• Chris Jones is inevitable: The star Chiefs interior defender is annually among the highest-graded players at his position, and 2024 was no different for the 30-year-old.

• Cam Heyward is among those defying Father Time: Heyward (35) and Calais Campbell (38) remained stout on the interior despite being near the end of their impressive careers.

• 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: 6 minutes

The Philadephia Eagles‘ win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 put a bow on the 2024 NFL season — and PFF’s grades. Here were the top 10 interior defenders across the regular season and postseason.

1. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs (90.2)

A regular on lists like these, Chris Jones continued to dominate even in his age-30 season, leading all interior defenders with 88 pressures on the season while posting a 91.5 PFF pass-rush grade. His pressure total ranked second among all defenders, regardless of position, with only Jared Verse tallying more (89). Despite that, Jones managed only seven sacks, but his impact was felt as he helped lead the Chiefs’ defense to a third consecutive AFC Championship victory.

2. Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers (90.1)

The Steelers’ defensive line was nothing short of menacing in 2024. They featured two top-10 edge defenders in terms of PFF overall grade in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but Cam Heyward also thrived on the interior and barely missed out on the top spot.

Despite being 35 years old during the 2024 season, Heyward notched his third 90.0 season-long PFF overall grade while setting a career high with an 85.9 PFF pass-rush grade. He posted 10 sacks and 60 pressures. Heyward also tied Kobie Turner for the most stops (47), though Heyward played one fewer game.

3. Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants (89.9)

One of the few bright spots for the Giants in 2024, Dexter Lawrence continued to prove he’s among the very best at his position. He was the only interior defender in the league to notch PFF run-defense (83.8) and pass-rush grades (81.4) of at least 80.0 in 2024.

Despite missing five games due to injury, Lawrence still recorded 10 sacks, 36 total pressures and 25 stops, which was only one fewer than Chris Jones despite Lawrence having played almost 400 fewer snaps.

4. Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks (87.1)

Leonard Williams has been one of the most consistent defenders in football since entering the league in 2015, having never earned a season-long PFF grade below 70.6 but also never higher than 81.4 until this season — perhaps his best as a pro. Williams’ 87.1 PFF grade in 2024 smashed his career high, and his 79.5 PFF run-defense grade was his best since 2020. He converted 11 of his 55 pressures into sacks.

Williams even made an impact in coverage this season, dropping back a career-high 16 times (his previous high was six) yet was targeted only once, a pass he promptly intercepted and returned more than 90 yards for a touchdown against the Jets.

Poona Ford may not be a household name, but he quietly put together a very strong 2024 season in his first year with the Chargers. Ford’s 80.3 PFF run-defense grade was his best performance since his rookie year on more than double the snaps, and it ranked third at the position across the entire league. While Ford’s pressure totals won’t blow anyone away — three sacks and 25 pressures — the quality of his rushes was more than respectable, as he earned a 70.0 PFF pass-rush grade.

6. Calais Campbell, Miami Dolphins (82.3)

There’s defying Father Time and then there’s what Calais Campbell did this past season as a 38-year-old. His 85.9 PFF run-defense grade was the top mark among interior defenders, while his 37 stops tied for the seventh most.

Campbell is currently the oldest active defensive player in the league and is showing no signs of slowing down. He has put up PFF grades of at least 80.0 in seven of the past nine seasons, including going over 90.0 from 2016 to 2019.

Calais Campbell: Career PFF Grades

7. DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts (81.9)

Like Dexter Lawrence, DeForest Buckner missed five games due to injury but was still his dominant self. While his 35 pressures were a career low, he converted seven into sacks while posting a 77.1 PFF pass-rush grade. Buckner has sported a PFF overall grade of at least 81.0 in each of the past three seasons and hasn’t earned a PFF pass-rush grade below 73.0 since his rookie campaign.

8. Michael Pierce, Baltimore Ravens (80.7)

Michael Pierce played by far the fewest snaps of anyone on this list (254) despite appearing in 13 games, never playing more than 36 in a game. That was probably a necessity for the 355-pounder. Pierce missed the middle chunk of the season due to injury, but when he was on the field, nobody clogged the middle better. At 32 years old, Pierce has quietly been one of the best nose tackles in the league, posting a PFF overall grade of at least 80.0 in each of the past three seasons. He has gone below 70.0 only once, a 69.1 showing in 2019.

Although the Titans hold the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, things weren’t all bad. Jeffery Simmons put together another strong season, registering 45 pressures and 41 stops, the latter of which tied for third at the position. Simmons’ 81.6 PFF pass-rush grade was a career high, which included games against the Lions and Vikings where he graded out above 92.0.

10. Alim McNeill, Detroit Lions (79.6)

The Lions’ downfall in 2024 was the injury bug, and one of their biggest losses was Alim McNeill, whom the team lost after Week 15 to a torn ACL. McNeill’s presence was sorely missed, as he had been a dominant pass-rusher up the middle, setting a career high with 45 pressures despite the missed time.

McNeill has earned a 70.0-plus PFF pass-rush grade in each of the past three seasons. Given the timing of the ACL injury, his status for the 2025 season is uncertain, though when he does return, he and Aidan Hutchinson should cause lots of problems for the rest of the league.