MORE: Offensive units check-up

When the season began, Purdue had concerns about its defense. How good would the overhauled unit be?

The entire staff was new--line coach Mark Hagen, linebackers coach Brad Lambert, secondary coach Ron English, cornerbacks coach James Adams--and six transfers were added. Would it all click?

So far, so good, as the defense has been the strength of the 2021 Boilermakers, playing well enough to win each game.

Here’s an assessment of the Boilermaker defensive units as the team pauses during an off week.

Each group is rated on a 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) scale.