Kicking off a new series, we’ll be taking a look at spending rankings for every NFL position by team for the 2025 season. Dead cap hits from players who are no longer on the team do not count towards their positional spending, so Russell Wilson will not show up for the Broncos’ quarterback room despite carrying a dead cap hit of $32,000,000 for the year.

Brian Burns

We’ve already covered each offensive position, the offense as a whole and every defensive position. Edge rushers and corners typically cost the most, but some teams prioritize the interior defensive line and safeties. Here’s a look at the most expensive defenses in the league of players currently on the roster.

Cap information compiled via Over The Cap
PFF grades for the entire unit from 2024

1 – Steelers: $178,904,919

Percentage of total cap: 63.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 12.9
Edge rusher: 19.8 percent
Linebacker: 10.8 percent
Safety: 12.9 percent
Cornerback: 7.6 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE T.J. Watt, $30,418,694
PFF grade: 77.8 (4th)

2 – Giants: $150,963,580

Percentage of total cap: 54.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 14.5
Edge rusher: 15.4 percent
Linebacker: 8.3 percent
Safety: 6.2 percent
Cornerback: 9.6 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Dexter Lawrence, $23,664,012
PFF grade: 66.9 (20th)

3 – Colts: $144,375,895

Percentage of total cap: 51.7 percent
Interior defensive line: 16.1 percent
Edge rusher: 13.8 percent
Linebacker: 5.5 percent
Safety: 5.4 percent
Cornerback: 10.9 percent
Top cap hit: IDL DeForest Buckner, $26,600,000
PFF grade: 74.2 (9th)

4 – Bears: $144,096,835

Percentage of total cap: 51.6 percent
Interior defensive line: 6.8 percent
Edge rusher: 14.3 percent
Linebacker: 10.7 percent
Safety: 6.9 percent
Cornerback: 12.9 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Montez Sweat, $25,085,494
PFF grade: 70.9 (11th)

5 – Patriots: $136,947,196

Percentage of total cap: 49.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 12.2 percent
Edge rusher: 8.4 percent
Linebacker: 8.7 percent
Safety: 11.2 percent
Cornerback: 8.5 percent
Top cap hit: S Kyle Dugger, $15,264,706
PFF grade: 64.4 (24th)

6 – Texans: $136,249,076

Percentage of total cap: 48.8 percent
Interior defensive line: 6.5 percent
Edge rusher: 17.4 percent
Linebacker: 7.3 percent
Safety: 7.3 percent
Cornerback: 10.3 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Danielle Hunter, $20,200,000
PFF grade: 74.8 (7th)

7 – Commanders: $135,199,729

Percentage of total cap: 48.4 percent
Interior defensive line: 14.2 percent
Edge rusher: 11.9 percent
Linebacker: 5.2 percent
Safety: 5.9 percent
Cornerback: 11.2 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Daron Payne, $26,170,000
PFF grade: 54.5 (31st)

8 – Jaguars: $134,383,419

Percentage of total cap: 48.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 6.6 percent
Edge rusher: 16.00 percent
Linebacker: 7.3 percent
Safety: 6.5 percent
Cornerback: 11.7 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Josh Hines-Allen, $15,370,588
PFF grade: 63.1 (26th)

9 – Raiders: $133,170,860

Percentage of total cap: 47.7 percent
Interior defensive line: 10.7 percent
Edge rusher: 21.7 percent
Linebacker: 5.1 percent
Safety: 4.9 percent
Cornerback: 5.2 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Maxx Crosby, $38,153,250
PFF grade: 57.2 (30th)

10 – Cardinals: $132,866,063

Percentage of total cap: 47.6 percent
Interior defensive line: 15.5 percent
Edge rusher: 8.3 percent
Linebacker: 7.5 percent
Safety: 10.5 percent
Cornerback: 5.8 percent
Top cap hit: S Jalen Thompson, $13,727,750
PFF grade: 64.8 (23rd)

11 – Ravens: $130,666,571

Percentage of total cap: 46.8 percent
Interior defensive line: 10.7 percent
Edge rusher: 10.2 percent
Linebacker: 10.8 percent
Safety: 5.4 percent
Cornerback: 9.6 percent
Top cap hit: LB Roquan Smith, $23,718,750
PFF grade: 75.4 (6th)

12 – Vikings: $130,098,936

Percentage of total cap: 46.6 percent
Interior defensive line: 10.3 percent
Edge rusher: 15.6 percent
Linebacker: 5.8 percent
Safety: 7.4 percent
Cornerback: 7.6 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Jonathan Greenard, $22,300,000
PFF grade: 70.6 (12th)

13 – Broncos: $128,720,308

Percentage of total cap: 46.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 16.7 percent
Edge rusher: 6.8 percent
Linebacker: 6.9 percent
Safety: 7.9 percent
Cornerback: 7.8 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Zach Allen, $19,795,000
PFF grade: 74.1 (10th)

14 – Cowboys: $128,701,445

Percentage of total cap: 46.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 5.8 percent
Edge rusher: 14.3 percent
Linebacker: 6.8 percent
Safety: 8.5 percent
Cornerback: 10.7 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Micah Parsons, $24,007,000
PFF grade: 62.9 (27th)

15 – Browns: $128,649,318

Percentage of total cap: 46.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 6.8 percent
Edge rusher: 11.9 percent
Linebacker: 5.9 percent
Safety: 4.1 percent
Cornerback: 17.4 percent
Top cap hit: CB Denzel Ward, $24,560,505
PFF grade: 74.5 (8th)

16 – Packers: $128,433,267

Percentage of total cap: 46.0 percent
Interior defensive line: 11.6 percent
Edge rusher: 13.9 percent
Linebacker: 4.6 percent
Safety: 8.4 percent
Cornerback: 7.5 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Rashan Gary, $25,771,138
PFF grade: 70.5 (13th)

17 – Titans: $127,416,399

Percentage of total cap: 45.6 percent
Interior defensive line: 16.6 percent
Edge rusher: 5.4 percent
Linebacker: 3.6 percent
Safety: 7.3 percent
Cornerback: 12.8 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Jeffery Simmons, $22,770,588
PFF grade: 67.4 (19th)

18 – Falcons: $123,285,208

Percentage of total cap: 44.2 percent
Interior defensive line: 9.3 percent
Edge rusher: 9.4 percent
Linebacker: 6.9 percent
Safety: 9.9 percent
Cornerback: 8.6 percent
Top cap hit: S Jessie Bates III, $22,250,000
PFF grade: 68.0 (17th)

19 – Buccaneers: $119,141,196

Percentage of total cap: 42.7 percent
Interior defensive line: 14.1 percent
Edge rusher: 8.3 percent
Linebacker: 5.4 percent
Safety: 6.1 percent
Cornerback: 8.8 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Vita Vea, $22,465,065
PFF grade: 66.8 (21st)

20 – Dolphins: $118,635,929

Percentage of total cap: 42.5 percent
Interior defensive line: 8.7 percent
Edge rusher: 12.3 percent
Linebacker: 6.9 percent
Safety: 2.2 percent
Cornerback: 12.4 percent
Top cap hit: S Minkah Fitzpatrick, $15,500,000
PFF grade: 67.8 (18th)

21 – Panthers: $116,842,493

Percentage of total cap: 41.9 percent
Interior defensive line: 17.6 percent
Edge rusher: 7.3 percent
Linebacker: 6.0 percent
Safety: 4.6 percent
Cornerback: 6.3 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Derrick Brown, $18,740,000
PFF grade: 44.7 (32nd)

22 – Chiefs: $114,646,156

Percentage of total cap: 41.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 10.9 percent
Edge rusher: 8.5 percent
Linebacker: 9.1 percent
Safety: 3.6 percent
Cornerback: 8.9 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Chris Jones, $23,600,000
PFF grade: 79.4 (2nd)

23 – Bills: $113,528,255

Percentage of total cap: 40.7 percent
Interior defensive line: 11.3 percent
Edge rusher: 9.4 percent
Linebacker: 7.6 percent
Safety: 3.4 percent
Cornerback: 8.9 percent
Top cap hit: LB Matt Milano, $12,188,500
PFF grade: 59.7 (28th)

24 – 49ers: $112,117,117

Percentage of total cap: 40.2 percent
Interior defensive line: 3.4 percent
Edge rusher: 16.7 percent
Linebacker: 9.0 percent
Safety: 4.7 percent
Cornerback: 6.3 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Nick Bosa, $20,430,870
PFF grade: 68.4 (16th)

25 – Lions: $110,906,568

Percentage of total cap: 39.7 percent
Interior defensive line: 12.6 percent
Edge rusher: 8.1 percent
Linebacker: 7.7 percent
Safety: 3.1 percent
Cornerback: 8.2 percent
Top cap hit: IDL D.J. Reader, $12,933,000
PFF grade: 76.8 (5th)

26 – Seahawks: $110,780,512

Percentage of total cap: 39.7 percent
Interior defensive line: 11.6 percent
Edge rusher: 10.2 percent
Linebacker: 3.9 percent
Safety: 4.5 percent
Cornerback: 9.5 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Leonard Williams, $15,041,250
PFF grade: 69.8 (14th)

27 – Chargers: $110,356,062

Percentage of total cap: 39.5 percent
Interior defensive line: 4.5 percent
Edge rusher: 11.5 percent
Linebacker: 4.0 percent
Safety: 14.2 percent
Cornerback: 5.3 percent
Top cap hit: S Derwin James, $23,856,400
PFF grade: 78.5 (3rd)

28 – Jets: $106,989,353

Percentage of total cap: 38.3 percent
Interior defensive line: 10.8 percent
Edge rusher: 6.4 percent
Linebacker: 7.2 percent
Safety: 3.8 percent
Cornerback: 10.0 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Quinnen Williams, $21,585,249
PFF grade: 64.0 (25th)

29 – Bengals: $99,444,107

Percentage of total cap: 35.6 percent
Interior defensive line: 7.4 percent
Edge rusher: 11.7 percent
Linebacker: 5.7 percent
Safety: 4.8 percent
Cornerback: 5.9 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Trey Hendrickson, $18,666,668
PFF grade: 66.0 (22nd)

30 – Saints: $92,497,857

Percentage of total cap: 33.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 6.3 percent
Edge rusher: 9.8 percent
Linebacker: 5.4 percent
Safety: 6.6 percent
Cornerback: 5.0 percent
Top cap hit: EDGE Cameron Jordan, $9,775,000
PFF grade: 57.5 (29th)

31 – Rams: $69,208,636

Percentage of total cap: 24.8 percent
Interior defensive line: 5.4 percent
Edge rusher: 4.3 percent
Linebacker: 2.5 percent
Safety: 4.6 percent
Cornerback: 7.9 percent
Top cap hit: CB Darious Williams, $9,166,666
PFF grade: 69.7 (15th)

32 – Eagles: $64,445,867

Percentage of total cap: 23.1 percent
Interior defensive line: 5.9 percent
Edge rusher: 4.2 percent
Linebacker: 4.8 percent
Safety: 2.5 percent
Cornerback: 5.6 percent
Top cap hit: IDL Jalen Carter, $5,947,110
PFF grade: 91.2 (1st)

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