• No movement in the top three: The Steelers, Lions and Ravens remained dominant in Week 3.

• Big jump from the Giants: After feasting on the injury-riddled Browns offensive line, the Giants defensive line jumps up the rankings after Week 3.

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Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

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 monitor NFL defensive line play all season long. Unlike our offensive line rankings, which in some cases consider previous-season rankings, these rankings will be based purely on 2024 play.

While the Chicago Bears were our 27th-ranked unit heading into the season, they’ve started the season hot and currently rank fourth through two games.

Key:
Red text = Players with grades below 60.0
Best player = highest-graded player

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (no change)

Top five in snap counts:

First in pass-rush grade and second in run-defense grade, the Steelers’ front continues to be a dominant force for the year. The team’s 42.7% pressure rate is the best in the NFL, while their 25 run stops rank fifth.

Top Player: TJ Watt

Watt is tied for fifth in pass-rush grade among edge rushers and is also third in overall grade. Watt makes impact plays on a weekly basis despite a lower pass-rush win rate on obvious passing situations.

2. Detroit Lions (no change)

Top five in snap counts:

The Lions’ pass-rush unit dropped to second-best in grade (86.4) through three weeks but still has the highest pass-rush win rate in the NFL (61.3%).

The run defense moves up a spot to 10th best for the season, as it still ranks best in negative grade rate.

Top Player: Aidan Hutchinson

Hutchinson maintained his red-hot start in Week 3 with a 31.4% pass-rush win rate. He totaled eight pressures and grades as the highest overall edge defender through three weeks (93.4).

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