Best Defensive defenders by Season Rating in League Two 26/27

The best defensive defenders in League Two in 26/27, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in League Two Best defensive midfielders in League Two Best defensive attackers in League Two Best defenders in League Two Most in-form defenders in League Two Top-scoring defenders in League Two

At a glance

J. Stephenson of Crewe is the standout for raw talent across defenders in League Two, with a Field Insider Rating of 71.8, and B. Cooper has been the form player this season, grading 33.5, and Lewis Shipley leads the scoring with 3 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: J. Burroughs has improved his Season rating most, up +22.4 on last season, while K. McFadzean's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +5.7 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, E. Turns of Exeter City is the most valuable name in this group at 6.

Chesterfield · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

J. Burroughs+22.4SsN

Northampton · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	B. Cooper Centre-back	Salford City	26	33.5	3481.1%	3031.1%
2	E. Turns Centre-back	Exeter City	24	33.2	33124.3%	412.4%
3	J. Fitzwater Centre-back	Exeter City	29	31.6	3219.7%	3212.2%
4	G. Bajrami Centre-back	Crawley Town	27	29.2	29	2625.9%
5	C. Dunkley Centre-back	Chesterfield	34	28.9	29244%	106.6%
6	Joel McGregor Full-back	Swindon Town	20	28.3	28132%	334.5%
7	J. Burroughs Full-back	Northampton	25	26.4	26560%	392.6%
8	A. McGowan Full-back	Port Vale	30	26.4	2648.3%	1940.8%
9	O. Beckles Centre-back	Gillingham	35	25.1	2593.1%	649.6%
10	B. Heneghan Full-back	Port Vale	33	24.9	2511.2%	1610.9%
11	T. Wilson-Brown Centre-back	Swindon Town	22	24.8	25	31
12	L. Offord Centre-back	Crewe	26	24.2	2432.6%	333.1%
13	Filozofe Mabete Centre-back	Swindon Town	21	23.8	24	31
14	C. McCarthy Full-back	Northampton	28	23.5	24170.1%	3117.5%
15	E. Ahui Full-back	Walsall	22	22.6	23	32
16	M. Hancock Full-back	Walsall	23	22.1	2240.8%	31±0%
17	J. Sweeney Full-back	Grimsby	24	21.9	2212.9%	32±0%
18	L. Jenkins Centre-back	Newport County	25	21.8	2230.5%	313%
19	L. Billington Full-back	Crewe	22	21.7	228.1%	37±0%
20	D. Skura Centre-back	Walsall	24	21.3	21491.7%	422.4%
21	A. O'Connor Centre-back	Harrogate Town	34	21.2	2135.8%	1046.8%
22	K. Cameron Centre-back	Newport County	29	20.9	2129.8%	2418%
23	C. Norman Full-back	Newport County	31	20.6	214.6%	1921.9%
24	C. McJannet Centre-back	Grimsby	28	20.4	2046.7%	309.4%
25	L. Woodhouse Full-back	Exeter City	22	19.6	208.8%	43±0%
26	J. Connolly Centre-back	Walsall	24	19.5	2010.6%	342.7%
27	T. Mullarkey Centre-back	Fleetwood Town	30	18.9	1924.3%	1651.7%
28	H. Rodgers Full-back	Grimsby	30	18.6	1946.1%	25±0%
29	J. Lawrence-Gabriel Full-back	Port Vale	28	18.2	1823.8%	3412%
30	J. Stephenson Centre-back	Crewe	18	17.8	18	72
31	L. Dobbs Centre-back	Gillingham	19	17.1	17	28
32	J. Robson Full-back	Oldham	28	16.9	1766.4%	28±0%
33	L. Samuel Centre-back	Exeter City	20	16.8	17110%	32±0%
34	S. Rooney Full-back	Fleetwood Town	30	16.7	1714.4%	17±0%
35	B. Purrington Centre-back	Bristol Rovers	30	16.6	1734.4%	198.6%
36	W. Burrell Centre-back	Harrogate Town	36	16.5	171.2%	81.2%
37	F. Potter Centre-back	Fleetwood Town	22	16.4	165.8%	32±0%
38	C. Raglan Centre-back	Barrow	33	16.4	160.6%	1255.3%
39	T. Lees Full-back	Harrogate Town	35	16.3	1623.5%	1038.3%
40	T. James Full-back	Bristol Rovers	30	16.1	169%	269.1%
41	A. Oluwo Centre-back	Salford City	26	15.7	1649%	32±0%
42	M. Kacurri Centre-back	Grimsby	21	15.5	1619.7%	320.6%
43	G. Scott-Morriss Centre-back	Oldham	29	15.4	15	18
44	A. Smith Full-back	Gillingham	25	15	1546.2%	322.5%
45	T. Allen Centre-back	Salford City	26	14.6	1533.3%	41±0%
46	K. Balmer Full-back	Bristol Rovers	26	14.6	158.2%	298.1%
47	B. Faulkner Full-back	Tranmere	22	14.3	1416.3%	319.5%
48	L. Hoole Centre-back	Shrewsbury	24	14.3	1450.2%	31±0%
49	W. Aimson Centre-back	Salford City	32	14.2	1457.9%	253.8%
50	D. Tutonda Centre-back	Accrington ST	31	14.2	1446.6%	1245.9%