The best all-time pass-rushing group from all 32 NFL teams

Sadly, J.J. Watt missed a lot of Chandler Jones’ finale in Arizona. The Cardinals’ Nineteen Eighties assortment of go rushers’ run turns into the clear decide. Revealed not way back because the participant who almost certainly holds the true single-season sack record, Al “Bubba” Baker made his approach from Detroit to St. Louis in 1983. Contract dissatisfaction led Baker to the Heartland by way of commerce; he joined in-house sack ace Curtis Greer. The 2 defensive ends teamed with second-year D-tackle David Galloway. In 1983, Greer (16 sacks), Baker (13) and Galloway (12) thrived; linebacker E.J. Junior chipped in (7.5) as nicely. Greer ripped off 14 sacks in 1984, to go along with Baker’s 10, earlier than knee hassle slowed him.

One other of the standouts to emerge for a brand new era (amongst these concerned about go rushers), John Zook operated as one of many Nineteen Seventies’ steadiest sack artists. A 1969 fourth-round decide, the D-end totaled not less than seven sacks in every of his first eight seasons — all in the course of the 14-game period. Zook joined Atlanta’s 1968 first-round decide to kind a reliable duo, albeit one obscured by the group’s struggles. Humphrey tallied not less than 10 sacks in six of his first seven seasons. A five-time All-Professional, Humphrey used this stretch to safe Corridor of Fame entry. DT Mike Tilleman supplemented this duo within the mid-’70s, although Zook was in St. Louis by the point Atlanta’s 1977 “Grits Blitz” season happened.

Though Elvis Dumervil’s Denver fax-machine fiasco created a short-term pairing with Terrell Suggs, the nod right here goes to the havoc Peter Boulware, Michael McCrary and Co. brought about on the flip of the century. The Ravens landed the primary of their dynamic edge rushers within the 1997 first spherical, and Boulware’s arrival paired with McCrary’s free-agency addition. From 1997-2001, the 2 mixed for 5 double-digit sack seasons — together with Boulware’s then-Raven-record 15 in 2001. Whereas every made the Professional Bowl in 1998 and ’99, they acquired assist in the course of the famed 2000 season from Browns holdover Rob Burnett. A well-rounded DE, Burnett led the Tremendous Bowl champs with 10 sacks. 

Cornelius Bennett operated as one of many NFL’s finest linebackers early in his profession, shifting from edge rusher into an off-ball position. By 1995, Bennett was working within the latter capability. However the Professional Bowler was ending up his Payments tenure after they signed Bryce Paup in free company. The ex-Packer proceeded to dominate whereas working alongside the most efficient go rusher ever. Teaming with Smith, Paup totaled 17.5 sacks and earned Defensive Participant of the Yr acclaim. Taking up extra double-teams, Smith totaled 10.5. Fifth-year D-end Phil Hansen added 10 for a 10-6 group that additionally featured ex-Cowboys DE mainstay Jim Jeffcoat. Buffalo misplaced Bennett to Atlanta in 1996. 

The Panthers wanted to upset the Rams and Eagles to achieve Tremendous Bowl XXXVIII. They did so with a QB (Jake Delhomme) plucked for $2 million in free company. Julius Peppers and Co. performed a central position in John Fox’s group profitable the NFC. The 2002 No. 2 total decide teamed with regular bookend Mike Rucker, and Kris Jenkins’ peak occurred as Peppers’ profession took off. A 2001 second-round DT, Jenkins earned first-team All-Professional acclaim in 2002 and ’03, combining for 12 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in that span. He of twenty-two sacks and 31 TFLs in these years, Rucker led Carolina’s Tremendous Bowl group in sacks and earned a Professional Bowl nod. En path to a 159.5-sack profession, Peppers was a ready-made go rusher to place this unit on a excessive aircraft.

The 1985 Bears obtain due credit score, however this defensive nucleus stayed collectively and was ok to win a number of Tremendous Bowls. Oozing expertise up entrance and at linebacker, Chicago terrorized QBs with its revolutionary 46 protection. Fueled by Corridor of Famers Richard Dent, Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael’s double-digit sack seasons, the 1984 Bears — with 72 — nonetheless maintain the single-season sack mark. Athletic linebackers Wilber Marshall and Otis Wilson offered key supplementary work for the blitz-heavy protection. Dent ripped off a six-sack playoffs to help the Bears’ 1985 cost, whereas Hampton excelled at each finish and deal with. Jim McMahon’s well being however, this was removed from a one-hit surprise.

Two of the Bengals’ high 5 sackers performed collectively for a lot of the 2010s; the opposite three contributed closely to the group’s first Tremendous Bowl berth. Formally, Carlos Dunlap is the Bengals’ sack king. Counting sacks unofficially recorded earlier than the stat’s 1982 emergence, Eddie Edwards holds the crown. Edwards teamed with fellow top-10 D-end decide Ross Browner, together with linebacker Reggie Williams, to create a productive rush within the early Nineteen Eighties. All three have been double-digit sackers within the Bengals’ 1981 AFC Championship season, with Edwards and Browner additionally combining for 20 in 1980. Edwards and Williams caught round for Tremendous Bowl XXIII however did their finest work to assist Cincinnati’s first Tremendous Bowl entrant.

The Browns ranked within the high seven defensively 4 instances in Marty Schottenheimer’s 5 seasons. Their go rush did heavy lifting to again the largely Bernie Kosar-led groups. The Browns of the mid-’80s featured Professional Bowlers in Chip Banks and Clay Matthews, and the group acquired former Eagles Tremendous Bowl starter Carl “Huge Daddy” Hairston by way of commerce in 1984. Defensive finish Reggie Camp additionally provided high quality manufacturing throughout a pivotal Browns stretch. From 1984-86, this quartet performed collectively and every notched a nine-plus-sack season. Camp set the pre-Myles Garrett Browns file with 14 sacks in 1984. An out of doors ‘backer, Matthews stuffed in as a wild card of kinds to assist Cleveland e-book 4 straight playoff berths.

Because the Cowboys revved up for his or her closing Tom Landry-era Tremendous Bowls, they shaped a dominant line of defense round two top-two picks and a former third-rounder. Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Randy White joined Harvey Martin because the drivers of a three-headed pursuit that stayed collectively — save for Jones’ 1979 boxing sabbatical — till 1983. Martin led the NFL with a 20-sack 1977 season, sharing Tremendous Bowl XII MVP acclaim with White, whereas Jones trekked to 3 early-Nineteen Eighties Professional Bowls. Enjoying inside after a quick LB experiment, White anchored Dallas’ defenses for a decade. This group helped maintain the Tremendous Bowl door open post-Roger Staubach.

Had been it not for the edge-rushing duo Denver rolled out within the mid-2010s, the NFL could have already featured a Tremendous Bowl threepeat. The Broncos battered Tom Brady within the 2015 AFC championship recreation and adopted that up with a dominant Tremendous Bowl outing. Miller and one his childhood idols, DeMarcus Ware, catalyzed these upsets and lined for a instantly restricted offense. Miller took over each video games, whereas Ware labored as an overqualified sidekick, totaling 12 playoff QB hits. Supplementing the Corridor of Famer and Tremendous Bowl MVP, Derek Wolf and Malik Jackson earned paydays as dependable inside rushers, combining for 11 sacks in 2015 and including key help towards the Patriots and Panthers.

The NFL has not formally credited Al “Bubba” Baker with the single-season sack file, however the unofficial totals utilized retroactively in 2021 shine a light-weight on a dominant season. A 1978 second-round decide, Baker is credited with 23 sacks as a rookie. The standout DE added 16- and 17.5-sack slates in 1979 and ’80. Baker had assist. All-Professional DT Doug English and versatile D-linemen William Homosexual and Dave Pureifory joined to kind the Silver Rush. Every cog posted a 10-plus-sack season from 1978-83, with English and Homosexual preserving the strain going — en path to a 1983 NFC Central title — after Baker’s commerce to St. Louis.

Vince Lombardi’s Tremendous Bowl defenses included six Corridor of Famers. The 2 D-linemen amongst that group have been a part of all 5 Sixties Packers title groups. Willie Davis and Henry Jordan shaped top-of-the-line DE-DT duos in NFL annals, enjoying collectively for 11 seasons and mixing for 10 first-team All-NFL honors. It also needs to be famous Corridor of Fame LB Dave Robinson provided the pressure on Don Meredith that sealed the Packers a Tremendous Bowl I berth. A yr later, Davis sacked Daryle Lamonica thrice in Tremendous Bowl II. Supporting-caster Lionel Aldridge, a 1963 draftee, has been retroactively credited with three double-digit sack seasons as a Davis bookend. 

Jadeveon Clowney has not lived as much as the immense hype his South Carolina tape introduced, however the 2014 No. 1 decide has loved a very good profession. Clowney’s knee hassle prevented him from teaming with Watt in the course of the latter’s historic apex, however the duo did hyperlink up within the late 2010s. Watt’s well being grew to become a difficulty, however the 2018 season introduced Professional Bowl slates from each. In possibly his closing elite season, Watt notched 16 sacks and led the NFL with seven pressured fumbles. Enjoying inside and outside, Clowney posted his second nine-plus-sack season. Whitney Mercilus, Watt’s high sidekick throughout his DPOY spree, remaining in good kind by this level made this one of many NFL’s finest go rushes on the time.

Peyton Manning’s Colts delivered essentially the most consistency, however the franchise peak occurred below Johnny Unitas. Two Corridor of Famers and an imposing D-tackle supported the all-time QB nice. Gino Marchetti stays one of the dominant edge D-ends in NFL historical past, accumulating seven first-team All-NFL nods. DT Artwork Donovan, maybe identified extra for colourful anecdotes, additionally has a bust in Canton. The Colts supplemented the Corridor of Famers with matchup nightmare Gene “Huge Daddy” Lipscomb, who earned All-Professional recognition throughout every of Baltimore’s 1958 and ’59 championship seasons. Lipscomb’s five-year Baltimore keep doubles as the highest Colts pass-rushing interval.

The NFL was presumably a misjudged Myles Jack fumble-six from Blake Bortles beginning in a Tremendous Bowl. Whereas the Jaguars ended up letting the Patriots off the hook within the AFC championship recreation, a rapidly assembled go rush led the way in which to a shocking playoff run. The group signed Calais Campbell a yr after paying Malik Jackson to depart Denver. The pair teamed with constant edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue and top-three draftee Dante Fowler. The 2017 Jags D-line despatched three to the Professional Bowl and completed with 4 eight-plus-sack gamers. Campbell’s longevity can have him in consideration for the Corridor of Fame; there could be no case with out his dominant 2017.

From 1990-97, the Chiefs made the playoffs with 5 major QBs — six if Wealthy Gannon’s essential ’97 cameo counts. Unable to discover a long-term reply below heart, the ’90s Chiefs depended on their defense. That basically meant Professional Bowl seasons have been required from Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith. Luckily for Kansas Metropolis, these have been recurrently within the chamber. One of the crucial explosive rushers in NFL historical past, Thomas began his profession with eight straight Professional Bowls. Smith benefited from the velocity rusher’s presence however held his personal, making 5 Professional Bowls as a Chief and main the NFL in sacks in 1993. Enjoying eight years collectively, Thomas and Smith have been the pillars of a profitable Chiefs interval.

The Raiders recognized three ready-made disruptors within the early Nineteen Eighties, grabbing Howie Lengthy within the 1981 second spherical, Invoice Pickel within the 1983 second and Greg Townsend within the 1983 fourth. This trio stayed collectively for eight years. For the primary three seasons of its run, an getting older however nonetheless ferocious Lyle Alzado joined the children. On a 1983 group that acquired Corridor of Famer Mike Haynes to pair with ballhawk Lester Hayes, this meant massive hassle for air assaults. The D-line quartet mixed for 37.5 sacks for the Tremendous Bowl-winning Raiders. Lengthy remained a power as a 3-4 finish, whereas Townsend thrived as an edge specialist. Pickel ripped off three straight double-digit sack seasons from his nostril deal with position, rounding out one of many NFL’s extra underrated go rushes.

The Chargers nonetheless managed to make their option to the 1981 AFC championship recreation, profitable an iconic matchup (earlier than shedding one other recreation with a reputation). However they did so after buying and selling not solely John Jefferson however Fred Dean as nicely, shedding each due to contract squabbles. One of many nice pure edge rushers in NFL historical past, Dean posted 14.5 sacks in 1978 and was an All-Professional in 1980. Gary “Huge Fingers” Johnson teamed with Dean as a DT and joined him as a 1980 All-Professional, posting a 17.5-sack season to assist the Bolts rank sixth defensively. The Chargers additionally deployed All-Professional DT Louie Kelcher and acquired a 12-sack season from DE Leroy Jones in 1980. Dean quickly helped the 49ers to 2 Tremendous Bowl wins.

Formally, J.J. Watt is the NFL’s lone participant with two 20-sack seasons. Deacon Jones unofficially acquired there thrice, working roughshod over tackles — admittedly in a friendlier period to take action, as Jones’ head-slap tactic best illustrates — to headline a legendary go rush. The Rams’ Fearsome Foursome D-line, at its finest, additionally featured fellow Corridor of Famer Merlin Olsen, Jones bookend Lamar Lundy and ex-Giants bastion Rosey Grier. No NFL defender has bested Olsen’s 14 Professional Bowls, whereas Jones led the NFL in sacks 5 instances in a six-year span. Lundy posted three eight-plus-sack seasons throughout Grier’s 4 years in L.A. (1963-66). Jones and Olsen stored going till the mid-Nineteen Seventies, however the Rams’ mid-’60s group — starting an period of defenses with nicknames — is hard to beat.

Three straight Tremendous Bowls and consecutive titles do nicely as a tiebreaker. Miami’s No Identify Protection wins out over the Killer Bs — we actually did higher with defensive nicknames in lately — because of all-around efficiency. Miami ranked first defensively in 1972 and ’73, mowing down better competition in the latter year. Invoice Stanfill performed a lead position for the 12-2 1973 group, racking up 18.5 sacks. D-end complement Vern Den Herder added 10, with Manny Fernandez supplying assistance on the inside. After the 1972 group received three one-score playoff video games, the ’73 squad bulldozed the Bengals, Raiders and Vikings, not yielding a Tremendous Bowl rating till the fourth quarter.

The Vikings’ first-round Alan Web page selection in 1967 ignited one of many nice defensive models ever, with the all-time D-tackle expertise teaming with fellow future Corridor of Famer Carl Eller. The sack experts labored with ironman DE Jim Marshall and the group’s Ringo (DT Gary Larsen), enjoying collectively for eight years. This produced three Tremendous Bowls, the primary that includes all 4 linemen incomes Professional Bowl nods. Marshall and Larsen earned two Professional Bowls apiece, whereas Web page and Eller stay two of the most effective ever at their positions. The within-outside duo’s presence upon Fran Tarkenton’s 1972 Minnesota return moved the Vikes again to the Tremendous Bowl tier.

The Andre Tippett-fronted go rushes of the Nineteen Eighties featured the most effective pure rusher in Patriots historical past, however Invoice Belichick’s first wave introduced the most effective conclusions. Tom Brady took some time to develop into a real franchise QB, leaving a reliable protection in cost. Richard Seymour is the Corridor of Famer from these entrance sevens, however OLBs Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel offered regular help. McGinest is the NFL’s playoff sack king, with 16. Vrabel’s strain brought about Kurt Warner’s Tremendous Bowl XXXVI pick-six (via Ty Law). This can be a complete>sum of elements state of affairs, as no gaudy single-season numbers are current right here. However the Pats’ back-to-back No. 1 defensive rankings (2003-04) are flashy sufficient.

Drew Brees is definitely the best participant in Saints historical past. As for his or her premier place group, the Dome Patrol linebacking corps earns the vote. Whereas Vaughan Johnson and Corridor of Famer Sam Mills performed on the within, Dome Patrol’s OLBs — Corridor of Famer Rickey Jackson and 1991 Defensive Participant of the Yr Pat Swilling — led the way in which to the Saints’ resurgence. Between them, Jackson and Swilling mixed for six Professional Bowls as teammates from 1986-92, delivering regular strain. By the early ’90s, D-end Wayne Martin was chipping in; he added 15.5 sacks in 1992, when Jackson and Swilling — within the group’s closing Dome Patrol-era playoff berth — mixed for twenty-four.

Depth-wise, the Giants’ NASCAR package deal from the Tom Coughlin years impressed. However the Giants’ Nineteen Eighties Crunch Bunch efforts created new pass-rushing potentialities. Lawrence Taylor’s unequalled skillset did essentially the most to rejuvenate the Giants within the early ’80s, and the OLB demon’s 1986 MVP award — given how future votes have gone for defenders — illustrates his worth. LT had some assist, with D-end Leonard Marshall supplying key help — significantly for Invoice Belichick’s mid-’80s defenses. Ageing rush specialist George Martin additionally totaled 10 sacks in 1985 whereas Taylor LB wingman Carl Banks introduced second-level help and landed on the All-Decade group. The unit’s 1986 masterpiece stays underrated.

Together with Lawrence Taylor’s emergence, Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau’s 1981 seasons moved the ball previous the aim line for sack stat preserving. Klecko is credited with 20.5 that yr, with he and Gastineau (20) elevating the Jets to the playoffs. Gastineau, in fact, notched a then-record 22 sacks in 1984 — a mark future Jet Brett Favre helped topple — whereas Klecko was an inside power en path to a belated Canton honor. Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam supplied essential supporting roles amongst this long-tenured quartet. Whereas the Metal Curtain is troublesome to beat, this New York Sack Trade moniker might win some rounds on a scorecard for the NFL’s finest D-line nickname.

The 2022 Eagles deserve point out after coming inside two sacks of the single-season file, however Reggie White is the best D-lineman in NFL historical past. He had two essential castmates for a number of years as nicely. Clyde Simmons thrived as a White sidekick, tallying 15.5 sacks in 1989 and an NFL-high 19 in 1992. However the Eagle D-line shone brightest throughout Jerome Brown’s profession. In 1991, Brown, a dynamic D-tackle, and Simmons joined White as first-team All-Execs for a loaded defense — which additionally featured hybrid OLB rusher Seth Joyner — on a group that misplaced Randall Cunningham in Week 1. Brown’s 1992 dying from a automobile accident wounded the Eagles, and White was gone as a free agent a yr later. 

After toying with a T.J. Watt-themed upset decide, overstating the Metal Curtain’s impression on Pittsburgh’s premier interval is just too troublesome. Along with Joe Greene — the engine for maybe the best defensive machine in NFL historical past — the Steelers threw Corridor of Fame-caliber D-end L.C. Greenwood and sidekick Dwight White at QBs. This isn’t to low cost DT Ernie Holmes, who mixed for 20 sacks in the course of the Steelers’ first two Tremendous Bowl-winning years (1974-75). Greenwood and White every booked a number of Professional Bowl nods, whereas Greene terrorized from his three-technique put up. This unit helped unleash the Jack Ham-Jack Lambert LB combo, making a relentless protection that sustained dominance.

Kyler Murray’s resolution to go on an MLB path modified the 49ers’ fortunes. With Nick Bosa out there at No. 2 total in 2019 (after the Cardinals selected Murray), the 49ers shaped a menacing go rush that ignited a struggling group. Bosa’s dominance got here alongside ex-first-rounders DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford. The 2019 49ers, in Bosa and Buckner’s lone season collectively, in all probability possessed the most effective model of this group. However Armstead teamed with Bosa to drive the group to 3 extra NFC title video games, with a slew of productive Kris Kocurek disciples stopping by way of alongside the cornerstones because the group has solid a consistent contender not centering around a quarterback.

Forming what this house believes is the 21st century’s best team, the Seahawks grew to become the primary group to construct a Tremendous Bowl champion round a rookie QB contract. With Russell Wilson tied to third-round cash, Seattle added Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril in the course of the 2013 offseason. The employed weapons delivered, pairing with the Legion of Growth and Bobby Wagner to kind a three-level defensive monster. Designated go rusher Bruce Irvin contributed alongside this duo for 3 seasons, with Wagner supplying sporadic sack assist amid an All-Professional streak. Bennett’s capability to kick inside on passing downs added one other dimension for Seattle, which deployed he and Avril collectively for 5 seasons.

On the entire, the Warren Sapp-Simeon Rice partnership featured higher gamers. Had they overlapped for greater than two seasons, that might be the simple selection. However the latest Bucs paired a former All-Professional (Jason Pierre-Paul) with the NFL’s 2019 sack chief (Shaq Barrett). Each OLBs drove the hassle in 2020, when Tom Brady struggled for a lot of the season. The Bucs, who additionally threw Ndamukong Suh and speedy LB Devin White (9 sacks) at QBs, relied on their edge rushers to hound Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes en path to a Tremendous Bowl title. Barrett totaled 4 sacks and eight QB hits within the Bucs’ closing two video games, leading a pressure avalanche that overwhelmed the Chiefs.

Like Rosey Grier, Curley Culp was a part of two elite go rushes. After the D-tackle received Tremendous Bowl IV with the Corridor of Famer-laden Chiefs, a commerce on the eventful 1974 deadline introduced him to a downtrodden Oiler group. A yr later, the Oilers drafted OLB Robert Brazile. The duo teamed with stalwart D-end Elvin Bethea. With Brazile reaching Canton in 2018, the Oilers deployed a three-Corridor of Famer go rush; together with Earl Campbell, the unit performed the lead position within the group’s late-1970s resurgence. Through the trio’s five-year run collectively, it mixed to attract 11 Professional Bowl invitations. Sadly, the Steelers represented a hurdle too excessive to surmount.

Even had Washington’s 2020s first-rounder quartet maximized its potential, Washington’s Nineteen Eighties rush would have been troublesome to miss. The Charles Mann-Dexter Manley tandem was among the many period’s finest, and George Allen-era pickup Dave Butz lasted lengthy sufficient to land on the ’80s All-Decade group. Every starters on the primary three Joe Gibbs Tremendous Bowl groups, Mann, Manley and Butz helped a Washington group that wanted to show to some QBs post-Joe Theismann. Every earned All-Professional honors, with Manley posting an 18.5-sack season in 1986 and Mann amassing 14.5 in ’85. They capped off a robust period by combining for 9.5 sacks in the course of the 1987 playoffs, en path to a Tremendous Bowl XXII demolition.