Thorn: 2024 Defensive Line Rankings

There isn’t a more talent-rich, deeper position group than the defensive line. The biggest, fastest athletes on the field naturally gravitate towards the defensive side of the ball early in their lives and it bleeds into the college and pro levels. Combined with as nuanced and refined of an approach as ever before relative to the technical development of the position, specifically pass-rush tactics, it has resulted in pass protection being the most difficult (and arguably valuable) job in the NFL outside of playing quarterback.

These rankings will be useful in many ways. The most important component of picking a fantasy D/ST is their ability to put pressure on the quarterback. Start/sit decisions at quarterback and DFS projections should always include the opposing pass rush. In betting markets, line play is far more meaningful than the public believes.

My criteria for ordering all 32 pass-rushing defensive lines is predominantly based on film study, which included watching every game of the 2023 season at least once, focused strictly on the trenches. My process for evaluation is rooted in trait-based evaluations that assess skill sets, physical tools/traits, level of competition, production, and coaching. Combined with a preexisting knowledge of the majority of pass rushers from previous seasons of film study, personal insights from many of the players themselves, and dissecting some advanced metrics, this list was born and will be updated each week during the regular season.

For my 2024 offensive line rankings, click here.

 

Most teams have one defensive tackle that comes off of the field and/or an edge rusher that kicks inside on obvious passing downs, so these lineups factor that in and represent the best rushers listed at each position who will most likely be on the field in obvious passing situations.

 

Elite Pass-Rushing D-Lines | Very Good Pass-Rushing D-Lines | Solid Pass-Rushing D-Lines | Below-Average Pass-Rushing D-Lines | Pass-Rushing D-Line Liabilities

 

Tier 1: Elite Pass-Rushing Defensive Lines

 

Contrary to prior seasons where there were a few bonafide ‘elite’ units heading into a season, this year has more parity among the top tier with each of these units having a case for being considered the top group. Look at this tier as a pick ’em with each one possessing major strengths consistent with the premier pass-rushing lines of the past few years.

 

1. Jets

Edge – Haason Reddick
IDL – Quinnen Williams
IDL – Solomon Thomas/Michael Clemons
Edge – Jermaine Johnson/Will McDonald IV

Despite losing two quality rushers in Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers to free agency, the team has several younger, talented players in the pipeline primed for expanded roles such as former first-round picks Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald IV and inside-out threat Michael Clemons. Johnson finished with a respectable 56 pressures last season, including a Pressure Quality Ratio of .78 which, for context, was in the neighborhood of Rashan Gary, Khalil Mack, and Danielle Hunter. Perhaps the biggest key towards unlocking this unit’s potential is with McDonald, a second-year former first-rounder who saw less than 100 pass-rush snaps last year and will be counted on to produce as the unit’s top rotational edge rusher this season.

The team also added one of the most proficient sack artists in the league with Haason Reddick to help replace Huff’s production. With elite interior rusher Quinnen Williams spearheading the unit and massive resources allocated to the position, the Jets are in a good spot to sustain high-level play up front in 2024.

 

2. Steelers

Edge – T.J. Watt
IDL – Keanu Benton/Larry Ogunjobi
IDL – Cameron Heyward
Edge – Alex Highsmith

Armed with one of the game’s premier edge-rushing duos in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, the Steelers have two forces outside paired with an aging, yet-still-powerful Cam Heyward collapsing pockets in the middle. The unit has yet another homegrown fast riser in second-year tackle Keanu Benton, who is already a force against the run. Benton may not become a high-end rusher, but with elite run-defending potential and enough juice to keep guards honest in pass protection with Larry Ogunjobi and Nick Herbig rotating in, this is a stocked, talented group with star power and quality, young depth.

 

3. 49ers

Edge – Nick Bosa
IDL – Javon Hargrave
IDL – Maliek Collins
Edge – Leonard Floyd

While the 49ers probably won’t recapture the gangbusters level they were at in 2022, this is still a unit led by one of the league’s few bonafide ‘elite’ edge rushers in Nick Bosa and underrated star rusher Javon Hargrave. Hargrave finished with just 52 overall pressures, which is a decent number, but 30 of those were high-quality (true one-on-one wins) per my charting, making him one of the 10 most potent rushers at any position in the NFL last season. Spearheaded by this two-headed monster, the 49ers added a trio of high-quality complementary pieces in Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins, and Yetur Gross-Matos. Under an elite line coach in Kris Kocurek, this group looks talented enough to maintain their status in this tier for 2024.

 

4. Cowboys

Edge – DeMarcus Lawrence
IDL – Mazi Smith
IDL – Osa Odighizuwa
Edge – Micah Parsons

Dallas being ranked in the elite tier revolves almost solely around three players, led by megastar Micah Parsons. He lit the league on fire last year from virtually every alignment with unmatched quickness, burst, and sneaky good power. Parsons led the league in total pressures at 103 with a high-quality pressure every 7.5 snaps and 14 total sacks. Next is DeMarcus Lawrence, who is a stud run defender with a dominant signature cross-chop move and plenty of power to threaten guards and create mismatches on stunts. The third cog in this machine is Osa Odighizuwa, who started the year on a tear before slowing down a bit down the stretch but still finished with a respectable 43 pressures. Apart from these three, the team is banking on major development from recent high draft picks such as Sam Williams and Mazi Smith. Even with just a modest bump in production from them, the top of this unit is talented enough to carry the bulk of the load and maintain high-end production this season.

 

5. Giants

Edge – Brian Burns
IDL – Jordan Phillips
IDL – Dexter Lawrence
Edge – Kayvon Thibodeaux

The Giants made a splash in free agency this offseason with the addition of Brian Burns, pairing a very good rusher in Burns with an ascending one in Kayvon Thibodeaux. These two should trade-off in advantageous looks considering the bulldozer in the middle in Dexter Lawrence, who is the best pass-rushing nose tackle in recent memory. Winning with the game’s best bull-rush that is set up with a forklift technique, Lawrence routinely puts centers on skates and blows up the pocket, freeing up others around him in a unique way. Jordan Phillips is capable of getting hot and being a high-end fourth option while Azeez Ojulari is a nice rotational piece off the edge, giving this unit the makings of a top-tier group this season.

 

6. Packers

Edge – Preston Smith/Lukas Van Ness
IDL – Devonte Wyatt/Karl Brooks
IDL – Kenny Clark
Edge – Rashan Gary

Four of the Packers’ six players listed are former first-round picks with Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark leading the way as top-10 players at their respective positions. Preston Smith is a well-rounded veteran of the group while last year’s first-round selection, Lukas Van Ness, figures to have an expanded role supplementing him this season. Devonte Wyatt started to show some development last year (45 pressures) to provide them with at least some juice opposite Clark inside, but the real darkhorse here is Karl Brooks. Brooks’ ability to win quickly inside makes this a legit six-deep line with some star power at the top inside a brand-new, more attacking scheme that should result in a spike in pass-rush production.

 

7. Browns

Edge – Myles Garrett
IDL – Dalvin Tomlinson/Mike Hall Jr.
IDL – Shelby Harris
Edge – Za’Darius Smith

Led by the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year and most unblockable rusher one-on-one in the NFL in Myles Garrett, the Browns are difficult to leave out of the top tier even if their line is collectively older than the rest of the units with three of their four projected starters being 30+ years old. Za’Darius Smith is the No. 2 rusher and is coming off of another very good season, but there is a lack of juice on the interior that keeps them outside of the top five. The team did aim to address that with the addition of the explosive yet undersized Michael Hall Jr. in the second round this past draft, plus signing Quinton Jefferson in free agency, boosting the overall depth enough to secure their spot in Tier 1.

 

Tier 2: Very Good Pass-Rushing Defensive Lines

 

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