- Jeffery Simmons is grading out as the NFL’s top interior defender: His 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade in Week 17 ranked first among all defenders, and he is now a full grade point ahead of the Chiefs‘ Chris Jones for the season.
- Nic Scourton flashed in Week 17: The Panthers rookie paced the draft class in PFF pass-rush grade (81.7) and pass-rush win rate (23.5%) for the week.
- Get PFF+ for 30% off: Use promo code HOLIDAY30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more — everything you need to win your season.
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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, 13 of the top 15 teams in PFF pass-rush grade had a winning record. In 2023, 15 of the top 16 teams in PFF pass-rush grade 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 every NFL game is graded and reviewed, PFF will check in on the top pass rushers of the 2025 season. These rankings will change drastically early in the campaign, as one sack, hit or pressure can significantly alter a player’s grade when the sample size is small. But as snap counts rise, the grades will stabilize and we’ll get a clearer picture of the league’s best pass rushers.
Here are the top 32 pass rushers for the 2025 season after Week 17. For more grades and statistics on the league’s best pass-rushers, check out PFF Premium Stats.
| Rank | Player | Team | Pass-Rush Grade | Pass-Rush Win % | Pressures | Batted Passes |
| 1 | Myles Garrett | Browns | 92.9 | 24.1 | 75 | 1 |
| 1 | Micah Parsons | Packers | 92.9 | 22.6 | 79 | 0 |
| 3 | Aidan Hutchinson | Lions | 91.9 | 22.4 | 92 | 1 |
| 4 | Will Anderson Jr. | Texans | 91.8 | 26.7 | 92 | 1 |
| 5 | Jeffery Simmons | Titans | 91.7 | 20.1 | 62 | 3 |
| 6 | Chris Jones | Chiefs | 90.7 | 16.6 | 60 | 2 |
| 7 | Danielle Hunter | Texans | 90.0 | 20.9 | 82 | 2 |
| 8 | Joey Bosa | Bills | 88.7 | 15.6 | 47 | 2 |
| 9 | Maliek Collins | Browns | 87.2 | 14.0 | 28 | 0 |
| 10 | Jowon Briggs | Jets | 86.4 | 15.6 | 37 | 0 |
| 11 | Nick Herbig | Steelers | 85.4 | 16.1 | 44 | 0 |
| 12 | Cameron Heyward | Steelers | 84.7 | 14.9 | 49 | 5 |
| 13 | Dexter Lawrence | Giants | 84.4 | 13.8 | 32 | 2 |
| 14 | Byron Young | Rams | 83.8 | 16.8 | 61 | 0 |
| 15 | Abdul Carter | Giants | 82.4 | 14.4 | 61 | 0 |
| 16 | Kobie Turner | Rams | 82.2 | 13.7 | 51 | 3 |
| 17 | Josh Hines-Allen | Jaguars | 81.6 | 18.4 | 86 | 3 |
| 18 | Jared Verse | Rams | 81.2 | 16.9 | 75 | 0 |
| 19 | Nik Bonitto | Broncos | 80.6 | 17.0 | 68 | 1 |
| 20 | Alex Highsmith | Steelers | 80.3 | 16.4 | 41 | 0 |
| 21 | Jalen Carter | Eagles | 78.8 | 12.1 | 41 | 6 |
| 22 | Vita Vea | Buccaneers | 78.5 | 13.5 | 50 | 3 |
| 23 | Odafe Oweh | Chargers | 77.5 | 16.0 | 43 | 0 |
| 24 | Greg Rousseau | Bills | 77.2 | 16.0 | 55 | 2 |
| 25 | Jaelan Phillips | Eagles | 77.1 | 18.8 | 73 | 2 |
| 25 | Maxx Crosby | Raiders | 77.1 | 14.4 | 53 | 4 |
| 27 | Byron Murphy II | Seahawks | 76.7 | 11.8 | 48 | 0 |
| 28 | Yaya Diaby | Buccaneers | 76.6 | 17.9 | 59 | 2 |
| 29 | Laiatu Latu | Colts | 75.9 | 15.6 | 59 | 1 |
| 30 | George Karlaftis | Chiefs | 75.8 | 16.6 | 66 | 1 |
| 31 | DeForest Buckner | Colts | 74.9 | 12.2 | 36 | 0 |
| 32 | Zach Allen | Broncos | 74.5 | 12.5 | 68 | 5 |
| 32 | T.J. Watt | Steelers | 74.5 | 11.7 | 43 | 6 |
Week 17 Highlights
Best Pass Rusher: Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
The Saints had no answers for Jeffery Simmons in Week 17, as his 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade ranked first among all defenders. His top play was a forced fumble on a sack of quarterback Tyler Shough on the team’s opening possession. Simmons was one of five players who logged a 30% pass-rush win rate or higher for the week.
The former first-round pick out of Mississippi State is having a career year, leading all interior defenders in PFF pass-rush grade (91.7) and win rate (20.1%) while ranking second in pressures (62).
Most Pressures: Chase Young, New Orleans Saints
Young racked up a league-high eight pressures in Week 17 as the Saints won their fourth straight game. He missed the first five games of the season while recovering from a calf injury but has been a difference-maker since returning, leading New Orleans with 40 pressures and 8.5 sacks over that span.
Highest Win Rate: Dallas Turner, Minnesota Vikings
Turner is coming off his best game as a pro against the Lions in Week 17, one in which he led the NFL with a pass rush win rate of 32.0%. He has helped fill the void at EDGE when Jonathan Greenard was shut down for the season with a shoulder injury earlier this month.
Best Rookie Pass Rusher: Nic Scourton, Carolina Panthers
Scourton had his best pass-rushing game of the season, recording an 81.7 PFF pass-rush grade in Week 17 against the Seahawks — the best mark among rookies. His 23.5% pass-rush win rate was also the highest clip among rookies for the week.
Season Highlights
Best Pass Rusher: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Garrett’s 92.9 PFF pass-rush grade leads the NFL, although he has been held in check over the past two weeks (six pressures and a half sack). The six-time All-Pro needs one sack in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals to set the record for sacks in a season. In their first meeting back in Week 1, Garrett sacked quarterback Joe Burrow twice and generated five pressures.
Most Pressures: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions; Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
Hutchinson has been the league leader in total pressures for most of the season but is now tied with Texans’ star Will Anderson Jr. (92) ahead of Week 18. Anderson has been the more consistent pass rusher of the two, recording at least four pressures in all but one game this season.
Highest Win Rate: Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
Anderson (26.7%) has pulled away from Myles Garrett (24.1%) down the stretch for the top spot in pass rush win rate this season. The star EDGE defenders are two of six players with a pass rush win rate higher than 20.0% heading into the final week of the season.
Best Rookie Pass Rusher: Abdul Carter, New York Giants
Carter has been in a tier of his own this season when it comes to rookie pass rushers, leading the way in PFF pass-rush grade (82.4), pressures (71) and win rate (14.4%). The third overall pick in this year’s draft has gotten stronger as the season has gone on, generating 23 pressures and 3.5 sacks over the past four games.
