• The Dallas Cowboys are trending upward: Thanks to the surge the Cowboys‘ defensive line has experienced since Micah Parsons‘ return from injury, they’ve climbed from 29th in the NFL to 15th, with this past week marking their biggest jump of the season.
• Elite no matter the opponent: Despite going up against the league’s best offensive line, the Steelers’ group of highly graded defensive linemen earned the second-highest unit grade of the season in their matchup with the Eagles.
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Estimated reading time: 5 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.
Here are the highlights for the 2024 season and the top defensive lines in Week 12. For more grades and statistics on the league's best pass-rushers, check out PFF Premium Stats.
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