There is no shortage of talent on the defensive line in the NFL; standout pass rushers such as Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt, Maxx Crosby, and Nick Bosa, to name a few, are some of the league’s most dominant players.
In Pro Football Network’s recently released NFL Top 100 list, however, how many defensive linemen made the cut, and who are the highest-ranked players at the EDGE and defensive tackle positions?
Defense Linemen in PFN’s NFL Top 100
1) Myles Garrett, EDGE, Cleveland Browns (Second overall)
Although he somehow never received a single vote for Defensive Player of the Year until 2022, Myles Garrett walked away with the award after serving as the best player on the NFL’s best defense in 2023.
Garrett put up 14 sacks (tied for seventh-most in the league), 30 QB hits, and 89 total pressures, while consistently facing double teams, chip help, and other forms of attention from opposing offenses. He’s virtually unblockable and remains the game’s top defender heading into the 2024 campaign.
2) Micah Parsons, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys (Fourth overall)
While Micah Parsons’ 14 sacks ranked just tied for seventh in the NFL in 2023, pressures are more indicative of performance than pure sacks.
Parsons led the league with 102 total pressures, per PFF. He finished first in pass-rush win rate (37%) despite being double-teamed at a higher rate (34%) than any other edge defender. That shouldn’t be possible.
3) T.J. Watt, EDGE, Pittsburgh Steelers (Eighth overall)
One of the NFL’s most dependable players, T.J. Watt led the league in sacks in 2020, 2021, and 2023, only failing in 2022 while missing seven games due to an injury. He took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 after posting 22.5 sacks to tie Michael Strachan’s single-season record.
A constant, unceasing threat from the edge, Watt is the most talented player on a star-studded Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
4) Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Las Vegas Raiders (Ninth overall)
Availability is the best ability, but talent is helpful, too. Luckily for the Las Vegas Raiders, Maxx Crosby offers both in spades. He was the only defensive lineman to play over 1,000 snaps in 2023, leading DL in playtime for the second consecutive season.
Crosby is dynamite against the run and finished fourth among edge rushers with 86 pressures.
5) Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers (13th overall)
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year put up another phenomenal campaign in 2023. While Nick Bosa dropped to 10.5 sacks after leading the league with 18.5 in 2022, he ranked first with 21 quarterback knockdowns and finished second to Parsons in total pressures.
Bosa was double-teamed at a 26% clip; only Parsons and Garrett saw extra attention more often.
6) Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs (16th overall)
Chris Jones occupied two blockers a whopping 73% of the time, the highest rate in the league. With offensive linemen focused on Jones, other Chiefs pass rushers like George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, and Charles Omenihu were able to reach opposing QBs.
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Of course, Jones did alright for himself, posting 10.5 sacks in 16 games. His 42 sacks and 103 QB hits over the last four years rank first among defensive tackles.
Jones might have a better shot of winning a Defensive Player of the Year award now that Aaron Donald is out of the league.
7) Dexter Lawrence, DT, New York Giants (17th overall)
There’s no other NFL player quite like Dexter Lawrence. He’s one of the league’s best pass rushers despite standing 6’4” and 340 pounds. While most defensive tackles his size merely take up space, Lawrence finished seventh among interior defenders with 65 pressures in 2023.
Lawrence managed that production despite playing most of his snaps in the A gap, aligned head-up over the center, where he was regularly double-teamed at a 71% rate. He already owns the top two QB-hit seasons (28 in 2022 and 21 in 2023) among players weighing at least 340 pounds.
8) Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Detroit Lions (18th overall)
Aidan Hutchinson’s sack production only increased from 9.5 to 11.5 from 2022 to 2023, but his underlying metrics made a much more significant leap. The ex-No. 2 overall pick more than doubled his QB hits (from 15 to 33); he went from 53 pressures in his rookie campaign to 101 last year.
Triple-digit pressure totals are rarified air. Future Hall of Famers like Donald and J.J. Watt hit that mark, while Crosby and Parsons reached 100+ pressures after the NFL added a 17th game in 2021.
9) Quinnen Williams, DT, New York Jets (19th overall)
Quinnen Williams managed just 5.5 sacks in 2023 after putting up 12 in 2022, but those numbers don’t tell the entire story. He finished second behind Donald and Jones in interior pressures and ranked eighth among DTs in pass-rush win rate.
Williams simply got unlucky when converting that pressure into sack production.
10) Trey Hendrickson, EDGE, Cincinnati Bengals (20th overall)
Trey Hendrickson still seems to be underrated despite tying for second with 17.5 sacks in 2023. He ranks fifth in sacks since signing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, trailing only Watt, Garrett, Bosa, and Parsons.
Hendrickson is sixth in quarterback hits during the same span, behind just that group and Crosby. He’s the most talented player on a Cincinnati defense that has to bounce back in 2024.
11) Derrick Brown, DT, Carolina Panthers (46th overall)
Derrick Brown, the No. 7 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has improved in every season of his career. He played the third-most snaps (938) among defensive tackles last year and was arguably as valuable as any interior defender in the league.
Brown set an NFL record for tackles by a defensive lineman (103) in 2023. He ranked first in ESPN’s run-stop win rate (47%) and posted more “stops” — tackles that result in negative EPA for the offense — than any DT last season, per PFF.
12) Joshua Hines-Allen, EDGE, Jacksonville Jaguars (54th overall)
Joshua Hines-Allen ranked second in the league with 17.5 sacks, and his underlying metrics supported his production. He hit opposing quarterbacks 33 times while ranking third among edge defenders in pressure rate (19.6%) and eighth in pass-rush win rate (19.7%), according to Sports Info Solutions and PFF.
The Jacksonville Jaguars finally committed to the former first-round pick with a long-term extension this offseason.
13) Justin Madubuike, DT, Baltimore Ravens (63rd overall)
Generating pressure up the middle is a priority for NFL defenses, and Justin Madubuike is one of the best gap shooters in the game. He was an interior terror for the Baltimore Ravens last season, setting career highs with 13 sacks and 33 QB hits.
Baltimore franchised the former third-round pick in March before making him the NFL’s third-highest-paid DT on a four-year extension.
14) Khalil Mack, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers (68th overall)
Talk about turning back the clock. After averaging just eight sacks per season from 2019 through 2022, aged pass rusher Khalil Mack racked up 17 sacks for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 while playing solid run defense.
He’ll be 33 next year, but Mack’s production wasn’t a fluke, as he ranked ninth in pass-rush win rate.
15) Christian Wilkins, DT, Las Vegas Raiders (70th overall)
Christian Wilkins had always been a productive player heading into 2023, but he stepped up his game in his fifth NFL campaign.
The former first-round pick posted 11.5 sacks and 27 QB hits from 2019 to 2022 — Wilkins put up nine sacks and 23 quarterback hits in 2023 alone. The Raiders liked what they saw and made Wilkins the NFL’s second-highest-paid DT this offseason.
16) Danielle Hunter, EDGE, Houston Texans (71st overall)
Although he just finished his eighth NFL season, Danielle Hunter entered the league at such a young age that he’s only 29. That still makes him one of the elder statesmen on a revamped Texans defense that includes reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr.
Hunter undoubtedly overperformed his underlying metrics en route to a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2023 but still finished ninth among edge rushers in pass-rush win rate while posting a 12% pressure rate.
17) DeMarcus Lawrence, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys (78th overall)
While Parsons is the more dynamic Cowboys pass rusher at this stage, don’t forget about DeMarcus Lawrence. He’s the hidden gem of Dallas’ defensive front.
Lawrence’s relentless hustle is the key to his mauling run defense, and he’s earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the last two seasons.
18) Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans (81st overall)
Although he missed the final five games of the 2023 season with a knee injury and ended the year with just 5.5 sacks, Jeffery Simmons remains one of the NFL’s most fearsome interior defenders.
A bully on the interior, Simmons earned back-to-back second-team All-Pro nods for the Titans in 2021 and 2022.
19) Brian Burns, EDGE, New York Giants (85th overall)
The New York Giants added Brian Burns this offseason, giving up a package centered around a second-round draft pick to acquire the pass rusher from the Carolina Panthers.
An athletic marvel, Burns was incredibly consistent for the Panthers, posting at least eight sacks and 18 QB hits in four straight years. Big Blue will blitz less often under new DC Shane Bowen, so they need Burns to help incumbent EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux get after opposing quarterbacks.
20) Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles (91st overall)
While the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense was one of the more disappointing units in the league in 2023, the club’s overall performance didn’t stop Jalen Carter from posting an outstanding rookie season.
Carter posted six sacks, second among first-year interior defenders, trailing only the Los Angeles Rams’ Kobie Turner. However, Turner also rushed the passer 70 more times than Carter. Among all NFL DTs, Carter ranked sixth in pass-rush win rate (16%) and 15th in pressures (50).
21) Christian Barmore, DT, New England Patriots (94th overall)
Always a dependable interior presence, Christian Barmore broke out with a career year in 2023, setting new highs in sacks (8.5), tackles (64), tackles for loss (13), and QB hits (16).
He’s still ascending and could emerge as an even more dominant force in his fourth NFL season. The New England Patriots saw enough to hand Barmore a four-year, $84 million extension in April.
22) Cameron Heyward, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers (98th overall)
Cameron Heyward finally showed signs of aging in 2023, as he missed six games and posted just two sacks, his fewest since 2012.
However, when healthy, the 35-year-old is still an effective pass rusher and stout against the run. Heyward totaled 20.5 sacks from 2021 to 2022 and has earned four All-Pro nods since 2017.
23) DeForest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts (100th overall)
One of the most effective interior defenders of his generation, DeForest Buckner put up 52 sacks over the past five seasons; only Aaron Donald had more among DTs.
Buckner, Garrett, and Jones are the NFL’s only players with at least seven sacks in each of the last six years. Buckner also led all defenders with seven batted passes in 2023.