Von Miller, Aldon Smith and the NFL's Best Young Pass-Rushers

Gradually, the NFL has become a pass-friendly league, as the majority of the recent rule changes have been in favor of the offense. If teams are going to the air more to gain yardage, then opposing defenses must rush the quarterback better to be far more effective in pass coverage.

A pass-rusher's primary responsibility is getting to the quarterback. The league hasn’t seen such an infusion of young, athletic pass rushers in a real long time. They all can disrupt a backfield.

Here are the NFL’s best young pass-rushers.

Denver Broncos LB Von Miller

The Denver Broncos' defensive game plan is very simple: They must put pressure on the quarterback to be successful. Quickly, the NFL is learning that LB Von Miller (11.5 sacks) is very difficult for any team to contain.

He uses his hands to stand linemen up at the line of scrimmage, and then sheds them to pursue the quarterback. The more attention Miller receives, the less double-teams DE Elvis Dumervil will see, who then can rush the passer and bat down passes at the line of scrimmage.

Miller is a beast that sets the tone for the defense, and could be the best draft pick ever by the Mile High City. 

San Francisco 49ers LB Aldon Smith

What a rookie season for San Francisco 49ers LB Aldon Smith (14 sacks), as he’s often steamrolling a tackle on his way to the quarterback. The amazing part of his season is that he began only playing on obvious passing downs.

Smith will become a headache for offensive coordinators once he learns how to play the outside linebacker position.

The fans in San Francisco have to admit that they screamed “who’s this guy” after the Niners drafted him last April. Now, everyone is glad the team drafted Smith, as he is going to be a defensive stud for years to come. 

New York Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul

DE Jason Pierre-Paul has become the heart and soul of the New York Giants defense and richly deserves all of the accolades he has received this season.

His range of attack is from sideline-to-sideline, as Pierre-Paul’s numbers (89 tackles and 16.5 sacks) are awfully impressive. Yes, three other defensive linemen had more sacks that him, but Pierre-Paul led them all in tackles. 

More importantly, he often plays a big part in turning momentum towards the Giants direction with key defensive stops.

Who could forget his safety or blocked field goal against the Dallas Cowboys in a key NFC East matchup?

St. Louis Rams DE Chris Long

The St. Louis Rams have just completed the worst five-year stretch in the franchise’s history, as they assembled a fairly talented group of young players only to receive disappointing results.

Yet again, DE Chris Long (13 sacks) has been a standout on the defensive side of the ball, as he has teamed with Robert Quinn to become one of the best pass-rushing defensive end duos in the NFL. Long has been a steady disruptor in opposing backfields all season, with countless knockdowns and hurries.

Just imagine how many sacks he could have if the Rams were playing with a lead more often, thus forcing their opposition to throw the ball more. 

Houston Texans LB Connor Barwin

Houston Texans LB Connor Barwin has a bright future in the NFL, as he has become the new defensive team leader after DE Mario Williams sustained a season-ending injury.

New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips wanted an edge pass-rusher from the outside linebacker position, and all season Barwin has kept the pressure on the quarterback.

Team officials felt the public just didn’t understand the significant role of Barwin’s injury (dislocated ankle) in the Texans demise last season, as his pass-rushing skills are highly coveted in the league. 

Detroit Lions DE Cliff Avril

Slowly, the word is getting out on how good of a pass-rusher Detroit Lions DE Cliff Avril has become, as he creates havoc in the backfield. Under head coach Jim Schwartz, Avril is an important component (exploding off the perimeter) of the Lions ferocious pass rush.

His 11 sacks and six forced fumbles will make him the most sought-after unrestricted free agent this offseason. Some scouts feel Avril will have no trouble fitting into other defensive schemes.

The Lions can ill afford to lose him, as his production will be hard to replace on their defensive front.