The NFL may be more offense-centric than ever before, but the old adage “defense wins championships” is as true as ever—the last two Super Bowls are proof of that.
Of course, not all NFL defenses are created equally. Some units, like the Seattle Seahawks or Houston Texans, rank among the league’s best, while others—such as the Cincinnati Bengals or Dallas Cowboys—have struggled to find consistency. Some teams fall closer to one end of that spectrum than the other, while others sit squarely in the middle.
No matter how good (or bad) those defenses are, all 32 dedicated the offseason to improving, whether it be through free agency or the draft. And quite a few NFL defenses look considerably different than they did in February.
Of course, free-agent signings and draft picks aren’t guaranteed to succeed. There’s no assurance that a blockbuster trade will pay off. For every NFL defense, there is a best- and a worst-case scenario for the season to come.