Ranking NFL's Best Pass-Rushing Units After 2024 Early Free Agency Additions

Free agency can serve as an annual reminder of how much the NFL values pass rushers. Behind quarterbacks, defensive linemen are often the next highest-paid players on the team and that trend has continued this offseason as several rushers have inked new contracts worth more than $20 million per year, headlined by Chris Jones' $31.75 million deal.

So, now that the first wave of free agency is over and some roster shuffling has taken place, which teams have the best pass-rushing units in the league?

Here, we'll rank the top 10 pass-rushing units after the early additions on the open market based on last season's production and a projection of how the new pieces will impact the rest of the defensive line. Each team's notable returners, newcomers and losses are outlined as well. Any player not under contract at the time of writing is considered a loss.

Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens led the NFL in sacks last season and managed to re-sign Justin Madubuike, who led the team in the metric. However, Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy ranked second and third, respectively, for Baltimore and neither are currently under contract with the club.

That's 18.5 sacks they haven't replaced and doesn't include the 3.5 that Patrick Queen contributed, and Queen is now in Pittsburgh. So, while bringing back the defensive tackle was a good move, the team's pass rush as a whole took a hit.

Dallas Cowboys: While the Cowboys have one of the league's premier edge defenders in Micah Parsons and a solid interior rusher in Osa Odighizuwa, they don't have much beyond those two.

Demarcus Lawrence has become more of a run defender over the last couple of years and Dorance Armstrong Jr., who was second on the team with 7.5 sacks last season, followed Dan Quinn to Washington. Meanwhile, Jerry Jones and company have been notably quiet in free agency, much to the chagrin of Skip Bayless.

Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers were very close to cracking the top 10 as they do have a good unit on paper. The problem is Joey Bosa has struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons, and their defensive line is getting old as Khalil Mack just turned 33 and Morgan Fox will be 30 in September. So, some regression as a pass-rush unit is expected this fall.

Additions: Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry

Losses: Jonathan Greenard, Sheldon Rankins, Maliek Collins

Returners: Will Anderson Jr.

The Houston Texans were able to get one of the best edge rushers available on the open market in Hunter. The four-time Pro Bowler is coming off of a career-high 16.5 sacks last season and has 27 sacks over the last two years combined. He and Anderson, the Defensive Rookie of the Year, will form one of the better edge duos in the league next fall.

Bringing in Autry was an under-the-radar type of signing and is also a great pick-up. He has 59 career sacks and is seemingly getting better as time goes on, logging at least 7.5 quarterback takedowns over the last four seasons, including 11.5 in 2023.

In other words, Houston added two veteran pass-rushers with good track records of success to pair with an ascending rusher who also had good numbers last season.

The only reason why the Texans aren't higher on this list is they had a few key losses as well. Greenard, Rankins and Collins accounted for 23.5 of the team's 46 sacks during the regular season. That's a lot of production to replace and while the moves above will help, the net change is closer to neutral than exponential growth.

Additions: Christian Wilkins

Losses: Jerry Tillery

Returners: Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Adam Butler

Perhaps the best endorsement of Crosby becoming one of the best pass-rushers in the league is the fact several defensive line prospects at the NFL combine said they try to model their game after his. It was a fairly consistent theme whenever the question was asked during the media days in Indianapolis.

It's hard to argue with the young bucks as Madd Maxx was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist this past season and has racked up 27 sacks over the last two years. He commands attention from opposing offensive lines, drawing several double teams during his tenure with the Silver and Black. However, that will likely change during this upcoming season.

The Raiders adding Wilkins to the mix gives the team an excellent interior pass rusher that they haven't had during Crosby's tenure with the club. Not only does the former Dolphin bring over 20.5 career sacks, including nine last season, but he also should help his new teammate draw more one-on-one blocks.

Putting Crosby and Wilkins on the same line will force opponents to "pick their poison", so to speak, as both are hard to solo block.

Las Vegas also has a good under-the-radar rusher in Koonce. While he isn't a big name, the third-year pro finished last season with eight sacks in the team's final nine games, giving the Raiders a scary pass-rush trio heading into the 2024 campaign.

Additions: Javon Kinlaw

Losses: Bryce Huff, Quinton Jefferson

Returners: Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers

At this time last year, the New York Jets would have been much higher on the list. The losses of Huff and Jefferson are significant as the defense will have to replace 16 sacks between those two last season as the former ranked first on the team and the latter was third. It also means the Jets are missing their best edge and second-best interior rusher.

The good news is Williams is still in town. The former No. 3 overall pick "only" had 5.5 sacks in 2023, but that was his lowest total since his rookie season and he's a year removed from a 12-sack campaign. Also, Williams racked up 70 pressures and earned an impressive 84.5 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus this fall.

Beyond the big man in the middle, New York watched Johnson blossom into a quality edge rusher with 7.5 sacks, 56 pressures (via PFF) and earned a Pro Bowl bid during his second season. That gives the team a young up-and-commer to help mitigate the loss of Huff, and Kinlaw can help replace what Jefferson brought to the table.

The former 49er was finally healthy and had a solid year, racking up 3.5 sacks and earning a 70.3 PFF pass-rush grade while serving in a rotational role with San Francisco last season. So, while there's no denying Gang Green's pass rush should slide down the rankings, they have enough to be worthy of a top 10 spot.

Additions: Raekwon Davis

Losses: none

Returners: DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis, Dayo Odeyingbo, Kwity Paye

The Indianapolis Colts have one of the more underrated pass-rushing units in the NFL. Buckner is the headliner that draws all of the attention and has been a consistent producer since getting traded to Indy, racking up 32.5 sacks in four seasons and never dipping below seven in a single year.

In 2023, the three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro had another strong performance with eight quarterback takedowns, which is a good number for a defensive tackle. However, that was only good enough for third-best on the Colts as the team recorded 51 sacks during the regular season, fifth-most in the league.

Ebukam led the way with 9.5 while Paye ranked second with 8.5 and Odeyingbo tied Buckner for third place. Lewis only accounted for four sacks last season, but was a consistent winner as a pass rusher with 44 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

All of those players are under contract for 2023, so there is little to no reason to think that Indianapolis can't put up similar numbers again. The only thing holding them back from ranking higher is they only added Davis, who doesn't offer much as a pass rusher with two sacks in four seasons.

Additions: Bryce Huff, Devin White

Losses: Fletcher Cox

Returners: Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, Jalen Carter, Brandon Graham

The Philadelphia Eagles were dangerously close to being left off this list, primarily due to the uncertainty surrounding their defensive line.

However, it was reported on Friday that the organization was able to restructure Sweat's contract to keep him in town, and Reddick told B/R's Jordan Schultz that he doesn't want to be traded despite being permitted to seek one.

So, we know at least one of the team's two sack leaders from last season will return and there's a chance both do. That's huge seeing as Sweat and Reddick combined for 17.5 sacks in 2023.

While Cox retiring hurts, one of general manager Howie Roseman's biggest strengths is that he consistently stock piles pass rushers for this type of situation. As a rookie, Carter out-produced his veteran counterpart with six quarterback takedowns and was the runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Not a bad way to replace a six-time Pro Bowler.

Also, Roseman managed to pick up Huff and White in free agency. The former was known as a pass-rush specialist in New York, racking up 10 sacks last fall. While the latter is an off-ball linebacker, he has a unique skill set as a blitzer with 23 sacks over the last five years.

Especially if Reddick ends up coming back, expect Philly to continue putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks moving forward.

Additions: Sheldon Rankins

Losses: none

Returners: Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, B.J. Hill

Since signing with the team three years ago, Hendrickson has been nothing short of spectacular for the Bengals. He's racked up 39.5 sacks, including a career-high 17.5 last season, and has made the Pro Bowl in all three seasons. He constantly puts pressure on the quarterback and has helped form a great edge duo with Hubbard.

The Cincinnati native has gotten to the quarterback 20 times over the last three years and was second on the team with six sacks in 15 games during the 2023 campaign. That's pretty good production coming from the club's second rusher.

Like the two ends, Hill has also been a quality pass-rusher for the Bengals over the last three years. He's posted 13 sacks during that timeframe and had 4.5 this past season which was third-most on the team. According to Pro Football Focus, the six-year veteran also added 14 quarterback hits in 2023 as he was constantly in the opponent's backfield.

Then there's the new guy, Rankins. The free agent-signing had six sacks in Houston last season and gives Cincinnati four pass rushers -- two on the inside and two on the edge -- that opponents must account for on passing downs. That will create problems for offensive lines as all four defensive linemen can consistently win against one-on-one blocks.

Additions: none

Losses: Leonard Floyd

Returners: Ed Oliver, Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, DaQuan Jones, Von Miller, Terrel Bernard

The Buffalo Bills are coming off of a season where they ranked fourth as a team with 54 sacks during the regular season. While the Bills did lose Leonard Floyd -- who led them with 10.5 sacks in 2023 -- in free agency and haven't filled his roster spot yet, they will be getting a healthier version of Miller this fall.

While the future Hall of Famer might not be the same player he once was, he did get to the quarterback eight times in 11 games two seasons ago before tearing an ACL. Also, having a gold jacket-quality pass-rusher come off the bench in passing situations speaks to the depth Buffalo has on the edge.

Greg Rousseau has had a productive start to his career with 17 sacks in three years. He's also coming off a campaign where he logged a career-high 55 pressures, per Pro Football Focus.

On a similar note, A.J. Epenesa has seemingly found his stride with 6.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons while only receiving three starts during that timeframe. With Floyd gone, the fourth-year pro should get a bigger opportunity to put up even better numbers in 2024.

Then there's the headliner in the middle, Ed Oliver, who is coming off of a career performance with 9.5 quarterback takedowns and 65 total pressures, per PFF.

So, while the Bills haven't been very active this offseason when it comes to adding pass-rushers, they didn't need to be since they already had a deep unit mixed with proven veterans and young up-and-coming talent.

Additions: Maliek Collins, Leonard Floyd

Losses: Arik Armstead, Chase Young

Returners: Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave

Bosa is a big reason why the San Francisco 49ers' pass-rush unit ranks so high on this list. The former No. 2 overall pick quickly asserted himself as one of the best rushers in the league with nine sacks as a rookie. What's more impressive is, outside of the 2020 campaign where he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2, that's the lowest total of his career.

The 26-year-old has cracked double digits in each of the last three years, becoming a four-time Pro Bowler and a Defensive Player of the Year (2022) in four full seasons as a pro. That's quite the résumé for someone who just started his second contract in the league.

In the middle of the defensive line, Hargrave proved to be a valuable addition last offseason. He ranked second on the team with seven sacks during the regular season and continued to be one of the NFL's best interior pass-rushers with an 87.2 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus.

Granted, the 49ers did suffer a couple of significant losses in Armstead and Young. However, Armstead struggled to stay healthy toward the end of the year and the front office replaced him with Collins, who had five sacks and 45 pressures (via PFF) in 2023. Also, Floyd is coming off of a 10.5-sack campaign to replace what Young brought to The City.

In other words, San Francisco's defensive line should be just fine and just as productive as it was last season.

Additions: Patrick Queen

Losses: Markus Golden

Returners: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi

While the Pittsburgh Steelers haven't made a bunch of moves to improve their pass rush during free agency, adding Patrick Queen will help them put pressure on the quarterback. Queen might be an off-ball linebacker, but he is an effective blitzer with 13.5 career sacks in four seasons, including 3.5 last season.

Also, Pittsburgh didn't need to make many significant changes.

When healthy, Watt has been arguably the most consistent producer among the league's edge rushers. He's posted double-digit sacks in five out of seven seasons, including an NFL-best 19 last season, which is a big reason why he's finished in the top three for Defensive Player of the Year Award four times and won it once.

Watt by himself makes the Steelers worthy of landing on this list, and he's not alone. Highsmith has been a great compliment on the other side of the line, racking up 27.5 sacks since becoming a full-time starter three years ago.

On the interior, Heyward was banged up last season but is still a force when healthy as he posted 10 and 10.5 sacks in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Then there's Ogunjobi, who can also collapse the pocket in the middle of the line with three sacks and 35 pressures a year ago, per Pro Football Focus.

Between not losing much in free agency, adding a blitzing threat at linebacker and already having a strong unit, it's easy to see why the Steelers rank so high despite being relatively quiet last week.

Additions: Quinton Jefferson

Losses: none

Returners: Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith, Alex Wright, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris

It starts with the edges for the Cleveland Browns as they have one of the best duos in the NFL.

In seven seasons, Garrett has 88.5 career sacks and has only had one year where he didn't crack double-digits, his rookie season when he put up a respectable seven. His 14 quarterback takedowns in 2023 were good enough to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

On the other side, an argument could be made that re-signing Smith has been Cleveland's most significant move in free agency so far.

He has 41.5 sacks since 2019 and that includes 2021 when he only played in one game. The nine-year pro had 5.5 sacks last season, but that doesn't do his impact justice as he logged 60 pressures and earned an 87.4 pass-rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

Then there's Jefferson, who is a great addition to the interior for Cleveland. The well-tenured veteran has a history of being a productive pass rusher, including racking up six sacks on a deep Jets defensive line last year. That will be a good compliment to Tomlinson, who had a solid year in his own right with 36 pressures and a 73.2 pass-rush grade, per PFF.

In all, not losing anyone while adding a proven interior rusher to a defense that ranked sixth with 49 sacks last season is a big reason to be bullish on the Browns heading into the 2024 campaign.