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Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today’s special Halloween installment covers:
But first, a look at five pass-rushing monsters …
On Halloween weekend, it’s the perfect time to discuss some of the NFL’s scariest players.
Despite all of the savvy offensive scheming and clever utilization of RPOs (run-pass option plays) in today’s game, the league still fears prolific pass rushers. With Brian Burns and Myles Garrett currently setting the pace at 10 sacks and 13 more players boasting at least five sacks, we’re seeing a wave of quarterback hunters terrorizing opponents on a weekly basis, causing many sleepless nights for pass protectors and play-callers.
After taking some time to dig into the tape to see who’s wreaking the most havoc, here is my ranking of the five most unblockable pass rushers.
Having earned first-team All-Pro honors in four of the past five seasons (and a second-team nod in the outlier year), Garrett continues to exert his dominance on foes as a force of nature off the edge. The 6-foot-4, 272-pounder’s rare combination of size, strength and explosiveness enables him to win by utilizing force or finesse. Whether attacking blockers with a Reggie White hump move or an Allen Iverson crossover, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year has displayed a dizzying combination of moves to amass 112.5 career sacks, 21 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries in nine NFL seasons. As a big-play specialist who has lived up to the “generational talent” hype, Garrett deserves this spot atop the list.
The perennial Pro Bowler is the most explosive “bull in a china shop” in the league today. His disruptive playing style and superior athleticism make him nearly impossible to block without deploying double- or triple-teams at the line of scrimmage. Although opponents have attempted various tactics to slow him down, Parsons leads the league in quarterback pressures (44, per Next Gen Stats) in his debut campaign with the Packers. Having piled up 6.5 sacks so far this season, he has a career total of 59 in just 70 games. With few pass rushers capable of destroying game plans like this 26-year-old — utilizing a mix of speed rushes, arm-overs and butt-and-jerk moves — Parsons should be considered 1B to Garrett’s 1A on this list.
