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

11/07/2024 02:37 PM

Zach Allen, Azeez Ojulari, Kerby Joseph among midseason Secret Superstars on defense

At SB Nation, we like to reveal the names and games of those NFL players whose performances outstrip their name recognition on a weekly basis in the "Secret Superstars" articles.

Now that we are as close to a halfway point in a 17-game season as we'll ever be, it's time to broaden the view a bit and focus on those players who have outperformed public perception for the first half of the 2024 season, we began with our Secret Superstars on offense for the first half, and here are our underrateds on defense.

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 the Mike High City. His six sacks and 35 total pressures in 2022 proved that out. But once Allen signed a three-year, $45.75 million contract with $32.5 million guaranteed, his playing altitude definitely increased. In his first season with the Broncos, Allen had seven sacks and 60 total pressures as a multi-gap pain in the butt, 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 defensive linemen. At 6'4 and 285 pounds, Allen is the perfect "tweener" with enough power and technique to knife through double teams, and enough speed and explosiveness to lay waste to any blocking concept. He's now one of the best interior disruptors without a doubt.

Keion White, DL, New England Patriots

White was a bit of a project when he came out of Georgia Tech in the 2023 draft. The now 6'5, 293-pound White was once a tight end at Old Dominion, opted out of the 2020 NCAA season due to COVID, suffered a broken ankle that robbed him of most of his first season at Georgia Tech (2021), and finally showed dominant traits in his final collegiate season of 2022 with seven sacks and 41 total pressures.

The Patriots selected him in the second round of the 2023 draft, hoping that White would put the technical tools together to match up with his raw speed and strength. That has happened in his second NFL season – White has five sacks and 30 pressures this season, and in an NFL where there's so much quick game, you need defenders who can generate quick pressure. White has been on that all season long.

Kobie Turner, DI, Los Angeles Rams

Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles won Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2023 season, but as an AP voter, I was more than happy to place my vote for defensive tackle Kobie Turner of the Rams. In his inaugural campaign, the third-round pick from Wake Forest totaled 12 sacks and 50 total pressures as a rookie, and did everything he possibly could to offset Aaron Donald's retirement.

It appears that Turner is no one-year wonder, as he already has four sacks and 30 pressures in Year 2. Turner isn't just an interior guy who can win inside the guards – he has considerable and meaningful reps this season everywhere from nose tackle to edge, and wherever he's coming from, the opposing quarterback is about 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 this past offseason, they doubled up on reinforcements for Brian Flores' vicious, multiple defense with the signings of ex-Miami Dolphins do-it-all guy Andrew Van Ginkel, and former Texans edge demon Jonathan Greenard – the 2020 third-round pick from Florida who put up 14 sacks and 53 total pressures but stayed very much under the radar in 2023.

Adding Greenard to Flores' schemes has been a huge thing so far; he already has seven sacks and 48 total pressures through eight games in 2024. Greenard's 49 quarterback disruptions leads all defensive players this season, and his seven sacks are tied for third-best among edge defenders.

Greenard has already proven that he doesn't need an evil genius coordinator like Flores to play at his best – those fronts simply make him even more dangerous. Meanwhile, Hunter has six sacks and 39 pressures for the Texans, so this seems to be one of those things that has worked out for all involved.

Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, New York Giants

The 6'3, 240-pound Ojulari was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2021 draft, and his 10-sack, 42-pressure rookie season seemed to indicate a very bright future. But injuries stunted his development over the next two seasons, and by the time 2024 began, Ojulari was an afterthought in a Giants defense that had Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns at the edges.

It might have stayed that way but for Thibodeaux's Week 5 wrist injury, which put a healthy Ojulari back on the field full-time. He's made the most of it, with seven sacks and 21 total pressures on a minimum number of pass-rush reps.

The thought was that Ojulari might be traded with Thibodeaux on the mend, but they decided to keep the fourth-year man around. It's one reason that while the Giants offense resembles several dumpster fires, the defense (especially the pass rush) is for real.

Jaylen McCollough, DB, Los Angeles Rams

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

Perhaps the most impressive and unlikely of those guys wasn't even drafted. Jaylen McCollough, the Tennessee alum who found no love in the selection process despite a 2023 season in which he picked off three passes and allowed an opponent passer rating of 63.1, has seriously upped his game at the NFL level. Playing everywhere from box to 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 every other NFL team whiffed on multiple times.

"Yeah, he's one of these guys," Sean McVay told me about McCollough after the Seahawks game. "Certain guys are always kind of in the right spot and he's made those plays. Good instincts, good awareness, you talk about a guy that has a lot of position flex for us, what he was doing today, what he's been doing in previous games but he's just got that look in his eye. You guys asked me about it in training camp and he's a grown man. I think a lot of guys in this rookie class are that. They're going to continue to get better but I'm really happy for Tank. He did a great job today."

Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, Safeties, Detroit Lions

Over their last six games – all victories – the Lions have done something never before seen in pro football history. They have more touchdowns (27) than incompletions (24) in that time. Jared Goff is cooking like a superstar, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could have his picks of head coaching opportunities this coming offseason.

But the 7-1 Lions are seen as perhaps the NFL's most logical Super Bowl contender for more than just their offense, especially with the acquisition of pass-rusher Za'Darius Smith. Aaron Glenn's squad really starts with the secondary and works its way to the front, and the two primary instigators are safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.

While Joseph is more the deep-third coverage maven and Branch is the guy who can get it done from just about everywhere, neither of them is tied to one specific role. And they've helped allow Glenn to play the more aggressive coverages he'd prefer. In man coverage this season, Detroit has allowed 67 completions on a league-high 136 attempts for 867 yards, four touchdowns, five interceptions, and a passer rating of 64.2. Overall, Branch has allowed an opponent passer rating of 37.5, and Branch has allowed an opponent passer rating of 31.6. Moreover, with six interceptions for Joseph and four for Branch, you know where all those picks are coming from.

So, yeah… if the Lions do make and win the Super Bowl, it isn't just about that amazing offense. Aaron Glenn has some major Secret Superstars on his side of the ball.