Ravens Defense Named League's Best Following Major Trade

Micah Parsons' months-long holdout for a new contract from the Dallas Cowboys finally met a resolution last week, when the only NFL team he'd ever known suddenly dealt him to the Green Bay Packers mere days before their season debut in Philadelphia.

As league-altering of a trade as that was, emptying a historic team's defense by dealing their best player to an even more competitive conference rival, this has little bearing on the Baltimore Ravens. They, all the way over in the AFC, had a defense that already had the Cowboys beat, and can still outmatch the Packers even after their new look.

Bleacher Report certainly thinks so, ranking the Baltimore defense as the best in the league following the Parsons-induced shakeup. They're backed up by their "three All-Pros and a double-digit pass-rushing duo from the previous season," as well as their versatile secondary unit.

Moe Moton runs through the various bodies that the Ravens have to throw at opposing wide receivers, starting with the icing on the cake in Jaire Alexander. He provides some star power to a unit that looks complete even without him, some helpful insurance with the chance to snuff out some of the toughest covers in the NFL.

"All-Pro Marlon Humphrey can line up on the boundary and in the slot," Moton wrote. "As a rookie last year, Nate Wiggins logged 13 pass breakups and an interception while allowing a 66.7 passer rating in coverage. Rookie first-rounder Malaki Starks and All-Pro Kyle Hamilton could be a dynamic safety duo. The former recorded six interceptions in three collegiate terms at Georgia."