Rosters are starting to take shape around the league. So now that we know what each team will look like when the 2018 NFL regular season kicks off, let’s take a look at every team’s defense and see how they stack up against one another …

32. Indianapolis Colts

Hmm, let’s try to say some nice things about the Colts defense before we dig into what might be the least talented unit in the league. OLB Jabaal Sheard can rush the passer. DT Al Woods is good against the run. Malik Hooker looked like a true centerfield safety before his ACL popped. Quincy Wilson looks like he could develop into a top-end No. 2 corner one day.

Alright, that’s all we got.

The rest of the defense ranges somewhere from “Just a guy” to “Would be out of the league if the Colts didn’t exist.” There’s not much of a pass rush here. Offenses will make it a point to attack these linebackers. The secondary looks like it could be mediocre, which would make it the strength of the unit.

On top of all that, the team is transitioning back to a 4-3, which it really doesn’t have the personnel to play. Your 2018 Colts defense, ladies and gentlemen.

31. Oakland Raiders

The Khalil Mack trade hurts this defense considerably, but the pass rush won’t be completely ineffective. It looks like the Raiders hit on two mid-round draft picks in DE Arden Key and DT Maurice Hurst, who have both stood out during preseason. Second-round DT P.J. Hall has also been a revelation during camp. Bruce Irvin adds a veteran presence rushing off the edge.

The back end of the defense isn’t nearly as promising. The linebacker group is underwhelming, though Marquel Lee has been fantastic during preseason and could force his way into the starting lineup. The secondary isn’t much better than it was a year ago, but Gareon Conley, a first-round pick a year ago, could improve the cornerback situation drastically if he lives up to the hype after finally getting healthy.

30. New York Giants

Outside of DE Olivier Vernon, who hasn’t exactly lived up to the big contract he signed two years ago, where will the pass rush come from? And can we really trust this secondary after it imploded a year ago?  This won’t come as a shock: The Giants need a lot of help at the linebacker position, even after trading for Alec Ogletree, who is a major liability in coverage despite an impressive athletic profile. SS Landon Collins and DT Damon Harrison are the saving graces of this unit, but the latter really only makes an impact on early downs. The former can only do so much. It’s not your fault, Landon.

29. Kansas City Chiefs

I’m not sure if anyone knows what to expect out of the Chiefs defense after it lost several significant players in the offseason. CB Kendall Fuller should be a fine replacement for Marcus Peters but he’s not going to be the playmaker the new Rams corner had been for Kansas City. OLB Dee Ford is coming off a major injury and has looked like it during preseason. Justin Houston is now a year older and has averaged just seven sacks a season since 2014. The linebacker group would be perfect if it were 1995 and the running game still mattered. DT Chris Jones is a blue-chip talent but the Chiefs are going to be asking a lot of him. Expect a lot of shootouts in Kansas City this season.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As is the case seemingly every season, the Buccaneers defense is looking much better on paper after the team splurged in free agency. Jason Pierre-Paul was the big acquisition. While the Bucs certainly overpaid for the former Giants pass rusher, he was a much-needed addition. The team also brought in DE Vinny Curry, who, at the very least, will do his job. Tampa Bay hasn’t had enough of those players on the defensive line in recent years. DT Vita Vea was drafted to help shore up the run defense and free up Gerald McCoy to attack the line of scrimmage. Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David are a top linebacker pair who can cover the entire field. There are still question marks across the secondary where the ageless CB Brent Grimes remains the best player by a wide margin. That’s not a good thing.

27. Miami Dolphins

The success of the Dolphins defense will be decided by the play of its defensive line. DE Robert Quinn has looked like his old self during preseason. Cameron Wake is still here to rush of the left edge. If William Hayes continues his solid play and Charles Harris, last year’s first-round pick, takes the next step after showing flashes of potential in 2017, Miami will have a nice little pass rush rotation. The secondary is solid after adding safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the draft. The biggest question mark is the linebacker position. Kiko Alonso is a liability in coverage and Raekwon McMillan looked lost during preseason.

26. Detroit Lions

We’re high on Matt Patricia but it’s going to take time for him to mold this defense to his liking. There isn’t much of a pass rush outside of DE Ziggy Ansah, who will be playing for a fat contract next offseason. Patricia never had great individual pass rushers in New England and still managed to consistently find ways to pressure the quarterback, so that might not be a major issue.

CB Darius Slay is a top-10 player at his position. As is FS Glover Quin. His safety partner, Quandre Diggs, is a converted slot corner who is still learning the position but looks promising. The second-level of the defense is a clear weakness, where 2017 first-round LB Jarrad Davis has disappointed. He hasn’t looked much better in preseason.

There are far too many holes on the depth chart to expect Patricia to turn things around in his first season.

25. New York Jets

Good thing Todd Bowles knows how to draw up blitzes, because there is absolutely nobody on this roster who will threaten teams rushing off the edge. DE Leonard Williams remains the team’s best pass rusher, but it’s easier to send double team blocks at him on the inside.

The outlook looks a little brighter in the secondary, where Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye form the league’s most promising safety duo. Trumaine Johnson is a good No. 1 corner but there isn’t a lot to be excited about on the cornerback depth chart.

Free agent pickup LB Avery Williamson will keep the run defense strong, but isn’t much of a cover man. The Jets need Darron Lee to step up as a coverage linebacker after two poor seasons to start his career. He certainly has the athleticism to do so.

24. Cleveland Browns

Myles Garrett is going to be a star. The 2017 first-round pick should be at the top of the sack leaderboard by season’s end. He’ll get help from DE Emmanuel Ogbah, but there is little in the way of pass rush behind those two. It may not matter because we know Gregg Williams is going to do his fair share of blitzing. Jamie Collins, Joel Schobert and Christian Kirksey make up a fine linebacker trio, which is probably why Cleveland plays so much base defense while the rest of the league favors nickel. Outside of first-round CB Denzel Ward, the secondary is a whole lot of meh

23. Dallas Cowboys

Whether or not Dallas has a playoff caliber defense will come down to the health of its linebackers and the availability of its defensive line, which can’t seem to stay out of the commissioner’s doghouse. DE Randy Gregory, who was suspended for all of the 2017 season, finally returned to the field in the Cowboys’ third exhibition game and made an immediate impact. On the other side of the line is DE Demarcus Lawrence, who has also been suspended before, who broke out with a 14.5-sack season in 2017. DT David Irving will miss the first four games of the season after failing a drug test but is a stout interior presence when on the field.

Behind them is a linebacker pair with the potential to be one of the league’s best … if healthy. When Sean Lee is on the field, he’s game-changing middle linebacker. LB Jaylon Smith could make a similar impact if he can actually get back to where he was before tearing up his knee in his final college game. The secondary looks much improved with Byron Jones moving back to corner and CB Chidobe Awuzie primed for a breakout year.

22. San Francisco 49ers

Much has been made about Kyle Shanahan’s offense, but don’t sleep on this 49ers defense. It’s young and it’s talented at every level. Richard Sherman was the big acquisition, and he’ll provide some much needed veteran know how to a secondary full of physically gifted young players. Playing across from Sherman is Ahkello Witherspoon, a long corner with the physical tools to develop into a player similar to his new teammate. The safety pair of Adrian Colbert and Jaquiski Tartt greatly exceeded expectations in 2017 and should only get better moving forward.

The defensive line is the strength of the defense. DT DeForest Buckner is a superstar at defensive end, and 2017 third-overall pick Solomon Thomas has looked more like a third-overall pick during preseason after a rough rookie season. DE Arik Armstead hasn’t quite lived up to his draft position but San Francisco could do a lot worse. At the second level, Reuben Foster is a true three-down linebacker. This could be the most improved pass defense in the league.

21. Buffalo Bills

The strength of this unit is clearly on the back end, where CB Tre’Davious White, FS Jordan Poyer and SS Micah Hyde return after breakout years for all three in 2017. If CB Vontae Davis returns to his peak form, this will be one of the better secondaries in the league. It might have to be with very little depth on the defensive line. A lot will be asked of Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy on the edge. While Buffalo’s run defense should be better thanks to the addition of DT Star Lotulelei, don’t expect too much pass rush out of him.

20. Washington Redskins

At the very least, Washington’s run defense should be a lot better than it was in 2017, when it finished dead last in the league. Interior linemen Da’Ron Payne and Jonathan Allen have been demolishing offensive lines in the preseason. And big rookie Tim Settle looks like he can be an early down monster against the run. Those three should free up linebackers Mason Foster and Zach Brown to gobble up ball carriers, which is really the only purpose they serve on the field. Neither are particularly good in coverage.

The secondary lost Kendall Fuller, which leaves a gaping hole at the slot corner position, but things look good on the outside with Josh Norman and Quinton Dunbar both providing good coverage. Safeties Monte Nicholson and D.J. Swearinger are both reliable.

You can pretty much pencil in Ryan Kerrigan for 10 sacks. OLB Preston Smith certainly has 10-sack potential but has yet to unlock it. If this is the year that happens, this defense will be just good enough to help get the Redskins back to the playoffs.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

This unit nosedived after Ryan Shazier’s injury, and the Steelers failed to replace him in the offseason. Adding safety Morgan Burnett should help solve the team’s tackling woes, but the safety position is still a major concern after Terrell Edmunds’ underwhelming preseason. It’s looking like Sean Davis will be starting at free safety once again. The cornerback group is good and capable of playing man coverage when needed.

The defensive line is a major strength, but Pittsburgh needs more sacks out of edge rushers T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree if this is going to be a top-10 defense like it was on pace to be in 2017 before Shazier was lost.

18. Tennessee Titans

First-year head coach Mike Vrabel could not have walked into a better situation. The Titans are stacked across the defense. Everything starts in the middle with DT Jurrell Casey, who remains underrated because the Titans haven’t been interesting since Steve McNair was around. He’ll have plenty of pass rush help after the team somehow landed a top-10 draft talent, OLB Harold Landry, in the second round. He’ll join Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan on the edges. The team also improved the second level of the defense in the draft after taking LB Rashaan Evans in the first round. The secondary also looks stronger after the front office inked Malcolm Butler to a big-money deal. CB Logan Ryan is a reliable second corner, and could end up losing snaps to second-year man Adoree Jackson. Kevin Byard is an elite free safety, and Kenny Vaccaro is a more than capable replacement for injured strong safety Jonathan Cyprien. The talent is here; it’s just up to Vrabel to make it all work.

17. New Orleans Saints

The Saints defense was actually good in 2017. Let’s take a moment to appreciate that. OK, so how did they turn things around? Adding a legit lockdown corner in Marshon Lattimore was a big help. Marcus Williams, of Minneapolis Miracle fame, helped solidify the backend of the defense at safety. DE Cameron Jordan continued wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines. DE Alex Okafor had a breakout year before tearing his Achilles. If he’s back at full strength in 2018, this unit should be able to build upon what it did a year ago. Especially if first-round DE Marcus Davenport is ready to contribute sooner than the draft experts think he will. Linebacker is still a clear weakness, and drags down this defense’s ceiling quite a bit. New Orleans needs a playmaker at the second level if this unit is going to take the next step.

16. Denver Broncos

This is a far cry from the defense that carried Peyton Manning to a Super Bowl ring in 2015, but there are enough pieces for Denver to get back to being a top-10 defense. A couple things need to happen: Bradley Chubb has to live up to the hype. Von Miller has to do Von Miller things. And DT Derek Wolfe has to play more like the player we saw in 2016. A breakout year from OLB Shane Ray wouldn’t hurt either. The secondary isn’t nearly as good as it was during the Super Bowl run, but Chris Harris is still one of the league’s best cover corners and CB Bradley Roby is developing nicely. The late addition of Pacman Jones could end up being the key for the defense.

15. Seattle Seahawks

These aren’t your slightly older brother’s Seahawks. Richard Sherman is gone. Michael Bennett is gone. Kam Chancellor, Sheldon Richardson and Cliff Avril aren’t here either. Earl Thomas, who is still holding out, could be the next Seahawks great to depart.

There is still a lot to work with here, though. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are as good a nickel linebacker pair as you’ll find in the league, and both can stay on the field on all three downs. The defensive line is thin, but defensive ends Dion Jordan and Frank Clark are capable on the edges. This secondary should be just fine IF Thomas decides to return. CB Shaq Griffin was a steal in last year’s draft and Byron Maxwell looked like his old self after returning to the Northwest. This defense won’t be nearly as good as the ones we saw at the height of the Legion of Boom era, but don’t write this unit’s eulogy just yet.

14. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals defense was quietly one of the best units in all of football, finishing fourth in defensive DVOA in 2017. Chandler Jones and Patrick Peterson are the big names, but there are some intriguing talents emerging around the star pass rusher and cover man.

Budda Baker was drafted as a safety, and played the position well in 2017, but the Cardinals have played him at slot corner during preseason after signing FS Tre Boston, who is coming off a good season in Los Angeles. Antoine Bethea turned back the clock and gave Arizona good production at strong safety. Up front, this team needs LB Hasson Reddick to play better. He’s looked fine in preseason, but the team drafted him thinking he’d be an impact swiss-army knife. The second corner spot remains a revolving door. Jamar Taylor, a Browns cast off, was brought into to replace Tramon Williams, who played well in the desert a year ago. Taylor is an adequate player but he’ll be picked on with Peterson lining up on the other side.

The team is undergoing a scheme change with Steve Wilks taking over as head coach. We can only speculate what kind of impact that will have on this underrated unit.

13. Green Bay Packers

The Packers seem to have figured out the cornerback position after spending their first two draft picks on talented corners. Both Joshua Jackson and Jaire Alexander have looked the part during preseason. Second-year CB Kevin King showed flashes of talent during his rookie season, too. It may take a year or two, but Green Bay should have one of the league’s better secondaries for the next half-decade.

Up front, the Packers brought in DE Muhammad Wilkerson (and all his baggage) to try to add some type of pass rush. If he’s motivated, the Packers will be tough to block with Clay Matthews still a threat off the edge and Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark blowing up guards on the interior. The linebacker group is average at best.

First-year defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has gotten results at every stop and we’re not expecting any different in Green Bay.

12. Atlanta Falcons

The pieces are here for Dan Quinn to finally put an elite defense on the field in Atlanta. The key man is probably DE Vic Beasley, who regressed after leading the NFL in sacks in 2016. The Falcons pass rush just isn’t quite as intimidating without the 2015 first-round pick dominating off the edge. DT Grady Jarrett provides the pressure up the middle. He’s one of the better 3-techniques in the league, even if he doesn’t get enough credit for it.

The backend of the defense should be very good. Desmond Trufant is still the team’s best corner, but Robert Alford is slowly closing the gap on the other side. Atlanta has safeties to spare. FS Ricardo Allen locks down the deep middle, SS Keanu Neal punishes receivers brave enough to catch passes over the middle and Damontae Kazee could start for almost every team in the league but will be relegated to three-safety sub packages. That’s how deep the back end of this defense is.

We’ve seen the Falcons defense play at a high level in the playoffs. Now it’s time to do it over a full season.

11. Chicago Bears

After a slow rebuild, the Bears defense is primed to breakout in 2018. Especially after that rebuild was hastened by the trade for Khalil Mack, who will join forces with Leonard Floyd to terrorize NFC North offensive tackles. The back end of the defense could also be really special. Eddie Jackson impressed at free safety during his rookie season playing next to the underrated Adrian Amos. CB Kyle Fuller got his career back on track with a fine 2017 campaign. Across from him is CB Prince Amukamara, who has been a good player for every team he’s played for. The linebacking corps should be the fulcrum of the defense. LB Danny Trevathan is all over the field, and the team used the eighth-overall pick on LB Roquan Smith. The rookie will need to catch up after holding out and missing time with a hamstring injury, but Vic Fangio should have him playing at a high level by October.

10. Carolina Panthers

While there has been plenty of turnover on the edges of Carolina’s defense over the last few seasons, the strength of the unit remains intact.

The secondary looks completely different from the Super Bowl-losing team, with speedy rookie CB Donte Jackson slated to line up across James Bradberry at corner. The rookie out of LSU has looked good in preseason, but you never know with first-year corners. At safety, the Panthers are lining up the veteran pair of Mike Adams and Da’norris Searcy. Nothing to be excited about there, but don’t be surprised if rookie FS Rashaun Golden forces his way into the lineup at some point.

The strength of this team is still up front, where DT Kawann Short remains a dominant force both as a run-stuffer and pass rusher. He’ll be joined by DT Dontari Poe, who is an upgrade over the departed Star Lotulelei.

And then, of course, you have the best linebacker group in the league. Luke Kuechly holds the Best Mike Linebacker title belt, Thomas Davis is still making plays with no ACLs, and Shaq Thompson is an emerging star who can hold his own in coverage against slot receivers. These linebackers have already gotten two defensive coordinators head coaching jobs.

9. Los Angeles Rams

If there is a man capable of turning a collection of stars into a top defense, it’s Wade Phillips. He’ll have plenty of talent to work with this season. The Rams will have a new pair of corners with Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. That’s an upgrade over what was here in 2017. The defensive line will be better with Ndamukong Suh joining Aaron Donald (assuming he ends his holdout) in the middle. There is a dearth of talent and experience at defensive end, but that may not matter with those two monsters destroying interior linemen snap after snap. Linebacker is also a problem area for the team, but having two good safeties will help patrol the second level of the defense. There are exploitable weakness on this defense, but the exceptional talent everywhere else is capable of covering for them.

8. Houston Texans

Is this the year that we finally see J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney play a full season together? You can throw OLB Whitney Mercilus in there, as well, after he missed most of the 2017 season. If so, this will be one of the league’s scariest defenses. Joining those three studs on the front seven are tackles D.J. Reader and Christian Covington, two players who can cause plenty of havoc on their own. Behind this stacked line is the up-and-coming linebacker pair of Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham. The secondary could be the weak link. CB Jonathan Joseph isn’t getting any younger (or faster) and CB Kevin Johnson has disappointed when he’s actually been able to stay healthy. Tyrann Mathieu could be the key but he’s yet another injury concern on a defense full of them.

7. New England Patriots

The Patriots aren’t exactly loaded along the front seven, but they did make marked improvements to the front over the offseason. DE Adrian Clayborn adds some badly needed pass rushing, and DE Derek Rivers has been unblockable during preseason after missing his rookie campaign with an injury. Those two will compliment Trey Flowers, who has been the team’s best pass rusher for two seasons running. LB Dont’a Hightower’s return, along with the acquisition of DT Danny Shelton, should improve what was a woeful run defense a season ago. The secondary should still be solid even after Malcolm Butler’s departure, but corner depth is an issue. Expect to see a lot of three-safety sets this fall.

6. Los Angeles Chargers

There’s talent everywhere on this defense, but there are also plenty of concerns. Especially up the middle. The only possible reason Brandon Mebane is still starting at defensive tackle is his relationship with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Justin Jones should eventually pry the starting job away from the former Seahawks run stuffer.

Behind him are two linebackers who disappointed in 2017. Jatavis Brown took a step back after a promising rookie campaign, and Denzel Perryman struggled to stay on the field. If those two are what we think they can be, the Chargers should be a top-five defense.

Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram form the league’s best pass rush duo. And even after losing Jason Verrett (again), the Chargers still have plenty of talent in the cornerback group. Casey Hayward is a lockdown corner, CB2 Trevor Williams isn’t a liability and Desmond King was one of the better slot corners in the AFC. First-round pick Derwin James, capable of making plays all over the field, could put this unit over the top in 2018.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

If you’re looking for a defense that will make the leap in 2018, the Bengals are your team. It starts up front, where defensive ends Carl Lawson and Jordan Willis will push veteran starters Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson for snaps at defensive end. On the inside, DT Geno Atkins remains unblockable and NT Andrew Billings has done whatever he wants during preseason. This could be one of the elite lines in football.

The cornerbacks aren’t bad, either. William Jackson is the league’s next great shutdown corner. Dre Kirkpatrick is a good No. 2 and former first-round pick Darqueze Dennard seems to have figured things out. The safety position is still a bit iffy, especially after the team dropped George Iloka. The team must really like rookie Jessie Bates III, who will play alongside the serviceable Shawn Williams. New defensive coordinator Teryl Austin knows how to develop a young secondary, so expect this group to break out in 2018.

4. Baltimore Ravens

It’s hard to find a weakness on this defense. Especially with edge rushers Tim Williams and Za’Darius Smith having a fantastic preseason. They’ll join Terrell Suggs to form a pass rush that really only has to be average given the talent on the rest of the unit. Defensive tackles Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce are tough to move on the interior. LB C.J. Mosley is a playmaker on the second level. And the secondary is deep enough to withstand losing CB Jimmy Smith for a couple of games. Brandon Carr is a solid, veteran presence. Marlon Humphrey looked like a lockdown guy in the second half of 2017 and Tavon Young looks like he’ll return to full strength after an injury wiped out his sophomore campaign. Add Smith to a secondary led by safeties Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson, and you’re looking at one of the best in the league.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Where do we start with this defense? How about Jalen Ramsey, who will be the league’s best corner during the 2018 season. On the other side of the field, the Jags might have the best CB2 in the game in A.J. Bouye.

As if those two needed their jobs to be made easier, the defensive line is loaded with talent. Calais Campbell is coming off a Defensive Player of the Year campaign. DE Yannick Ngouke broke out in 2017 is still improving. Malik Jackson can play anywhere on the line and make an impact. DT Marcell Dareus helped fix the run defense after a midseason trade. We haven’t even mentioned first-round picks Taven Bryan and Dante Fowler Jr., two talented pass rushers.

And, oh yeah, the Jaguars have the fastest pair of linebackers in the league with Telvin Smith and Myles Jack making plays all over the field.

The only question mark on this defense is the slot corner position (and possibly the man calling the plays, Todd Wash). Nobody’s perfect, you know.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

This Super Bowl-winning defense is only getting better. DE Michael Bennett replaces Vinny Curry in the league’s deepest group of pass rushers. That’s an upgrade. LB Jordan Hicks returns to upgrade the second-level of the defense. And the secondary, this unit’s supposed “weakness,” has looked strong in the preseason, with CB Sidney Jones returning nicely from an injury that wiped out nearly all of his rookie season. Jalen Mills is looking more disciplined (don’t bite on those double moves, Jalen) and Ronald Darby continues to be a good cover corner with terrible hands. Malcolm Jenkins remains the league’s most under-appreciated safety. He does it all for this defense.

1. Minnesota Vikings

The best defense in the league a year ago somehow got better in the offseason. DT Sheldon Richardson adds another pass rusher on the interior. His presence will make it difficult for offensive lines to slide their protection to Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter on the edges. Linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks will offer more pressure on Mike Zimmer’s famed double-A gap blitzes. Harrison Smith might be the best all-around safety in football, and the Vikings replaced Andrew Sendejo with George Iloka, giving them one of the league’s deeper safety groups, The cornerback group is just as deep after the team drafted Mike Hughes in the first round. He’s been excellent during preseason and could push Trae Waynes for playing time across from Pro Bowler Xavier Rhodes.