Ranking top 5 worst defenses in NFL entering the 2023 season ft. Sean McVay's Rams

In the contemporary NFL, offenses are in charge of their teams' fates, yet winning the Super Bowl requires a strong defense. On the strength of their defense, the San Francisco 49ers advanced all the way to the NFC Championship Game despite losing a trio of signal-callers.

In light of this, it makes sense for organizations looking to overtake the top offenses to invest in their defense. We have created our NFL's worst five defensive rankings for 2023 for this reason.

#5 - Minnesota Vikings

In 2022, whenever the Minnesota Vikings' pass rush failed to generate pressure, they appeared to be in jeopardy. Despite the group having one of the easiest late-season schedules, opposition recorded a 92.7 Passer rating with 11 touchdowns allowed in the final eight games. The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Dalvin Tomlinson and Patrick Peterson, respectively. Therefore, the Vikings must sign more seasoned mainstays to assure they completely revamp the cornerback position.

However, there is more hope now that Brian Flores is the new defensive coordinator. He's one of the top defensive brains in the NFL, and his record of achievement with the Patriots and Miami Dolphins speaks for itself.

Maybe the offense can compensate for the team's shoddy defense, just like last year.

#4 - Chicago Bears

In 2022, the NFL's poorest defense belonged to the Chicago Bears. Over the course of seventeen contests, the Bears' opponents averaged a 94.4 quarterback rating, 4.9 yards per rush, and the most points (27.2) per game in the league.

It should be emphasized that by signing linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds via free agency, the team made significant strides. It's a step in the right direction, but Chicago's secondary and pass rush are still two of the team's biggest concerns. To have a chance to be among the top teams in 2023, quite a few additions must be made through signings and trades.

#3 - Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals improved their defensive possibilities by selecting a pass rusher in the second round and a cornerback in the third round of the NFL Draft in April. Nevertheless, after losing Zach Allen and Byron Murphy, the improvement might not really be significant.

The Cardinals signed Kyzir White, but he will not be sufficient to turn around a defense that allowed opponents' quarterbacks the best successful completion rate in the league last year.

#2 - Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders finished last season 26th in scoring defense and 27th in yards allowed per play, so the defensive ceiling is pretty low in Las Vegas. Consider that three of its top players—defensive tackle Andrew Billings, linebacker Denzel Perryman, and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin—all left as free agents and the situation becomes much more dire.

Except for Marcus Epps at safety, the Raiders have not replaced these significant free-agent losses with improvements. The most significant progress can be attributed to Tyree Wilson, a draft pick, overtaking Clelin Ferrell at EDGE. But it's difficult to say that is sufficient to see a significant shift with a subpar secondary and linebacker corps.

#1 - Los Angeles Rams

Developing a defense centered around Aaron Donald has proven a recipe for success, but the Rams need more. This team is heading in the wrong path after trading away cornerback Jalen Ramsey and cutting experienced linebackers Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner.

Cornerback David Long Jr. and safeties Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp have also left. Many components are in motion here.

It's safe to conclude that the Rams will have the worst NFL defense in 2023 if they don't improve on their poor secondary and pass rush outside of Donald.