• The Texans’ pass rush stood out in Week 7: The Texans’ pass rush has been a two-headed monster all season, but in Week 7, the wealth was spread around. Tommy Togiai earned a career-high 92.4 pass-rush grade, while Derek Barnett and Denico Autry also turned in strong performances with 76.4 and 74.5 grades, respectively.

• The Rams have wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks: Jared Verse has generated 42 pressures, while Byron Young has added 34. Verse leads the group with a 21.8% pass-rush win rate and an 87.7 pass-rush grade. Kobie Turner has contributed 28 pressures and a 79.4 grade. The trio of Verse, Turner, and Young has combined for 20 sacks, the second-most in the NFL.

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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 closely monitor NFL defensive line play throughout the season. Unlike our offensive line rankings, which in some cases consider previous-season rankings, these rankings will be based purely on 2025 play.

Here are the highlights for the top defensive lines after Week 7 of the 2025 season.

Week 7 Highlights

Best defensive line: Cleveland Browns

In rainy conditions, the Browns’ defensive line dominated the Miami Dolphins, holding them to a 24.1% success rate and -0.522 expected points added (EPA) per play. All eight Browns linemen graded at 69.2 or better, led by Myles Garrett’s 85.7.

Rookie Mason Graham’s 79.1 grade was his best of the season, as he recorded two tackles for loss or no gain. The Dolphins’ offensive line posted the second-lowest grade of the week, largely due to the Browns’ effort.

Best pass-rush unit: Houston Texans

The Texans’ pass rush has been a two-headed monster all season, but in Week 7, the wealth was spread around. Tommy Togiai earned a career-high 92.4 pass-rush grade, while Derek Barnett and Denico Autry also turned in strong performances with 76.4 and 74.5 grades, respectively. Togiai’s 31.3% pass-rush win rate was the best of his career, and four Texans defenders finished above 20%.

Best run-defense unit: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs faced only 12 run plays but completely controlled the line of scrimmage, limiting the Raiders to the fewest offensive plays in PFF history. Las Vegas finished with -0.834 EPA per run, as five Kansas City defenders earned run-defense grades of 71.3 or better. Chris Jones led the way with a 74.3, his best mark of the season, while no defender received a single downgrade all game.

Most pressures: Indianapolis Colts & Detroit Lions

The Colts and Lions defensive lines dominated in Week 7, each recording 33 pressures to help power their teams to victory.

DeForest Buckner led the Colts with nine pressures and an 84.7 pass-rush grade. Kwity Paye added eight pressures, while Laiatu Latu contributed seven. All three earned pass-rush win rates of 20% or better and combined for seven quarterback hits and three sacks.

Aidan Hutchinson continued his dominant stretch, pacing Detroit with 12 pressures and a 26.5% pass-rush win rate. Al-Quadin Muhammad added eight pressures and is in the midst of a career year with a 76.4 pass-rush grade. Alim McNeill returned to action for the first time this season and produced five pressures.

Most Run Stops: Las Vegas Raiders

Despite a lopsided loss, the Raiders faced 37 run plays and recorded 13 stops, the most in the league. Thomas Booker IV led the unit with four, while Leki Fotu added three. One of Fotu’s stops went for a loss as the group combined for six tackles for loss or no gain.

Tyree Wilson and Charles Snowden each added two. Despite a 40.2 run-defense grade, the volume of opportunities — and Kansas City’s inconsistent rushing attack — helped the Raiders top the league for the week.

Season Highlights

Best defensive line, best run-defense unit: Cleveland Browns

While the Browns have lost their top ranking in both run defense and pass rushing, their defensive line remains a dominant force. Cleveland has seven defensive linemen with overall grades of 72.0 or better. Myles Garrett still leads the group with a 92.2, and Maliek Collins continues his career-best season with an 89.8.

The Browns’ defensive line finished 2024 as the league’s second-best run-defending unit and improved further in the offseason. Garrett leads the way with an 88.3 run-defense grade, while Isaiah McGuire and Alex Wright have been strong complements on the edge with 82.0 and 81.6 marks, respectively.

Best pass-rush unit: Houston Texans

Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter have formed a dominant duo, earning 91.5 and 90.3 grades, respectively. Anderson’s 29.0% pass-rush win rate leads both the team and the NFL, while Hunter isn’t far behind at 24.1% and leads the Texans with four quarterback hits. Seven Houston defenders have earned pass-rush grades of 72.1 or better, and all four players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps have recorded 10 or more pressures.

Most pressures: Los Angeles Rams

Led by Jared Verse, the Rams have wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Verse has generated 42 pressures, while Byron Young has added 34. Verse leads the group with a 21.8% pass-rush win rate and an 87.7 pass-rush grade. Kobie Turner has contributed 28 pressures and a 79.4 grade. The trio of Verse, Turner, and Young has combined for 20 sacks, the second-most in the NFL.

Most Run Stops: Tennessee Titans & New York Jets

When a team spends much of its time playing from behind, it tends to face more running plays — as has been the case for the Titans and Jets through seven weeks. The Jets’ 200 run-defense snaps rank second in the NFL, while the Titans’ 199 rank third.

Tennessee is led by Sebastian Joseph-Day with 16 stops, followed by Jeffery Simmons with 12. Quinnen Williams anchors the Jets’ front with a league-high 21 run stops.