If you can't rush the passer in the NFL, you aren't going to make it far in the postseason. Not only is it crucial to have a good signal caller in place for your offense, but it's especially critical that you can affect the opposing team's quarterback by sending waves of pass rush.
Having a deep rotation in the pass rush department has never been more glamorized as the Philadelphia Eagles just won the Super Bowl thanks largely to the fact that they were able to make Patrick Mahomes's life miserable despite not sending a single blitz the entire game.
Who are the best pass rushers in the NFL? Who are the best pass rushers on each team? We're going to make our predictions ahead of the 2025 NFL season of which players will lead every team in sacks, and some have more competition than others.
NFL Predictions: Predicting every team's sack leader in 2025
AFC North
Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, EDGE
I don’t know if you can put anyone else in this slot for the Cleveland Browns, especially after Garrett signed that massive contract in the 2025 offseason. He’s going to be out to prove that he’s truly the best pass rusher of this era of football, and he’s the type of player who is going to believe he can put the weight of the Browns on his shoulders and do whatever it takes to win. Garrett should be in the mix to lead the NFL in sacks.
Pittsburgh Steelers: TJ Watt, EDGE
The Steelers have a couple of candidates to potentially lead the team in sacks on the roster but TJ Watt is the smart bet. The other realistic option here would be Alex Highsmith, but Watt is a machine and had 11.5 sacks last year in somewhat of a “down” year. He’s going to be in the mix to lead the league in that category just like his peers here in the AFC North.
Cincinnati Bengals: Trey Hendrickson, EDGE
Trey Hendrickson loaded up on sacks last season with a whopping 17.5 total, and he’ll be right back at it again in 2025. The question at this point is a simple one – will it be with the Bengals, or someone else? Hendrickson and the Bengals are in the midst of a contract dispute, and so is their first-round pick Shemar Stewart. This team is in rough shape defensively, so they’ve got to get this guy on the field and happy.
Baltimore Ravens: Odafe Oweh, EDGE
Kyle Van Noy led the Ravens in sacks last season, but Odafe Oweh had a breakout year with 10 sacks and 23 quarterback hits, both career-bests. I think we’re going to see him really establish and entrench himself as the top dog off the edge for the Ravens this coming year and lead that team in sacks overall.