NFL Edge Defender Rankings: Highest-graded players through Week 2

• T.J. Watt leads the rankings: Watt owns a position-best 91.3 PFF grade through Week 2, with four sacks and seven total pressures.

• Aidan Hutchinson excels as a pass-rusher: Hutchinson's 91.1 pass-rush grade leads edge defenders, and his 16 pressures are tied for second among qualifying players.

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Two weeks into the 2026 NFL season, the league’s highest-graded edge defenders have reached the top in very different ways. Some have overwhelmed opposing offensive lines as pass-rushers, while others have separated themselves with dominant work against the run.

Here are the 32 highest-graded edge defenders through Week 2 — among players who have played at least 30 snaps — with the caveat that the sample sizes remain small and one or two outlier performances can heavily influence a player’s grade. The results will begin to stabilize as the season progresses, and unlike our other rankings pieces, this list does not factor in any priors. It simply reflects how the grades shake out through two weeks.

1. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Watt leads all edge defenders with a 91.3 PFF grade through two weeks, pairing an 89.8 pass-rush grade with an 81.3 run-defense grade. He has generated seven pressures on 38 pass-rush snaps, including four sacks and three hurries, despite facing a double-team on 42.1% of those reps. His 18.4% pressure rate stands out, but his work against the run has been just as clean: Watt has recorded three stops on 30 run-defense snaps, earned a positive grade on 20.0% of those plays and has yet to record a negatively graded play.

2. Nick Herbig, Pittsburgh Steelers

Herbig joins Watt near the top with a 91.1 overall grade, although his production has come in a considerably different fashion. He has generated two pressures — one hit and one hurry — on only 15 pass-rush snaps, earning a 73.6 grade in that facet. He has played 43 snaps against the run, producing two stops and five combined tackles, though two missed tackles have contributed to a 68.1 run-defense grade. His 19.0% positively graded play rate against the run is nevertheless a strong mark through two games.

Herbig’s overall grade is boosted significantly by a forced fumble against the Patriots, a high-value play that helps explain the gap between his 91.1 overall grade and his more modest pass-rush and run-defense grades.

3. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions

Few defenders have created more disruption than Hutchinson. His 16 total pressures are tied for second among qualifying edge defenders, with that total consisting of three sacks, three hits and 10 hurries. He has won 23.8% of his pass-rush reps and generated pressure on 17.4%, all while seeing double-teams on 32.6% of his rushes. Hutchinson's 91.1 pass-rush grade leads the position, and he has been even better on true pass sets, where his win rate rises to 34.4%.

4. Greg Rousseau, Buffalo Bills

Rousseau has been one of the NFL's most efficient pass-rushers through two games. He has converted 69 pass-rush snaps into 16 pressures — four sacks, six hits and six hurries — for a 23.2% pressure rate that ranks third at the position. His league-best 30.6% pass-rush win rate is especially impressive, particularly considering he has been double-teamed on 40.6% of his reps.

5. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans

Anderson's place near the top of this list has been driven by spectacular work against the run. His 90.5 run-defense grade ranks second among edge defenders, and he has produced seven stops on only 35 run-defense snaps for a league-best 20.6% stop rate. Even more impressive, 44.1% of his run-defense snaps have earned a positive grade. Anderson has still contributed nine pressures as a pass-rusher, including three sacks, despite facing double-teams on 41.9% of his rushes.

6. Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders

Crosby's disruptive start has produced an 82.4 pass-rush grade and an 80.0 run-defense grade, making him one of the more balanced players near the top of the rankings. He has generated 11 pressures — two sacks, two hits and seven hurries — from 65 pass-rush snaps, good for a 16.9% pressure rate and 22.0% win rate. Those numbers become even more impressive in context: Crosby has been double-teamed on 60.0% of his pass-rushing snaps, the highest rate among the players near the top of this list.

7. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

Bosa hasn't needed gaudy sack numbers to make an impact. He remains without a sack through two games but has generated six pressures on 41 pass-rush snaps and won 20.0% of his rushes. His most impressive work has instead come against the run, where his 90.2 grade ranks third among edge defenders. Bosa has produced five stops on 35 run-defense snaps, earned a positive grade on 26.5% of those plays and has yet to record a negatively graded run-defense rep.

8. Zaven Collins, Arizona Cardinals

Collins has made his biggest impact against the run, earning a position-leading 90.9 run-defense grade. He has recorded four stops on 26 run-defense snaps, including a forced fumble, while posting a 15.4% run-stop rate. His pass-rush production has been much quieter, with only one hurry on 20 rushes.

9. Boye Mafe, Cincinnati Bengals

Mafe has been a consistent source of pressure, turning 69 pass-rush snaps into 12 total pressures. Eleven of those have been hurries, and the other was a sack, giving him a 17.4% pressure rate and an 18.8% pass-rush win rate. His pass-rush grade sits at 72.3, but his work against the run has elevated his overall mark considerably. Mafe has earned an 86.8 run-defense grade and a positive grade on one-third of his 19 snaps against the run without recording a negatively graded play.

10. Cedric Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals

Johnson has made the most of a relatively limited workload. He has generated five pressures from 30 pass-rush snaps, including two sacks and three hurries, giving him a 16.7% pressure rate. He has also won 17.2% of his rushes despite a 31.0% double-team rate. Johnson's run-defense sample is only 12 snaps, but he has earned a positive grade on 36.4% of them and has yet to record a negatively graded rep.

11. Abdul Carter, New York Giants

Carter has earned an 82.7 overall grade through a balanced two-game workload. His five pressures consist of one sack, one hit and three hurries, although his 7.8% pressure rate and 10.3% pass-rush win rate leave room for more production as a rusher. He has been steadier against the run, producing three stops over 42 run-defense snaps and avoiding a negatively graded play in that facet.

12. Oluwafemi Oladejo, Tennessee Titans

Oladejo's early impact has been built primarily against the run. He has earned a 78.1 run-defense grade on 24 snaps, producing three stops and three tackles without a miss. None of those snaps have earned a negative grade.

13. Dre'Mont Jones, New England Patriots

Jones has been highly productive on a small pass-rush sample. He has generated seven pressures — one sack, three hits and three hurries — from only 33 rushes, producing a 21.2% pressure rate and 24.2% win rate. He has done so despite facing a double-team on 42.4% of those snaps.

14. Uchenna Nwosu, Seattle Seahawks

Nwosu has yet to record a sack or hit, but he has consistently affected the pocket with seven hurries on just 33 pass-rush snaps. That works out to an impressive 21.2% pressure rate, while he has won 19.4% of his rushes despite a 42.4% double-team rate.

15. Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams

Young has generated seven pressures over 44 pass-rush snaps, with one sack, two hits and four hurries. His 15.9% pressure rate is stronger than his 14.3% pass-rush win rate, and opponents have double-teamed him on only 22.7% of his rushes. His 71.4 run-defense grade has been solid, although he has produced just one stop over 34 snaps in that phase.

16. Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos

Bonitto's 90.1 pass-rush grade is one of the best marks at the position, even though his raw pressure total sits at five. Four of those pressures have been quarterback hits, with the fifth a hurry, and he has won 16.7% of his pass-rush snaps. The run game has been a different story, as Bonitto owns a 63.8 run-defense grade and an 8.8% positively graded play rate through two weeks.

17. Derek Barnett, Cleveland Browns

Barnett has generated four hurries from just 20 pass-rush snaps, giving him a 20.0% pressure rate despite a 60.9 pass-rush grade. He has also faced double-teams on 35.0% of his rushing opportunities. His stronger work has come against the run, where he owns a 79.3 grade and has earned a positive mark on 29.4% of 17 snaps without recording a negatively graded play.

18. Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers

Highsmith's pressure production has been concentrated in high-value plays. His five pressures include three sacks and two quarterback hits, meaning every pressure he has generated so far has resulted in a knockdown. He has won 17.1% of his pass-rush snaps despite seeing double-teams on 42.1% of them.

19. Al-Quadin Muhammad, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Muhammad has generated only two pressures through two games, but both have been quarterback hits. His 15.4% pass-rush win rate is notably higher than his 7.4% pressure rate, suggesting he has beaten blocks more often than the pressure total alone indicates. Against the run, he has earned a 68.3 grade on 16 snaps with one stop and no missed tackles.

20. Za'Darius Smith, Atlanta Falcons

Smith has turned just 34 pass-rush snaps into eight pressures, giving him one of the best pressure rates on the list at 23.5%. His production includes three sacks and five hurries. Smith's 18.8% win rate has come against a relatively low 20.6% double-team rate.

21. Brian Burns, New York Giants

Burns has drawn plenty of attention from opposing protection schemes, with a 55.3% double-team rate through two weeks. That has helped suppress his production: He has generated three pressures — one hit and two hurries — on 47 pass-rush snaps for a 6.4% pressure rate. His work against the run has been somewhat stronger, where 17.2% of his 30 snaps have earned a positive grade.

22. Akheem Mesidor, Los Angeles Chargers

Mesidor has converted five pressures into two sacks, two hits and one hurry across 40 pass-rush snaps. His 15.8% pass-rush win rate and 12.5% pressure rate have come while facing double-teams on 37.5% of his rushes. His production against the run has been more limited, as he has yet to record a stop across 24 run-defense snaps. Still, he has missed no tackles and has posted only a 4.2% negatively graded play rate in that area.

23. Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers

Mack has generated five pressures on 53 pass-rush snaps, with one sack, two hits and two hurries. His 9.4% pressure rate and 7.8% pass-rush win rate have been quieter than several players above him, while he has drawn double-teams on 34.0% of his rushes. He has been steadier against the run, recording two stops from 40 run-defense snaps and earning a 69.9 grade.

24. Quandarrius Robinson, Denver Broncos

Robinson has been efficient with his opportunities, producing five pressures on 27 pass-rush snaps. That total — one sack, one hit and three hurries — has resulted in matching 18.5% pressure and pass-rush win rates. His true-pass-set win rate climbs to 35.7%, another encouraging sign from the small sample. Robinson has also earned a 70.0 run-defense grade, producing two stops while avoiding a negatively graded play in 21 snaps.

25. Chase Young, New Orleans Saints

Young has been one of the most disruptive pass-rushers in the league through two weeks. He has generated nine pressures — three sacks, one hit and five hurries — from 50 pass-rush snaps, earning an 85.8 pass-rush grade. His 26.0% win rate is among the best at the position, and his double-team rate sits at only 14.0%. The reason Young isn't higher on this list is run defense: His 52.0 grade in that area is among the lowest of the top 32, and he has yet to record a run stop.

26. Princely Umanmielen, Carolina Panthers

Umanmielen has won 19.4% of his 39 pass-rush snaps, but only three of those wins have become pressures. His pressure total consists of one sack and two hurries, resulting in a modest 7.7% pressure rate despite the much stronger win rate. He has also faced double-teams on only 23.1% of his rushes. His run-defense grade sits at 59.3, with no stops on 25 snaps, creating a sizable gap between his pass-rush and run-defense performances.

27. Anfernee Jennings, New Orleans Saints

Jennings has done most of his best work against the run. He owns a 75.2 run-defense grade through two weeks, earning a positive grade on 21.4% of his 14 snaps while avoiding a negatively graded play. He has also made four combined tackles without a miss. Jennings' pass-rush production has been minimal, with one hurry and a 57.8 grade in that phase.

28. Dallas Turner, Minnesota Vikings

Turner’s pressure production jumps off the page. He has racked up a league-leading 20 pressures in two games — three sacks, eight quarterback hits and nine hurries — while generating pressure on a position-best 27.8% of his 72 pass-rush snaps.

That pressure rate tells a different story than his pass-rush win rate, though. Turner has won 17.1% of his pass-rush reps, which ranks 22nd at the position. The distinction is important: A pass-rush win requires a defender to defeat a blocker, while a pressure can also be credited on plays in which the rusher comes free or capitalizes on disruption created elsewhere.

That helps explain the gap between Turner’s two rates. Six of his 20 pressures have been charted as unblocked pressures, meaning he did not have to defeat a blocker to get to the quarterback. Another six have been charted as clean-up or pursuit pressures, where another defender disrupted the play and Turner took advantage of that initial disruption.

The Vikings edge rusher has still been highly productive through two games, but his league-leading pressure rate has been driven by more than simply how often he wins his individual pass-rush matchups.

29. Kyle Van Noy, Minnesota Vikings

Van Noy has generated only two hurries from 23 pass-rush snaps, but his 17.4% win rate suggests he has defeated blocks more frequently than that pressure total indicates. His performance on true pass sets has been particularly interesting, where he has won one-third of his rushes despite failing to record a pressure. Van Noy has been more consistent against the run, earning a 72.9 grade and a positive mark on 21.1% of his 19 run-defense snaps.

30. Lukas Van Ness, Green Bay Packers

Van Ness has been productive and balanced through two games. He has generated nine pressures on 51 pass-rush snaps, with an even split of three sacks, three hits and three hurries. Van Ness has also recorded four run stops on 37 snaps, giving him an 11.1% run-stop rate.

31. Mike Green, Baltimore Ravens

Green's three pressures have been evenly distributed between one sack, one hit and one hurry across 25 pass-rush snaps. He has won 16.0% of those reps despite being double-teamed on 48.0% of them, a notable amount of attention for his workload. His run-defense production has been limited to one stop on 19 snaps, and just 5.3% of those plays have earned a positive grade.

32. Travon Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars

Walker rounds out the list after generating nine pressures through two games. His total includes two sacks, two quarterback hits and five hurries, good for an 18.0% pressure rate across 50 rushes. That production has come despite opponents double-teaming him on 44.0% of his pass-rush snaps, although his 10.6% pass-rush win rate trails his pressure rate considerably. Walker has been less effective against the run, earning a 61.6 grade with one stop on 32 run-defense snaps.