The AFC East is loaded with talent across all four defenses, and each of them, including the NY Jets, will need every ounce of it facing what is a gauntlet of quarterbacks and offenses in the AFC heading into the 2024 season.
What is being considered in these rankings is the team’s performance in 2023 and the moves that they made to improve or supplement players lost over the offseason. Let’s get into the rankings.
4. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins lost a great deal of talent on the defense in the offseason. They lost their best player in the front seven with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins departing for the Raiders and a $110M payday. Additionally, they’ll be without linebacker Jerome Baker, defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.
As for how this group projects to perform in 2024, there is way too much unknown about most of these players heading into the new year.
Jaelan Phillips is coming off a torn Achilles suffered in late November, Bradley Chubb is attempting to bounce back from his third career ACL tear, and Calais Campbell is entering his age 38 season after five straight seasons with fewer than seven sacks.
The truth of the matter is that the Dolphins are facing an uphill climb in terms of being an efficient unit in 2024. They lost foundational pieces across this bunch, and they did not do nearly enough to place themselves among the better half of the AFC East this season.
3. Buffalo Bills
The Bills have done enough to place themselves among the middle of the pack in the league in terms of front-seven play. They have plenty of big names across their unit, but they lack any elite playmakers on the defensive line.
In terms of their starting linebackers, they’re likely a top-10 tandem heading into this year, with Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano. Milano is coming off a broken leg he suffered in Buffalo’s London trip in October of last season, but if he can get back to where he once was, this will be a high-end duo again in 2024.
2. New England Patriots
If there’s anything to look forward to for Pats fans this year, it’s the group they’ve assembled over the past few years in the trenches. While recently extended Christian Barmore’s health remains up in the air after he was diagnosed with blood clots, the Pats still have a great deal of talent with this crew.
They get a level of consistency with Matthew Judon on the edge, along with fellow pass rusher Josh Uche returning for another season with the team in 2024, after a down year. Uche still possesses the talent to be an effective pass rusher, and with Judon on the other side of him for another season, he’ll look to get back to the form he found in 2022.
At linebacker, the Pats have strong players across the board. Jahlani Tavai is fresh off his best season as an NFL player, making tremendous strides as a pass defender. They can also lean on Ja’Whaun Bentley and the newly signed Sione Takitkai to produce throughout the full year.
1. New York Jets
Rounding out what is arguably the best defensive unit in all of football, the New York Jets. While certain things still remain up in the air with this group, we can expect another elite season from this troupe.
Assuming Hassan Reddick eventually joins this team, he’ll be adding to an already incredibly dangerous pass rush. He’ll be on the opposite side of Jermaine Johnson, and the Jets will also be rotating second-year player Will McDonald into the mix.
Johnson is coming off a terrific sophomore season, showing that he could be a legitimate contributor to one of the league’s best defenses.
In the middle of this defense, is the best linebacker duo in the NFL. Brother of Quinnen Williams, Quincy, is off of a career year in which he made enormous leaps in his pass coverage.
He notched his first All-Pro selection, and C.J. Mosley held that honor the season prior. Together, they make for a formidable tandem, alongside an already formidable secondary.
