Every Snub from Top 10 in New NFL EDGE Rankings by Coaches, Execs

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler released his list of the NFL's top 10 EDGE rushers on Tuesday, as voted on by anonymous league executives, coaches and scouts.

The entire top-10 list is as follows:

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)

While the top 10 is flush with stars who have produced at the highest level, there are also several big names who didn't make the list and could be considered snubs.

The three players who Fowler listed as honorable mentions are:

• Jared Verse (Cleveland Browns)
• Trey Hendrickson (Baltimore Ravens)
• Josh Hines-Allen (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Others who also received top-10 votes from executives, coaches and scouts, but fell short of the list include:

• Travon Walker (Jacksonville Jaguars)
• Jaelan Phillips (Carolina Panthers)
• Montez Sweat (Chicago Bears)
• Laiatu Latu (Indianapolis Colts)
• Nick Herbig (Pittsburgh Steelers)
• Alex Highsmith (Pittsburgh Steelers)

The first honorable mention was part of a blockbuster trade this offseason involving the No. 1 player on the top-10 list.

Verse was sent from the Los Angeles Rams to the Cleveland Browns as part of the package for Myles Garrett, who is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he registered an NFL single-season record 23 sacks.

Although Verse has yet to come anywhere close to that level of production during his career, he has already accomplished a great deal over just two seasons.

In addition to being the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Verse is a two-time Pro Bowler, and he is coming off a 2025 season that saw him set career highs in sacks (7.5), forced fumbles (three), tackles for loss (11) and quarterback hits (27).

Speaking to Fowler, an anonymous AFC executive commented on why Verse didn't quite crack the top 10, saying, "Love Verse, but some of the other rushers higher than him have more variety, whereas Verse is all power at times. But he's only going to get better and have a great career. He's a beast."

Next on the snub list is a more established pass-rusher with a long history of success at the NFL level in Hendrickson.

The 31-year-old Hendrickson is a nine-year NFL veteran with 81 career sacks, including 13.5 or more in four out of five seasons from 2020 to 2024.

With the Cincinnati Bengals, Hendrickson was a Pro Bowler four straight times from 2021 to 2024, and he was named a First Team All-Pro and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024 when he led the league with 17.5 sacks.

Injuries limited him to just seven games and four sacks last season, and he ultimately left Cincinnati to sign with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.

An anonymous NFL personnel evaluator cited injuries as a potential factor in why Hendrickson was left out of the top 10, telling Fowler, "He's been a great performer, but doesn't have the dominant traits as some of the others, so when age and injuries pile up, it's harder for him to stay toward the top."

The final honorable mention has been among the most consistent and reliable pass-rushers in the league since the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him seventh overall in the 2019 NFL draft.

Hines-Allen has had at least seven sacks in five consecutive seasons and six out of his seven NFL campaigns.

Although he hasn't reached double digits since 2023 when he recorded a career-high 17.5 sacks, Hines-Allen finished with eight sacks in each of the past two seasons, and has 61 for his career.

The two-time Pro Bowler forms one of the best one-two EDGE combinations in the league with his teammate, Travon Walker, who also received some top-10 votes.

As for why Hines-Allen didn't make the top 10 himself, an anonymous NFC scout told Fowler, "Not elite, but consistently very good, with a quality power-rush game."