Micah Parsons shocks everyone with his choice of the best defense in NFL right now

Micah Parsons is a defensive guru but sometimes even he can have some controversial takes on occasions, such as picking the Broncos as the No 1 and leaving out the Chargers from his top 5 defensive units list.

Micah Parsons shocks everyone with his choice of the best defense in NFL right now

Micah Parsons and Patrick Surtrain II (Image via ESPN/X)

Micah Parsons doesn’t consider the Dallas Cowboys defense elite—at least for this year. Yet that’s not even the most baffling take from the Cowboys All-Pro pass rusher. From his point of view, Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos are currently the best in the league.

During the recent segment of The Edge Podcast, Parsons selected his top 5 NFL defenses after 13 games. Besides picking the Denver Broncos as No. 1, he had a few more surprises installed in the rest of the list.

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These five defenses has been outrageous. I am not putting Dallas in this cause I don’t want no trolling. We are gonna put Philly (Philadelphia Eagles) at five, gonna put [Kansas City] Chiefs at four. We are gonna go [Detroit] Lions at three—the Lions’ defense has been crazy. Gonna go [Minnsota] Vikings at two—they have been really good team. And at No 1 we gotta go Denver [Broncos].

Micah Parsons said.

The 25-year-old also highlighted the reason behind picking the Denver Broncos as the No. 1 defense in the NFL.

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Denver’s been outrageous. They have been the best defense in the league this year. No doubt about it. They lead the league in sacks [and] play at such a high level bro… I mean Denver’s finding ways to win games.

Micah Parsons added.

The Broncos are undeniably one of the most improved teams from last year—especially in the defense. As Parsons mentioned, they lead the league in sacks with 47. Furthermore, they are the sixth-best rushing defense (6 TDs allowed), third-best in terms of points allowed per game (18.0), and the fourth-best red zone defense (only conceding 43.2% of the time inside the red zone).

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What did Micah Parsons include the Chargers?

Parsons’ list very accurately describes the power balance in the NFL. However, he also overlooked one team that makes defense a joy to watch.

Micah Parsons shocks everyone with his choice of the best defense in NFL right now
Derwin James Jr. (Image via ESPN)

Since taking over in the summer, Jim Harbaugh changed the atmosphere at the Los Angeles Chargers. Not only are they 8-4 in the crowded AFC North—they also boast a very disciplined defense.

Harbaugh’s defense may have 11 fewer sacks compared to the Broncos, but they outrank them in several categories.

First of all, the Chargers defense has only conceded the joint fewest 20 touchdowns (tied with the Lions). They lead the league in scoring defense, allowing just 15.7 points per game, averaging 206.4 yards per game (10th in the league while the Broncos are 20th); they allow 42.9% of red zone conversions from the opposition and 33% third down conversions (third in both).

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So, the Chargers make a very pertinent case for being one of the best defenses in the league. An honorable mention is the Baltimore Ravens, a team renowned for its hard-hitting defense.