The ability to generate pressure against opposing quarterbacks is always important, but it may be most important in the early part of any season, when offenses tend to shoot out of the gate, and defenses (especially secondaries) seem to lag behind. Pass-rushers change teams and schemes, and there are times when the perfect marriage of player and system becomes obvious.
Through the first three full weeks of the 2019 season, there are eight pass-rushers who are going after quarterbacks at the highest level, and they’re not always the names you know.
We expect Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox, the only defensive linemen to generate more than 100 total pressures in the 2018 season (no edge-rusher did it; Dee Ford of the Chiefs, and now of the 49ers led all edge defenders with 83) to get in the swing of things as the season goes on. But right now, they have one sack between them, though their 26 combined pressures, per Pro Football Focus, indicate breakouts right around the corner.
Similarly, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett is the best young edge-rusher in the NFL, and Chicago’s Khalil Mack is the NFL’s best edge-rusher on a full-stop basis, but both players have been assisted by some really whacked-out blocking schemes this season. Not sure where the idea came to slide your protection away from the opponent’s best disruptor and have your tight end try to pick the guy up on time, but it’s proven to be a prime “Burn This Play” candidate.
And here’s the inexplicable Myles Garrett version, courtesy of the New York Jets.
So, this isn’t about the NFL’s best edge-rushers or the NFL’s best interior defenders overall; I’ve already done those lists. This is about the best disruptors in the league through the first few weeks of the 2019 season, and how they’re getting it done.
Za’Darius Smith, Green Bay Packers
No defensive player had more total pressures through the first three weeks of the season than Smith, who put up three sacks, five quarterback hits, and 13 quarterback hurries in 108 pass-rushing snaps. The Packers signed the former Ravens’ fourth-round pick to a four-year, $66 million contract with a $20 million signing bonus this offseason, and he’s done nothing but reward Green Bay’s generosity with outstanding performances. Before the 2019 season, Smith’s game had never been about pure sack totals; both inside and outside, he’d been a consistent disruptor on a rotational basis. Now, the light seems to have gone on in Mike Pettine’s defense, and Smith is off the chain no matter where he lines up.
Smith had two sacks against the Broncos last Sunday, and they’re both worth reviewing for a greater insight into his attributes. Here, smith (No. 55) simply bulls Denver left tackle Garrett Bolles (No. 72) off his base, and gets past him with a quick shift to take Joe Flacco down.
And here, Smith is aligned as a five-tech tackle in the Packers’ nickel defense between Bolles and left guard Dalton Risner, Risner, the Broncos’ first-round pick in 2019, is a talented player on the rise, but he has no answer for Smith’s hand use and ability to separate. .
Preston Smith, Green Bay Packers
The Packers invested a lot in their defensive line via free agency this offseason, signing the aforementioned Za’Darius Smith and adding ex-Redskins pass-rusher Preston Smith to the roster as well with a four-year, $52 million contract. Green Bay’s new Smiths have proven to be perfect foils for each other. While Za’Darius has the skill set to succeed both outside and inside, Preston is the model of an outside pass-rusher in Mike Pettine’s fronts.
Preston Smith was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week after sacking Joe Flacco three times, and this sack is singularly impressive. Watch how Smith (No. 91) works right tackle Elijah Wilkinson (No. 68) with strong engagement, the push to separate, and formidable closing speed to the quarterback.
And on this split sack with defensive tackle Kenny Clark against the Bears in Week 1, Smith shows his open-field agility and diagnostic skills. Chicago is running a simple RPO on this play, and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky estimates that the pass is the way to go. What he doesn’t account for is Smith matching him step for step as he strains to read the coverage as he attempts to elude pressure.
Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Barrett never got more than 324 pass-rushing snaps in a season during his four years on Denver’s stacked defensive line, and there wasn’t much of a buzz around his name in free agency this past offseason. The undrafted Colorado State alum signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Buccaneers, and decided to make the most of his increased opportunities.
So far, so good. Barrett already has 113 pass-rushing snaps this season, and he’s amassed eight sacks, two quarterback hits, and eight quarterback hurries. He’s been a force multiplier in a Todd Bowles defense that throws advanced pressure packages and coverage schemes as opponents, with an intelligent eye towards the specific attributes of every player on the defense.
Against the Giants last Sunday, Barrett didn’t just put up four sacks; he also caused two fumbles. At 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, Barrett (No. 58) doesn’t bring a ton of root strength to the table, but he has developed tremendous agility at the line of scrimmage, beating blockers and shooting through gaps more like a linebacker than as a defensive end. He took left tackle Nate Solder (No. 76) to school on this first forced fumble by faking an outside move, and then countering inside before Solder could adjust back to his target.
Solder is ready for Barrett’s inside move on the second forced fumble, but Barrett still out-does him by crossing Solder’s face quickly and closing to quarterback Daniel Jones.
Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints
It’s no surprise to see Jordan’s name on this list; he’s been a pre-eminent pass-rusher for years. But this season, he’s on a torrid pace, with two sacks and 20 overall pressures, including 11 quarterback hurries against the Seahawks’ vulnerable offensive line last Sunday. No matter who the opponent may be, the Saints are doing some very interesting things with Jordan this season.
In this Week 2 sack of Jared Goff, watch how the Saints use a three-man base front and a “spinner” who aligns to the gap late in the down. Here, it’s defensive end Marcus Davenport (No. 92), and the reasoning behind the move is that it forces Goff and the Rams’ offensive line to agree on protections much later than they’d like to. This is an even more extreme advantage against a quarterback like Goff who needs a clear picture, and whose effectiveness wanes severely when he doesn’t have it. Here, right guard Austin Blythe can’t help right tackle Rob Havenstein with Jordan (No. 94); he’s late to the call because the defensive front wasn’t defined.
The Saints ran the same base principle against the Texans in Week 1 — this is a three-man standup front with Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis (No. 56) playing with Houston’s protections by moving around and aligning late in the down. Factor in Jordan’s multi-gap move inside after the snap, and the Texans have no response to the chaos.
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
When I watched Bosa’s Ohio State tape, I concluded that he was “an idiot-proof player who could work well in any scheme.” The 49ers obviously agreed, making him the second overall pick in the 2019 draft. In just 72 pass-rushing snaps this season, Bosa already has two sacks, four quarterback hits, and 11 quarterback hurries, and he’s doing it just as he did for the Buckeyes — with a dominant bull-rush and outstanding movement skills.
This Week 3 sack of Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph is credited to DeForest Buckner, but it’s Bosa (No. 98) who jumps off the tape. In a wide stance against left tackle Alejandro Villanueva (No. 78), Bosa latches on to the veteran and just capsizes him. The upper-body strength and movement leverage? Impressive enough. Then, watch how quickly he closes to the quarterback. Bosa missed the sack, but he did everything else as well as you could ask.
Bosa did get home against Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston in Week 1 — this time, left tackle Donovan Smith was his huckleberry. This is a simple stack-and-shed at the point of contact, but again, watch how quickly Bosa moves across the pocket to get to the quarterback after he’s disengaged. This is going to be a problem for opposing offensive linemen all season.
Everson Griffen, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have a dynamic duo of pass-rushers in Griffen and Danielle Hunter, but as impressive and athletic as Hunter is, I’ve been just a bit more impressed with Griffen’s palette of moves. The 10-year veteran left the team for a time in 2018 to address mental health issues, agreed to a restructured contract in March, and went about regaining his status as an elite edge disruptor. With 19 total pressures and a lot of excellent tape, the plan is working so far.
You can see Griffen’s command of the position’s subtleties in this Week 3 sack of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Griffen (No. 97) has Oakland left tackle Kolton Miller (No. 74) from the jump, as he leads Miller outside the gap with a little stutter-step. When Griffen comes back inside, Miller is completely off his base, and has no hope of aligning to block his opponent.
And in this Week 1 sack of Matt Ryan, watch how Griffen influences left tackle Jake Matthews outside, and then finishes him off with an absolutely filthy spin move. Few defensive ends are better at getting blockers off their leverage with nuanced moves.
Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh’s second-round pick in 2014 has always been a decent pressure player and a good run defender, but on the same line with Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt, you wouldn’t expect Tuitt to be the Steelers’ most impactful pass-rusher through 2019’s first three games. So far, that’s been the case, as Tuitt has upgraded his bull-rush and his hand usage, making him a fearsome opponent to any offensive guard he faces. In his Week 2 sack of Jimmy Garoppolo, Tuitt beat 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey so badly, it was embarrassing.
In Week 2 against the Seahawks, Tuitt (No. 91) targeted right guard D.J. Fluker (No. 78) and beat him several times in several different ways. Fluker is a massive man at 6-foot-5 and 342 pounds (conservatively), and it’s not often you see anybody bull-rush him out of a play. At 6-foot-6 and about 300 pounds, you’d think Tuitt would lose this leverage battle, but he has other plans. This play is especially impressive because Tuitt jumps a gap to get to Fluker, who is clearly unprepared for the rush.
On this sack, Tuitt takes a different tack — aligned as a one-tech shade nose tackle to Fluker’s inside shoulder, Tuitt simply crosses his face and beats him outside.
Calais Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars
In 1996, Hall-of-Famer and all-time sack leader Bruce Smith set the sack record for a 33-year-old defensive player with 13.5 quarterback takedowns. Smith’s record may be under siege from Calais Campbell, who’s wrestled the age curve into submission. Campbell already has three sacks on the season — all against the Titans in Week 3 — but he’s capable of wrecking plays with pressures as well. Campbell leads all players listed as interior defensive linemen this season with 19 total pressures, and this near-sack of Patrick Mahomes in Week 2 shows how he does it.
Campbell starts as a nose tackle head-up over center Austin Reiter, and stunts outside right tackle Mitchell Schwartz as rookie edge-rusher Josh Allen moves inside. There, Campbell has a free release to pressure Mahomes, who can only throw the ball into Section 120 to avoid a loss.
In his three-sack game against the Titans, Campbell exposed both of Tennessee’s guards — left guard Rodger Saffold and right guard Jamil Douglas. On this sack, Campbell crosses Douglas’ face so quickly, Douglas can barely get his hands up to mount any sort of credible defense.
At 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds, Campbell wins leverage battles he shouldn’t, he’s faster than he should be, and he’s making age an irrelevancy. He’s one of the most unique players of his era, and in his 13th season, he’s just as good as he’s always been — if not better.
