• The best defensive line of 2024: From Week 1, when T.J. Watt posted a dominant 95.3 PFF grade and forced two fumbles (both negated by penalty), to Cameron Heyward’s consistently high-level play, the Steelers’ defensive front has been a force. Alex Highsmith has provided elite all-around impact, while Nick Herbig has emerged as one of the league’s premier pass rushers. Watt, Heyward, and Highsmith all closed the season with PFF grades of 90.2 or better, with Herbig not far behind at an impressive 82.0 overall.

• The best run-defense unit of 2024: The battle for the top run-defense unit has concluded, with the Titans edging out the Browns after Cleveland faltered against Derrick Henry and the Ravens’ dominant ground attack. Tennessee capped the season with 139 run stops, ranking fourth in the NFL, and 54 tackles for loss or no gain, good for third. They also tied Cleveland for the league’s lowest rate of downgrades in run defense.

• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

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 18. For more grades and statistics on the league’s best pass-rushers, check out PFF Premium Stats.

Final defensive line rankings