calais Campbell heading to Miami and Bud Dupree moving on to the Chargers in free agency.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers’ front seven dropped 10 spots this year after finishing 21st in the NFL in pressure rate in 2023. Perhaps the brightest spot on the unit was rookie third-round pick YaYa Diaby, who led the team in sacks and finished fifth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

27. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers’ front seven dropped 11 spots in our rankings, partially because we can no longer count on the health of Joey Bosa. He has missed 20 games over the last two years. In 2023, the Chargers generated pressure in 2.5 seconds or less at the league’s fourth-lowest rate (18.8%).

25. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings replaced Danielle Hunter with Jonathan Greenard and used a first-round pick on EDGE Dallas Turner, who was the first defensive player taken in the draft. However, even with those moves, the Minnesota front seven fell one spot in our rankings to 25th. Despite blitzing a league-high 51 percent of the time, the Vikings pressured opposing quarterbacks on just 21.9 percent of their dropbacks, the 15th-highest rate in the NFL.

25. Miami Dolphins

Miami’s front seven was our top-ranked unit entering 2023, but the loss of Christian Wilkins and injuries to Jaelen Phillips and Bradley Chubb, which may linger into this year, caused them to plummet. The loss of Wilkins likely hurts the run defense the most. Opposing running backs gained 3.7 yards per attempt with Wilkins on the field last year compared to 4.3 without him.

24. Los Angeles Rams

Despite losing future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald to retirement, the Rams front seven still jumped up seven spots from last year. Kobie Turner had a great rookie season, leading the team with nine sacks, and fellow rookie Byron Young added eight sacks off the edge.

23. Carolina Panthers

The biggest loss for the Panthers came with the trade of Brian Burns to the Giants. Burns amassed 46 sacks in his first five seasons in the NFL, leading the team in that category three times. The Panthers did add Jadeveon Clowney in free agency and bring back young Pro Bowl DT Derrick Brown but still tumbled 12 spots in our rankings to 23rd.

22. Washington Commanders

Our panel was high on the Commanders’ front seven heading into last season, but losing Montez Sweat and Chase Young on the edge dropped them from fourth to 22nd in this year’s rankings. Of the five Commanders who had at least four sacks in 2023, only defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne return for 2024. Veterans Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu were added to shore up the linebacking corps.

21. Chicago Bears

The Bears made headlines trading for Montez Sweat at the deadline, and he ended up leading the team in sacks despite playing just nine games. The addition of Sweat and the emergence of T.J. Edwards, who topped 150 tackles in 2023 for the second straight season, pushed the Bears front seven up nine spots in our rankings from 30th to 21st.

20. Buffalo Bills

The Bills’ front seven largely remains intact from a season ago. One area the unit must clean up is its tendency to allow yards after contact. Last year, the Bills allowed 3.3 yards after contact per attempt to running backs, ranked 30th.

18. New Orleans Saints

The Saints’ defense fared better in these polls than the offense did with both units finishing inside the top 20. The big addition on the front seven is linebacker Willie Gay, who comes over after spending four years with the Chiefs.

18. New England Patriots

The Patriots have solid depth in the front seven and could potentially outplay this ranking if Matt Judon returns to form. At the time of his season-ending biceps injury, Judon was generating a 17.8% pressure rate.

17. Houston Texans

Houston ranked sixth in pressure rate generated in 2.5 seconds or less last season. The unit will likely continue to improve after the addition of Danielle Hunter and the continued development of Will Anderson Jr.

13. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks added Leonard Williams in a midseason trade last year, and he tallied 4 sacks in 10 games. In 2023, the team finished with the ninth-best pressure rate and had the 12th-most sacks in the NFL.

13. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas has two top defenders in Micah Parsons, who set a career-high in sacks and finished in the top three for Defensive Player of the Year voting for the third consecutive season, and DeMarcus Lawrence, but they lost a lot from this unit over the offseason.

13. Philadelphia Eagles

The biggest drops for the Eagles came on the defensive side of the ball as both the front seven and secondary fell 10 spots from their positions last year. Philadelphia swapped out Haason Reddick for Bryce Huff on the edge and hope the continued development of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis can replace the retired Fletcher Cox.

13. Cincinnati Bengals

Votes for the Bengals front seven ranged from ninth to 17th. The strength of the unit is Trey Hendrickson and his 17.8% pressure rate from a season ago. The run defense was a liability, however. Cincinnati contacted ball carriers in the backfield on just 23% of carries, ranked 24th.

12. New York Giants

The lone bright spot for the Giants is their front seven, which fell three spots from a year ago but still ranked 12th in the NFL. Kayvon Thibodeaux had 11.5 sacks in 2023 and will now get to line up across from Brian Burns, who was acquired from the Panthers in a trade. Dexter Lawrence is a formidable presence in the middle of the defense.

11. Las Vegas Raiders

Votes for the Raiders’ front seven ranged from sixth to 26th. The wide range is likely the result of the discrepancy between the talent and the production. Maxx Crosby helps set a high ceiling for the unit, but Las Vegas only ranked 21st in pressure rate generated in 2.5 seconds or less last season. New signing Christian Wilkins should help.

10. Indianapolis Colts

Indy has plenty of talent in the front seven, especially after adding first-round pick Laiatu Latu, but the unit must get to the quarterback more frequently this year. On third and long, the Colts ranked 29th in pressure rate last season.

9. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay’s front seven didn’t move in our rankings, sitting at eighth once again. Second-rounder Edgerrin Cooper could slide right into the starting lineup, and the Packers return all the starters from a defensive line that finished seventh in pressure rate last year.

8. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs’ front seven mostly returns intact, and the unit played a key role in last year’s Super Bowl run. There’s room for improvement against the run, as they made contact at or behind the line on just 37% of carries by running backs, the league’s second-worst rate.

7. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore’s front seven excels at getting after the quarterback and generated pressure in 2.5 seconds or less at the league’s seventh-highest rate. They must improve against the run, however, as the Ravens allowed three or more yards before contact on 25% of carries, ranked 25th.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars’ front seven is another unit not quite adding up to the sum of its parts. The talent of Josh Allen and Travon Walker set an elite ceiling, but the team only ranked 11th in pressure rate generated in 2.5 seconds or less.

5. Detroit Lions

The biggest jump Detroit has made since last season comes on their defensive front, which moved up 22 spots to finish fifth in our rankings. Second-year edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson posted his first double-digit sack season, and team forced much more pressure than their sack total indicates.

4. New York Jets

The addition of Haason Reddick can only help a front-seven unit that already generated pressure in 2.5 seconds or less on 25.7% of snaps, the league’s eighth-best rate in 2023.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

The strength of Pittsburgh’s defense is its pass rush, which generated pressure in 2.5 seconds or less on 28.1% of dropbacks, the league’s third-best rate.

2. San Francisco 49ers

On the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers finished second in our front seven voting and 10th in the secondary rankings. Nick Bosa posted his third straight double-digit sack season. Fred Warner made his third First-Team All-Pro in 2023, as well.

1. Cleveland Browns

Myles Garrett and the impressive depth around him led to Cleveland’s front seven landing in the top two on every ballot. The unit generated pressure in 2.5 seconds or less at the league’s second-best rate last year (34%).