Who Will Be the Next Big Thing? Top Edge Rushers in 2025 Free Agency

The 2025 NFL free agency season is right around the corner, and the spotlight is on the edge rushers. These players, whether they are 4-3 defensive ends or 3-4 outside linebackers, can change the game with their ability to pressure quarterbacks. In recent years, three out of the last four Defensive Player of the Year awards have gone to pass rushers. Josh Sweat of the Philadelphia Eagles had an impressive performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. His stats included seven pressures, six combined tackles, and 2. 5 sacks. He also forced an interception by pushing Joe Thuney into Mahomes at the goal line. Sweat led the Eagles with 54 pressures in 2024. He recorded 41 combined tackles, eight sacks, and 15 QB hits in 16 games played. Sweat turns 28 later this month and is ready to cash in on the open market. He appears to be the top edge player in this free agency class. In 104 career games played, the former fourth-round pick out of Florida State has recorded 43 sacks. Khalil Mack, a 34-year-old edge rusher for the Los Angeles Chargers, is a nine-time Pro Bowler and the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year. Mack recorded 39 combined tackles, six sacks, and 15 QB hits in 16 games played this past season. He isn't too far removed from putting up gaudy numbers, as just two seasons ago, Mack recorded a career-high 17 sacks with the Chargers. It's evident Mack can still get pressure on the quarterback, which is why he will have a market. Mack's 107. 5 career sacks are tied for 45th all time since 1960. Haason Reddick, a 30-year-old edge rusher for the New York Jets, had a down year in 2024. He returned to the fold and made his 2024 debut in Week 8, but recorded just one sack and 14 tackles in 10 games played. Reddick notched 50. 5 sacks from 2020-23, which ranked fourth-most in that span. Reddick recorded a career-high 16 sacks and forced a league-leading five fumbles as the Eagles made their run to the Super Bowl in 2022, and followed that year up with 11 sacks in 2023 while making the Pro Bowl in both seasons. Malcolm Koonce, a 27-year-old edge rusher for the Las Vegas Raiders, is one of the most intriguing free agents this offseason. He missed the entire 2024 season due to a knee injury, but in 2023, he recorded a career-high 43 combined tackles and eight sacks after recording just 12 tackles and two sacks in his first two NFL seasons. Six of his eight sacks in 2023 came in the final four games of the season, and he got to Mahomes thrice in the famous Christmas Day upset. Azeez Ojulari, a 25-year-old edge rusher for the New York Giants, is looking for a new deal after four seasons in New York. Ojulari set a Giants rookie record by notching eight sacks in 2021, but recorded just eight sacks over the next two seasons in 18 total games played while he dealt with injuries. Ojulari hasn't been a full-time starter, but he recorded five sacks in a three-game span this past season, while also notching 14 combined tackles in those three contests. Ojulari's injury history is why he's a borderline top pass rusher in this class. He was placed on injured reserve again this past season after suffering a ruptured ligament in his big toe but should command interest in the coming weeks. The market value for these players is a hot topic. Spotrac's market value tool is a great resource when it comes to predicting contracts, but it's also imperfect. They select players based on their age, contract status and statistical production to compare the player in question to. The projections are often low. Josh Sweat is expected to earn around 18. 8 million dollars a year. The Eagles, Commanders, and Lions are potential landing spots for Khalil Mack. Haason Reddick is projected to earn around 11. 7 million dollars a year. The Titans, Cardinals, and Patriots are potential landing spots for Josh Sweat. The Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Packers are potential landing spots for Malcolm Koonce. The Eagles, Colts, and Falcons are potential landing spots for Azeez Ojulari. The 2025 NFL free agency season is going to be an exciting one. With so many talented edge rushers hitting the market, teams will have plenty of options to choose from. It will be interesting to see where these players end up and how they perform in their new roles.