• Nick Herbig takes the lead: The second-year edge rusher holds the league's highest pass-rush grade at 93.4.
• A breakout year for Milton Williams: The Eagles defensive lineman set a career high with nine pressures in the Eagles’ Week 13 victory over Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
We know that quarterback is the most important position on the field, but a great pass rush is the ultimate equalizer. Pressure disrupts timing, rhythm and accuracy, something only the elite quarterbacks can consistently overcome.
Last season, 15 of the top 16 teams in PFF pass-rushing grade had a winning record. The New York Jets (7-10) certainly had a playoff-caliber defense, but their season was derailed after losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the opener.
Each week, after every NFL game is graded and reviewed, PFF will check in on the top pass rushers of the 2024 season. Now into the second half of the season, the grades have stabilized, and we have a clearer picture of the league’s best pass rushers.
Here are the top 32 pass-rushers for the 2024 season after Week 12. For more grades and statistics on the league's best pass-rushers, check out PFF Premium Stats.
Editor's note: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions: 95.0 pass-rush grade
Lions Pro Bowl Edge Aidan Hutchinson will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a fractured tibia and fibula in the team’s dominant 47-9 victory over Dallas in Week 6. As a result, he will no longer be ranked in this piece.
Hutchinson was in a league of his own, racking up 72 pass-rush wins – the most ever recorded by any defensive player in the PFF era over the first six weeks of the season. Incredibly, this was accomplished in just five games, as Detroit had a bye in Week 5.
Hutchinson was the clear favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, and it’s a devastating loss for a Lions team that has a legitimate chance to make their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
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