The defensive line is the heart of any successful defense, tasked with both disrupting the opposing quarterback with a pass rush and shutting down rushing attacks at the line of scrimmage.
Elite defensive lines can change the course of a game by applying pressure, forcing hurried throws and creating turnovers while also stifling run plays to control the tempo.
This season, we will closely monitor NFL defensive line play. Unlike our offensive line rankings, which in some cases consider previous-season rankings, these rankings will be based purely on 2025 play.
Here are the highlights for the top defensive lines after Week 17 of the 2025 season.
Rk.Previous Rk.TeamPFF WARPFF GradeTop-graded playerMove11Cleveland Browns1.25088.2Myles Garrett022Houston Texans1.05781.2Will Anderson Jr.033Pittsburgh Steelers0.96176.7Cameron Heyward045Los Angeles Rams0.78385.4Byron Young+156Denver Broncos0.77670.1Nik Bonitto+164Detroit Lions0.74979.5Aidan Hutchinson-279Dallas Cowboys0.71274.9Quinnen Williams+287Philadelphia Eagles0.69672.5Joshua Uche-1911Seattle Seahawks0.68174.2DeMarcus Lawrence+21010Minnesota Vikings0.67468.6Jonathan Greenard01112New York Giants0.65266.8Dexter Lawrence+1128Green Bay Packers0.64065.9Micah Parsons-41313Tampa Bay Buccaneers0.52962.8Vita Vea01415Atlanta Falcons0.50865.3David Onyemata+11514Buffalo Bills0.48366.0Greg Rousseau-11618Tennessee Titans0.46569.5Jeffery Simmons+21716New England Patriots0.43663.7Cory Durden-11819Indianapolis Colts0.35963.8Laiatu Latu+11921Los Angeles Chargers0.35767.4Khalil Mack+22017Kansas City Chiefs0.32359.4George Karlaftis-32123New Orleans Saints0.31359.4Chase Young+22220Las Vegas Raiders0.29753.9Maxx Crosby-22322Washington Commanders0.25855.2Dorance Armstrong-12425Jacksonville Jaguars0.25560.6Josh Hines-Allen+12526New York Jets0.23565.7Jowon Briggs+12627Carolina Panthers0.22859.1Derrick Brown+12728San Francisco 49ers0.21551.6Bryce Huff+12824Arizona Cardinals0.21051.7Josh Sweat-42929Chicago Bears0.17551.4Montez Sweat03031Cincinnati Bengals0.14056.8Trey Hendrickson+13130Baltimore Ravens0.11560.4Travis Jones-13232Miami Dolphins-0.05049.7Zach Sieler0Week 17 Highlights
Best defensive line & best run-defense unit: Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ defensive line did its part in the Week 17 win over the Washington Commanders. The unit combined for an impressive 89.4 PFF overall grade and an 89.9 PFF run-defense grade, and it was led by Quinnen Williams’ 91.2 run-defense grade.
Williams recorded four run stops, including two tackles for loss or no gain, while interior defender Kenny Clark complemented the effort by earning an 80.3 run-defense grade and a 41.7% positive grade rate.
Edge defender Jadeveon Clowney has consistently been one of the NFL’s top run defenders for several seasons and again showed that ability, earning an 80.3 run-defense grade highlighted by a 4-yard tackle for loss.
Best pass-rush unit: Detroit Lions
The Lions did not lose because of their pass rush in Week 17. Detroit’s defensive line posted an 82.6 PFF pass-rush grade and a dominant 39.3% pressure rate, generating five sacks and three quarterback hits while consistently disrupting rookie quarterback Max Brosmer.
Edge defender Aidan Hutchinson once again led the way, earning an 88.7 PFF grade with two sacks and an elite 29.6% pass-rush win rate. Al-Quadin Muhammad added two sacks of his own and paced the team with a 23.1% pressure rate, capping off a relentless performance up front.
Risers and fallers
- Most improved: Dallas Cowboys
- Biggest faller: Washington Commanders
Season Highlights
Best defensive line, best pass-rush unit & best run-defense unit: Cleveland Browns
Despite losing Breakout Player of the Year candidate Maliek Collins to injury in Week 13, the Browns’ defensive line is still on track to finish the 2025 season as the NFL’s best overall unit. Led by presumptive Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, Cleveland’s front has been one of the few consistent bright spots during an otherwise difficult season.
Garrett leads the NFL with a 92.7 PFF overall grade and a 92.9 pass-rushing grade, while his 82.7 run-defense grade ranks eighth among all defenders and third among edge rushers. To fully capture how dominant Garrett has been, he sits just half a sack shy of breaking the single-season sack record despite facing the highest rate of chips and double teams of any edge defender in the league.
edge rusher double team/chip rate and performance when 1v1 pic.twitter.com/RgeeAnqeuA
— Timo Riske (@PFF_Moo) December 31, 2025
Edge defender Alex Wright was rewarded with a midseason contract extension, and his play has justified the investment. Wright has posted an 80.6 PFF overall grade while excelling against the run, recording a minuscule 6.1% downgrade rate and just three missed tackles on the season in run defense.
Isaiah McGuire has also been a reliable presence on the edge, earning a 73.0 run-defense grade, while rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham has surged after a slow start. Since Week 7, Graham owns a 74.6 PFF overall grade, second-best on the Browns and 14th among all NFL interior defensive linemen.