Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons Lead Top 10 NFL EDGE Rankings by Coaches, Execs in New Poll

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett was the unanimous pick as the NFL's best edge-rusher in the annual rankings from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Every person inside the league polled by Fowler picked Garrett for the No. 1 spot.

"He's seen every type of help an offense can give — slide to him, chips from tight ends and running backs, only run plays away from him — and he has a game plan or counter for all of it," one coordinator said. "From a mental standpoint, it's really impressive."

Micah Parsons moved up one spot to No. 2 despite tearing his ACL midway through his first season with the Green Bay Packers.

Here's the full top 10:

1. Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
2. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
3. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
4. Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
5. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
6. Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
7. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
9. Brian Burns, New York Giants
10. Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos

Before the injury, Parsons was justifying his historic $186 million extension. He had 12.5 sacks and 27 hits on the quarterback through 14 games.

"There are two guys that never really get blocked in the NFL, and it's those two guys — Myles and Micah," one coordinator said. "You do what you can with movements and quick game, and it's not enough."

In the case of Garrett, there was no other choice for the top spot after he set the single-season sack record with 23. Now that he's on the Los Angeles Rams, he may finally taste the kind of team success befitting one of best players of his era.

Houston Texans star Will Anderson Jr. had the biggest climb up the ranking, going from eighth to third. He was an All-Pro in 2025 after finishing with 54 combined tackles, 12 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.

"I still feel like he's underrated to a degree," one NFC scout told Fowler. "True three-down force multiplier who demands attention and has the rare ability to elevate the play of teammates."

The Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt went in the opposite direction, with one AFC executive saying he's "definitely in decline."

Watt's seven sacks were tied for his second-lowest, and Fowler noted he had the worst pass-rush win rate (11.7 percent) among his top-10 peers. That bumped the eight-time Pro Bowler from second to seventh.