Midseason Film Room All-Stars: Defense Edition

Ahead of Week 9, it's time to review the biggest difference-makers around the league so far this season. We looked at the best offensive players yesterday, and now here's a breakdown of the top defensive players by position, based on how they've looked on tape:

Interior Defensive Line: Aaron Donald, Rams

Aaron Donald is widely considered one of the premier players in the NFL, and he's been absolutely dominant over the past month.

After being held without a sack through Week 3, Donald's tallied 10 in his past five games. He had four against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7, including this play during which he beats the left guard with a speed move before driving the center back into the lap of quarterback C.J. Beathard:

Along with his elite interior pass-rushing skills, Donald's equally strong ability against the run is what helps set him apart. This play against the 49ers is a great example of his speed, power, and playmaking:

Here, the 49ers run a toss to the outside, but watch how Donald’s quickness allows him to mirror running back Matt Breida across the line. Then, when Breida tries to cut inside, Donald's able to grab him with his off arm and rip the ball away for what's officially ruled a fumble and recovery.

As a true force against the run and pass, Donald's an easy selection in this category.

Defensive End: Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagles

After tallying a career-high 9.5 sacks last season, Brandon Graham’s numbers are down drastically this year with just 1.5 through eight games. But sacks don't tell the whole story for an edge defender, and Graham’s ability to generate pressure while using a barrage of pass-rushing moves makes him a player that quarterbacks must account for on every snap.

Last weekend against Jacksonville, Graham harassed quarterback Blake Bortles on a number of occasions without officially recording a sack. On this third-down play, Graham (No. 55) explodes off the edge and gets around the left tackle with ease, pressuring Bortles and helping force an errant pass:

Graham’s consistent ability to get around the edge makes him a critical component of the Eagles’ defense, and he'll need to keep playing a big role down the stretch.

Outside Linebacker: Dee Ford, Chiefs

After notching a career-high 10 sacks in 2016, Dee Ford played in just four games last season due to a herniated disc in his back.

But Ford's come back even stronger in 2018 - he has eight sacks and four forced fumbles through eight games - as his speed off the edge is giving opposing offenses headaches.

In last weekend's matchup with Denver, that speed was on full display as Ford (No. 55) forced a critical fourth-quarter fumble with this sack of quarterback Case Keenum:

Here, Ford displays his ability to convert speed to power, and the "bend" needed to beat offensive linemen on the edge and then flatten toward the quarterback. He should easily top his career high for sacks in the second half of the season.

Inside Linebacker: Luke Kuechly, Panthers

It's a cliche at this point, but if you look up “middle linebacker” in the dictionary, Luke Kuechly should be the guy listed. He quickly reads and reacts to offensive plays, and possesses an impressive ability to explode downhill against the run.

This play against the Eagles is a prime example of what Kuechly brings to the Panthers' defense. On a third-and-2, Philadelphia uses some pre-snap motion from a wide receiver to try and confuse the defense ... but watch Kuechly (No. 59):

The linebacker reads the play perfectly and doesn't chase the man in motion. Instead, Kuechly splits the blocking up front by exploiting a tiny crease and then chops down the running back as he crosses the line of scrimmage, forcing a fourth down. This is textbook linebacker play, which Kuechly provides on a down-to-down basis.

Cornerback: Byron Jones, Cowboys

When the Cowboys took Jones in the first round of the 2015 draft, they were betting big on his athleticism. Jones had wowed the NFL world at the combine, as his performance included a massive 12-foot, 3-inch broad jump that technically set the world record.

Jones was used primarily as a safety at UConn, but transitioned to cornerback in the NFL, where he's been very impressive. Through seven games this season, he's allowed just 13 catches and not a single touchdown in coverage, while opposing passers have posted just a 68.8 rating when attacking him.

This play against the Jaguars is a microcosm of Jones' play this year. He's at the bottom of the screen in catch-man alignment across from Donte Moncrief (No. 15), which allows Jones to either jam the receiver or turn and run with him. He does the latter, and stays right with Moncrief, who runs a vertical route. Then, when Bortles bails out of the pocket to buy time and Moncrief cuts back toward his quarterback, Jones stays right with the receiver - in perfect position to break up the pass:

With Jones, the Cowboys seem to have found the kind of lockdown cornerback who can make life easy for a defensive coordinator.

Safety: D.J. Swearinger, Redskins

Playing safety in today's NFL is one of the toughest jobs to execute. Because modern offenses incorporate so much pre-snap movement with motion and shifting, the days of a pure "free safety" and a pure "strong safety" are long gone.

Instead, safeties must now be able to play down in the box and deep in the middle of the field. Why? When an offense flips the strength of its formation with movement right before the snap, it's faster for the safeties to flip their roles, rather than the entire defense adjusting its alignment.

With that in mind, D.J. Swearinger's performance this season has made him the easy pick for this category.

Swearinger is listed as a free safety, but he's also a force in the box against both the run and pass. He tallied two interceptions last week against the New York Giants, and the two plays do well to illustrate his versatility.

The first came with the Giants in the red zone and Swearinger (No. 36) down in the box across from tight end Evan Engram (No. 88). First, Swearinger jams the tight end's release, and then he reads the play perfectly to jump the underneath slant route intended for receiver Odell Beckham (No. 13):

Later in the game, Swearinger aligns as the deep safety in the middle of the field. He reads the eyes of Eli Manning to break outside and intercept a poor throw to a vertical route:

With Swearinger and newly acquired Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the fold, it's safe to say the Redskins' secondary will be extremely difficult to throw against in the second half of the season.

Mark Schofield writes NFL feature content for theScore. After nearly a decade of practicing law in the Washington, D.C., area Mark changed careers and started writing about football. Drawing upon more than a decade of playing quarterback, including at the collegiate level, Mark focuses his work on quarterback evaluation and offensive scheme analysis. He lives in Maryland with his wife and two children. Find him on Twitter @MarkSchofield.