Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr., T.J. Watt and Maxx Crosby make up Tier 1 of the best edge rushers in the NFL through Week 2. Watt is the only new arrival in the top tier after moving up one level, while several younger edge rushers have made even larger jumps farther down the board.
This is an in-season update based on where the edge-rusher tiers stand so far this season. A green arrow means a player moved up from the previous ranking, while a red arrow means he moved down. The number inside the arrow shows exactly how many tiers the player gained or lost.
For the preseason baseline, compare this list with our Best Edge Rushers in the NFL Today 2026 ranking. You can also compare the current group with the Best Edge Rushers in the NFL Since 2020 and our Best Edge Rushers of All-Time.
Table of Contents
- How We Ranked the Best Edge Rushers Through Week 2
- Tier 1: Best Edge Rushers in the NFL Today
- Tier 2: High-End Edge Rushers
- Tier 3: Major Early-Season Risers
- Tier 4: The Most Volatile Tier
- Tier 5: Middle-Tier Edge Rushers
- Tier 6: Players Trending Up
- Tier 7: Edge Rushers Looking to Climb
- Biggest Movers Through Week 2
- Complete Edge Rusher Tier List
- FAQ
- Related NFL Rankings
How We Ranked the Best Edge Rushers Through Week 2
This ranking updates the earlier preseason tiers with the first two weeks of the season now reflected. The graphic focuses on where each edge rusher currently sits rather than career accomplishments or long-term reputation alone.
Movement is shown directly on the ranking. Green means a player climbed, red means a player fell, and the number inside the arrow shows how many tiers he moved. Players without an arrow remain in the same tier as the previous ranking.
Because the season is still young, some movement is dramatic. Dallas Turner, Boye Mafe and Kwity Paye have each jumped four tiers, while other established players have shifted only one level.
Tier 1: Best Edge Rushers in the NFL Today
Tier 1 features Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr., T.J. Watt and Maxx Crosby.
Tier 1 contains four players through Week 2. Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr. and Maxx Crosby remain in place, while T.J. Watt moves into the highest tier.
Aidan Hutchinson
Aidan Hutchinson remains in Tier 1 with no movement. His position at the top of the edge-rusher board is unchanged through Week 2.
Will Anderson Jr.
Will Anderson Jr. also stays in Tier 1. There is no movement marker attached to his updated placement.
T.J. Watt
T.J. Watt has moved one tier up and now joins the Tier 1 group. His rise is the only change at the top of the ranking.
Maxx Crosby
Maxx Crosby remains in Tier 1. His tier is unchanged from the previous ranking.
Tier 2: High-End Edge Rushers
Tier 2 features Danielle Hunter, Josh Hines-Allen, Nick Bosa, Trey Hendrickson and Brian Burns.
Tier 2 remains relatively stable. Josh Hines-Allen is the only player in the group with an upward movement marker, climbing one tier.
Danielle Hunter
Danielle Hunter remains in Tier 2. His position is unchanged through Week 2.
Josh Hines-Allen
Josh Hines-Allen has climbed one tier into Tier 2. His early-season movement pushes him closer to the highest group.
Nick Bosa
Nick Bosa stays in Tier 2 with no movement. His placement remains the same as the previous ranking.
Trey Hendrickson
Trey Hendrickson remains in Tier 2. There is no arrow attached to his current position.
Brian Burns
Brian Burns closes Tier 2 with an unchanged ranking. He remains in the same group through Week 2.
Tier 3: Major Early-Season Risers
Tier 3 features Nik Bonitto, Abdul Carter, Byron Young, Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu and Alex Highsmith.
Tier 3 contains some of the strongest upward movement on the entire board. Abdul Carter climbs two tiers, Dallas Turner jumps four, and Alex Highsmith gains one.
Nik Bonitto
Nik Bonitto remains in Tier 3. His position has not changed in this Week 2 update.
Abdul Carter
Abdul Carter has climbed two tiers into Tier 3. That is one of the larger moves in the upper half of the ranking.
Byron Young
Byron Young stays in Tier 3 with no movement. His tier remains unchanged.
Dallas Turner
Dallas Turner is one of the biggest risers on the entire graphic, jumping four tiers into Tier 3.
No player has climbed more levels through Week 2, making Turner one of the defining movers of this update.
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu remains in Tier 3. There is no movement marker attached to his position.
Alex Highsmith
Alex Highsmith has moved one tier up into Tier 3. His rise gives the group a third player trending upward.
Tier 4: The Most Volatile Tier
Tier 4 features Greg Rousseau, Jared Verse, Travon Walker, Khalil Mack, Boye Mafe, Kwity Paye and DeMarcus Lawrence.
Tier 4 has more movement than any other part of the ranking. Five of the seven players have changed tiers, including four-tier jumps from Boye Mafe and Kwity Paye.
Greg Rousseau
Greg Rousseau has climbed one tier into Tier 4. His movement puts him in the middle portion of the updated edge-rusher rankings.
Jared Verse
Jared Verse has dropped one tier into Tier 4. It is a modest decline from his previous position.
Travon Walker
Travon Walker has moved two tiers up into Tier 4. His rise is one of the more significant positive changes in this section.
Khalil Mack
Khalil Mack has fallen one tier into Tier 4. He is one of only two downward movers in the group.
Boye Mafe
Boye Mafe has surged four tiers into Tier 4. His movement ties for the biggest jump anywhere in the ranking.
Kwity Paye
Kwity Paye has also climbed four tiers into Tier 4, matching Dallas Turner and Boye Mafe for the largest upward move through Week 2.
D. Lawrence
D. Lawrence remains in Tier 4. His placement is unchanged from the previous ranking.
Tier 5: Middle-Tier Edge Rushers
Tier 5 features Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel, Montez Sweat, Tuli Tuipulotu, Chase Young, Donovan Ezeiruaku and Josh Sweat.
Tier 5 has movement in both directions. Jaelan Phillips rises one tier, while Tuli Tuipulotu and Josh Sweat each fall one.
Jaelan Phillips
Jaelan Phillips has moved one tier up into Tier 5. His early-season direction is positive.
Andrew Van Ginkel
Andrew Van Ginkel remains in Tier 5 with no movement.
Montez Sweat
Montez Sweat stays in Tier 5. His tier has not changed through Week 2.
Tuli Tuipulotu
Tuli Tuipulotu has dropped one tier into Tier 5. The move is a small early decline rather than a dramatic fall.
Chase Young
Chase Young remains in Tier 5 with no movement shown on the graphic.
D. Ezeiruaku
D. Ezeiruaku stays in Tier 5. His current placement does not include an upward or downward movement marker.
Josh Sweat
Josh Sweat has moved one tier down into Tier 5. He joins Tuipulotu as the other downward mover in this group.
Tier 6: Players Trending Up
Tier 6 features Al-Quadin Muhammad, George Karlaftis, Rueben Bain, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Nolan Smith, Will McDonald IV and Dre’Mont Jones.
Tier 6 contains three upward movers and no downward movement. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Nolan Smith each rise one tier, while Dre’Mont Jones climbs two.
Al-Quadin Muhammad
Al-Quadin Muhammad has climbed one tier into Tier 6. His Week 2 update moves him in a positive direction.
George Karlaftis
George Karlaftis remains in Tier 6. His placement is unchanged.
Rueben Bain
Rueben Bain stays in Tier 6 with no movement shown.
F. Anudike-Uzomah
F. Anudike-Uzomah remains in Tier 6. His tier is unchanged through Week 2.
Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith has moved one tier up into Tier 6. His ranking is trending upward after the first two weeks.
Will McDonald IV
Will McDonald IV remains in Tier 6. There is no movement indicator attached to his current position.
Dre’Mont Jones
Dre’Mont Jones has climbed two tiers into Tier 6. His rise is the biggest movement within this group.
Tier 7: Edge Rushers Looking to Climb
Tier 7 features Rashan Gary, Uchenna Nwosu, Odafe Oweh, Derick Hall, Bradley Chubb, Arden Key and D.J. Wonnum.
Tier 7 has movement in both directions. Rashan Gary falls one tier, while Uchenna Nwosu, Arden Key and D.J. Wonnum each move up one.
Rashan Gary
Rashan Gary has dropped one tier into Tier 7. His early-season ranking has moved in the wrong direction.
Uchenna Nwosu
Uchenna Nwosu has climbed one tier into Tier 7. Although he remains in the final group, his movement is positive.
Odafe Oweh
Odafe Oweh remains in Tier 7. His placement has not changed.
Derick Hall
Derick Hall stays in Tier 7 with no movement marker attached to his ranking.
Bradley Chubb
Bradley Chubb remains in Tier 7. His current placement is unchanged.
Arden Key
Arden Key has moved one tier up into Tier 7. He is one of three upward movers in the group.
D.J. Wonnum
D.J. Wonnum has also climbed one tier. His Week 2 movement is positive despite remaining in Tier 7.
Biggest Movers Through Week 2
Dallas Turner Climbs Four Tiers
Dallas Turner has made one of the largest jumps in the ranking, moving four tiers up into Tier 3.
Boye Mafe and Kwity Paye Also Rise Four Tiers
Boye Mafe and Kwity Paye each climb four tiers into Tier 4. Along with Turner, they share the largest upward movement shown in this update.
Abdul Carter and Travon Walker Rise Two Tiers
Abdul Carter has moved two tiers into Tier 3, while Travon Walker has climbed two tiers into Tier 4.
Dre’Mont Jones Gains Two Tiers
Dre’Mont Jones makes another notable move from the lower half of the ranking, climbing two tiers into Tier 6.
T.J. Watt Moves Into Tier 1
T.J. Watt’s one-tier rise is the most important movement at the top of the ranking because it pushes him into Tier 1 alongside Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr. and Maxx Crosby.
Five Players Drop One Tier
Jared Verse, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Josh Sweat and Rashan Gary each move one tier down. No player shown on the graphic falls more than one tier through Week 2.
Complete Edge Rusher Tier List Through Week 2
| Tier | Players |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr., T.J. Watt (up 1 tier), Maxx Crosby |
| Tier 2 | Danielle Hunter, Josh Hines-Allen (up 1), Nick Bosa, Trey Hendrickson, Brian Burns |
| Tier 3 | Nik Bonitto, Abdul Carter (up 2), Byron Young, Dallas Turner (up 4), Laiatu Latu, Alex Highsmith (up 1) |
| Tier 4 | Greg Rousseau (up 1), Jared Verse (down 1), Travon Walker (up 2), Khalil Mack (down 1), Boye Mafe (up 4), Kwity Paye (up 4), D. Lawrence |
| Tier 5 | Jaelan Phillips (up 1), Andrew Van Ginkel, Montez Sweat, Tuli Tuipulotu (down 1), Chase Young, D. Ezeiruaku, Josh Sweat (down 1) |
| Tier 6 | Al-Quadin Muhammad (up 1), George Karlaftis, Rueben Bain, F. Anudike-Uzomah, Nolan Smith (up 1), Will McDonald IV, Dre’Mont Jones (up 2) |
| Tier 7 | Rashan Gary (down 1), Uchenna Nwosu (up 1), Odafe Oweh, Derick Hall, Bradley Chubb, Arden Key (up 1), D.J. Wonnum (up 1) |
FAQ
What do the green and red arrows mean?
A green arrow means an edge rusher moved up from the previous ranking, while a red arrow means he moved down. The number inside the arrow shows how many tiers the player gained or lost.
Who moved up the most through Week 2?
Dallas Turner, Boye Mafe and Kwity Paye made the biggest jumps. Each player climbed four tiers.
Who moved into Tier 1?
T.J. Watt moved up one tier into Tier 1, joining Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr. and Maxx Crosby.
Who moved down the most?
No player shown in the updated ranking dropped more than one tier. Jared Verse, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Josh Sweat and Rashan Gary each fell one tier.
Is this an all-time edge-rusher ranking?
No. This ranking reflects where the edge rushers stand so far this season through Week 2.
Conclusion
Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr., T.J. Watt and Maxx Crosby form the top edge-rusher tier through Week 2, with Watt moving up one level to join the group. The largest changes are farther down the board, where Dallas Turner, Boye Mafe and Kwity Paye each make four-tier jumps.
The season is still young, so these rankings can continue to change quickly as the early sample grows.
Related NFL Rankings
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