After talking about running backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers, let’s go defense for a bit. Rushing the QB was always important, but as the passing game grew, so did the necessity of a great pass rusher. Some great defenses didn’t have one, but an elite edge rusher can elevate the floor of a defense like no other position.
NFL teams always tried to get better at sacking the QB. In 1993, the first free agency period ever, Reggie White signed a 4-year, $17 million contract. Even though this is the contract good punters get nowadays, back in 1993, it was huge. It was groundbreaking
As we know – having an elite edge rusher can transform a defense. Well, the players in today’s article did. And at a high level. Now let’s dive in.
#10: Robert Quinn, St. Louis Rams (2013)
You know this is a hard list to crack when a 19-sack, 7-fumble, 23-tackles for loss season is only at 10th. Quinn did it all for the Rams’ defense in 2013, recording 35% of the team’s sacks and almost 25% of their turnovers.
#9: Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019)
Barrett started the 2019 season off to a historical pace, getting 9.0 sacks in the first month. He understandably fizzled out a bit, but he still had 7 takeaways and 51 pressures besides his 19.5 sacks. He never had another season quite like 2019, but he was a special player for the Buccaneers that year.
#8: Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts (2013)
The early 2010s were great for edge rushers, with six members on the list between 2010-2014. Mathis is the only one to do it after turning 30 years old, showing that technique and experience are just as important as physicality. If recording 19.5 sacks wasn’t enough, Mathis also forced 10 fumbles in 2013, tying an NFL record. Fitting for the players with the most forced fumbles in league history.
#7: DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys (2008)
One of the best pass rushers of the century, Ware had to be on this list. He may have been second in the DPOY voting that year, but his 20.0 sacks, 6 fumbles, and 27 tackles for loss are more than enough to get him on this list. When a Hall of Famer has the best season of his career, it’s usually going to be amazing.
#6: Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs (2014)
Houston was a very consistent player. He was in the league for 13 years and had a few seasons with double-digit sacks. In 2014, though, he played like his life depended on it. With 22.0 sacks, he only had three games without a sack and six with multiple sacks, including a 4-sack game to finish the season.
#5: J.J. Watt, Houston Texans (2012)
The first of two MVP-caliber seasons, Watt put on a show in just his second season in the league. If 20.5 sacks weren’t enough, he also shattered the record for tackles for loss, with 39. To put it in context, the record at the time was 27. He also had four forced fumbles and 16 passes defended. There are very good cornerbacks with fewer passes defended in a season.
#4: Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings (2011)
Jared Allen had as many games with 0 sacks as he had with 3+. At the time, he got closer to breaking Strahan’s record than anyone and was just the third player ever to have at least 22.0 sacks in a season. He also had 5 takeaways, 1 safety, and 21 tackles for loss that season. He finally got his spot in the Hall of Fame, and no doubt that the 2011 season was one of the biggest reasons.
#3: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers (2021)
The younger Watt is the only one on the list after 2020. With the league changing rules to protect quarterbacks even further, it’s impressive that T.J. Watt had 22.5 sacks, tying Straham’s record. He could’ve broken it, but Watt missed two games in 2021. With another 52 pressures, 5 fumbles, and 21 tackles for loss, T.J. Watt was elected the Defensive Player of the Year by a landslide.
#2: J.J. Watt, Houston Texans (2014)
Watt is one of the best defenders in the history of the NFL, and certainly the best edge rusher of the century. So yes, he’s the only one to be here twice. To me, his 2014 season was the best by a defender in the century. Winning his second DPOY award, Watt had 20.5 sacks, 5 takeaways, 29 tackles for loss, and 5 touchdowns. The only reason he’s not at the top is that three of the touchdowns came on offense, but Watt should’ve been the 2014 MVP.
#1: Michael Strahan, New York Giants (2001)
The man who broke an almost 20-year-old record, Strahan put on the show in the first year of the century. While I was on diapers, Strahan was giving nightmares to every quarterback and offensive tackle facing him. He didn’t record a sack for the first two games, but he was just heating up. In the 7 games after that, he had 15 sacks. A 3.5-sack game in Week 16 meant he was just one sack away from breaking Mark Gastineau’s record. With less than three minutes in the game, Strahan gets Favre in a rollout, reaching 22.5 and breaking the record. 25 years later, no one has gotten to 23.
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