2026 Season
2026 NFL Defense Rankings by Conference
Which conferences Produce the Most NFL Talent?
Defense Rankings
Tackles | Sacks | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference | FP | TD | SOLO | AST | TOT | SACK | TFL | QB HTS | PD | INT | YDS | TD | FR | Players |
1  SEC | 6,472.6 | 3 | 2209 | 1872 | 4081 | 162.5 | 311 | 386 | 279 | 46 | 446 | 1 | 43 | 315 |
2  Big Ten | 5,837.35 | 5 | 1998 | 1684 | 3682 | 127 | 244 | 343 | 261 | 43 | 576 | 4 | 43 | 280 |
3  ACC | 3,732.95 | 3 | 1325 | 1078 | 2403 | 79 | 165 | 214 | 148 | 19 | 227 | 0 | 27 | 194 |
4  Big 12 | 2,239.15 | 1 | 817 | 665 | 1482 | 34.5 | 83 | 95 | 95 | 15 | 134 | 1 | 17 | 119 |
5  Sun Belt | 561.25 | 0 | 228 | 157 | 385 | 8 | 20 | 15 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 28 |
6  American | 592.55 | 0 | 207 | 152 | 359 | 16 | 25 | 39 | 28 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 7 | 36 |
7  FBS Indep. | 533.1 | 0 | 189 | 140 | 329 | 2.5 | 25 | 11 | 31 | 7 | 36 | 0 | 7 | 30 |
8  MAC | 473 | 0 | 166 | 156 | 322 | 8.5 | 18 | 33 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 |
9  Big Sky | 430.75 | 1 | 149 | 130 | 279 | 11.5 | 21 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
10  Pac-12 | 413.05 | 0 | 142 | 135 | 277 | 3.5 | 15 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 28 |
11  MVFC | 333.55 | 0 | 126 | 89 | 215 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 73 | 0 | 5 | 17 |
12  CUSA | 300.05 | 0 | 119 | 75 | 194 | 0.5 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
13  Mountain West | 190.25 | 0 | 68 | 78 | 146 | 5.5 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
14  Ivy | 111.2 | 0 | 41 | 33 | 74 | 0.5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
15  SWAC | 55.75 | 0 | 26 | 20 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
16  Southland | 76.25 | 0 | 24 | 20 | 44 | 2.5 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
17  UAC | 70.5 | 0 | 26 | 14 | 40 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
18  Patriot | 56.25 | 0 | 24 | 11 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
19 OVC | 37.25 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
20  CAA | 35 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
21  MEAC | 29.5 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
22  Southern | 10.5 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
23  Pioneer | 6.75 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
24  NEC | 1.75 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |