NFL edge rushers have officially become the second-most valuable position in football, and the paychecks are finally reflecting that reality. We’re talking about players who are now commanding $40 million per year contracts, which puts them in the same financial stratosphere as elite quarterbacks and wide receivers.
The reason is simple: these players completely change the math for offensive coordinators. When Myles Garrett lines up, entire game plans have to be rewritten. Protection schemes shift, double teams become mandatory, and somehow the sacks still keep coming. That’s the kind of impact that makes general managers open their checkbooks without hesitation.
Myles Garrett has reached a completely different level
Garrett earned the number one ranking for the second straight year, and honestly, it wasn’t even close. He secured at least 70% of the first-place votes, which shows just how dominant he’s become. The man is the first player since sack totals were officially tracked in 1982 to record four consecutive seasons with at least 14 sacks.
What makes Garrett so special isn’t just his raw athleticism – it’s how he’s refined his technique over the years. Early in his career, good tackles could give him problems with pure technique. Now? He’s become virtually unstoppable regardless of who’s trying to block him.
His 0.70-second “get-off” time was tied for the quickest among edge rushers with at least 200 pass rushes, and he generated 40 quick pressures under 2.5 seconds. Those numbers represent the kind of explosiveness that offensive coordinators lose sleep over.
TJ Watt is stuck chasing perfection
Watt finished second for the second consecutive year, which has to be frustrating for someone who’s clearly one of the best players in the league. His 108 career sacks rank third all-time for a player’s first eight seasons, behind only Reggie White and DeMarcus Ware. He leads the NFL in forced fumbles over the past two seasons while ranking second in sacks and quarterback hits.
The problem isn’t that Watt has declined – it’s that Garrett has gotten even better. Watt’s late-season struggles, including zero sacks over his final four games, probably cost him the top spot. His pass rush win rate dipped from the low-20s to 18.5%, which is still excellent but not quite elite.
The scary part is that Watt is still just 28 years old and shows no signs of slowing down. He’s a near-lock for All-Pro teams every year and continues to be the kind of player who can single-handedly wreck offensive game plans.
Micah Parsons is putting up video game numbers
Parsons finished third, but his statistical case for number one is absolutely compelling. His 126 pressures and 31.0% pass-rush win rate since 2023 lead the entire NFL. He’s doing this while facing a 31.5% double-team rate, which is the highest among edge rushers on this list.
What makes Parsons so unique is his versatility. He’s the second player in NFL history to produce 12 or more sacks in each of his first four pro seasons, and he’s done it while transitioning from off-ball linebacker to pure pass rusher. His speed and bend are obvious, but his ability to finish plays separates him from other athletic freaks.
The only knock on Parsons is his run defense, which still needs work. But when you’re generating a league-high 19.1% pressure rate and leading your team with a 24.2% pressure share, those concerns become pretty minor.
Maxx Crosby is the definition of relentless
Crosby jumped from fifth to fourth, and his rise has been absolutely incredible to watch. The man has recorded 324 pressures since 2019, which is 40 more than any other player in the league. He played 100% of snaps in nine of his 12 games last season, averaging 60.4 snaps per game.
What makes Crosby’s performance even more impressive is the lack of support around him. While he has 59.5 sacks since 2019, no other Raiders player has registered more than 10 during that span. He’s basically a one-man wrecking crew on a defense that would be completely lost without him.
His relentless motor shows up every Sunday, and his willingness to stay on the field for every snap makes him invaluable to the Raiders’ defensive scheme.
Nick Bosa proves production isn’t everything
Bosa finished fifth despite having relatively modest sack numbers over the past two seasons. His 19.5 sacks might seem low for a top-five pass rusher, but anyone who watches him play knows that his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet.
His 22.2% pass rush win rate was up nearly four points from the previous year, and his 0.70 “get-off” time tied Garrett for the best of the season. Since 2021, Bosa has generated 121 quick pressures under 2.5 seconds, which ranks fifth in the NFL.
The 49ers’ defensive scheme allows Bosa to be disruptive in ways that don’t always show up in the box score, but offensive coordinators know exactly how much he affects their game plans.
The depth at this position is absolutely insane
What makes this position group so special is the incredible depth beyond the top five. Trey Hendrickson jumped from ninth to sixth after carrying the Bengals’ defense with 17.5 sacks for the second consecutive season. Aidan Hutchinson finished seventh despite missing 12 games with a broken leg, which shows just how dominant he was in the five games he played.
The Houston Texans have two players in the top 10 with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, which explains why their pass rush was so devastating last season. Even the honorable mentions like Brian Burns and Nik Bonitto would be star players on many teams.
This depth is exactly why teams are willing to pay premium prices for elite pass rushers. When the talent pool is this deep and the impact is this significant, $40 million per year contracts start looking like bargains for the truly elite players.
The combination of talent, production, and game-changing impact has made edge rushers the most valuable defensive players in the league, and these rankings prove that the position has never been stronger.
