With less than two weeks until the 2026 NFL season begins, prediction season is fully underway.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve pumped out divisional predictions, full regular season and playoff predictions, and award predictions, so now it’s time to hit on one of the few remaining things: All-Pro teams.

Yesterday, I released my predictions for the offense, so now it’s time for the defense.

Edge Rusher: Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr. & Myles Garrett

When Aidan Hutchinson is healthy, he’s easily one of the best pass rushers in the league. He missed time in 2024, but in his last two fully healthy seasons, he’s finished with 101 pressures and 11.5 sacks, and 100 pressures and 14.5 sacks. Now, he’s had a full year to get back to 100 percent after that gruesome injury he suffered in 2024, so he should only be better in 2026.

Will Anderson Jr. was another pretty easy pick. This dude cranks out pressures, finishing with 93 last season. His sack numbers haven’t been as high as some would expect – “only” 12.0 in 2025 –  but he’s increased his sack total every year he’s been in the league, so if he goes for 90 pressures and 14+ sacks, he’s an easy pick to be a First-Team All-Pro.

And then there’s Myles Garrett. As boring a pick as he is, you can’t bet against him. He’s been a First-Team All-Pro in five of the last six seasons, and now he’s on a Rams team that is going to be leading a lot of games, meaning he can pin his ears back and rush the passer more often than he could in Cleveland.

These three are safe, but smart, picks.

Defensive Tackle: Quinnen Williams & Jeffery Simmons

Quinnen Williams has been one of the best defensive tackles in the league for a while, and I think his impact on Dallas’s defense is going to earn him a spot on the First-Team All-Pro list. He’s a really good pass rusher from the interior of the defensive line, but he transformed the Cowboys’ run defense in just seven games last season. Now, with a bunch of new pieces behind him to help him out, they should be even better, and he’s going to get a lot of the credit for their success.

Jeffery Simmons is the best defensive tackle in football, but he’s never gotten the credit he deserves because he plays for the Titans. That changed last year when he finished with 11 sacks and earned his first All-Pro nod, and I think he’ll follow that up with another First-Team All-Pro season. He’s an electric pass rusher, but can also get dirty in the run game, and with Robert Saleh taking over, their defense should only improve from last year.

Linebacker: Fred Warner & Carson Schwesinger

Anytime Fred Warner enters a season healthy you have to believe he’s going to wind up on the First-Team All-Pro list, as he’s done in four of his last five healthy seasons. Warner is clearly the best off-ball linebacker in football right now, so I just hope he can come back and be 100 percent right away. But given he was nearly cleared to play at the end of last year, I’m not too concerned about his health.

The second off-ball linebacker spot will be interesting, but I’m giving it to Carson Schwesinger. The second-year man out of UCLA had a fantastic rookie season, racking up 156 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and two interceptions while winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. If he can build off his rookie season, he could easily be in the running for a First-Team All-Pro spot, especially because he’s the best or second-best player on Cleveland’s defense.

Cornerback: Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Gonzalez & Cooper DeJean

Derek Stingley is my favorite cornerback in the NFL. He can do a little bit of everything, but I really value his ability to line up in man coverage and dominate. Teams like to sit back in zones nowadays, so there aren’t many guys you can trust to line up one-on-one against your opponent’s best receiver, but Stingley is one of those guys, and with two All-Pros under his belt already, why can’t he add a third?

Christian Gonzalez has dominated the past two seasons but is yet to earn a First-Team All-Pro nod; this could be his year. He played well in 2025, but really popped off in the postseason, allowing a 36.7 percent completion rate and 141 yards with one pick in six pass breakups. If he can play half as well as he did in the postseason, he’ll be a First-Teamer for sure.

The third cornerback spot goes to a slot corner, and it’s pretty clear that Cooper DeJean is the best in the NFL right now. He was named a First-Teamer last year after he gave up just one touchdown all season, and he seems like the favorite to do it again. Plus, Philly’s defense is really good, so he’ll get some help from his teammates.

Safety: Kyle Hamilton & Nick Emmanwori

Kyle Hamilton is another guy that’s always a safe bet to be a First-Team All-Pro. He’s the best safety in football and can do so many things from a position that not many people value. It’s hard to really impact the game from the safety position, but Baltimore is so much better when he’s on the field than when he’s hurt. There aren’t many defensive players, much less safeties, that make a bigger impact than him.

Nick Emmanwori had a stellar rookie season with Seattle, and I think he has a bit of Hamilton to his game. He can impact the game in so many ways from the safety position, and with another offseason under his belt, he should only get better. I think by the end of the year, we’ll look at these two as the clear No. 1 and No. 2 safeties in the league.