When we think about defining games and seasons in the NFL, it is almost always tied to the quarterbacks.
Nobody impacts the game more than the Patrick Mahomeses and Joe Burrows of the world. Yet the defensive side of the ball can also swing Sunday afternoons and seasons, either because it’s disrupting the sport’s paramount players or covering those who are its targets.
For this piece, we aren’t naming the 10 best defensive players in the league. If that were the case, T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, Sauce Gardner and Aaron Donald would all be atop the list. Instead, we’re focusing on the 10 players whose performances will alter the season of their respective contenders.
Which of these players will step up the most? In some cases, will they bounce back? In others, will they be able to stave off advancing age or contribute as a rookie?
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With that in mind, let’s look at the defensive players who can swing the NFL more than any others this fall.
10. Danielle Hunter
- Team: Vikings
- Position: DE
Hunter is currently holding out from the Vikings, wanting his deal extended. Entering his age-29 season, the three-time Pro Bowler has one year left on his contract for $4.9 million. However, if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is unwilling to budge, will Minnesota move on?
If Hunter is dealt, he could instantly transform a defense. Over the past five years, he has twice amassed 14.5 sacks while notching 10.5 last season. With 71 career sacks, Hunter ranks 16th among active players, only a half sack behind Ndamukong Suh.
With the Vikings, Hunter has been nationally underrated. If he finds himself on a contender this autumn, that might well change.
9. Stephon Gilmore
- Team: Cowboys
- Position: CB
The Cowboys have one of the best defensive fronts in the game, but this offseason made a key addition to the back end.
Acquiring Gilmore in a deal with the Colts, Dallas is hoping to have a running mate for Trevon Diggs. However, there are real questions as Gilmore is 32 years old and on his fourth team in as many seasons, having played for the Patriots, Panthers and Colts.
If Gilmore can continue to fight off Father Time, then the Cowboys might have the best defense in football. A five-time Pro Bowler and Defensive Player of the Year, his presence could take a very good unit to the next level.
8. George Karlaftis
- Team: Chiefs
- Position: DE
A 2022 first-round pick, Karlaftis struggled to get his numbers at the outset of his rookie season. Through 10 games, he had only a half sack. Then, over the Chiefs’ final seven games, Karlaftis began turning pressures into sacks with 5.5, before notching another in the postseason.
With the departures of edge rushers Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap, Kansas City needs Karlaftis more than ever. While the Chiefs have restocked the position with free-agent Charles Omenihu and another first-rounder in Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Karlaftis must build on a promising first year to be a force alongside All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.
7. Bobby Wagner
- Team: Seahawks
- Position: LB
After eight consecutive Pro Bowl seasons with the Seahawks, Wagner was cut by Seattle before signing with the Rams in 2022. Now, after one campaign in Los Angeles, Wagner has returned.
While with the Rams, Wagner earned second-team All-Pro honors, posting a career-best six sacks along with 140 tackles. Rejoining Seattle, Wagner resumes his role as the man in the middle, flanked by former first-round pick Jordyn Brooks. If Wagner can continue his Hall of Fame play in his age-33 season, the Seahawks will be a real threat to dethrone the 49ers in the NFC West.
6. Bradley Chubb
- Team: Dolphins
- Position: LB
Few defensive players will be under more pressure in 2023.
After being traded to the Dolphins in exchange for a first-round pick last October, Chubb earned Pro Bowl honors. However, Chubb’s eight sacks won’t be enough to satisfy the Miami faithful anymore after he signed a five-year, $110 million extension, which begins this fall.
Chubb has long been a terrific player, but his issue has been durability. In five seasons between the Broncos and Dolphins, Chubb has missed 25 games. Now reunited with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Miami needs Chubb to dominate in the quarterback-happy AFC East.
5. Chidobe Awuzie
- Team: Bengals
- Position: CB
The Bengals are looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, and while the focus will forever be on Burrow and his receivers, Awuzie’s performance will be key.
Last year, Awuzie tore his ACL in Week 8 on a Monday night in Cleveland and missed the rest of the season. The Bengals need Awuzie to return both in name and deed, playing as a legitimate top-tier corner on the boundary with a 69.9 Pro Football Focus grade in 2022.
While slot corner Mike Hilton is among the best at his spot, Awuzie is the only veteran presence Cincinnati can trust outside the numbers.
4. Kaiir Elam
- Team: Bills
- Position: CB
As a rookie, it was a struggle at times for Elam.
At the season’s start, he was on the bench for fellow first-year corner Christian Benford. All told, Elam missed only three games and didn’t play any defensive snaps in a fourth, while seeing his playing time diminished after the return of veteran Tre’Davious White.
Still, Elam showed flashes of why Buffalo took him in the first round. In the wild-card win over Miami, Elam had a critical interception. In the Bills’ two playoff games, Elam played at least 62% of the snaps after not playing a majority of defensive plays since Week 7.
If Elam can become a consistent contributor, Buffalo’s secondary would be near impenetrable.
3. Aidan Hutchinson
- Team: Lions
- Position: DE
The No. 2 pick from a year ago, Hutchinson seems poised to have a great career.
As a rookie, he posted 9.5 sacks, including three in a Week 2 win over the Commanders. Now, with expectations raised for both himself and the Lions, the question is how quickly he can elevate from quality pass rusher to elite force.
Detroit doesn’t have another bona fide threat to reach the quarterback, with Romeo Okwara, James Houston and Alim McNeill hoping to be key contributors. If Hutchinson can constantly command extra attention and still win, the Lions will see major improvement from last year’s 32nd-ranked defense.
2. J.C. Jackson
- Team: Chargers
- Position: CB
Few free-agent signings were more praised than Jackson going to the Chargers. It seemed a perfect fit of talent and need in Los Angeles. Then, Jackson needed an ankle procedure in the summer and was never right, eventually seeing his playing time decreased before tearing his patellar tendon in Week 5.
The Chargers desperately need Jackson to live up to his $82.5 million deal. If he doesn’t, corner is a serious weakness for L.A. beyond third-year man Asante Samuel Jr.
After making the Pro Bowl with the Patriots in 2021, Jackson has the talent to bounce back and be a star at age 27. But if he doesn’t, the Chargers’ defense has a significant issue.
1. Jalen Carter
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
- Team: Eagles
- Position: DT
Carter tops our list of defensive players who could alter the league in 2023.
The Eagles took a chance on Carter with the No. 9 pick this spring, despite his off-field issues and apparent lack of conditioning at his pro day. General manager Howie Roseman believes in Carter’s talent, which made him a potential top-three pick after 15.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and consecutive national titles with Georgia over the past two years.
If Carter becomes an instant star on Philadelphia’s interior, he replaces the expensive Javon Hargrave and allows the Eagles to keep fielding the league’s best front. If he struggles, it becomes far easier for opponents to help on edge rushers Haason Reddick and fellow Georgia rookie Nolan Smith.
