Overview of Tampa, Too: Ranking the Top Ten Defenses of 2026
Mina Kimes and JP Acosta break down their projected top 10 NFL defenses for the 2026 season, comparing last year’s production, offseason moves, and schematic fit. The conversation settles on a pretty clear top five — Houston, Seattle, the Rams, Philadelphia, and Denver — before the rankings get much murkier because of injuries, coordinator changes, and young players needing to take a leap.
Main Themes
Why these defenses stood out
- Pass rush plus structure matters most: Both hosts repeatedly emphasize that the best defenses either:
- win with four,
- generate pressure through scheme,
- or pair elite corners with enough front-seven disruption to force quick throws.
- Stopping the run still matters: The episode’s running joke was basically “you’ve got to stop the run and have some fun,” especially after last year’s Giants pass-rush-only mirage.
- Depth and continuity are huge: The best units are not just star-heavy; they also have role players who fit the system and let the coordinator be flexible.
Last year’s lesson
- The hosts revisit 2025’s defensive rankings and note how injury-ravaged teams can look elite on paper but fall apart in practice.
- The Giants are the cautionary tale: absurd pass-rush talent, but poor run defense made the whole thing brittle.
The Top 10 Defenses
1. Houston Texans
- The consensus No. 1 pick.
- Mina and JP love how the Texans win without needing exotic front movement: they line up, overpower you, and let elite talent take over.
- Key force multipliers:
- Will Anderson Jr.
- Daniil Hunter
- Derek Stingley Jr.
- Kamari Lassiter
- Lassiter gets a shoutout as a phenomenal tackler and improved cover corner; Mina notes he led all corners in time spent in tight coverage at the snap.
- The front is so disruptive that the linebackers get to play faster and cleaner.
2. Seattle Seahawks
- Described as the blueprint modern defense.
- Mike Macdonald’s system is built on:
- pressure with four,
- light boxes,
- split-safety looks,
- tackle corners,
- physical nickel play.
- The defensive line is the engine:
- Leonard Williams
- Byron Murphy II
- Jarran Reed
- JP and Mina both praise how selfless the front is — the tackles eat doubles so the second level can fly downhill.
- Main concern: edge depth and a few offseason departures, but Macdonald’s track record keeps them near the top.
3. Los Angeles Rams
- The Rams might have the highest ceiling of anyone in the top five.
- Their defense was good last year but had a late-season drop-off in the pass game, especially in yards after catch and explosive completions.
- The big swing factor is the major offseason addition of Myles Garrett, which should finally fix their lack of fast pressure.
- The front now has serious teeth:
- Garrett
- Kobie Turner
- Braden Fiske
- The secondary is expected to be much more physical and reliable.
- Chris Shula gets a lot of credit here; he now has the ingredients to turn a good defense into an elite one.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
- JP and Mina both love the Eagles’ Vic Fangio structure and secondary talent.
- The defense is built to make offenses take small wins and then tackle them down.
- Key names:
- Quinyon Mitchell
- Cooper DeJean
- Zack Baun
- Jihaad Campbell
- Tariq Woolen is brought up in comparison as another elite coverage piece, though not as part of Philly.
- Mitchell gets a big statistical shoutout:
- second in EPA per target among corners
- first in yards after catch allowed per reception
- first in tight-window rate
- Main question: whether the pass rush can be consistently dominant enough to match the elite back seven.
5. Denver Broncos
- The Broncos are deep, physical, and very well coached, but there are some questions about consistency up front.
- Standout players:
- Patrick Surtain II
- Riley Moss
- Zach Allen
- Nik Bonitto
- Zach Allen is highlighted as one of the most underrated disruptors in football and led the league in QB hits.
- Mina and JP agree the biggest worry is linebacker/coverage depth and whether the front can keep getting home without everything being perfect.
- Still, this is an elite secondary with a strong defensive identity.
6. New England Patriots
- JP puts the Patriots here; Mina has them lower.
- The appeal is a strong secondary and a defensive coordinator who leaned into pressure late last season.
- Key pieces:
- Christian Gonzalez
- Carlton Davis
- Marcus Jones
- Craig Woodson
- Christian Barmore
- Milton Williams
- The concern is edge pressure: the front has talented pieces, but the pass rush may not be consistently scary enough unless the blitzing continues to be effective.
- JP views them as a team that may blitz a lot because it fits the personnel.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
- A sneaky-good unit that was better than many people realized last year.
- Mina and JP both credit defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile for maximizing personnel and changing fronts effectively.
- Key players:
- Travis Hunter as a two-way defensive back weapon
- Josh Hines-Allen
- Travon Walker
- Antonio Johnson
- Montaric Brown
- Antonio Johnson gets a strong mention for excellent coverage efficiency and tackling.
- Main issue: the pass rush needs more ways to win beyond power and speed-to-power.
8. Cleveland Browns
- A talented, fast defense with a lot of moving parts under a new coordinator.
- The roster still looks strong on paper:
- Mason Graham
- Carson Schwesinger
- Quincy Williams
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- The big question is scheme: how much the new coordinator changes from Jim Schwartz’s ultra-aggressive man-heavy approach.
- Mina puts them in her top 10; JP leaves them just outside.
9. Baltimore Ravens
- Both hosts agree the Ravens belong here if key health assumptions hold.
- The entire case hinges on getting Nnamdi Madubuike back healthy.
- Other important pieces:
- Travis Jones
- Kyle Hamilton
- Marlon Humphrey
- Jalen Hawkins
- The back end is still loaded with versatile safeties, and the scheme can weaponize Hamilton in multiple ways.
- The biggest concern is variance at corner and whether the pass rush returns to being a weekly problem.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Mina’s No. 10; JP has them No. 10 too.
- This was one of the offseason’s biggest “fix the biggest weakness” teams.
- Their two main problems last year:
- no reliable four-man pass rush
- linebackers who struggled in coverage
- Important additions/players:
- YaYa Diaby
- Al-Quadin Muhammad
- Vita Vea
- A’Shawn Robinson
- Alex Anzalone
- Josiah Trotter
- The run defense is already a strong baseline, and if the new pieces help the pass rush, Tampa could jump into the top tier.
Biggest Debates and Snubs
Teams that were close
- Minnesota Vikings: JP wanted to believe in Brian Flores again because of the scheme and pressure generation, but Mina ultimately left them off her top 10 due to too much turnover and youth in the secondary.
- Los Angeles Chargers: A major consideration, but the hosts worried that losing Jesse Minter could cause a step back even if the scheme remains similar.
- Carolina Panthers: Huge top-end talent, especially at premium positions, but too speculative and dependent on several young or injury-prone pieces hitting.
- New Orleans Saints: Quietly strong and one of the more interesting defenses in the league, but still lacking a true dominant edge presence.
- Pittsburgh Steelers / Detroit Lions / Atlanta Falcons: Mentioned as possible complaints from fans, but not enough to crack the final list.
Final Takeaway
The episode’s core argument is that the NFL’s best defenses are no longer just “hard-hitting” or “talented” — they’re deliberate constructions built to solve modern offensive problems. Houston and Seattle are the clearest examples of that, while the Rams and Eagles could rise quickly if their new pieces hit. After the top five, the rankings become a fight between projection, health, and trust in the coordinator.