With the Washington Football Team showing up in a big way on the defensive side of the ball in recent weeks and defensive stars across the league making game-changing plays order to win, it’s time to take another fun-filled look at the Top 10 defensive players in the league heading into Week 13 so you can keep betting against their NFL odds.
NFL Defensive Player Rankings Heading Into Week 13!
No. 10 Janoris Jenkins – CB – New Orleans
Sure, Jenkins doesn’t get the same amount of attention as counterpart and teammate Marcus Lattimore, but the second round pick in the 2012 draft is balling out with 30 solo tackles and three interceptions this season. Teams that have wanted to avoid Lattimore have found the going just as difficult when throwing against Jenkins!
No. 9 James Bradberry – CB – NY Giants
The unheralded second round pick in the 2016 draft is playing fantastic football as he heads into Week 1 with 27 solo tackles, one forced fumble, three interceptions and a whopping 15 passes defensed (2nd).
No. 8 Denzel Ward – CB – Cleveland
The fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft is playing at an extremely high level. The former Ohio State star has one forced fumble, two interceptions and 32 solo tackles while ranking second in asses defensed (15).
No. 8 Jason Pierrre-Paul – LB – TB
The 31-year-old former South Florida star makes his debut on the Top 10 defensive players in the league this week after picking up a sack and three solo tackles in Tampa Bay’s 27-24 loss to Kansas City. For the season, the former first round pick in the 2015 NFL draft is sixth in sacks (8.5) and is tied for second in forced fumbles with three.
No. 7 Jordan Poyer – LB – Buffalo
You might not know who Jordan Poyer is, but Buffalo’s opponents sure do. The seventh round pick in the 2013 draft is tie for 5th in solo tackles and has recorded one forced fumble, two interceptions and four passes defensed this season. Poyer, also has four stuffs and basically makes plays all over the field for a Bills team with hopes of making an extended playoff run.
No. 7 Emmanuel Ogbah – DE – Miami
Ogbah was a second round pick in the 2016 draft, but he’s playing like a star these days. The former Oklahoma State star has 21 solo tackles, eight sacks (T7) and an impressive three forced fumbles to make his debut in the top 10 rankings.
No. 6 Brandon Graham – DE – Philadelphia
The 13th pick in the 2010 NFL draft makes his debut in the Top 10 after getting after Russell Wilson on Monday night. Graham is tied for 12th in sacks (7), 15th in forced fumbles (2) and has 30 solo tackles. The Eagles might suck really bad, but it’s definitely not Brandon Graham’s fault!
No. 5 Bobby Wagner – LB – Seattle
Seattle’s perennial Pro Bowl linebacker looks like he had a modest thee tackle effort in Seattle’s Week 12 win over Philadelphia, until you look at how Wagner is almost quite literally – everywhere. The second round pick in the 2012 NFL draft ranks eighth in solo tackles (59) and tied for fourth in total tackles (101). Wagner also has three sacks, six tackles for loss and six passes defensed.
No. 4 Za’Darius Smith – LB – Green Bay
The Packers Pro Bowl linebacker is back in the Top 10 after recording a sack and forced fumble in Green Bay’s emphatic 41-25 smackdown of Chicago on Sunday. Smith, who has three forced fumbles this season, is ted for fourth in sacks (9.0) and has been a sideline-to-sideline playmaker for the Packers with 28 solo tackles and 42 total tackles.
No. 3 Xavien Howard – CB – Miami
The second round pick in the 2016 draft, Howard leads the NFL in interceptions and is second in passes defensed (15). Howard had another pick in Miami’s 20-3 smackdown win over the Jets on Sunday, while basically shutting down whoever he covered.
No. 2 Myles Garrett – DE – Cleveland
The No.1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft had two stuffs, four solo tackles and a half-sack in his last game against Houston. Garrett is tied for second in sacks (.5) but has recorded a stellar four forced fumbles to bring his career total to a whopping 10.
No. 1 Aaron Donald – DT – LA Rams
It’s getting a bit redundant, but LA Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald remains in the top spot for defensive players after recording a sack and four tackles in the Rams’ crushing 23-20 home loss against Frisco on Sunday. Donald leads the NFL in sacks (10) and has 13 tackles for loss, a whopping four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Worth Noting
With Pittsburgh out of action because of Baltimore’s COVID-19 outbreak, three players from the Steelers stout defense are out of this week’s rankings. Linebackers, Bud Dupree, TJ Watt and Vince Williams could all return depending on what happens moving forward.
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