Myles Garrett has been the NFL’s dominant defensive player for years, leading to his record-setting campaign with 23 sacks last season before being traded in June from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams.
Garrett’s performance helped him earn the honor of being named the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at edge rusher, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Garrett got all eight first-place votes and won the voting with 80 points. Green Bay’s Micah Parsons was the only other player named on all eight ballots and was second with 27 points. Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. was third, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt was fourth and Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson was fifth.
Brian Burns of the New York Giants, Baltimore’s Trey Hendrickson, Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby, San Francisco’s Nick Bosa and Jacksonville’s Josh Hines-Allen also received votes.
1. Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
Garrett won his second AP Defensive Player of the Year award last season and earned All-Pro honors for the fifth time after breaking the single-season sack record held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. His 125 1/2 career sacks are the second-most to Reggie White among players in their first nine seasons in the NFL and Garrett is the only player with five straight seasons with at least 14 sacks.
Now after playing in only three playoff games in his career with the Browns, Garrett could have a chance to deliver in the postseason following the trade to the preseason Super Bowl favorite Rams.
2. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
Parsons was dealt from Dallas to Green Bay before last season and delivered 12 1/2 sacks in 14 games while earning his third career All-Pro honor. Parsons’ season ended early following a torn ACL in Week 15 that is expected to sideline him for at least the start of this season.
But Parsons has performed at a high level every year in the NFL and is the only player ever to start his career with five straight seasons with at least 12 sacks.
3. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
Anderson is the anchor of one of the NFL’s top defenses and earned his first All-Pro honor last season when he had 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He turned that performance into a three-year, $150 million contract extension in the offseason.
In three seasons with the Texans, the 24-year-old Anderson has piled up 30 sacks and 136 tackles, including 46 for loss. He also has 64 quarterback hits in his career and has forced four fumbles and recovered three.
4. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt’s production has dipped a bit in recent years but he still remains one of the game’s top pass rushers. He had seven sacks in 14 games last season when he earned his eighth straight Pro Bowl bid.
He has led the NFL in sacks three times and has 115 for his career.
5. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
The No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft bounced back from an injury-shortened 2024 campaign to record a career high last season with 14 1/2 sacks to make his second Pro Bowl and be named a second-team All-Pro.
Hutchinson has 43 sacks, 100 quarterback hits, 44 tackles for loss and five INTs in 56 career games.
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