It's within the realm of possibility that defenders Jadeveon Clowney and Khalil Mack will be selected with the top two picks in the draft on Thursday. They're considered difference-maker types of defenders, and you can't have too many of those players.
The teams picking at the top, Houston, St. Louis and Jacksonville, certainly haven't had enough of them in recent years. There's J.J. Watt for the Texans and a clue of nice pass rushers in St. Louis, but that's about where the list ends. Not surprising, then, that in terms of defenses getting in the end zone -- helping the offense out by putting points on the scoreboard themselves -- those teams have been among the league's worst in recent years.
The table below shows defensive scoring (touchdowns and safeties) over the last five seasons. Not surprisingly, Chicago has been best -- by far -- in that regard. No team has been worse than Jacksonville, and Houston and St. Louis rank firmly in the bottom 10 as well. Just outside that group is Cleveland, picking No. 4, and they could favor a defensive player, as well.
DEFENSIVE POINT SCORING, 2009-2013 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | '09 | '10 | '11 | '12 | '13 | Tot |
Chicago | 20 | 24 | 56 | 60 | 42 | 202 |
Arizona | 18 | 60 | 24 | 24 | 34 | 160 |
New England | 18 | 54 | 24 | 44 | 18 | 158 |
Seattle | 18 | 38 | 32 | 36 | 28 | 152 |
Denver | 24 | 12 | 30 | 52 | 30 | 148 |
Tennessee | 24 | 22 | 24 | 56 | 18 | 144 |
Kansas City | 32 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 66 | 142 |
Green Bay | 26 | 24 | 42 | 24 | 18 | 134 |
NY Jets | 24 | 34 | 30 | 32 | 14 | 134 |
San Diego | 32 | 20 | 18 | 56 | 6 | 132 |
Cincinnati | 24 | 12 | 26 | 24 | 42 | 128 |
Baltimore | 24 | 24 | 30 | 30 | 18 | 126 |
Dallas | 18 | 42 | 6 | 24 | 36 | 126 |
San Francisco | 24 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 32 | 126 |
Buffalo | 12 | 24 | 44 | 26 | 18 | 124 |
Tampa Bay | 30 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 124 |
Detroit | 22 | 26 | 44 | 2 | 28 | 122 |
New Orleans | 54 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 0 | 122 |
Indianapolis | 18 | 30 | 18 | 36 | 16 | 118 |
Philadelphia | 40 | 18 | 26 | 6 | 16 | 106 |
Minnesota | 20 | 18 | 8 | 30 | 24 | 100 |
Cleveland | 26 | 18 | 6 | 18 | 30 | 98 |
Atlanta | 18 | 30 | 18 | 12 | 18 | 96 |
St. Louis | 6 | 2 | 16 | 32 | 38 | 94 |
Pittsburgh | 18 | 24 | 16 | 6 | 26 | 90 |
Houston | 28 | 0 | 12 | 32 | 14 | 86 |
Oakland | 0 | 46 | 14 | 0 | 24 | 84 |
Washington | 0 | 18 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 78 |
Miami | 24 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 76 |
Carolina | 10 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 24 | 72 |
NY Giants | 24 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 70 |
Jacksonville | 0 | 6 | 24 | 6 | 18 | 54 |
--Andy Richardson