NFC East Edge Rusher Rankings: Giants Investments Pay Off
NFC East Edge Rusher Rankings: Giants Investments Pay Off originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In 2024, the New York Giants hoped that adding edge rusher Brian Burns to a defensive line that already included edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence would create a pass rush capable of stealing games. Although the unit played well until Lawrence's season ended on Thanksgiving, the defense wasn't able to overcome offensive struggles and inconsistencies in the back seven.
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General manager Joe Schoen could have added more to the secondary than corner Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland. He could have reshaped the offensive line or paired receiver Malik Nabers with another high-profile receiver.
Instead, he doubled down, drafting Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In doing so, he ensured New York's pass rush would take a step forward, brute forcing his way toward the top of the sack leaderboard.
The Giants' investments have paid off, at least on paper, where they top our NFC East edge rusher rankings.
1, New York Giants (Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux)
New York will enter the year with three first-round edge rushers. Carter, the least-proven of the bunch, might be the most talented. The Giants will have the ability to keep each of them fresh while also getting them on the field together through subpackages on passing downs. They don't have the best edge rusher in the division, but they might take up the next two spots.
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2. Dallas Cowboys (Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler Jr., Donovan Ezeiruaku)
Parsons is, at worst, a top-five edge rusher in the sport. He carries the load here as a perennial Defensive Player of the Year contender and the most important player on this defense. Fowler is a fringe-average starter, and Ezeiruaku has the potential to take his spot by the end of Year 1.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari)
Philadelphia's depth stands out, as Joshu Uche and occasional snaps from Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell make this unit even more potent. However, lacking a true Robin for Smith could become a significant factor in this defense's regression.
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4. Washington Commanders (Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise, Jacob Martin)
Armstrong might be the most underrated edge rusher in the sport. With that said, Washington lacks star power off the edge. Armstrong is formidable and Wise is okay, but this unit clearly has the least upside in the NFC East. The possibility of this pass rush stalling out is legitimate and should temper expectations before the Commanders take the field in 2025.
Related: Giants Ready To Get Creative With Abdul Carter
Related: Giants' Thibodeaux Advises Fellow First-Round Edge Rusher
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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