Ranking the 10 best NFL edge pass-rushers ever

There are three tried and true tenets to building a championship-caliber team. You have to have a good quarterback, you have to be able to protect said quarterback, and you need players who can harass the other team’s quarterback. Depending on who you ask, having a prolific pass-rusher or two might be the most important.

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That’s because, next to a quarterback, no one quite influences a game like a powerful pass-rusher. A remarkable defender off the edge is someone who can singlehandedly break a game, in effect nullifying whatever coherent game plan an offense thought it would execute. They literally can’t run a single positive play in the event a pass-rusher turns their switch on. Even the best quarterbacks and coaches are at the mercy of an edge pass-rusher who decides they are going to take over, no holds barred.

Here, we have the greatest edge pass-rushers ever to step in between the lines. These men took tremendous pleasure in scaring offensive players and in ruining the weekend of so many quarterbacks and coaches. Let’s dive in and see who stands on top amongst their peers.