Football is a team sport, but some positions stand above the rest: quarterbacks touch the ball on almost every snap, wide receivers open up the passing game and key offensive linemen pave the way for big plays. On the other side of the ball, perhaps no spot warrants more attention than the edge rusher, where the game’s best defensive ends and outside linebackers disrupt the opposing pocket.
With that in mind, here’s how we’ll rank the 20 best pass rushers for the 2024 season:
Rank: 20 | Team: San Francisco 49ers | age: 31 | Year: 9
The former first-round draft pick has embraced the mercenary role, now on his third team in three years. After playoff appearances with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills, he is still highly underrated as a sack performer, ranking 10th in quarterback takedowns (39.5) over the past four seasons.
Rank: 19 | Team: Pittsburgh Steelers age: 26 | Year: 5th
Would he benefit from playing with TJ Watt? Sure. When Watt isn’t on the field, he’s still been effective as a strong pocket-pusher, and he hasn’t necessarily been one-dimensional, either, totaling eight forced fumbles and 35 tackles for loss over the past three seasons. Are.
Rank: 18 | Team: Cleveland Browns age: 31 | Year: 10th
Since missing his entire final season with the Green Bay Packers, the former All-Pro has bounced back with solid performances for both the Browns and Minnesota Vikings. Yes, he’s getting older, but on the talented Cleveland front, he’s still a top-tier rusher after recording 20 quarterback hits in 2023.
Rank: 17 | Team: New Orleans Saints age: 34 | Year: 14th
Jordan is an all-time Saint, earning Hall of Fame consideration for anchoring a consistently stingy defense. He was a virtual non-factor as a pass rusher in 2023, but he also battled multiple injuries. At the very least, the eight-time Pro Bowler should remain one of the game’s most savvy run-stuffers.
Rank: 16 | Team: Green Bay Packers age: 26 | Year: 6
The former 12th overall pick has been bumpy and full of injuries over the course of five seasons, yet he’s still looking for his first double-digit sack campaign. However, when he is active, he remains tenacious, combining for 50 quarterback hits in his last two 16-game seasons. Still young and explosive, he is probably entering his peak.
Rank: 15 | Team: New England Patriots age: 31 | Year: 9
At 32 years old and coming off an injury that cost him most of 2023, Judon is certainly taking risks. He was consistently disruptive to the Patriots’ poor defense over the past two years, however, peaking with 15.5 sacks at age 30. He has also made at least 10 tackles for loss in five of his eight NFL seasons.
Rank: 14 | Team: New York Giants age: 23 | Year: 3
Drafted fifth overall in 2022, the big-bodied Oregon product went from promising to impressive in Year 2, quietly tallying 11.5 sacks to go with 12 tackles for loss. Now with Brian Burns, he can make an even bigger leap as part of an underrated Big Blue front seven.
Rank: 13 | Team: Houston Texans age: 22 | Year: 2
There were high expectations for the Alabama standout after Houston drafted him No. 3 overall in 2023, but Anderson performed well. Although he didn’t post a gaudy sack total (7), he was always noticeable in the trenches, setting the tone for Demeco Ryan’s front with 10 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits.
Rank: 12 | Team: New York Giants age: 26 | Year: 6
Well paid after arriving via trade, Burns’ contract may be far higher than his career production, as he has only had double-digit sacks once in five years. Still, the ex-Carolina Panthers standout has been Mr. Reliable, with more than 15 quarterback hits and more than eight sacks in each of his last four seasons.
Rank: 11 | Team: Detroit Lions age: 23 | Year: 3
Considered a safe bet when Detroit drafts him No. 2 overall in 2022, Hutchinson is on his way to justifying the investment. After a solid start, he took a huge step forward as a tireless offensive tackle during the Lions’ run to the NFC title game in 2023, doubling his quarterback-hit total (15 to 33).
Rank: 10 | Team: Los Angeles Chargers | age: 33 | Year: 11th
The former Defensive Player of the Year is more volatile at this stage of his career, recording six (or 35%) of his career-high 17 sacks in a single game in 2023. He’s not quite the destructive player he once was with the Chicago Bears. Nevertheless, the track record is so vast that he remains a force to be reckoned with.
Rank: 9 | Team: Chicago Bears age: 27 | Year: 6
The former first-rounder shared the spotlight starting for the prestigious Washington Commanders front from 2019-2023, but his impact was largely evident as a one-man show after the Bears acquired him via trade; He finished 2023 with a career-high 12.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss while splitting 2023 between two clubs. More than a technically sophisticated pass rusher, Sweat has also proven formidable against the run.
Rank: 8 | Team: New York Jets age: 29 | Year: 8
The Pro Bowler’s 2023 streakiness may have contributed to the Philadelphia Eagles sending Redick to New York, but few rushers have been more dynamic in recent years — especially in crunch time. His 50.5 sacks since 2020 rank fourth among all players, and his five forced fumbles in 2022 were key to the Eagles’ Super Bowl bid. Apart from his explosive qualities, Radic is also very durable.
Rank: 7 | Team: cincinnati bengals age: 29 | Year: 8
When the former backup debuted in his final season with the New Orleans Saints, some wondered if he would go down as a one-year wonder. However, as a free agent Cincy promised him a large sum of money, which was fair; Only four others have more sacks (39.5) over the last three seasons, and he averaged a career-high 17.5 in 2023. Rune “D” isn’t as useful to him, but as a finisher in the pocket, few are more reliable.
Rank: 6 | Team: Houston Texans age: 29 | Year: 10th
Injuries threatened his career in 2021, his only season without double-digit sacks in the last half decade. The ex-Minnesota Vikings fan favorite has since returned to All-Pro form, combining an unmatched physique with pocket-crushing results, including an NFL-high 23 tackles for loss in 2023. Now in Houston under the direction of Demeco Ryan, Hunter should remain a quarterback’s worst nightmare.
Rank: 5 | Team: Las Vegas Raiders age: 26 | Year: 6
If it feels like Crosby has been around for at least a few years, it’s because his unyielding tenacity up front has made him the face of the Raiders for a long time. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year candidate in just five years, his frenetic effort has resulted in more than 30 quarterback hits in three consecutive seasons, and his durability (hasn’t missed a game since his arrival) has been top-notch. Is.
Rank: 4 | Team: Dallas Cowboys age: 25 | Year: 4
When you think of the Cowboys, you think of Parsons, whose colorful personality has drawn much attention leading to a historic three-year start in Dallas. Whether standing, patrolling the middle or putting his hands in the turf, the three-time All-Pro has been a matchup terror for every opponent, averaging 13.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and nearly 30 quarterback tackles per year. The hit (!) marks their award-winning 2021 debut.
Rank: 3 | Team: San Francisco 49ers | age: 26 | Year: 6
The former Defensive Rookie and Player of the Year faced a “down” year in 2023, even though San Francisco advanced to the Super Bowl, and he still had 10.5 sacks – his third straight double-digit campaign – and 35 quarterback hits. Managed, the second best mark of his career. It speaks volumes about the bar he set as a total-package difference-maker for one of the game’s most coveted defensive fronts.
Rank: 2 | Team: Cleveland Browns age: 28 | Year: 8
There isn’t a more consistent but punishing defensive end in the game, plain and simple. The former No. 1 overall pick eyes a seventh consecutive double-digit sack season in 2024, fresh off a Defensive Player of the Year campaign in which he recorded 17 tackles for loss and recorded 30 quarterback hits against the NFL’s toughest defense Did it. He has forced multiple fumbles in all but two of his seven seasons. And he might be settling into 2023, recording the best pass-rush win rate at his position, according to PFF.
Rank: 1 | Team: Pittsburgh Steelers age: 29 | Year: 8
Myles Garrett has been technically steady over the past half-decade, if only because an injury limited Watt to 10 games in 2022. However, in every other way, No. 90 has been the standard-setter for edge rushing on the Steelers, and it’s not even particularly close. Notching up 13 sacks in each of his last five healthy seasons, along with nearly 30 forced fumbles and 200 quarterback hits in his illustrious career, the six-time Pro Bowler is the heart of Pittsburgh’s old-school program, specialized with the rushing Forms a pair of get-offs. Materiality. If he’s on the field, Watt is easily the most feared player at his position.
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