NFL pass rusher rankings before week 16

• Abdul Carter is in a level of his own: No rookie pass rusher can match him in PFF pass-rush grade (80.4), pressures (48) or winning percentage (13.8%), and he was the league’s second-highest rated pass rusher in Week 15.

• Myles Garrett is closing in on the NFL sack record: With another 1.5 added to his total in Week 15, Garrett is now just 1.5 away from breaking the season sack record.

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

We know the 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, 13 of the top 15 teams in the PFF pass-rush class had a winning record. In 2023, 15 of the top 16 teams in the PFF pass-rush class had a winning record. A dominant pass rush is undeniably crucial to a team’s success over the course of the season.

Each week, after each NFL game has been reviewed and graded, PFF checks in on the top pass rushers of the 2025 season. These rankings will change dramatically early in the campaign, as one sack, hit or pressure can significantly change a player’s grade if the sample size is small. But as the numbers go up, the numbers will stabilize and we’ll get a clearer picture of the best pass rushers in the league.

Here are the 32 best pass rushers for the 2025 season after Week 15. For more numbers and stats on the best pass rushers in the league, visit PFF Premium Stats.

Highlights from week 15

Best Pass Rusher: Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings

Greenard sparked a relentless Vikings pass rush that racked up 31 pressures along the way against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. His PFF pass-rush grade of 91.6 was the highest mark for all pass rushers in Week 15, but unfortunately his season will end on that high note as he will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after aggravating the injury in the win.

Most pressure: Zach Allen, Denver Broncos

Allen’s 12 pressures against the Packers doubled his record of six from the previous season and set a career high in the process. Five of his pressures were quarterback hits, giving Ravens edge defender Dre’Mont Jones the most in the NFL in Week 15.

Highest winning percentage: Dre’Mont Jones, Baltimore Ravens

Jones was part of a dominant Ravens defense that shut out the Bengals on the road in Week 15. The seventh-year pro led the NFL in pass-rush winning percentage this week (28.6%) and had his best game with the team after being acquired in a trade with the Titans in early November.

Best Rookie Pass Rusher: Abdul Carter, New York Giants

Carter’s PFF pass-rush grade of 90.6 trailed only Jonathan Greenard for the highest score of any player in Week 15. The third overall pick in this year’s draft generated four pressures, including a strip sack on quarterback Marcus Mariota in the first quarter.

#Giants EDGE Abdul Carter in week 15:

– 90.6 pass rush grade (2nd in NFL)
– 4 presses
– 1 sack, forced fumble
– 17.4% win rate

* 17th ranked pass rusher in the league and has been playing his best ball of the season in recent weeks

📈📈📈 pic.twitter.com/oBexXJ9AWf

— Ryan Smith (@PFF_RyanSmith) December 16, 2025

Highlights of the season

Best Pass Rusher: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns

Garrett’s PFF pass-rush grade of 93.5 leads all players this season. He is coming off a 1.5-sack performance against the Bears in Week 15, the eighth straight game in which he has recorded at least one sack. The six-time All-Pro needs just one and a half sacks over the final three games of the regular season to break the NFL record for sacks in a single season.

Most pressure: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions

Hutchinson generated five pressures in Week 15 against the Rams, the eleventh time in fourteen games he has generated at least five pressures this season. His pressure rating of 85 is the highest in the NFL, just ahead of Texans edge defender Will Anderson Jr. (82).

Highest win rate: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns

Garrett (27.0%) and Will Anderson Jr. (26.8%) are the only two players in the NFL with a winning percentage above 23.5% through Week 15. If Garrett finishes the year on top, it would be his third straight season doing so.

Best Rookie Pass Rusher: Abdul Carter, New York Giants

Carter is in a tier of his own when it comes to rookie pass rushers this season, leading the way in PFF pass-rush grade (80.4), pressures (48) and winning percentage (13.8%).