Myles Garrett has long been considered one of the NFL’s most feared defensive players, and now he has the official recognition to back it up. After a historic campaign that saw him record 23 sacks — a single-season record — and a trade from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams this past June, Garrett has been voted the best edge rusher in football by an Associated Press panel heading into the 2026 season.
Eight AP Pro Football Writers participated in the ranking process, evaluating the top five edge rushers based on where players stand entering the upcoming season. First-place votes carried 10 points, while second through fifth place earned 5, 3, 2, and 1 points respectively.
Garrett was the unanimous choice at the top, collecting all eight first-place votes for a perfect score of 80 points. Green Bay’s Micah Parsons was the only other player to appear on every ballot, finishing second with 27 points. Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. landed in third, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt came in fourth, and Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson rounded out the top five.
Also receiving votes were Brian Burns of the New York Giants, Baltimore’s Trey Hendrickson, Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby, San Francisco’s Nick Bosa, and Jacksonville’s Josh Hines-Allen.
Last season, Garrett claimed his second AP Defensive Player of the Year award and earned All-Pro recognition for the fifth time after shattering the single-season sack record previously shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. His 125½ career sacks rank second only to Reggie White among players through their first nine NFL seasons, and he is the only player in league history to record at least 14 sacks in five consecutive seasons.
With just three career playoff appearances during his time in Cleveland, Garrett now joins a Rams team considered a preseason Super Bowl favorite, giving him a prime opportunity to shine on the postseason stage.
Parsons, who was traded from Dallas to Green Bay before last season, posted 12½ sacks in 14 games and earned his third career All-Pro nod before suffering a torn ACL in Week 15. That injury is expected to keep him sidelined for at least the beginning of the upcoming season. Still, Parsons has been remarkably consistent, becoming the only player in NFL history to begin a career with five straight seasons of at least 12 sacks.
Anderson has emerged as the centerpiece of one of the league’s premier defenses. Last season he recorded 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss, earning his first All-Pro honor and a three-year, $150 million contract extension in the offseason. Through three seasons with the Texans, the 24-year-old has amassed 30 sacks, 136 tackles — including 46 for loss — 64 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
Watt, while not quite at his peak production, remains a dangerous pass rusher. He notched seven sacks in 14 games last season and earned his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl selection. Over his career, he has led the NFL in sacks three times and owns 115 career sacks.
Hutchinson bounced back from an injury-shortened 2024 season to post a career-best 14½ sacks, earning a second Pro Bowl berth and second-team All-Pro honors. The second overall pick in the 2022 draft now has 43 career sacks, 100 quarterback hits, 44 tackles for loss, and five interceptions across 56 career games.
