Best Defensive defenders by Season Rating in J2 League

The best defensive defenders in J2 League, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in J2 League Best defensive midfielders in J2 League Best defensive attackers in J2 League Best defenders in J2 League Most in-form defenders in J2 League Top-scoring defenders in J2 League

At a glance

N. Yamada of Tokushima Vortis is the standout for raw talent across defenders in J2 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 39.6, and Ryo Nakamura leads the scoring with 2 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: K. Yamakoshi has improved his Season rating most, up +10.9 on last season. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, N. Yamada of Tokushima Vortis is the most valuable name in this group at 7.1.

Tokushima Vortis · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

K. Yamakoshi+10.9SsN

Tokushima Vortis · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	N. Yamada Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	23	17.6	18	40
2	Elsinho Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	36	15.6	1639.3%	953.3%
3	K. Yamakoshi Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	33	15	15265.9%	1234.1%
4	K. Toriumi Centre-back	JEF United Chiba	31	14.2	1451.7%	1846.5%
5	Gabriel Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	31	13.3	13638.9%	1834.2%
6	T. Mase Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	28	12.8	1360.1%	2748.6%
7	H. Aoki Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	25	12.8	13	36
8	Y. Takagi Centre-back	Tokushima Vortis	28	12.3	126.8%	2744.6%
9	M. Sugata Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	29	12.2	12	2439.6%
10	S. Inoue Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	26	12.2	121009.1%	3416.8%
11	S. Omori Centre-back	Mito Hollyhock	26	12.2	12	35
12	T. Iida Centre-back	Mito Hollyhock	31	12.2	12293.5%	1844.1%
13	W. Shimoguchi Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	28	12	12	27
14	D. Suzuki Centre-back	JEF United Chiba	36	11.6	1278.5%	1054%
15	T. Son Centre-back	Ventforet Kofu	27	10.3	10	30
16	K. Itakura Centre-back	Mito Hollyhock	24	9.9	10	38
17	R. Morishita Centre-back	Sagan Tosu	27	9.9	10	30
18	R. Ishio Centre-back	Vegalta Sendai	25	9.8	10	36
19	M. Yoshida Centre-back	Oita Trinita	24	9.1	9	3616.3%
20	T. Inoue Centre-back	Sagan Tosu	23	9.1	9	386.9%
21	S. Ogawa Centre-back	Sagan Tosu	26	9	9	33
22	Derlan Centre-back	Oita Trinita	30	8.9	923.6%	1964.7%
23	T. Ezaki Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	26	8.9	9	34
24	S. Okaniwa Centre-back	Renofa Yamaguchi	26	8.4	82700%	3226.5%
25	Eduardo Mancha Centre-back	Ventforet Kofu	30	7.7	843.8%	1858.3%
26	Y. Koide Centre-back	Ventforet Kofu	31	7.3	766.5%	1563.9%
27	R. Motegi Centre-back	Omiya Ardija	29	7.1	7	22
28	Matheus Pereira Centre-back	Oita Trinita	29	7	71.4%	2147.6%
29	Ricardo Graça Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	29	7	777%	2246.7%
30	R. Shimodo Centre-back	Renofa Yamaguchi	30	6.8	7	19
31	K. Takahata Centre-back	V-varen Nagasaki	25	6.6	7106.2%	3717.6%
32	Danilo Cardoso Centre-back	Imabari	29	6.5	758.5%	2259.7%
33	Ri Thae-Ha Centre-back	Roasso Kumamoto	23	6.4	6	35
34	K. Kamiyama Centre-back	Kataller Toyama	26	6.3	6	32
35	K. Matsubara Centre-back	Jubilo Iwata	29	6.2	659.7%	2348.3%
36	S. Nakagawa Centre-back	Fujieda MYFC	27	6	6	29
37	T. Kato Centre-back	Imabari	30	6	6	20
38	R. Omori Centre-back	Imabari	24	6	6445.5%	3717.2%
39	Y. Hakamata Centre-back	Roasso Kumamoto	30	5.9	625.5%	1938.5%
40	K. Muramatsu Centre-back	Blaublitz Akita	28	5.8	6	26
41	W. Iwashita Centre-back	Roasso Kumamoto	27	5.8	6480%	2925.5%
42	K. Matsuda Centre-back	Renofa Yamaguchi	26	5.8	656.8%	3223.5%
43	Y. Ishida Centre-back	Iwaki	23	5.8	6	38
44	Sena Igarashi Centre-back	Iwaki	24	5.8	6	37
45	M. Kamekawa Centre-back	Renofa Yamaguchi	33	4.9	573.1%	1053.9%
46	R. Endo Centre-back	Iwaki	28	4.9	514%	2731.1%
47	T. Hasegawa Centre-back	Blaublitz Akita	27	4.2	4740%	2728.5%
48	R. Umeki Centre-back	Imabari	20	4.2	4	38
49	T. Itakura Centre-back	Renofa Yamaguchi	28	4.1	4	24
50	K. Dohana Centre-back	Iwaki	27	4.1	4	29