As I, and many other Cowboys fans across the country, come to terms with the Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl this past season, one of the things that absolutely sickens me the most is HOW the Eagles won the Super Bowl. They absolutely dominated opposing teams in the trenches, with the play of their defensive line especially prominent during their Super Bowl match up against the Kansas City Chiefs, as they shut down QB Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense until the game was effectively out of reach. This show of defensive prowess made it clear that the only teams that have a chance to win it all in the current era of football must be strong at defensive line. These following five teams I believe are a clear cut above the rest of the league at the position.
5-San Francisco 49ers
Notable Players:
DE Nick Bosa
DE Mykel Williams
DT Alfred Collins
DT CJ West
The San Francisco 49ers spent large amounts of draft capital on rebuilding their defensive line in the 2025 NFL Draft. They selected three defensive lineman to pair with stud edge rusher Nick Bosa. Those three draft picks – DE Mykel Williams and DTs Alfred Collins and CJ West – all have something in common. None of them were very good at generating sacks during their time in college. So why is a team with three rookies who seemingly cannot perform the most important function of a defensive lineman and rush the passer on this list? Because these three players also have something else in common – they are gigantic, athletic men who were fantastic at stopping the run and have sky high potential as pass rushers, even if it was not tapped into in college. It is certainly risky to rely so much on the emergence of not just one but three rookie defensive lineman, especially since defensive lineman usually have the toughest transition from college football to the NFL. But I cannot bring myself to bet against players with that combination of size and athleticism, especially with a vaunted coaching staff like San Francisco’s to help develop them. This take may very well look silly by the end of the season but what’s the off-season for, other than bold predictions? And right now I am choosing to believe in this Niners team and their plan on the defensive line, as much as it pains my Cowboys fan heart.
4-Philadelphia Eagles
Notable Players:
DT Jalen Carter
DT Jordan Davis
DT Ty Robinson
DE Nolan Smith
DL Moro Ojomo
DE Bryce Huff
LB Jihaad Campbell (?)
If this was a ranking of just defensive tackles, the Eagles would be the clear number one team in the league. Led by Georgia super stars Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis and backed by promising rookie Ty Robinson, the Eagles interior is a terrifying force of nature that will obliterate most opponents. If this was a ranking of just defensive ends, however, the Eagles would be nowhere near the top of this list. They have Nolan Smith, the tiny but quick edge who managed to have a double digit sack campaign last season, who was especially prominent in the playoffs. But even if a man of such small stature can have consistent success as an edge in the NFL through multiple seasons, which is no given, the Eagles have little else to pair with Smith. They signed Bryce Huff to a large contract last free agency after he emerged as an elite pass rusher with the Jets, but he failed to make any sort of impact in Philadelphia. There’s versatile defensive lineman Moro Ojomo, who has shown flashes of promise but never proven anything, and may end up playing more DT than DE. And finally, there’s Jihaad Campbell, the offball linebacker Philadelphia selected in the draft with possible intentions of turning him into an edge. That is a plan that has worked well-incredibly well-before for another team in the division. Whether it will work again remains to be seen. If Campbell can become a legitimate edge, and Nolan Smith can continue his high level of play, two big question marks, then the Eagles instantly move not just to number one on this list but into the conversation for greatest defensive line of all time. As a Cowboys fan, that makes me incredibly nervous.
3-Pittsburgh Steelers
Notable Players:
OLB TJ Watt
OLB Alex Highsmith
OLB Jack Sawyer
DT Derrick Harmon
DT Keeanu Benton
DT Cameron Hayward
This Steelers defensive line was already stacked before the 2025 NFL Draft. Boasting TJ Watt, one of three men who can fairly be argued as the best pass rusher in all of football, Alex Highsmith, who has been a highly productive pass rusher in his own right when healthy, Cameron Heyward, the aging but still effective superstar DT, and young emerging run stuffing DT Keeanu Benton, the Steelers front was a formidable force. But with the addition of one of the best pure pass rushing defensive tackles in the NFL Draft in Derrick Harmon and a solid all around OLB in Jack Sawyer who does everything well, the Steelers now have one of the deepest, most talented units in the entire NFL. Hopefully they can get their QB situation figured out, because it would be a shame to watch such an exciting defensive line have their play wasted yet again by failure on the other side of the ball.
2-New York Giants
Notable Players:
OLB Abdul Carter
OLB Brian Burns
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
DT Dexter Lawrence
DT Darius Alexander
DL Chauncey Golston
It feels weird seeing the New York Giants this high on any list that isn’t “best chance to land the first overall pick next year,” but after a decade of incompetence, the Giants suddenly have one of the more talented teams in the NFL. At no position is that talent more obvious than the defensive line. Anchored by generationally gifted DT Dexter Lawrence, the Giants defensive line features a bevy of young playmakers to compliment him. In recent years they acquired OLBs Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns, each having double digit sack seasons under their belts and capable of many more. The Giants added versatile defensive lineman Chauncey Golston, who was an underrated player for the Dallas Cowboys last season, showing up against the run and the pass. They drafted high ceiling pass rushing DT Darius Alexander to pair with Lawrence in the middle, giving them a formidable duo on the interior. And of course, the move that elevates this Giants defensive line into contention for the best in the entire NFL by adding onto that already deep infrastructure, is the New York Giants selection of Abdul Carter in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was arguably the best player in the entire draft class, one of those men who combines elite athletic talent at the highest level with an intuitive understanding of how to use that ability to get to the quarterback. Carter could very well end up as the fourth man in the NFL with a legitimate claim to being the best pass rusher in football. And if he does emerge in that way, the Giants will likely have a permanent spot at the top of this list for years to come.
1-Dallas Cowboys
Notable Players:
DE Micah Parsons
DE Dante Fowler
DT Osa Odigizhua
DT Mazi Smith
DE Donovan Ezeiruaku
DE Sam Williams
DE Marshawn Kneeland
Ok, ok, maybe I am a little biased with this one. But let me try to convince you before entirely dismiss the possibility. It all starts for the Cowboys on the defensive line, obviously, with Micah Parsons, who along with Watt and the Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett, has a legitimate claim as the best defensive end in football. Opposite Parsons is Dante Fowler, who had double digit sacks with the Washington Commanders last season. There is also a stable of second round picks behind Parsons and Fowler, which includes this years selection Donovan Ezeiruaku, a bendy, athletic edge rusher with fantastic technique, last years selection Marshawn Kneeland, a powerful run defender, and athletic wild card Sam Williams. Between these five men, the Cowboys have the most talented and deep defensive end group in the entire NFL. At defensive tackle, the Cowboys extended Osa Odigizhua this off-season, who has quietly emerged as one of the best pass rushing defensive tackles in the NFL. The other defensive tackle spot is manned by Mazi Smith, who has slowly improved each year he has been in the NFL as he learns to use his freakish size and athleticism with proper technique, making him primed for a breakout season in his third year. Taken altogether, the Cowboys defensive line will boast the most effective and deep pass rush in the league, while playing at an improved level against the run. I will add that my prediction is based on the expectation Mazi Smith elevates his level of play, and if this does not come to fruition, the Cowboys will likely move down several spots on this list. But it is the off-season, when hope springs eternal. So choosing to look at the ceiling of what this Cowboys defensive line could be based off the talent they have, I currently think thy are the best in all of football.
