As quarterbacks continue to be the face of the NFL, each team is searching for the next great edge rusher to disrupt them.
Both defensive ends and outside linebackers fall in the edge defender category. While the role of an edge defender might vary from team to team, versatility is key, and the greatest ones in today’s NFL are dominant against both the run and pass.
With the NFL season underway, we’ve decided to update our EDGE rankings. Who are the biggest risers and fallers in our rankings? Let’s dive right into it.
Offense: QB | RB | WR | TE
Defense: DT | CB | LB | S
Special Teams: K
2024 NFL EDGE Rankings
1) Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
Micah Parsons is the most athletic edge rusher in the NFL. While we included him in our edge rusher rankings, he can rush the quarterback from anywhere on the field. That, essentially, makes him a position-less player.
His athleticism was on full display in Week 1 at the Cleveland Browns when he had a sack and five quarterback hits on DeShaun Watson. TruMedia has Parsons tied for fourth in the NFL through Week 2 with five QB hits.
The Cowboys face the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants in their next two games, two teams with really shaky offensive lines. Especially against the Giants, Parsons will have the opportunity to feast in the opposing teams’ backfields in Dallas’ next two games.
2) Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Myles Garrett is the most terrorizing player in the NFL. It’s unfair how well he moves at 6’4″, 272 pounds.
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is off to a strong start in 2024, with two sacks and two forced fumbles through the Browns’ first two games. Garrett has multiple forced fumbles in six of his first eight seasons, and he’s on pace to record double-digit sacks for a seventh straight year.
3) Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
Maxx Crosby had the best performance of any edge rusher in Week 2, sacking Ravens quarterback — and reigning NFL MVP — Lamar Jackson twice while also recording four tackles for loss. Leading the Raiders across the country to face a Ravens team that’s tough to stop offensively says a lot about how great Crosby is as an edge rusher.
Las Vegas has a manageable schedule coming up, including games against teams with beleaguered offensive lines. That will mean more opportunities for Crosby to wreck opposing offenses’ game plans.
4) T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
If it’s possible for the Steelers’ defense to be better than they were in recent seasons, they are this year. T.J. Watt is one of the most valuable players to his team in the NFL, and he has shown that through two games this season.
We’re already seeing the impact Watt’s pass-rushing abilities are having on Pittsburgh’s defense. They’ve picked off four passes in their first two games, with Watt making Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix flustered and forced them into errant throws.
5) Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
The thing about Nick Bosa that’s interesting is how many great defensive linemen he played with last year on the 49ers. This year, following the departures of Arik Armstead and Chase Young, Bosa should have the opportunity to get his sack total back into the upper double digits.
Bosa has two sacks through two games, meaning he’s on pace for 17 sacks this season. The former Defensive Player of the Year is showing no signs of slowing down, and he could reemerge as one of the best edge rushers in the NFL in 2024.
6) Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
Aidan Hutchinson is in his third season, meaning he could be extended next offseason. If Sunday’s performance is any indication, Hutchinson will be earning a lot of money in his next contract.
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Hutchinson had 4.5 sacks. Three of those sacks came in the first quarter alone. There are several great edge rushers in the NFL, and Hutchinson is firmly knocking on the door of being among the elite at his position.
7) Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite the Jaguars being 0-2, Josh Hines-Allen and the defense is not the problem. Jacksonville has only allowed 38 points in two games.
Hines-Allen has just one sack through two games, but remember that he’s coming off a 17.5-sack season. In Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, Hines-Allen had a sack and four QB hits.
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Hines-Allen signed a massive contract extension to remain in Jacksonville earlier this offseason, and he’ll look to build on his success last season. If he continues to ascend, the Jaguars might be able to bring back the “Sacksonville” nickname from 2017.
8) Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
Want to know how much an edge rusher can take over a game? Trey Hendrickson got Kansas City Chiefs rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia benched in Week 2. That’s how much he was wrecking the Chiefs’ offensive line and wreaking havoc on Patrick Mahomes and KC’s backfield.
Two sacks, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits on Sunday in one of the most anticipated games of the season.
Hendrickson flies under the radar of the great edge rushers in the NFL, but he still wrecks opposing offenses as well as any.
9) Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
Danielle Hunter was part of the Texans’ stellar performance on Sunday night against the Chicago Bears, with Houston sacking quarterback Caleb Williams seven times. That’s what Hunter was brought to Houston for — getting after the quarterback.
Let’s not forget that Hunter is a four-time Pro Bowler and has four double-digit sack seasons in the last five seasons. He already has 1.5 sacks this year.
We think of the Texans for their offense, led by emerging superstar quarterback C.J. Stroud. But with Hunter leading a defensive front that also includes Will Anderson Jr. and Azeez Al-Shaair, this Texans team could become one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL.
10) Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
As more and more edge rushers rise to the top of the position, Khalil Mack is still just as good as any of them. He’s been in the NFL since 2014, but he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
While Mack was kept off the stat sheet in Week 2 at the Carolina Panthers, he gave the Raiders another rough afternoon in Week 1 with 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits.
11) Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
The Texans’ fortunes changed when they traded up to draft Anderson No. 3 overall in 2023. That gave Houston an emerging superstar quarterback and bona fide top-tier edge rusher.
Anderson is already making a huge impact in 2024, helping the Texans hold Williams and the Bears to just three points in the second half in Week 2.
12) Matthew Judon, Atlanta Falcons
The headlines surrounding the Falcons is their offense. Their defense, though, has been just as solid to start the season.
Matthew Judon has played a large role in the defense’s strong start, including holding the Eagles to just 21 points on Monday Night Football in Week 2. Judon was one of several moves Atlanta made on defense this offseason, and he already has 1.5 sacks and 12 tackles through two games.
13) Brian Burns, New York Giants
Brian Burns is off to a slow start with the Giants, with no sacks through two games. The Giants are hoping Burns’s production picks up because they signed the former first-round draft pick to a five-year, $141 million contract in free agency this past offseason.
The opportunities for Burns should come however, as he is playing in a defensive front featuring one of the best interior rushers in the NFL in Dexter Lawrence II.
14) Haason Reddick, New York Jets
Haason Reddick still hasn’t played a down for the Jets this season. However, his value will be indispensable when he finally reports to the team.
Now with Jermaine Johnson out for the season with a torn Achilles, the Jets need a premiere pass rusher. Not even two seasons removed from a 16-sack season with the Eagles, Reddick is that.
He has double-digit sacks in each of his last four seasons. It would behoove him to report to the team, considering he’s forfeiting a $792,000 game check every time he misses a game.
15) Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers
We know the Steelers’ defense because of Watt, but there are multiple other players that make it as good as it is, and one of them is Alex Highsmith.
Highsmith played a big role in limiting the Falcons to just 226 total yards and no points in the second half of Week 1. He had a sack and a tackle for loss in that game, and gives the Steelers another bona fide edge rusher.
16) Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears
Montez Sweat is such an underrated pass rusher. The fact that he had 6+ sacks with two different teams in 2023 is impressive.
He’s off to a slow start this season in terms of productivity, but the Bears’ defense as a whole has been stout against the Tennessee Titans and Texans through two weeks. The Bears are hoping for a good return on investment from Sweat, who they signed to a four-year, $98 million contract.
17) Bradley Chubb, Miami Dolphins
Bradley Chubb has yet to play in 2024, as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in Week 17 in 2023.
The Dolphins need Chubb to pair with Jaelan Phillips. Those two form one of the NFL’s best edge-rushing tandems.
18) Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings
Jonathan Greenard signed a four-year, $76 million contract with the Vikings this offseason. He’s in Minnesota to help the Vikings fill the void that Hunter left when he signed with the Texans.
Greenard has a sack through two games this season, and he’s a part of Minnesota’s deep depth on their defensive line.
19) Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
Joey Bosa is coming back from a foot injury that ended his 2023 season, and the Chargers are really reaping the benefits of having him back.
Bosa has two sacks though two games so far this season. Chasing around Justin Fields on Sunday, when the Chargers play at Pittsburgh, will be a big test for Bosa as he continues to reinvigorate himself from an injury-shortened 2023 season.
20) Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins
It’s amazing that Jaelan Phillips is back from a torn Achilles he suffered on Black Friday in 2023. His pass-rushing abilities are a huge asset to Miami’s defense.
Phillips had a huge third-down sack on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in Week 1, setting the Dolphins’ offense up for a game-winning drive.
Not only is Phillips back, but he has started both games this season. If the Dolphins’ offense falls off a little bit with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out with a concussion, Phillips’ pass-rushing abilities could be even more valuable.
21) DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys
We all know how amazing Parsons is on the Cowboys’ defense, but DeMarcus Lawrence is almost as valuable. The 11th-year veteran already has two sacks, three TFLs, and four QB hits through two games this season.
How valuable is Lawrence to the Cowboys? He signed a five-year, $105 million contract extension in 2019 and signed another three-year, $40 million extension in 2022.
22) Bryce Huff, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles lost several defensive linemen in recent years. That’s why they signed Bryce Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million contract this past offseason.
Huff doesn’t have a sack through two games this season, so the Eagles are hoping he has an uptick in production. That’s especially in key situations like closing out games, where Philadelphia’s defense couldn’t register any pressure on Cousins during the Falcons’ game-winning drive this past Monday night.
23) Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers
A former No. 1 recruit coming out of high school, Rashan Gary has carved out a solid career with the Packers.
With a sack and two quarterback hits so far this season, Gary has helped Green Bay’s defense force three turnovers on Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in Week 1 and held Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts to just 10 points in Week 2
24) Za’Darius Smith, Cleveland Browns
Garrett gets all the attention on the Browns’ defense, but Zadarius Smith is also a veteran face on one of the NFL’s best units. Smith has three double-digit sack seasons in his career and already has a sack this season.
25) Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles
Josh Sweat is a great closing edge rusher. It was his sack on Dak Prescott in Week 9 of the 2023 season that closed out an Eagles win. While Sweat hasn’t gotten a sack yet this season, he has two quarterback hits. He’s also not even two seasons removed from having 11 sacks with the Eagles team that went to Super Bowl LVII.
26) Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants
Kayvon Thibodeaux is off to a slow start this season, despite the Giants’ defense keeping the Commanders out of the end zone in Week 2. The Giants are hoping the former No. 5 overall pick can return to his 2023 level of play when he had 11 sacks.
27) Samson Ebukam, Indianapolis Colts
Samson Ebukam has yet to play a game for the Colts in 2024. After allowing 261 rushing yards to the Packers in Week 2, the Colts need any help they can get on their defensive front. Ebukam had a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2023.
28) Keion White, New England Patriots
Keion White was named Bill Belichick’s “Football Guy” on last week’s episode of Inside the NFL. Rightfully so, because White had 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in Week 1 at the Bengals. White has four sacks through two games this season.
29) Jadeveon Clowney, Carolina Panthers
It may sound crazy, but Jadeveon Clowney is with his sixth team in his now 11-year career.
The former No. 1 overall pick has just one tackle through two games. It’s unfortunate he’s playing on a Panthers team that is likely not going anywhere except the NFL’s cellar in 2024.
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While many question Sweat’s fit as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive front, his size and athleticism will give him an advantage as he makes the transition. He’ll look to capitalize in a contract year, already drawing praise from those in attendance at practice.
30) Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota Vikings
Andrew Van Ginkel could rise in these edge rusher rankings as the season goes on. He fits perfectly into Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defense.
Van Ginkel had a pick-six in Week 1. He had another sack in Week 2, giving him two through two games this season. The Vikings’ defense held the 49ers to just 17 points in Week 2. Don’t overlook them, especially Van Ginkel, this season.
31) Jermaine Johnson, New York Jets
Unfortunately for the Jets, they won’t be seeing Jermaine Johnson again this season. The first-round draft pick from 2022 suffered a torn Achilles in Sunday’s Week 2 win at the Titans. Johnson was a Pro Bowler in 2023 with 7.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits.
32) Denico Autry, Houston Texans
Denico Autry joining the Texans flew under the radar this offseason, but he only makes the Texans’ defensive line stronger. He hasn’t played yet in 2024, but Autry is coming off a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2023 with Tennessee.