NFL's Best Edge Rushers (2010 & Over the Past 3 Years) - Statistical Analysis

[Senator Palmer]

I came across this article from Pro Football Focus on the best edge rushers of 2010. Lies, damn lies, and statistics, I know, but I thought this was pretty interesting nonetheless. Interesting because it's surprising who the top 5-10 guys are. It uses a mathematical formula comprised of sacks, hurries, and hits by the total number of pass rushing snaps. You had to have a minimum of 200 pass rushing snaps to qualify; so 85 guys are ranked.

Just off the top of my head, before I saw this list my top 10 edge rushers last season would have been.

Demarcus Ware
Dwight Freeney
Cameron Wake
John Abraham
Tamba Hali
Clay Matthews

Now here are Pro Football Focus's top Edge Rushers of 2010. http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog...-edge-rushers/

Spoiler

1. Tamba Hali
2. Charles Johnson
3. Ray Edwards
4. Lamarr Woodley
5. Demarcus Ware

Now when I go back and look at my guys vs. PFF's top guys, it does explain why some of the guys I viewed as being top tier would have stretches where they were MIA vs. their top rushers, who when I went back and looked at their season, were more productive than I thought. One example is Charles Johnson, who languished in a bad team, but the few times I did see him play, he leaped out at me.

Who's your top guys? And is the list hogwash, or does it have some merit?

They also have a breakdown a bit further down on the most productive edge rushers over the past 3 seasons. The top guy there was also a surprise. Keep in mind, it's taking into account more than just sack numbers which aren't always indicative of an edge rusher's season.

[shnuskis]

Ray Edwards is a solid DE who had a fantastic season last year. But if he ends up on your team next year don't expect the same production. He benefited from Allen and K. Williams being on the same line.

The list has merit in the sense that those guys were putting pressure on the qb and had good seasons. That doesn't mean they are better than some of the guys you listed though. The amount of attention the guys you listed will be greater which can open things up for teamates.

The stats show these guys had good seasons. But stats don't tell the whole story.

[Madwolf]

Charles Johnson should have been on the field opposite Peppers for in 2008 and 2009. The only reason he languished on the Panthers until last year was because of John Fox. He refused to play anything but veteran players, and played Johnson last year largely because he had too.

Carolina isn't a bad team, they were a bad team last year because John Fox and the rest of the coaching staff where handed their walking papers pre-draft 2009, and they had no incentive to coach the 2010 season.

They never went into a game half-as prepared as they had the previous 8 seasons of Fox's career. And OC Jeff Davidson's offense was so vanilla, and his personel packages so specific that they basically broadcasted if they were running or passing to the opposing DC, and did little to help out Clausen or Moore in the way of check down receivers. Basically if they were running they'd come out with King at TE, and if we were passing you'd see Barnidge or Rosario some where on the field. It was painfully easy to predict.

[guaps]

I was very surprised to see Matt Roth in this years top 20 and ranked 9th overall during the last three years!!? To me, he's a player that has gone complete under the radar. He's got 7.5 sacks and three passes defended over the last three seasons, but apparently makes up for that with a ton of hits and hurries.