Key is a designated pass-rusher whose game is predicated on his first step. The 2018 third-round pick has a good get-off to win with speed and bend around the edge, collecting 30.5 career sacks so far. The former Tennessee Titan will have a chance to take on a bigger role with the Indianapolis Colts this year.

Omenihu's true position blurs the lines between an edge defender and a defensive lineman. But in reality, he's just a pure pass-rusher who can contribute from multiple alignments. The seven-year veteran can win with power and work offensive linemen's hands; he just doesn't make much of an impact against the run.

While Miller hasn't made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team since having ankle surgery and missing the entire 2020 season, he's still an effective pass-rusher. Don't get it twisted, the future Hall of Famer isn't the same player he used to be, but he can still turn speed to power effectively and work the hands to win around the edge. Any playoff contender that needs an edge rusher should be hitting up Miller's agent sooner rather than later. Just don't expect him to contribute much outside of being a pass-rusher.

With Jonathon Cooper's status up in the air at the time of writing, Elliss could be in line to take on a much bigger role during his third NFL season. He's been used as a designated pass-rusher so far, and has been solid at it due to his diverse arsenal as a rusher. However, the 2024 third-round pick hasn't been used much against the run and needs to improve his ability to take on blocks to become a well-rounded starter.

Unfortunately, Scourton will miss a crucial season of development after tearing an ACL during training camp. That clouds his projection moving forward. Last season, Scourton stood out with his ability to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher. After he recovers, he needs to add a changeup to keep offensive tackles on their toes, but assuming he bounces back, he'll have a solid foundation to build off. The second-round pick also made a handful of quality plays against the run as a rookie, sniffing out crack blocks from wide receivers and beating blocks from tight ends to make stops. He just needs to be more consistent and better against offensive linemen.

While Van Noy had a good year in 2024, he took a step back last season, where a lot of his production came when unblocked. That makes it difficult to project how effective the 35-year-old will be moving forward. At his best, the former Pro Bowler can be a well-rounded edge defender who contributes in both phases of the game.

Odeyingbo's first season in Chicago was cut short due to a torn Achilles, and he wasn't playing particularly well in the eight games before the injury. At his best, the Vanderbilt product is a solid all-around defensive end who can win with power and an arm-over move as a pass-rusher, and uses his strength well to set the edge. But the five-year pro blossoming into a high-level starter would be a surprise at this stage.

At the conclusion of the 2023 campaign, Koonce looked like he was in line to receive a big payday. He had eight sacks in the last nine games of the season to build some momentum heading into a contract year, only to see it all go for naught by tearing an ACL about a week before the 2024 season opener. The injury impacted the Buffalo product's explosiveness a year ago, which is the root of his game. Koonce has a second chance to prove himself in Las Vegas this fall, but it remains to be seen if he can get back to his pre-injury form.

Jones is a solid pass-rusher who can win a variety of ways, showing the strength and leg drive to turn speed to power and the quickness and agility to work the edges or as the looper in line games. He's also shown the ability to get pressure on the interior or the edge to add some versatility to his game. The seven-year veteran just isn't much of a factor against the run.

As a pass-rusher, McGuire is more of an effort rusher who has enough size and strength to push the pocket and get pressures or sacks against longer developing pass plays. The three-year pro makes his money against the run, setting the edge and defeating blocks in a variety of ways to make tackles near the line of scrimmage. With Myles Garrett out in Cleveland, look for McGuire to take on a much bigger role this season.

Uche falling out of favor with the Philadelphia Eagles last season is a bit of a mystery, because he was playing well during the first eight weeks. While he only registered one sack, the former Eagle generated a good amount of pressure during his limited opportunities and provided serviceable play against the run. It will be interesting to watch how the 2020 second-round pick performs with a bigger opportunity in Miami.

As a pass-rusher, the majority of Hunt's product still came via effort or when unblocked, but he did show growth with his hand usage last season to help go from 1.5 to 6.5 sacks from year one to year two. That being said, what's kept the 2024 third-round pick from being a consistent starter so far is that he struggles to set the edge consistently and is reliant on using his athleticism to work around blocks to make an impact as a run defender. However, Hunt's three interceptions in 2025 were pretty impressive to earn back some versatility points.

Granderson has only spent two out of seven career seasons as a full-time starter and was more of a rotational player last year. But he's a good contributor, as the 6'5", 261-pound defensive end uses his size well to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher and set the edge against the run. He also has a dirty spin move as a counter and made several plays while taking on pullers in 2025.

Chubb certainly isn't as explosive as he used to be after the knee injury, but he can still be a productive pass-rusher with his ability to turn speed to power. However, the former Bronco and Dolphin doesn't make much of an impact against the run. At this point in his career, the 30-year-old is closer to the "just another guy" category than he is to being a true difference-maker.

Even as a draft prospect, Robinson wasn't viewed as much of a run defender. So, it's no surprise that he's struggled in that department during his first two NFL seasons. However, the Penn State product has always been a high-level athlete who can get after the quarterback and was a good pass-rusher as a rookie. Robinson regressed in year two, though, in that he wasn't winning nearly as much and struggled to finish reps. That makes this season a big one for the upcoming third-year pro.

McDonald makes his money as a pass-rusher, owning the best spin move in the NFL and the ability to turn speed to power. That's how the 2023 first-round pick has accumulated 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons. However, he is a liability in the running game, struggling to set the edge consistently.

Chaisson is certainly a designated pass-rusher at this stage, but he's revived his career with 12.5 sacks over the last two seasons. The 2020 first-round pick has really expanded his repertoire, winning around both edges with a variety of moves and by turning speed to power. That gives Chaisson a good role in Washington, as the Commanders have struggled to get after the quarterback in recent years.

While Fowler had a down year statistically, going from 10.5 sacks in 2024 to just three in 2025, his movement skills are still there. The tape shows an athletic and quick edge-rusher who can work the edges, but he certainly is a designated pass-rusher at this point in his career. The 2015 No. 3 overall pick has carved out a good niche, though. It's helped him overcome a devastating knee injury shortly after getting drafted to play 10, going on 11 seasons in the NFL while racking up 58.5 career sacks and counting.

Booker has the potential to break out as a pass-rusher this season. A knee injury limited him to just 10 games in 2025, and he managed to record 4.5 sacks while showing off an impressive long-arm move and a couple of counters off it. The 2024 fifth-round pick is more opportunistic against the run, making tackles when unblocked or against tight ends, but the flashes are there to suggest he can become at least serviceable in that department.

Injuries are always a concern with Bosa, but he can still contribute as a pass-rusher when healthy. The five-time Pro Bowler is still effective at pushing the pocket with power and working the hands to get pressure despite the dip in sack production over the last few years. But he did regress and wasn't very impactful as a run defender last season.

Walker provided plenty of flashes as a pass-rusher during his rookie campaign to suggest he has a bright future, showing off some impressive athleticism and quickness to win around the edge. However, a lot of the 2025 first-round pick's production came when he was unblocked or via stunts, especially when working against the run. The Georgia product can improve significantly by winning one-on-one opportunities more frequently and making plays on his own. He may have to wait until 2027, however, after suffering an ACL injury during training camp.

Paye is an interesting pass-rusher because he has the traits to become a very good one and had a three-year run where he recorded 22.5 sacks from 2022 to 2024. However, he's still pretty one-dimensional, relying heavily on winning with power, and is coming off a down season by tying his career low with just four sacks. The 2021 first-round pick is a good edge-setter against the run and has the strength to defeat blocks to make tackles for short gains, though. It's just a matter of whether he can turn the corner as a pass-rusher to live up to the pre-draft hype.

Pearce had an impressive rookie campaign as a pass-rusher, notching double-digit sacks with 10.5 in year one. His ability to turn speed to power and use a cross-chop move as a counter keeps offensive tackles on their heels. That, combined with his athleticism and closing speed, gives the Tennessee product a bright future. However, Pearce was a non-factor against the run, and his off-the-field concerns have already surfaced in the NFL.

Nwosu isn't as quick as he used to be, but the eight-year veteran can still work the hands and has the bend to win around the edges as a pass-rusher. He also has a decent long-arm move and is solid at turning speed to power to push the pocket, collecting seven sacks for the Super Bowl Champs last season. Nwosu just isn't an impactful run defender anymore.

Van Ness has had a frustrating career to date. He infamously never started in college and has always been a bit of a project, especially for a first-round pick, owning a good combination of size and athleticism at 6'5", 272 pounds with a 9.39 Relative Athletic Score as a prospect. That's shown up in flashes in the NFL, but the Iowa product needs to be more consistent to live up to his draft status. With the Packers trading away Rashan Gary in the offseason and Micah Parsons potentially missing time at the beginning of the season, Van Ness should have plenty of opportunities to prove himself, where 2026 is a "now or never" type of campaign for Van Ness.