Pro Football Focus is rolling out an offseason series ranking the top 32 players at each position heading into the 2024 NFL season, and several former Clemson stars are ranked among the league’s best interior defenders.

Dexter Lawrence is all the way up at No. 2 in PFF’s interior defender rankings, behind only Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Lawrence’s fifth season as a pro in 2023 was another stellar one, as the New York Giants stalwart collected his second consecutive All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. The 6-foot-4, 340-pounder was dominant over 16 games last season, when he stuffed the stat sheet while racking up 21 quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks, 53 tackles (32 solo), seven tackles for loss, two passes defended and 60-plus total pressures.

“What separates Lawrence from other defensive tackles is his elite pass-rushing production, primarily from a nose tackle alignment,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “Others may be nose tackles in name only, but Lawrence has 81 total pressures over the past two seasons when lined up as a nose tackle. No other player has more than 16.”

Christian Wilkins is also ranked among the top 10 interior defenders by PFF, coming in at No. 10.

This offseason, Wilkins signed a massive four-year, $110 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders that includes $84.75 million guaranteed.

It’s a well-deserved contract for Wilkins, who of course spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins. Last season, he tallied 65 total tackles (10 for loss), 23 quarterback hits, two passes defended, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries to go with nine sacks – double his previous career-high of 4.5 sacks in 2021.

“New Raiders acquisition Christian Wilkins was an all-around force for the Miami Dolphins over the past few seasons. He has the fourth-best PFF run-defense grade among all interior defenders over the past two seasons and racked up a career-high 61 quarterback pressures in 2023,” Monson wrote. “Wilkins actually didn’t hit free agency coming off his best season, but his two campaigns before that were among the league’s best.”

D.J. Reader appeared just a few spots behind Wilkins at No. 13 in the rankings.

Reader, who signed a two-year free agent deal with the Detroit Lions this offseason, enters his ninth NFL season in 2024 after spending the last four years (2020-23) with the Cincinnati Bengals following four seasons with the Houston Texans (2016-19) to begin his pro career.

Prior to suffering a season-ending torn quad tendon this past season — the same injury he suffered in 2020 — Reader performed well through 14 games, recording 34 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, seven quarterback hits, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

“A 335-pound defensive tackle, Reader has always been more than just a run-stuffer but has consistently improved his ability to create pressure throughout his career,” Monson wrote. “His last two years in Cincinnati were the best of his career from a pass-rushing standpoint, and he can singlehandedly destroy run plays with his power and quickness as he maneuvers into the backfield.”

Grady Jarrett also made PFF’s interior defender rankings, appearing at No. 28.

A two-time Pro Bowler and 2019 second-team All-Pro, Jarrett has been with the Falcons since they selected him in the fifth round (137th overall pick) of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Jarrett’s 2023 season was cut short when he tore his ACL during the Falcons’ Week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans. He started all eight games he played in for the Falcons this past season, recording 23 tackles (two for loss), 1.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits and two pass breakups.

“At his best, Grady Jarrett was a top-five player on this list, but as he plays into his 30s, we haven’t seen his very best for a few years now. 2023 was an injury-curtailed season, but even the year before he earned only above-average PFF grades and production as opposed to the elite marks he had been hitting just a couple of years prior,” Monson wrote. “Jarrett has enough credit in the bank to make the list still, but this is a big season for him to bounce back and prove that he isn’t firmly in decline late in his career.”

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