The top 10 edge rushers in the NFL
10. JJ Watt, Houston Texans
Watt might be the most challenging player to rank on this entire list. He has been one of the most dominant defensive players in the sport since Lawrence Taylor and should rightfully go down as an all-time great. But he also really struggles to stay on the field of late, and that can’t be ignored. Watt played all 16 games in 2018, but just 16 total in 2016, 2017, and 2019. That being said, when he was out there last year, he was back to dominating.
9. Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints
Jordan is very versatile and isn’t the most flexible edge guy out there, but his power stands out. As a result, he might be at his best on the interior on throwing downs. He did rack up 15.5 sacks last year. Only two players had more in 2019. More impressively, Jordan has 58 sacks since 2015. Only Chandler Jones and Aaron Donald have more. Jordan has been an upper-tier player now for five straight years.
8. Von Miller, Denver Broncos
Miller had a down year by the Hall of Fame bar he has set. He also battled injuries as well as constant double teams with Bradley Chubb out of the lineup. Every pass protection scheme Denver faced was built around Miller, who remains remarkably powerful for a thinner built pass-rusher. Miller’s explosion and bend are special. He’s also a beast against the run. Expect a giant rebound in 2020.
7. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
Bosa surely learned a thing or two from his big brother, and they have remarkable similarities. But the younger brother might be a little more athletic and twitched up of the two. Like Joey, Bosa entered the league as a master technician, which is extremely rare at this position. Don’t forget just how dominant Bosa was during San Francisco’s postseason run to the Super Bowl.
6. Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
The sometimes-frugal Chargers just gave Bosa a massive contract. That might say all you need to know about what a tremendous all-around player the older Bosa brother is. He makes a ton of plays behind the line of scrimmage. And right now, he has a slight edge over his brother. But for how long?
The top 5 edge rushers in the NFL
5. Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings
What Hunter has accomplished at such a young age is impressive. And he might only be getting better. Hunter is just now entering the prime of his career after entering the NFL at an uncommonly young age. He’s extremely fluid and athletic with a great closing burst to put quarterbacks on their back. Only Chandler Jones logged more snaps in 2019 from those that made this list than Hunter.
4. TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt wasn’t far off the defensive MVP conversation last year and has quickly emerged as one of the league’s very best pass-rushers. He is dropping into coverage (something he is also pretty good at) less often now and has developed an amazing ability to pry the ball loose, causing eight fumbles last year. Big brother was outstanding last year when he was on the field, but TJ is now the top Watt in the family.
3. Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
The most memorable moment of Garrett’s 2019 season was his ugly incident with Mason Rudolph. But what became extremely apparent after Garrett’s suspension was just how valuable he was to Cleveland’s defense. He is still a work in progress as a refined pass-rusher, but he still dominates as he learns because his natural abilities might be tops of anyone listed here.
He averaged a sack per game last year. The Browns were smart to lock him up to a big money contract. They can’t live without Garrett, the freakiest guy on this list who was utterly dominant before his suspension…and who is only getting better.
2. Chandler Jones, Arizona Cardinals
Jones’ 19 sacks in 2019 were almost par for the course for this guy. With 96 sacks since 2012, the most in football during that time, it is outlandish that Jones isn’t talked about more with the best defensive players in the NFL. For someone with such a long body type, he get-off is remarkable. He eats up grass with long strides and quickly turns speed to power.
He also played more snaps last year than anyone listed here, and as if pushing for the sack lead every year wasn’t enough, Jones has now become a master at stripping the ball away from his prey. You also must remember that Jones was the only threat on the Cardinals’ defensive front. It didn’t matter.
1. Khalil Mack, Chicago Bears
Somewhat like Von Miller, Mack had a “down year” by his insane standards with just 8.5 sacks. But his tape is as dominant as ever. In reality, Mack got very little help last year. His all-around game is really special with a fantastic array of pass-rush moves. He should go down as one of the premier defensive players of this generation. Don’t expect anything less than an elite season from Mack in 2020, which is why he is the top edge rusher in the NFL.
Matt Williamson is a Senior NFL Analyst for Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter: @WilliamsonNFL.