Sports Illustrated - USA (2022-05)

having a moment. Ten of the 11 highest-paid defensive players

in the NFL are categorized as some variety of pass rusher.

The great ones make more than $20 million per year and,

in 2022, even the mediocre ones saw their prices soar like

some animal-themed cryptocurrency.

That’s because recent developments in the NFL have

changed the perception of the position and upped the urgency

to secure a pass rush. In an effort to slow down a genera-

tion of superhero quarterbacks—think Patrick Mahomes,

Josh Allen, Justin Herbert—defenses have largely abandoned

blitzing in favor of coverage, hoping to stymie offenses

by f looding the secondary with cornerbacks, safeties and

linebackers. That means edge rushers need to win more

consistently, carrying the burden of pressuring quarterbacks

all on their own.

The Rams won a Super Bowl because of their pass rush.

The Bengals made a Super Bowl thanks in large part to

the signing of free-agent edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to

pair with Sam Hubbard; in their second-half shutdown of

Mahomes’s Chiefs in the AFC title game, the Bengals often

rushed only three and dropped eight players into coverage.

The 2022 draft class is being welcomed by executives

desperate to find pass-rushing talent. Aidan Hutchinson

and Kayvon Thibodeaux could be the top-two picks.

NAKOBE

DEAN

LINEBACKER

GEORGIA

Houston could

use a pick

acquired in the

Deshaun Watson

deal on Dean, an

undersized but

fast linebacker

who can

quarterback a

defense even as

a rookie.

JORDAN

DAVIS

DEFENSIVE

TACKLE

GEORGIA

The 341 -pound

Davis, who ran

an incredible

4. 78 40 - yard

dash at the

combine, would

be the latest in

Baltimore’s long

line of dominant

nose tackles.

EAGLES*

GEORGE

KARLAFTIS

EDGE

PURDUE

The Eagles could

use an infusion

of youth on the

edge. Karlaftis’s

energy and

power as a

pass rusher

would make

him a fitting

heir apparent to

Brandon Graham.

EAGLES*

DRAKE

LONDON

WIDE RECEIVER

USC

Philly is likely to

trade at least one

of its three

first-round

picks, but if it

keeps them

a receiver—

especially a

big target

like London—

remains a need.

TREVOR

PENNING

OFFENSIVE

TACKLE

NORTHERN IOWA

After adding

aggressively to

their defense

in free agency,

the Chargers’

biggest need is

a right tackle to

keep franchise

QB Justin Herbert

clean.

KENNY

PICKETT

QUARTERBACK

PITTSBURGH

Jameis Winston

is a short-term

solution, but

adding Pickett

would be a more

fitting long-term

option as the

Saints continue

to look for a

successor to

Drew Brees.

JERMAINE

JOHNSON

EDGE

FLORIDA STATE

The Vikings’

pass defense

was shaky last

season, and

an upgrade to

the pass rush

could fix a lot of

those problems.

Johnson starred

at Georgia and

Florida State.

WHAT A RUSH

Hendrickson

was one

of the best

values of

the 2021

offseason.

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