Ranking The 15 Best NFL Defensive Ends

Ranking The 15 Best NFL Defensive Ends

The defensive designation is critical in driving a club to long-term success in the NFL. In the NFL, small nuances may make or break you. So, who are the top defensive ends in the NFL? Stay tuned to discover out!

Finding the appropriate defensive balance is crucial for gaining an advantage in the most crucial battles.

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.

15. Jerry Hughes

Jerry Ray Hughes Jr. is an American defensive end who now plays for the Houston Texans.

Despite the fact that Hughes will be 34 years old when the season begins, he has shown no signs of slowing down.

UGHES HAS ALSO RECORDED IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS TO KEEP US EXCITED IF THE PAST IS ANY INDICATOR 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, the Bills have been working with recent draft picks like A.J.

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.

ALSO, OVER THAT SAME SPAN, HE 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, who was born on September 8, 1992, is an American football player for the Minnesota Vikings.

Smith has produced some of his best plays since moving from the Baltimore Ravens to the Green Bay Packers.

Moreover, THE PACKERS’ STAR MAN POSTED A CAREER-HIGH 89.7 OVERALL GRADE IN A DOMINANT 2019 SEASON.

Furthermore, with a total of 93 pressures, he topped the NFL.

Despite having an ordinary 2020 season, the 30-year-old managed to earn 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 MENTION, THE WISCONSIN STARLET HAS FOUR CONSECUTIVE 90.0-PLUS PFF GRADES.

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

Vonnie B’VSean Miller is an American football player for the Buffalo Bills.

He was born in Dallas, Texas.

Miller expects to return to his customary good form after recovering from a major ankle injury.

THE VERSATILE PROFESSIONAL HAD A PFF GRADE OF 79.3 BEFORE HIS INJURY IN 2019.

However, the 33-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 his opponents’ side.

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 CONSISTENTLY SHOWED HIS UNDENIABLE QUALITY ON THE FIELD SINCE HIS THIRD-ROUND SELECTION OUT OF LSU BACK 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.

Furthermore, the 6 ft 5 in (1.98m) tall athlete has 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.

HIS FIRST ROLE WITH THE BUCCANEERS SINCE 2019 HAS RESULTED IN 157 TOTAL PRESSURES, MORE THAN ANY OTHER NFL EDGE DEFENDER.

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.

ADDITIONALLY, AS A ROOKIE, HE HAS AN OVERALL GRADE OF 87.1, PLACING HIM FIFTH AMONG NFL-QUALIFIED 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 CONSISTENTLY MAINTAINED A TOP-10 PASS-RUSH WIN RATE AT THE POSITION SINCE 2017.

In recent years, however, the 30-year-old has also been an exceptional run defender.

Demarcus has become one of seven players in his position to break the 90.0 mark with a run-defense grade of 90.1 since 2017.

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6.  Cameron Jordan

Cameron Tyler Jordan is an American football defensive end for the New Orleans Saints who was born in Chandler, Arizona.

JORDAN IS WELL KNOWN IN THE NFL FOR BEING ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE DEFENSIVE ENDS DURING HIS CAREER.

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.

BOSA WAS SIDELINED WITH A TORN ACL IN WEEK 2 OF THE 2020 SEASON, AFTER A STRONG ROOKIE SEASON IN 2019.

However, the 24-year-old expects to reclaim his spectacular form as the new season begins.

To demonstrate the good of a rookie season, Bosa’s 80 pressures easily outpaced those 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 RANKED AT THE VERY TOP OF ALMOST EVERY SIGNIFICANT PASS-RUSH GRADE CATEGORY SINCE HIS ARRIVAL IN THE LEAGUE.

He also ranks in the 98th percentile for 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 plays for the Los Angeles Chargers.

It didn’t take long for the very versatile outside linebacker to establish himself as one of the league’s elite pass-rushers.

Bosa was a force to be reckoned with from the start, recording 59 pressures as a rookie in 2016.

MOREOVER, IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE, THE 2016 NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HAS ONLY CONTINUED TO IMPROVE.

Furthermore, since 2016, he has been the only active edge rusher with a pass-rush victory rate greater than 20%.

While he has proven his worth time and again, Bosa has been plagued by ailments.

As a result, questions about his fitness linger ahead of the 2021 season.

2. T.J. Watt

Trent Jordan “T. J.” Watt is an American football player who now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Watt is best renowned for his natural ability to command the field with his powerful presence.

Over the last two seasons in Pittsburgh, the 28-year-old has put up incredible pass-rushing numbers.

WATT LEADS ALL EDGE DEFENDERS IN SACKS WITH 29.5, AND HE SITS TOP ON THE LEADERBOARD WITH 46 QUARTERBACK HITS SINCE 2019.

The Wisconsin outside linebacker is second in total pressures, trailing only Shaquil Barrett.

Watt also had PFF grades of 91.3 and 91.6 with the Steelers the prior two years.

T.J. is a master at his trade. has emerged as an NFL standout edge rusher and serious Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

1. Khalil Mack

Khalil Delshon Mack is an American football outside linebacker and defensive end who currently plays for the Los Angeles Chargers.

MACK HAS ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS AN EVER-DEPENDABLE ATHLETE SINCE STORMING INTO THE SPORT IN 2014.

Unsurprisingly, Khalil showed early glimpses of genius.

Mack was awarded Defensive Rookie of the Year by ESPN’s NFL Live analysts after a string of outstanding performances.

His great stats mirror his domination on the field.

In each of his first seven NFL seasons, the 31-year-old has had an overall grade of 85.0 or higher.

Furthermore, PFF WAR ranked Mack as the league’s most valuable edge rusher in 2020, demonstrating his on-field domination.

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Conclusion

A strong and dependable defensive lineup can help transform a weak club into a genuine title contender.

It allows a team to build on a strong foundation while freeing up the attackers to do their thing.

Finally, the players stated above are the foundations of their individual teams, allowing the group to achieve the ideal balance.

As a result, they have solidified their places among the 15 Best NFL Defensive Ends.