Summary
A major factor in a successful defense is winning the battles in the trenches and pressuring the opposing quarterback. Pass rushers in the NFL are extremely valuable and the top defenders inMadden 24have hugely impacted the game.
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Once again, Aaron Donald leads this group with a perfect 99 rating. But the former Super Bowl champion is only the tip of the pass rushers' iceberg, as the defensive group boasts many of the NFL’s best defensive talent. We break down who’s the best at providing pressure on the quarterback.
10Trey Hendrickson - 87
Since joining the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, Trey Hendrickson has elevated his game to the upper echelon of pass rushers. Hendrickson began his career as a linebacker but shifted to the defensive end.
Hendrickson’s change in position resulted in back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons and a Super Bowl appearance with the Bengals. Hendrickson doesn’t excel in a specific category but is rather very good in all of them. The 28-year-old favors finesse moves (89) as opposed to power moves (76) in attacking the quarterback.
9Cameron Jordan - 87
For 13 years, Cameron Jordan has been terrorizing quarterbacks. The 34-year-old has remained a staple in the New Orleans Saints defense and has collected over 100 sacks in his career.
Although Jordan is well into the twilight of his career, he still manages to use enough strength (90) to bulldoze through the offensive line with a set of power moves (83). Jordan also possesses one of the highest impact block ratings (92), which means he usually wins the battle against the opposing offensive lineman.
8Jeffery Simmons - 89
Throughout Jeffery Simmons’ four-year career, the pass rusher has switched his position every year. He started as a left defensive end, switched to defensive tackle, then moved back to the right defensive end, and finally back to defensive tackle. Now, Simmons is once again listed as a defensive end and someone who can overwhelm offensive lines.
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While Simmons doesn’t have more than eight and a half sacks in a season, he provides suitable pressure for the Tennessee Titans that allows other players to have an easier time applying pressure themselves. He has incredible strength (97) and delivers high-quality power moves (88).
7Demarcus Lawrence - 90
The leader on the Dallas Cowboys' defensive line is coming off the third Pro Bowl selection of his career. Demarcus Lawrence collected six sacks, two fumbles, and a career-high 65 total tackles last season.
Despite favoring finesse moves (88) compared to power moves (83), Lawrence is skilled enough to interchange the two tactics to provide additional pressure at the line of scrimmage. When engaged with an offensive lineman, Lawrence has great technique in shedding blocks (92) to gain the upper hand in the trenches.
6Cameron Heyward - 93
Cameron Heyward joins several notable football players in NFL history to have donned the gold and black of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 12-year veteran has reached the Pro Bowl in six straight seasons and back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks.
Heyward is one of three running backs with a perfect rating in awareness (99), as well as a perfect rating in play recognition (99) and the highest pure power rating (92) among pass rushers. That translates to an effective set of power moves (94) and block shedding (95) ratings that allow Heyward to disrupt the pocket.
5Von Miller - 94
Through Von Miller’s 12-year career, the defensive star is a two-time Super Bowl champion with eight Pro Bowl selections. Last season was Miller’s first with the Buffalo Bills, and it was a decent year with eight sacks and 21 total tackles.
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Miller is a unique pass rusher who has equally high ratings in power (90) and finesse (94). Even at 34 years old, Miller still possesses above-average speed (85) and acceleration (86) to gain the upper hand against a slower offensive lineman, making him a dangerous defender even in the twilight of his career.
4Micah Parsons - 97
In two quick seasons, Micah Parsons has already established himself as one of the best defenders in the NFL. Parsons has 26.5 sacks and 149 tackles in his short career, and the Dallas Cowboys star scored his first career touchdown last season.
Parsons has the highest speed (92), acceleration (95), agility (91), and stamina (89) among the top pass rushers. He uses his amazing speed to deploy overwhelming finesse moves (95) but Parsons has one of the lowest block-shedding ratings (74) and that could impact how much pressure he can generate on the quarterback.
3Nick Bosa - 98
Coming off a dominant rookie season in 2019, Nick Bosa tore his ACL in the second game of the 2020 season. However, Bosa triumphantly returned to Pro Bowl form in 2021 and 2022 as the defensive star led the league with 18.5 sacks last season.
Bosa is a terror on defense with the highest tackle rating (96) among pass rushers. If the San Francisco 49ers star gets his hands on you, there’s not much hope you’ll escape his grasp. While Bosa has exceptional power moves (94), he’s far more effective in deploying finesse moves (98) to reach the quarterback.
2Myles Garrett - 98
For the past three seasons, Myles Garrett has been a menace on the Cleveland Browns' defense. The defensive end was named to the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons, as well as being selected to the First-Team AP All-Pro. Garrett has recorded double-digit sack totals every season of his career except his rookie campaign.
Although Garrett only has one category where he has the highest rating among pass rushers (92 jump), he has the second-highest rating in power moves (98). Garrett uses his incredible strength (96) to toss offensive linemen around like ragdolls to apply pressure to the pocket. And when you factor in Garrett’s underrated speed (87), opposing offenses shudder at the thought of number 95.
1Aaron Donald - 99
For the seventh season in a row, Aaron Donald is part of the 99 Club. The Los Angeles Rams defensive superstar has dominated throughout his entire career, reaching the Pro Bowl in every single of his career. Donald contemplated retiring after winning the Super Bowl in 2021, but unfortunately for opposing teams, returned to the Rams.
Besides being the highest-rated pass rusher, Donald also leads this group of players in strength (99), awareness (99), injury (97), toughness (98), impact block (93), power moves (99), block shedding (97), pursuit (98), and play recognition (99). Without a doubt, Donald is the best pass rusher in Madden 24 and arguably the greatest overall defensive player in the game.
