• Argonauts' Jared Brinkman is the star of the season so far: Brinkman is the only CFL defensive lineman who has a 90.0-plus overall grade through Week 5.
• Casey Sayles and Dewayne Hendrix earned elite pass-rush grades in Week 5: The Tiger-Cats' interior duo dominated in Week 5, putting up league-high PFF grades in the process.
• Looking for NFL/college grades and data? To access PFF Premium Stats, subscribe now!
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
1. Toronto Argonauts (No Change)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Robbie Smith
Field DI: Jared Brinkman
Boundary DI: Jordan Williams
Boundary EDGE: Derek Parish
• Toronto’s Jared Brinkman is the highest-graded defensive lineman in the league and the only player at the position who boats a 90.0-plus overall grade. Brinkman's 91.7 run-defense grade also leads the league.
• This unit has put up an 87.5 overall grade, first in the CFL. The group ranks second in both run-defense grade (87.3) and pass-rush grade (81.6).
• Edge defender Robbie Smith ranks first in pressure rate (17.1%) among defensive linemen who have rushed the passer 50 or more times.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Up 1)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Bryan Cox Jr.
Field DI: Anthony Lanier II
Boundary DI: Micah Johnson
Boundary EDGE: Lake Korte-Moore
• Anthony Lanier II has gotten off to a fantastic start. He is one of two defensive linemen who have earned a 90.0-plus run-defense grade. He has picked up five defensive stops and forced two fumbles.
• Led by Lanier, the Roughriders boast the best run-stuffing defensive line in the CFL. The group has an average depth of tackle of 2.0 yards past the line of scrimmage and has had a player graded positively on 54.4% of their snaps.
3. Montreal Alouettes (Down 1)
Base Defensive Set: Odd Front
Field EDGE: Avery Ellis
NT: Mustafa Johnson
Boundary EDGE: Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund
• Former starting edge defender Shawn Lemon has been suspended indefinitely for wagering on CFL games, so Avery Ellis stepped in to play his first game as the primary field edge for the Alouettes. He earned a 68.7 overall grade, playing well against the run (73.5 run-defense grade) but somewhat struggling as a pass rusher (52.5 pass-rush grade).
• The Alouettes continue to slide down the rankings, as their pass rush is dipping as the season progresses. This was this unit's worst performance in that regard, as the group finished with a unit-level pass-rush grade of 54.1.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (No Change)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Nick Usher
Field DI: Dewayne Hendrix
Boundary DI: Casey Sayles
Boundary EDGE: Brandon Barlow
• Casey Sayles' 90.3 pass-rush grade ranks first at his position and is the only mark above 90.0. He has generated 18 total pressures so far.
• Dewayne Hendrix and Casey Sayles were elite last week. They posted a combined 25.0% pressure rate, combining for 11 total pressures.
• Hendrix put up a 90.5 pass-rush grade in Week 5, the best single-game mark of the season.
5. British Columbia Lions (Up 3)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Pete Robertson
Field DI: Christian Covington
Boundary DI: Josh Banks
Boundary EDGE: Sione Teuhema
• Interior defender Josh Banks has the highest pass-rush win rate among qualifying players at the position. He boasts a 78.2 pass-rush grade and an 18.2% pass-rush win rate.
• Edge defender Sione Teuhema's six tackles for loss or no gain leads CFL defensive linemen. He's posted a 73.4 run-defense grade with an average tackle depth of 0.9 yards.
• This group played exceptionally well in Week 5, earning a 78.8 overall grade, a 76.7 run-defense grade and a 77.0 pass-rush grade.
6. Calgary Stampeders (Down 1)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: James Vaughters
Field DI: Mike Rose
Boundary DI: Josiah Coatney
Boundary EDGE: Julian Howsare
• Calgary had a tough week against the pass. They earned a unit pass-rush grade of 58.4 and once again dropped a defensive lineman into coverage on more than 10 plays. A lineman dropped on 13 plays this week, but those players collectively earned just a 54.9 coverage grade.
• Calgary’s defensive line is tied for sixth in the league in overall grade (68.9). The group ranks fifth in run defense (70.0) and sixth in pass rush (65.9).
7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (No Change)
Base Defensive Set: Odd Front
Field EDGE: Owen Hubert
NT: Jake Thomas
Boundary EDGE: Willie Jefferson
• At the halfway point of the season, Willie Jefferson has been the best defensive lineman for the Blue Bombers. He has earned a 71.6 overall grade, a 63.6 run-defense grade and a 73.2 pass-rush grade.
• Winnipeg’s defensive line ranks tied for sixth in the league in overall grade (68.9). The unit ranks eighth in run defense (66.6) and seventh in pass rush (65.7).
8. Ottawa Redblacks (Down 2)
Base Defensive Set: Even Front
Field EDGE: Bryce Carter
Field DI: Cleyon Laing
Boundary DI: Michael Wakefield
Boundary EDGE: Lorenzo Mauldin IV
• Ottawa's slide continues. This was the worst unit in the league in Week 5, as the group managed just a 59.9 overall grade.
• Ottawa’s defensive line ranks tied for eighth in the league in overall grade (67.0). The group ranks fourth in run-defense grade (71.2) grade and last in pass-rush grade (63.0).
9. Edmonton Elks (No Change)
Base Defensive Set: Odd Front
Field ED: Elliott Brown
NT: Robert Nkemdiche
Boundary EDGE: Noah Curtis
• No Change for the Elks this week, as they were on a Week 5 bye.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.