The defensive designation is critical in driving a club to long-term success in the NFL. So, who are the top defensive ends in the NFL? In the NFL, small nuances may make or break you. Furthermore, achieving the appropriate balance on the defensive end is crucial for gaining an advantage in the most crucial skirmishes.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the 15 Best NFL Defensive Ends. Ranking the Top 15 Defensive Ends in the NFL. The following list was constructed using reliable sources such as NFL.com and PFF.
Before we get into the specifics, let’s take a look at the top 15 NFL defensive ends.
| Name | Team |
| 15. Jerry Hughes | Buffalo Bills |
| 14. Brandon Graham | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 13. Za’Darius Smith | Green Bay Packers |
| 12. J.J. Watt | Arizona Cardinals |
| 11. Von Miller | Denver Broncos |
| 10. Danielle Hunter | Minnesota Vikings |
| 9. Shaquil Barrett | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 8. Chase Young | Washington Football Team |
| 7. Demarcus Lawrence | Dallas Cowboys |
| 6. Cameron Jordan | New Orleans Saints |
| 5. Nick Bosa | San Francisco 49ers |
| 4. Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns |
| 3. Joey Bosa | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 2. T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1. Khalil Mack | Chicago Bears |
15. Jerry Hughes
Jerry Ray Hughes Jr. is an American defensive end who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. Even though Hughes will be 34 years old when the season begins, he has shown no signs of slowing down. Furthermore, Hughes has put up remarkable stats, which should keep us interested if the past is any indication of what is to come.
Jerry ranks fifth among qualifiers at his position, with a pass-rush win rate of 19.8 percent over the last three seasons. In addition, the Buffalo Bills will continue to rely on him in 2021, hoping for another strong performance. Meanwhile, recent draft picks such as A.J. Epenesa, Gregory Rousseau, and Carlos Basham Jr. have been groomed to take on the role in the future.
14. Brandon Graham
Brandon Lee Graham (Brandon Graham) is a defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. While Graham’s sack totals may not reflect his impact as a pass-rusher, he has been one of the most disruptive athletes in the league.
Furthermore, the 34-year-old is tied for 16th in total sacks at the position since 2014. Only Khalil Mack, Cameron Jordan, and Von Miller have recorded more pressures than Graham’s 445 total. Over the same period, he also leads the league with 88 tackles for loss or no gain against the run.
So it’s no wonder that Brandon is one of the league’s most well-rounded edge defenders.
13. Za’Darius Smith
Za’Darius Smith, born September 8, 1992, is an American football player for the Green Bay Packers. Smith has produced some of his best plays since moving from the Baltimore Ravens to the Green Bay Packers.
Furthermore, the Packers’ standout receiver scored a career-high 89.7 overall grade in a strong 2019 season. Furthermore, with a total of 93 pressures, he topped the NFL.
Despite having an ordinary 2020 season, the 29-year-old managed to score an amazing 84.2 pass-rushing rating. Smith has also been adept at kicking between the tackles.
In addition, during the last two years, he had an amazing 20.2 percent pass-rush victory rate on over 100 such snaps.
12. J.J. Watt
Justin James Watt, a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals, moves up our ranking of the 15 Best NFL Defensive Ends. While Watt has dealt with injuries throughout his career, when healthy, the 33-year-old is one of the best defensive linemen in the league.
Watt has a tremendous track record to go along with his sharp defensive instincts. Not to add that the talented youngster from Wisconsin has four consecutive PFF grades of 90.0-plus.
Watt won three Defensive Player of the Year awards between 2012 and 2015. To add to his impressive resume, he has been the league’s third most valuable edge defender since 2018, according to PFF WAR.
11. Von Miller
Von B’Vsean Miller Jr. is an American football player for the Denver Broncos. He was born in Dallas, Texas. Miller expects to return to his customary good form after recovering from a major ankle injury.
Before his injury in 2019, the versatile player had a PFF grade of 79.3. However, the 44-year-old faces a genuine risk of deterioration. Miller’s resume, on the other hand, speaks for itself, as he has put up some impressive numbers over his NFL career.
No other edge defender in the league had a higher grade than Miller’s 94.6. With 640 pressures from 2011 to 2019, he has been a thorn in the side of his opponents.
10. Danielle Hunter
Danielle Hunter is a Minnesota Vikings defensive end from Jamaica. The youthful superstar from St Catherine has been one of the league’s best.
Hunter has constantly demonstrated his great talent on the field since being drafted in the third round of LSU in 2015. Furthermore, in run defense grade over the last six seasons, the 27-year-old has ranked in the 87th percentile of all eligible players at the position.
Hunter made his imprint as a pass-rusher for the first time in 2019. He beat his previous career high by ten points with an 84.5 pass-rushing grade.
In addition, the 6-foot-5-inch-tall athlete had 88 quarterback pressures in 2019. While he was hampered by an injury in 2020, he hopes to improve on his 2019 form this season.
9. Shaquil Barrett
Shaquil Akeem Barrett, better known as Shaq Barrett, is an American football player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barrett’s opportunity on the squad has increased since his relocation to Tampa Bay.
In his first four seasons with Denver, he had an above-average grade of 74.0 or above, although he was limited to a rotational position. Since joining the Buccaneers in 2019, he has accumulated 157 total pressures, more than any other edge defender in the NFL.
As a result, it’s no surprise that Tampa Bay triggered a four-year contract extension for him.
8. Chase Young
Chase Young, who ranks eighth, is an American defensive end with the Washington Football Team. With a great showing in 2020, Young is one of the league’s most promising names. Furthermore, as a rookie, he has an overall grade of 87.1, ranking him seventh among NFL qualifying edge defenders.
What’s concerning is that, despite a solid performance last season, Young still has much space for development in terms of pass-rushing. Last season, the 23-year-old led all players at the position with a 93.3 overall rating.
7. Demarcus Lawrence
Demarcus Lawrence is a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. The strong defensive end from South Carolina, born on April 28, 1992, has been one of the league’s finest pass-rushers.
Lawrence has routinely made his presence known with a top-10 pass-rush victory rate at the position since 2017. In recent years, however, the 30-year-old has also been an exceptional run-defender.
Demarcus has been one of seven players in his position to get a run-defense grade of 90.1 since 2017.
6. Jordan, Cameron
Chandler, Arizona native Cameron Tyler Jordan is a defensive end with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Jordan is largely regarded as one of the most dependable defensive ends in NFL history.
Jordan is a constant presence on the field, rarely leaving it. Furthermore, the 33-year-old has six consecutive PFF scores of 82.0 or better. With such a lethal combination of durability and top-tier performances, it’s easy to see why Jordan has ranked second in total pressures since 2015.
5. Nick Bosa
Nicholas John Bosa, who ranks fifth, is an American defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers. Following a great rookie season in 2019, Bosa was sidelined in Week 2 of the 2020 season with a torn ACL.
However, the 24-year-old expects to reclaim his spectacular form as the new season begins. To demonstrate how good of a rookie season Bosa played, his 80 pressures considerably exceeded any of the other rookies since PFF began tracking in 2006.
His overall grade of 89.8 ranks first among all rookies in 2019. As a result, Bosa’s return from injury is a huge boost for the 49ers as they prepare for the 2021 season.
4. Myles Garrett
Myles Lorenz Garrett is a defensive end with the Cleveland Browns. Garett, known for his tough demeanor, is a dependable Browns player. Garrett has been at the top of practically every key pass-rush grade metric since his entry into the league.
He also ranks in the 98th percentile for a pass-rushing grade, pass-rushing grade on correct pass sets, and pass-rushing grade without play-action. Not to mention that the 26-year-old is among the greatest in his field.
3. Joey Bosa
Joseph Anthony Bosa is an American football professional who currently plays for the Los Angeles Chargers. The highly versatile outside linebacker didn’t take long to establish himself as one of the league’s top pass-rushers. A force to be reckoned with from the get-go, Bosa notched 59 pressures as a rookie back in 2016.
Moreover, the 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year has only continued to improve in the four years since. What’s more, he is the only active edge rusher with a pass-rush win rate higher than 20% since 2016. (pulpjuiceandsmoothie.com)
While he has shown his worth time and again, Bosa has been subject to frequent injuries. As such, question marks loom over his fitness heading into the 2021 season.
2. T.J. Watt
Starting the top 2, Trent Jordan “T. J.” Watt is an American football pro who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watt is primarily known for his innate ability to command the field with his sturdy presence.
The 27-year-old has produced phenomenal pass-rushing stats over the past two seasons in Pittsburgh. With a total of 29.5, Watt leads all edge defenders in sacks. Furthermore, he sits top on the leaderboard with 46 quarterback hits since 2019. The outside linebacker from Wisconsin ranks second in total pressures, falling just short of Shaquil Barrett.
What’s more, Watt recorded PFF grades of 91.3 and 91.6 in the previous two years with the Steelers. A master at his craft, T.J has developed into a star edge rusher in the NFL and a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
1. Khalil Mack
Topping our list, Khalil Delshon Mack is an American football outside linebacker and defensive end who plays for the Chicago Bears. Storming into the sport in 2014, Mack has established himself as an ever-dependable athlete.
Unsurprisingly, Khalil showed signs of brilliance from the get-go. With remarkable performances week in and week out, Mack was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year by analysts on ESPN’s NFL Live.
Furthermore, his dominance on the field is reflected in his stellar stats. The 31-year-old has recorded an overall grade above 85.0 in each of his first seven NFL seasons.
What’s more, PFF WAR pegged Mack as the league’s most valuable edge rusher in 2020, showcasing his continued dominance on the field.
Conclusion
A sturdy and reliable defensive lineup goes a long way in turning a fragile team into serious title contenders. Furthermore, it enables a team to build from a solid foundation and frees up the attackers to do their thing.
Lastly, the players mentioned above are the rocks of their respective teams, enabling the group to strike the perfect balance. As such, they have cemented their places in the 15 Best NFL Defensive Ends.
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