NFL edge rusher rankings 2026 put Myles Garrett’s Rams at No. 1
CBS Sports ranked every NFL edge group entering 2026, with the Rams on top after trading for Myles Garrett.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The NFL edge rusher rankings 2026 conversation starts in Los Angeles after the Rams landed Myles Garrett in what CBS Sports called the biggest trade of the offseason.
CBS Sports writer Carter Bahns ranked all 32 edge-rushing groups entering the season and placed the Rams at No. 1, citing Garrett’s arrival as the move that made an already dangerous defense even harder to handle.
Bahns wrote that the Rams’ odds of pushing for a second Super Bowl in six years improved after the Garrett deal, though he also pointed to serious competition near the top of the league.
Who has the best NFL edge rushers in 2026?
According to CBS Sports, the Rams have the league’s best edge rusher group going into 2026. Garrett’s addition is the headline reason, with Los Angeles moving ahead of other contenders with high-end pass-rush talent.
The Texans, Broncos and Ravens were all flagged by CBS Sports as part of the top-tier race. Houston returns a highly regarded tandem, Denver enters the year after one of the most productive team sack seasons in NFL history, and Baltimore joined the chase after acquiring Trey Hendrickson.
The Hendrickson move also reshaped the other end of the ranking. CBS Sports placed the Bengals at No. 29 after Cincinnati lost Hendrickson, leaving Boye Mafe, Demetrius Knight Jr., Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy as the key listed contributors in a younger group.
Why edge rushers are driving the rankings
Bahns framed the list around the premium teams now place on pass rushers. In his view, modern NFL passing games have made one difference-making edge player a requirement, while having two has become a major marker of playoff-caliber rosters.
The bottom of the CBS Sports list shows how quickly uncertainty can sink a group. Miami came in at No. 32, with Chop Robinson and Josh Uche listed as key contributors during what Bahns described as a broader Dolphins rebuild.
Carolina ranked No. 31 after Nic Scourton suffered a torn ACL on the first day of training camp, ending his season before it began. CBS Sports listed Jaelan Phillips and Patrick Jones II as the Panthers’ main edge contributors, while noting injury reliability concerns around the group.
Tennessee was No. 30, with John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson II, Jacob Martin and rookie Keldric Faulk listed. Bahns noted that Robert Saleh has familiarity with Franklin-Myers, Johnson and Martin from his Jets tenure.
Which teams are stuck in the middle?
Several familiar contenders landed in the middle tier of the CBS Sports ranking. The Chiefs were No. 26, with George Karlaftis, Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Ashton Gillotte listed, while Chris Jones’ interior pressure was described as a factor that can cover some edge concerns.
The Patriots ranked No. 25 after adding Dre’Mont Jones and second-round rookie Gabe Jacas to a group led by Harold Landry, though CBS Sports noted Landry’s knee remained an issue entering camp.
Dallas checked in at No. 21 in its post-Micah Parsons era, with Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence listed as the core. CBS Sports wrote that the Cowboys’ rush may not be spectacular right away, but has pieces that could grow.
Seattle ranked No. 16 after riding a deep pass-rush group and the NFL’s stingiest scoring defense to a Super Bowl win, according to CBS Sports. The Seahawks lost Boye Mafe but added Dante Fowler to a group with DeMarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall.
The full ranking makes the larger point clear: in 2026, the teams that can heat up quarterbacks off the edge are the teams everyone else has to solve.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.