A question in regards to DPS armor

This may seem like a silly question but for a dps is it better to have more stats on your armor at the cost of defensive values or is it better to have as high of a defense as you can? The reason I ask is because I normally only play the tank roles but I've been working on dps classes and I recently noticed on a higher ilvl piece of gear, that it had a leap in stats but a large drop in defense compared to what I was using. I'm not looking for end game raiding, just want to contribute in the dungeons I do as a dps. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks!

Stats > Defense.

For example, some low level pieces can be worn by DRG/LNC and the tank classes and have higher defense, while items for "disciple of war" may have better stats but less defense.

Thanks for the response. I figured that was the case but wanted to make sure.

There's a minimum amount of defense necessary, but it's the tank's job to soak up punishment. It's your job to lay down the hurts. You need armor that helps you do that, not armor that increases your defense.