Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann have their work cut out for them in the upcoming season. The Indianapolis Colts have a gauntlet of pass rushers that they will be facing. Their schedule features some of the elites at the position, proven veterans, and young players looking to take that next step.
For this list, I took the top two edge rushers from each team and cut the list in half. To get an idea of the talented pass rushers of the schedule, the 2022 No. 1 overall pick and the first defensive player selected in the 2023 NFL draft didn’t make the cut.
Let’s take a look at the top 14 edge rushers on Indy’s schedule:
14
Sam Hubbard, Cincinnati Bengals
Sam Hubbard has been a consistent player for the Cincinnati Bengals since taking over a starting role in 2019. He had a career-high with 22 QB hits in 2022.
13
Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers
Alex Highsmith is coming off his breakout season in his third year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had career-highs in sacks (14.5), QB hits (20), and forced fumbles (five).
12
Josh Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Josh Allen has 185 tackles (119 solo), 36 TFLs, 27.5 sacks, 70 QB Hits, seven pass deflections, one interception, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in his first four seasons in the NFL. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract.
11
Harold Landry III, Tennessee Titans
The last time we saw Harold Landry III on the field he was coming off the best season with career-highs in tackles (75), TFLs (14), sacks (12), and QB Hits (22). Despite missing 2022 due to a torn ACL, Landry III is tied for the seventh-most QB hurries (39) since 2020.
10
Za'Darius Smith, Cleveland Browns
Za’Darius Smith has been one of the most productive edge rushers in the last four years. He has double-digit sack seasons in three of the last four seasons and the one year he didn’t produce was due to an injury that caused him to only appear in one game. He joined the Cleveland Browns this offseason.
9
Chandler Jones, Las Vegas Raiders
Chandler Jones is entering his 11th season in the NFL. He’s been named an All-Pro player twice and has earned four Pro Bowl honors in his career. Jones is looking for a bounce-back year after a disappointing first season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
8
Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Shaquil Barrett is returning from a torn Achilles that cut his 2022 season short. Despite only playing in eight games last year, he has the second-most QB hurries since 2020 (47).
7
Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers
As he enters his fifth season, Brian Burns is on the cusp of developing into one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL. Since 2020 he’s tied for the eighth-most TFLs (38) and has the eighth-most sacks (30.5).
6
Matt Judon, New England Patriots
Matt Judon has been a force since signing with the New England Patriots in 2021. In his two years with the franchise, he has collected 120 tackles (74 solo), 28 TFLs, 28 sacks, 53 QB hits, three pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
5
Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints
Cameron Jordan has been a staple of the New Orleans Saints and is entering his 13th season with the franchise. He’s been named an All-Pro player three times and has earned eight Pro Bowl honors during his career.
4
Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
Since 2020, Trey Hendrickson has the fourth-most sacks (35.5), fifth-most QB hits (76), he’s tied for the fifth-most QB knockdowns (41), and has the fifth-most pressures (113).
3
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
Since 2020, Maxx Crosby has the most QB knockdowns (46), second-most TFLs (49), third-most QB hurries (44), third-most QB hits (79), and the fourth-most pressures (121).
2
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Since 2020, Myles Garrett has the most sacks (44), third-most pressures (122), third-most TFLs (45), fourth-most QB hits (77), and the sixth-most QB hurries (40).
1
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Since 2020, T.J. Watt leads the NFL with multiple sack games (10) in the regular season. In that time frame, he also finished nine games with at least three TFLs and a sack. The next closest player is Von Miller with four games.
