The NFL’s All-Underrated Team: 8 defensive players surprising us halfway through the 2024 season

At SB Nation, we like to reveal the names and games of those NFL players whose accomplishments exceed their popularity in our Secret Superstars articles each week.

Now that we’re as close as ever to the halfway point of a 17-game season, it’s time to broaden the scope a bit and focus on the players who will be the public eye in the first half of the 2024 season exceeded perception. We started the first half with our secret superstars on offense, and here are our underrated defensive players.

Zach Allen, DI, Denver Broncos

Selected in the third round of the 2019 draft by the Arizona Cardinals out of Boston College, Allen had already become an asset before moving to Mike High City. His six sacks and 35 total pressures in 2022 proved that. But when Allen signed a three-year, $45.75 million contract with $32.5 million guaranteed, his ceiling definitely increased. In his first season with the Broncos, Allen had seven sacks and 60 total pressures as a multi-gap kick, and he’s looking for more in 2024.

In just 339 pass rushing reps this season, Allen has six sacks and 44 total pressures – that second number leads all interior defenders. At 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, Allen is the perfect tweener with enough strength and technique to break through double teams and enough speed and explosiveness to negate any blocking concept. He is without a doubt one of the best interior disruptors.

Keion White, DL, New England Patriots

White was a bit of a project when he left Georgia Tech in the 2023 draft. Once a tight end at Old Dominion, the now 6-foot-1, 293-pound White opted out of the 2020 NCAA season due to COVID and suffered a broken ankle that sidelined him for most of his freshman season at Georgia Tech ( 2021) robbed. and finally showed dominant characteristics in his final college season in 2022 with seven sacks and a total of 41 pressures.

The Patriots selected him in the second round of the 2023 draft, hoping White would put together the technical tools to match his raw speed and strength. That’s what happened in his second NFL season – White has five sacks and 30 pressures this season, and in an NFL where there’s so much fast-paced play, you need defenders who can create quick pressures. White was there all season.

Kobie Turner, DI, Los Angeles Rams

Will Anderson Jr. of the Houston Texans was named Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2023 season, but as an AP voter, I was more than happy to cast my vote for defensive tackle Kobie Turner of the Rams. In his first season as a rookie, the third-round pick out of Wake Forest totaled 12 sacks and 50 pressures and did everything he could to make up for the retirement of Aaron Donald.

It appears that Turner is not a one-year wonder as he has already recorded four sacks and 30 pressures in Year 2. Turner isn’t just an inside guy who can win inside the guards – he has significant and meaningful reps from everywhere tackle to the rim this season, and no matter where he comes from, the opposing quarterback is soon going to be in trouble.

Jonathan Greenard, EDGE, Minnesota Vikings

When the Vikings lost superstar pass rusher Danielle Hunter to the Houston Texans in free agency last offseason, they bolstered Brian Flores’ vicious, multiple defense with the signing of former Miami Dolphins do-it-all Andrew Van Ginkel and former Edge -Demon the Texans Jonathan Greenard – the 2020 third-round pick from Florida who posted 14 sacks and 53 total pressures but largely flew under the radar in 2023.

Bringing Greenard into Flores’ plans has been a big deal so far; He already has seven sacks and 48 total pressures in eight games in 2024. Greenard’s 49 quarterback disruptions lead all defensive players this season, and his seven sacks are third-best among edge defenders.

Greenard has already proven that he doesn’t need an evil, genius coordinator like Flores to be at his best – these fronts just make him more dangerous. Hunter now has six sacks and 39 pressures for the Texans, so this seems to be one of the things that worked out for everyone involved.

Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, New York Giants

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Ojulari was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2021 draft, and his rookie season of 10 sacks and 42 pressures seemed to portend a very bright future. But injuries stunted his development over the next two seasons, and by the start of 2024, Ojulari was an afterthought to a Giants defense that featured Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns on the edges.

That might have remained the case if Thibodeaux had suffered a wrist injury in Week 5 that brought a healthy Ojulari back to the field full-time. He made the most of it, with seven sacks and 21 total pressures with a minimal number of pass rush reps.

The thought was that Ojulari could be traded with Thibodeaux on the mend, but they decided to keep the fourth-year player around. This is one of the reasons that while the Giants’ offense resembles several dumpster fires, their defense (particularly the pass rush) is legit.

Jaylen McCollough, DB, Los Angeles Rams

Now that we’ve given Kobie Turner his due, it’s probably time to talk more about the rookies the Rams are bringing to the field on the defensive side of the ball. Jared Verse, edge rusher in the first round, Braden Fiske, defensive tackle in the second round, Kamren Kinchens, defensive back in the third round (and reigning Defensive Player of the Week after his two interceptions and his 103-yard pick-six against the Seattle Seahawks last Thursday). , defensive tackle Tyler Davis in the sixth round… Defensive coordinator Chris Shula has all sorts of first-year players showing off.

Perhaps the most impressive and unlikely of these guys hasn’t even been drafted yet. Jaylen McCollough, the Tennessee alum who failed to find any buzz in the selection process despite a 2023 season in which he intercepted three passes and allowed an opposing passer rating of 63.1, has significantly improved his play at the NFL level. Playing everywhere from the box to the slot to the deep third, McCollough has been targeted four times this season… and he has four interceptions. He also hasn’t allowed a single catch this season.

Not bad for a guy that every other NFL team has made fun of multiple times.

“Yeah, he’s one of those guys,” Sean McVay told me of McCollough after the Seahawks game. “Certain people are always kind of in the right place and he made those plays. Good instincts, good awareness, you’re talking about a guy who has a lot of positional flexibility for us, what he did today, what he did in previous games, but he just has that look in his eyes. You asked me about it in training camp and he’s a grown man. I think a lot of guys in this rookie class are like that. They will continue to improve, but I’m really happy for Tank. He did a great job today.”

Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, safeties, Detroit Lions

In the last six games – all victories – the Lions have achieved something that has never been done before in the history of professional football. They have scored more touchdowns (27) than incompletions (24) during that time. Jared Goff is cooking like a superstar and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could have his pick of head coaching opportunities this coming offseason.

But the 7-1 Lions are considered perhaps the NFL’s most logical Super Bowl contender not just because of their offense, particularly with the acquisition of pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. Aaron Glenn’s squad really starts with the secondary and works its way forward, and the two primary initiators are safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.

While Joseph is more of a deep-third reporting expert and Branch is the can-do-anything-from-anywhere type, neither is tied to a specific role. And they helped allow Glenn to play the more aggressive coverages he would prefer. This season, Detroit has allowed 67 completions on 136 attempts for 867 yards, four touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of 64.2, which is the highest in the league. Overall, Branch has allowed an opposing passer rating of 37.5, and Branch has allowed an opposing passer rating of 31.6. Plus, with six interceptions for Joseph and four for Branch, you know where all those picks are coming from.

So, yeah… if the Lions do it and win the Super Bowl, it won’t just be about this amazing offense. Aaron Glenn has some big Secret Superstars on his side.