NFL power rankings: Which teams will have the best defense?

NFL power rankings: Which teams will have the best defense this season?

Dec 18, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons (31) celebrates his second interception with Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

10 of 32

Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Travon Walker (44) and defensive end/outside linebacker Josh Allen (41) look on during day 2 of the Jaguars Training Camp Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at the Knight Sports Complex at Episcopal School of Jacksonville.Jki Jagstrainingcampday2 19 /

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

Notable additions: N/A
Notable losses: EDGE Arden Key
2022 scoring defense: 12th
2022 yards defense: 24th

With all due respect, do not let the numbers fool you. There are two big factors at play here.

First of all, the Jaguars were startlingly healthy in 2022:

NFL 2022 regular season injury plot. Games missed to injuries and health protocols versus team wins. Bubble size represents cumulative quality of players lost for games (Lost-av metric) https://t.co/HBPgJxYIPz pic.twitter.com/oBHD5oQubB
— Man Games Lost NFL (@ManGamesLostNFL) January 12, 2023

Secondly, their three divisional opponents each had bottom-five offenses last season. In divisional matchups, the Jaguars’ defense gave up only 14.7 points per game. Against non-divisional opponents, that number ballooned to 23.82 points per game, which would have ranked 25th in the NFL.

The Jaguars have the potential to improve this season through internal development. They have young players with upside, including edge rusher Travon Walker and safety Andre Cisco.

Edge rusher Arden Key is a key loss, though. In a limited role, he produced 4.5 sacks and 20 pressures.

Home/Arizona Cardinals