NFL training camp is in full swing, and that means the 2026-27 regular season is just around the corner. Every fanbase loves to compare its favorite players to the rest of the league this time of year, and we at Pro Football Network will give you exactly what you want.
The PFN EDGE Impact Scoring model puts a numerical value on the performance of every edge rusher around the NFL. The best part? It’s completely free!
Pro Football Network has these scoring models for every individual position, and we’ll be breaking each of the top performers down before the regular season starts.
Having a player who can dominate off the edge is one of the most valuable assets an NFL team can have, and there’s plenty of blue-chip talent at that position going into 2026. These are the 10 best edge rushers in the NFL based on last year’s PFN EDGE Impact Scores.
10) Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 83.5
After a tremendous 2023 campaign which saw him reach double-digit sacks and make the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career, Montez Sweat’s sack numbers and efficiency dipped in 2024. Though he was coming off that down year, he managed to turn things back around with an 83.5 PFN EDGE Impact Score in 2025, marking the first time he’s finished a season in the top ten in that metric.
Sweat came away with 10.0 sacks last year, which means he’s surpassed double-digit sacks in two of his last three seasons. As solid as he was as a pass rusher, he was even better at stopping the run; his 83.0 run-defense score tied for ninth among all edge rushers in the NFL. His disruption EPA of 40.9 placed tenth in the league in 2025, as well.
9) T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 84.2
Though his efficiency dipped slightly from his 89.9 PFN EDGE Impact Score that led the NFL in 2024, T.J. Watt put together yet another season with a top-ten score in 2025. He’s now had seven seasons within the last eight years that have placed him in the top ten, which speaks to how dominant he’s been for the Pittsburgh Steelers over his career.
With his Pro Bowl nod in 2025, Watt has now been a Pro Bowler in each of his last eight seasons. He missed three games due to injury, but he still had a respectable 7.0 sacks, and his 83.0 pass-rushing score tied for ninth in the NFL. He’s a sure-fire Hall of Famer at this rate, and with a few more solid seasons, he would only continue to rise in the rankings of the greatest pass rushers of all time.
8) Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 84.4
Between all the press that Jared Verse got and the hype around the Los Angeles Rams’ acquisition of Myles Garrett, one could argue that Byron Young doesn’t get enough love in NFL circles. Our analytics will gladly sing his praises, as his 84.4 PFN EDGE Impact Score marked a career-high score for him after also reaching a personal-best 12.0 sacks in 2025.
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A first-time Pro Bowler in 2025, Young has combined for 27.5 sacks over his last three seasons in the NFL. He’s an effective pass rusher but is even better against the run, as his 87.0 run-defense score tied for the third-best score in the league off the edge. He also led all edge rushers with 63 total tackles. Now entering the final year of his rookie deal, Young is projected to reach $30 million a year on his next contract.
7) Tuli Tuipulotu, Los Angeles Chargers
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 84.9
Tuli Tuipulotu has gotten better every year he’s been in the NFL. That has been reflected in his sack totals, which have risen each year and reached an impressive 13.0 mark in 2025, but it has also been reflected in his PFN EDGE Impact Score. After a decent 75.8 score as a rookie in 2023, he worked his way up to 78.3 in 2024 and cracked the top ten for the first time in his third year with the Los Angeles Chargers.
As the high sack total will indicate, Tuipulotu was a menace at rushing the passer last season. His 83.0 pass-rushing score tied for ninth in the NFL, but his performance stopping the run was even better, as he finished with an 87.0 run-defense score that tied for third among edge rushers.
6) Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 86.4
Is Danielle Hunter making a late push for a Hall of Fame nomination? With double-digit sacks in each of his last four seasons, it seems as though the veteran edge rusher is surely making a strong case. His run of three consecutive Pro Bowl nods came to an end in 2025, but he was named a second-team All-Pro for just the second time in his accomplished career.
Hunter finished 2025 with 15.0 sacks, ranking third in the NFL. His 15 tackles for loss tied for sixth among edge rushers, his 87.0 pass-rushing score placed fifth, and his 42.6 disruptive EPA came in ninth. He and Will Anderson Jr. absolutely feasted alongside each other on the Houston Texans’ defensive line.
5) Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 89.3
With an incredible 99.0 run-defense score, Maxx Crosby was the best edge rusher in run support in the NFL last season. His 89.3 PFN EDGE Impact Score placed fifth at the position, giving him three seasons as a top-five performer in the metric over the last four years. He rightfully earned Pro Bowl recognition for the fifth year in a row.
Crosby’s 28.0 tackles for loss placed second among edge rushers, trailing only Myles Garrett. His 56 tackles ranked second behind only Byron Young, further demonstrating his value against the run. He’s obviously no slouch rushing the passer, either; he finished the year with 10.0 sacks and ranked second in the NFL with his 54.5 disruptive EPA.
4) Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 89.3
It’s time for a pop quiz. Which edge rusher led the NFL in disruptive EPA in 2025? You probably guessed Will Anderson Jr., but that’s only because I asked the question right under his name. That fact would likely otherwise surprise you, but it’s true. Anderson’s 59.4 disruptive EPA led the league, placing even higher than Myles Garrett’s total.
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Also the fourth-best edge rusher in PFN’s NFL Top 100, Anderson put together a career year in 2025. His 89.0 pass-rushing score placed fourth among edge rushers, and his 87.0 run-defense score tied for third; he and Garrett were the only edge rushers to place in the top five in both. Anderson also ended the year with 12.0 sacks and 20.0 tackles for loss, earning him a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
3) Brian Burns, New York Giants
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 90.9
Brian Burns was already a top-flight edge rusher for much of his time in the NFL, but the supporting cast the New York Giants had around him on that defensive line elevated him to another level in 2025. He absolutely feasted last season, placing second in the league with 16.5 sacks and coming in third among edge rushers with 53 tackles.
In addition to his dominant 90.0 pass-rushing score, which ranked third among all edge rushers, he also came in sixth with his 86.0 run-defense score. With Burns coming off of a personal-best year which saw him reach double-digit sacks for just the second time in his career, there’s no telling what he and Abdul Carter could accomplish rushing off the edge alongside each other for years to come.
2) Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 91.1
Heading into 2025, there were questions around how Aidan Hutchinson would bounce back after having missed most of the previous season with both a fractured fibula and tibia. His season quickly answered any of those questions: he ended the year with 14.5 sacks and was the second-best edge rusher in the entire NFL in our EDGE Impact Scoring model.
Hutchinson’s 93.0 pass-rushing score ranked second in the league in 2025, and his 14.5 sacks placed fourth among all edge rushers. His 53.7 disruptive EPA placed third at the position, as well. He rightfully earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro recognition for his efforts, and he figures to be a fixture in both categories for years to come if he continues to stay healthy.
1) Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
2025 PFN EDGE Impact Score: 95.1
Was it ever going to be anybody else? Coming off a year in which he broke the NFL’s single-season sack record, Myles Garrett heads into 2026 as the obvious choice as the best edge rusher in the entire league. He ended last year with 23.0 sacks, putting him a full 6.5 sacks ahead of second place.
In addition to leading the NFL with a 94.0 pass-rushing score, Garrett placed second among edge rushers with a 95.0 run-defense score. His 33 tackles for loss also led the league, and his 53.2 disruptive EPA came in fourth. He absolutely dominated with the Cleveland Browns last year, and now that he’s on a loaded Rams defensive line, his ceiling is remarkably high going into 2026.
