NFL Rumors: 3 landing spots for Derek Barnett as Eagles waive former first-rounder

Ravens should stack their pass rush depth in tough battle for AFC North battle

Remember last year when fans and media members thought the AFC West was going to be a gauntlet with the quarterbacks leading all four teams? Well, the AFC North is that, but with defenses.

The Cleveland Browns have arguably the most dominant defense in the NFL and are helping lead the team to wins, even with quarterback Deshaun Watson out for the season. Then there are the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose defense has done the same, overcoming their lackluster offense. Then there are the Baltimore Ravens, who sit atop the division with an 8-3 record. The thing is, both the Browns (7-3) and Steelers (6-4) are not far behind them in the standings.

While the defenses of Cleveland and Pittsburgh have garnered attention, Baltimore's pass rush has been sneaky good. After all, they lead the entire NFL with 44 sacks. Fourth-year defensive tackle Justin Madubuike leads the team with 9.5 sacks, with edge rushers Jadaveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy tied for second with six sacks each. Speaking of Clowney and Van Noy, they both rank atop the team with most quarterback pressures. Clowney leads the team with 33, with Van Noy having 29.

The numbers of Baltimore's pass rush unit has been doing well so far this season. But if they want to hold back Cleveland and Pittsburgh, adding Barnett to their depth chart could be something for them to look at. Who knows, maybe he can thrive under defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.