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.
Having just signed a four-year, $180 million extension, Hutchinson was rewarded by the Lions for his stellar performance as a relentless playmaker with a mix of polish and power that makes him a nightmare to face at the point of attack. Despite suffering a gruesome leg injury that ended his 2024 season after just five games, Hutchinson is right back to terrorizing opponents with an array of power moves that overwhelm blockers, leading to a barrage of hits on the quarterback from the fourth-year pro. With six sacks, 13 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and 39 pressures through seven games, the 25-year-old is clearly one of the game's most destructive defenders.
Do not let the Titans' 1-7 record overshadow the three-time Pro Bowler's contributions as a "take over the game" defender in the middle. Simmons destroys running games as a low-leverage player, but his exceptional first-step quickness and heavy hands allow him to whip pass blockers with various hand-to-hand combat tactics. Although he pulled a hamstring early in Week 7 -- an injury that will sideline him again in this Sunday's game against the Chargers -- his production in the first six weeks of the season (4.5 sacks, 11 QB hits and 23 pressures) demanded inclusion here. Despite playing on a cellar-dweller in the midst of a rebuilt, the defensive tackle continues to bring his A-game and wreck shop.
If you are a box-score scout, you'll probably take exception to Lawrence's inclusion on this list. I don't care. The 6-4, 340-pound nose tackle is unquestionably one of the league's most feared pass rushers, given the extra attention he commands at all times. Opponents are double-teaming Lawrence on nearly every snap, limiting his sack chances, but that creates more one-on-one opportunities for Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux. While his current numbers (0.5 sacks, four QB hits and eight pressures) are not on par with his stellar production from 2024 (nine sacks, 16 QB hits and 30 pressures in just 12 games), the three-time Pro Bowler's presence makes the Giants' front line one of the most feared units in football.
How Denver built a monster on defense
On Sunday, Denver (6-2) visits Houston (3-4) for a fascinating showdown between two of the very best defenses in football. The Texans are No. 1 in scoring defense (14.7 ppg) and total D (266.9 ypg), while the Broncos rank first in yards per play allowed (4.6) and comfortably lead the league in sacks (36, 10 clear of the next-highest total). In fact, Denver is currently on pace for 76.5 sacks on the season, which would break the 1984 Bears' record of 72. While DeMeco Ryans' stingy group deserves all the credit it receives as one of the NFL's finest units on either side of the ball, I'd like to concentrate on Vance Joseph's defense today, because it's an interesting case study in team building and strategy.
Denver's devastating D features just two players who entered the league as first-round picks (defensive backs Patrick Surtain II and Jahdae Barron), with a few notable free-agent additions who originally joined the Broncos on reasonable deals (DL Zach Allen signed a three-year, $45.75 million deal in 2023; S Brandon Jones inked a three-year, $20 million pact in 2024; S Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw came aboard in March on contracts that pay them an average annual salary of $13 million and $10.5 million, respectively). Despite the relative lack of pedigree/true blockbuster FA additions, Joseph has found a way to maximize the strengths of his personnel, both individually and collectively. Most noticeably, the Broncos defensive coordinator has assembled a collection of potent pass rushers (Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, John Franklin-Myers and Allen) and placed them in a creative scheme that taxes opponents while enabling his defenders to play fast on the perimeter. As a result, that quartet of QB hunters has already combined for 22 sacks this season, after racking up 39.5 in 2024.
Schematically, Joseph likes to crank up pressure via the blitz -- Next Gen Stats had Denver at fourth in blitz percentage last season at 35.7, and the Broncos hold the same ranking this year with a 34.9 percent clip -- but he also mixes in simulated pressures that feature four pass rushers and maximum coverage. With the Broncos showing various double-A-gap pressures with Cover 0 disguises, opposing quarterbacks and play-callers are forced to play the guessing game against a defense loaded with high-IQ players who understand how to get to their spots or assigned receivers from unorthodox pre-snap alignments.
"I want us to be smart bullies," Joseph said a few weeks ago, via the Denver Post. "I don't want to pressure and expose a corner or expose a linebacker. Every pressure we have is calculated and thought through on matchups. Can we pressure the quarterback? If we don't, what do our matchups look like? I think we do a great job.
"Sometimes it doesn't work out in our favor, but that's always our purpose when we're pressuring is to have our best matchups while we're pressuring. So, it's a balancing act."
As quarterbacks struggle to diagnose Denver's exotic looks, offensive linemen are unable to consistently identify or pick up the live pass rushers. Additionally, Joseph's clever utilization of stunts and games tests the communication and trust of the O-line. From the two- and three-man stunts and twists to the six-man "mug" pressures with a pair of pop-out defenders who attract the offensive line's attention, the Broncos utilize various smoke-and-mirrors tactics to create chaos for opponents at the line of scrimmage. With the Broncos featuring a collection of speedsters on the front line, the deceptive games result in more one-on-one pass-rush chances for explosive athletes with superior athleticism and quickness.
In coverage, the presence of Surtain has given Joseph the flexibility to utilize more man coverage, with the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year assigned to the opponent's No. 1 receiver. However, the DC will need to adjust with Surtain suffering a pectoral strain that will cost him some time. The star cornerback is irreplaceable -- full stop. But the Broncos' coverage cupboard isn't completely bare in his absence, as the team has collected more young defensive backs with the athleticism and tools to effectively challenge receivers in man-to-man coverage (SEE: Barron, Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian). When Denver is able to play sticky coverage without bringing five/six-man pressures, Joseph can deploy multiple defenders in the middle of the field, taking away intermediate crossers and deep routes between the hashes. This significantly increases the challenge of driving the length of the field for touchdowns.
With a dominant defense leading the way, the Broncos are well positioned to make a deep playoff run. As Joseph utilizes intellectual brutality to wreak havoc on the minds and bodies of opposing quarterbacks, Denver looks like the contender no one wants to face in the postseason.
