- Will Anderson Jr. leads the way: Anderson cemented himself as one of the game’s best players regardless of position in just his third season in the NFL, leading all edge defenders with a 93.1 PFF overall grade for the season.
- Myles Garrett not far behind: Garrett was once again the league’s best pass-rusher in 2025, leading the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade (93.3), which marked his seventh straight season with a grade higher than 90.0 on his way to Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time.
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The ability to rush the passer has never been more important than it is in today’s NFL, which has made edge defenders a premium position around the league.
Here are the top 20 edge defenders from the 2025 NFL season (min. 350 snaps), including the playoffs:
1. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans (93.1 overall)
Anderson cemented himself as one of the game’s best players regardless of position in just his third season in the NFL, leading all edge defenders with a 93.1 PFF overall grade for the season. His 26.2% win rate during the regular season led all pass-rushers, and he elevated his game when the lights were brightest in the playoffs, recording 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and nine pressures across 53 pass-rushing snaps.
2. Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns (92.7)
Garrett was once again the league’s best pass-rusher in 2025, leading the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade (93.3), which marked his seventh straight season with a grade higher than 90.0 on his way to Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time.
Garrett’s ability to defend the run at a high level is an underrated part of his game as well, ranking third among 118 qualifying EDGE defenders with an 82.5 run-defense grade.
3. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers (92.0)
Parsons earned All-Pro honors for the fourth time in five seasons despite his season being cut short due to a torn ACL. He’s been on the short list for the league’s best pass rusher since his rookie season of 2021, earning 91.6-plus PFF pass-rush grades with 70-plus pressures in every year.
4. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions (91.9)
Hutchinson returned to All-Pro form this year after his 2024 season ended after six dominant weeks due to a fractured tibia and fibula, leading the NFL with 100 pressures. A player has generated 100-plus pressures only six times in the PFF era, two of which are Hutchinson (2023 and 2025).
5. Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans (89.9)
Hunter has been a model of consistency since entering the league back in 2015, earning a 70.3-plus PFF overall grade in all 10 years. He earned a career-best 89.9 PFF overall grade in his second season with the Houston Texans and, along with Will Anderson Jr., formed the league’s top edge duo in the NFL.
T-6. Nick Herbig, Pittsburgh Steelers (87.3)
Herbig is on the short list for most underrated players in the NFL today. The 2023 fourth-round pick ranked seventh among 110 qualifying edge defenders with an 87.3 PFF pass-rush grade while improving significantly against the run, bumping his run-defense grade from 48.2 last season to 72.7 in 2025.
T-6. Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars (87.3)
Hines-Allen was one of four players (Anderson, Hutchinson, Verse) to hit the century mark in total pressures for the season (including the playoffs). It was the fourth straight season that he finished the year among the top 15 edge defenders in PFF overall grade.
8. Greg Rousseau, Buffalo Bills (86.3)
Although Rousseau’s pass-rushing metrics don’t quite match up with others on this list, no edge defended the run at a higher level than him this season (85.1). The area of his game that was most improved this season was tackling, as he dropped his missed tackle rate from 21.2% in 2024 to 8.7% this season.
9. Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts (84.1)
Latu’s ability to impact the game in different ways was on full display in his second season with the Colts. He earned strong marks in PFF pass-rush (77.0), run-defense (72.4) and coverage grade, where his 88.3 overall grade led all qualifying EDGE defenders this season.
10. Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams (83.6)
Young broke out in a big way in 2025 after two subpar seasons with the Rams to start his career, joining Will Anderson Jr. and Myles Garrett as the only three edge defenders ranking among the top 15 in pass-rush (81.2) and run-defense grade (77.8). His 52 defensive stops were the most for any edge defender this season as well.
11. Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers (82.2)
Much like his teammate Nick Herbig mentioned earlier, Alex Highsmith is another underrated player on a Steelers defense led by veterans such as T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. His 82.2 PFF run-defense grade was a career-best and ranked fourth among 118 qualifying EDGE defenders this season.
12. DeMarcus Lawrence, Seattle Seahawks (82.0)
Lawrence’s resurgence after an injury-plagued 2024 was a big reason why the Seahawks were ultimately crowned Super Bowl Champions this season. Lawrence signed a three-year deal with the team after spending the first 11 years of his career with Dallas. He generated 65 pressures and finished second among edge defenders with an 83.7 run-defense grade.
13. Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams (80.8)
No edge defender played more snaps this season than Verse, who was on the field 1,026 snaps, including the playoffs. His 27 quarterback hits led the league, but his 18 missed tackles were the second-most for any edge defender this season, something he will need to clean up moving forward to take the next step in his game’s development.
14. Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders (79.7)
Crosby’s 46 defensive stops were tied for the second most among EDGE defenders this season. Although his 53 total pressures generated were the lowest since 2020, his 77.1 PFF pass-rush grade still ranked top 20 among all EDGE defenders in the NFL in a down year by his standards.
T-15. Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos (79.2)
Bonitto has improved his PFF overall grade in each year, from 52.4 as a rookie in 2022 to 79.2 this season. While there is still room to improve as a run defender, he’s established himself as one of the game’s best pass-rushers, generating 81 pressures and an 86.5 PFF pass-rush grade this season.
T-15. Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers (79.2)
Mack is no longer the elite pass-rusher that dominated the league for years, but he’s still a difference-maker on any roster, particularly on early downs defending the run. His 77.2 PFF run-defense grade ranked 12th among 118 qualifying EDGE defenders this season.
T-15. Jadeveon Clowney, Dallas Cowboys (79.2)
Clowney’s 2025 season with the Dallas Cowboys was his seventh team in the last eight years, which is shocking for a player who has been as productive as he’s been while on the field. The former No. 1 overall pick generated a 19.1% pressure rate in 2025, trailing only Micah Parsons and Will Anderson Jr.
18. Alex Wright, Cleveland Browns (78.5)
Wright missed most of the 2024 season due to a torn triceps but broke out in his fourth season this year on a talented Browns defense. His 73.4 PFF run-defense grade ranked 16th among 118 qualifying EDGE defenders, and his 5.5 sacks were a career-high.
19. Chase Young, New Orleans Saints (78.0)
Young suffered a calf injury prior to Week 1, an injury that lingered and ultimately caused him to miss the first five games of the season. From Weeks 6-18, he was quietly one of the league’s best pass-rushers, finishing the year with a career-high 86.3 pass-rush grade and was one of 15 players who recorded 10-plus sacks despite the missed time.
20. Dante Fowler Jr., Dallas Cowboys (77.6)
Fowler’s 77.6 PFF overall grade was the highest of his 10-year career in his second stint with the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran benefited from playing in more of a situational role, appearing in all 17 games but playing just 358 snaps for the season.
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