2021 NFL free agents: Edge rusher
With the NFL's franchise-tag deadline in the past, attention moves to the opening of the league's free-agent negotiating window on March 15.
These are the best edge rushers slated to hit the market.
By position
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL
DL | ED | LB | CB | S
Top 100
Edge rusher
1. Shaq Barrett
Barrett enjoyed a phenomenal 2019 season with 19.5 sacks and six forced fumbles, and although he was less prolific in 2020 (eight sacks), the edge rusher exploded during the two biggest games of the year. Barrett notched four sacks between the NFC title game and Super Bowl LV, cementing himself as one of the league's best pass-rushers. After playing on the franchise tag last year, Barrett should ink a huge contract this offseason.
2. Yannick Ngakoue
Ngakoue has never produced fewer than eight sacks. But he's only reached double digits once, so any team that signs the five-year veteran knows what it's getting. Ngakoue can excel in the right system, but his shaky run defense and occasional in-game disappearances are valid concerns. There's a reason the Jaguars, Vikings, and Ravens all didn't give him a big-time extension.
3. Bud Dupree
Dupree broke out with 11.5 sacks in 2019 and was on pace for similar production last season before tearing his ACL in early December. Dupree's medical team believes he'll be cleared well before Week 1, though it's difficult to project how major knee surgery will impact a player whose effectiveness is tied to his explosiveness.
4. Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson was a little-known role player over his first three seasons, but he reached the brink of stardom with a 13.5-sack campaign for the Saints in his fourth year. The 26-year-old isn't an established superstar yet, but his most recent season will have potential suitors salivating.
5. Matt Judon
Despite falling short of his 2019 production, Judon earned a second straight Pro Bowl nod with a 50-tackle, six-sack campaign in Baltimore. He might not be the star defender a team can build around, but Judon can play a prominent role on a championship-caliber defense.
6. Leonard Floyd
Floyd registered double-digit sacks and looked great with the Rams, but so did Dante Fowler while playing alongside Aaron Donald. Fowler has given the Falcons three sacks since signing a $45-million contract, so the team that lands Floyd will be hoping for a vastly different outcome.
7. Haason Reddick
Any club that signs Reddick will get a defender trying to prove he's not a one-year wonder. After posting 7.5 sacks through his first three seasons, the 2017 first-round pick notched 12.5 sacks along with six forced fumbles in 2020.
8. Carl Lawson
Lawson ranked sixth in the NFL with 64 pressures last season, topping the likes of Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Myles Garrett. But with only 5.5 sacks - and 20 in 51 career games - there's no telling if all those close calls will eventually translate into big plays.
9. Justin Houston
Aging like a fine wine, the 32-year-old Houston posted 19 sacks and three safeties over two seasons with the Colts. He's now managed eight-plus sacks in four straight years.
10. Carlos Dunlap
Dunlap showed he can still get the job done with his five sacks and 14 quarterback hits over eight games for the Seahawks in 2020. Seattle could look to re-sign him after cutting the pass-rusher to avoid a $14-million cap hit.
11. Melvin Ingram
Ingram may have cost himself some money trying to play through a knee injury in 2020. After failing to register a sack over seven games, he might need to re-establish his value on a short-term deal.
12. Jadeveon Clowney
The days of Clowney searching for a megadeal appear to be over, as he's managed just three sacks over his last 21 games. He's always been good against the run and can still contribute to a pass rush, giving him value as a middle-tier free agent.
13. Romeo Okwara
The owner of 10 sacks in 2020, Okwara fits best as a situational pass-rusher. The former undrafted free agent gets into trouble when he's asked to shoulder a heavier workload.
14. Ryan Kerrigan
Kerrigan can contribute as a situational pass-rusher, but he's stated his desire to return to a starting role. The 32-year-old could face a cold market unless he changes his mind.
15. Olivier Vernon
Vernon is coming off a nine-sack campaign with the Browns, but he's expected to miss most of the 2021 season recovering from a torn Achilles. He might generate interest from teams that can afford to stash him on injured reserve.