I'll do a writeup on the main guys.
Our defensive line is our weakest link, imho. On the edge, Abraham is the clear best rusher, and he was somewhat of a PB snub. Double digit sacks and 6 FFs, and constantly double teamed and held to a ridiculous degree. His best quality is his burst off the line, which he somehow retains despite his age. Biermann gets most of the snaps on the other side, and he's Nolan's trick card. He'll shift over to LB, even safety, playing a lot of different looks, because it allows for Nolan to bring overload blitzes and phantom pressure to confuse QBs. He's a high motor guy, but he's not extremely strong, so it's more an issue of how long it takes him to get to the QB. Won't give up, but he's not all that athletically gifted outside of being fast. At DT, Jonathan Babineaux is a very athletic DT, easily our best, and he'll stuff a few runs that otherwise would've gone for huge gains. He's constantly rated a top 3 DT despite never getting national recognition. Largely due to the fact that he's smaller and not terribly strong, I suppose. Our other main DTs are Vance Walker and Corey Peters, both of which are decent, Peters more of a pass rusher and Walker more of a run stuffer. We don't have any huge linemen, which has been sketchy for our run defense this season. We also have some good young DEs in Cliff Matthews and Johnathan Massequoi, but they don't seem to do much with their playing time. Not a big threat.
Our LBs are headed up by Sean Weatherspoon, who simply put is the best LB in the NFC South and one of the best OLBs in the NFC. He'll be all over the field, and he thrives under the spotlight, making most of his plays either on prime time or against big time opponents. Best run defending linebacker, even though he'll over-pursue occasionally and get caught off guard. Great in pass defense for an OLB. Stephen Nicholas is solid all around but he's been struggling more in pass coverage as of late. Dent is the weakest link, being there only in the 4-3 for the most part, so it's a good thing we play a lot of 4-2-5. He seems a bit lost as the Mike backer in some situations, especially against the read option, which bodes badly for us. Mike Peterson goes in occasionally too, and he's a trust old vet with a knack for big plays, but he gets burnt pretty often if he's in there too long. Big emotional leader though.
Our defensive backfield is possibly the most underrated in the NFL, and easily our best unit on defense. Allowing the least passing TDs in the NFL right now and they have a ton of interceptions and great depth. Really missing having Grimes, but everyone else has stepped up nicely. Our corners are all physical and like to lay wood on the receivers, largely spurred on by the energy Asante's brought. Asante has a pick six and several other interceptions, mostly in the spotlight. He likes to banter and get in other receivers heads. Had a reputation of a poor tackler before he came here but he's been smacking people around a decent bit now. Dunta Robinson's on the other side, and I'm sure he needs no introduction. Dude leads with his helmet too often, but he's an absolute terror for receivers across the middle. Great in the run game too. He can be faked out on some double moves, which is annoying, but he's a very solid tackler which more than makes up for it. McClain plays the slot better than anyone we've ever had, and he loves to make hits in the run and pass game too. Owens is our 4th CB, used to suck but now he's great as a backup on the outside or matchup on the 4th wideout. Glad he's stepped up - more often seen in special teams though. William Moore is our strong safety, and this guy is a freaking hammer. You like Kam, right? Watch some of this guy's hits. He can stop RBs dead in their tracks, big as they might be, and he does it all while playing clean. Just absolutely destroys receivers. Great acceleration. He runs through you. Good ballhawk too with 4 INTs with 5 games missed. DeCoud's on the other side, and he's a PB snub if I've ever seen one. Ballhawk who always gets his hands on the ball, guaranteed for a PD or two a game and a pick perhaps if you're lucky. 6 INTs on the year. Not as big of a hitter in the run game but he's fairly stout.
