NFL Top 10 Series: Edge Rushers Honorable Mentions Part II

With the 2012 NFL season steadfast approaching, it’s time to continue an original Garden State Sports Guy production: The NFL Top 10 Series. As the Top 10 countdown approaches for each position, we’ll be looking at honorable mentions for each position as those steadfastly approach. No defense can be good without a great edge rusher (or, in some cases, two great edge rushers) and today we’re going to be looking at the players that play that position. For those of you who may not fully understand, we’re looking at 3-4 outside linebackers or 4-3 defensive ends, or those who play in a hybrid/multiple scheme that play off the edge to get to the quarterback. I came up with an even 10 honorable mentions for this position, and I decided to divide them up based on the scheme that each player plays in. Luckily it evened out at five a piece, so Part II will look at the 3-4 edge rushers that just missed the cut.

Honorable Mentions for the 3-4 Edge Rusher Position

Ryan Kerrigan: The 16th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft did not turn out so bad for the Washington Redskins. In fact it helped a hell of a lot. The West Lafayette, Indiana product Ryan Kerrigan came out of Purdue and some, including me, wondered how his game would translate and Kerrigan arguably was one of the biggest surprises around the league. Kerrigan generated a lot of pressure coming off the edge and made quarterbacks’ lives a living hell in 2011. On 437 pass snaps Kerrigan created 57 disruptions so almost 13% of the time Kerrigan was on the field he was being productive. Kerrigan had 7.5 sacks and also 43 tackles, assisting on 19 tackles also so he proved to be very complete in his rookie season. As Kerrigan continues to develop and produce on the positive side, the Redskins may soon have the best tandem of edge rushers in the league and that is no joke given our next honorable mention.

Brian Orakpo: The GEICO Caveman’s best friend checks in here with this honorable mention and is the second member of the Washington Redskins’ defense to make an appearance. The former Texas Longhorn has a lot left to be desired in terms of stopping the run but there aren’t many 3-4 outside linebackers that can get to the quarterback as well as he has in his career thus far. “Osackpo” had another solid season in 2011 following his great 2010. He had 59 QB disruptions as well as 9 sacks, 35 tackles, assisting on 25 tackles, and 2 forced fumbles. He is a young, fresh piece on a Redskins defense that not only in a few years may have the best pass rushing tandem in the National Football League, but given the possession of one of the most underrated linebackers of this era in London Fletcher, might have one of the best linebacker corps in the entire league.

Aldon Smith: When Aldon Smith was selected with the 7th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, many pondered why the San Francisco 49ers didn’t take the other Missouri prospect in the draft that was slated to go in the 1st Round in Blaine Gabbert, who wound up in Jacksonville. Let’s just say the 49ers came out on the positive side of things with that selection because Aldon Smith had an absolutely outstanding rookie campaign. Aldon came only a few sacks away from breaking the rookie sack record set by Jevon Kearse and sacks were not the only thing that Aldon could make last year as his pressures, hits and hurries all made him the most productive pass rusher in the NFL in 2011 according to ProFootballFocus. Aldon’s performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 on Monday Night Football was one of the most dominant showings from a pass rusher that I haven seen in some time (Spoilers: #10 on the Top 10 had one of the other most dominant showings that I have seen) and made me believe Aldon is a game-changing pass rusher that is only going to get better on a dastardly 49er defense.

LaMarr Woodley: LaMarr Woodley was arguably my favorite player from the Michigan defenses of the mid-2000s and, aside from Leon Hall, David Harris and Alan Branch, has been the most productive out of any of them. Playing alongside Lawrence Timmons and James Harrison has definitely helped him out a ton but while Harrison has generally stood out on the defense (for all the right and wrong reasons) Woodley has emerged as probably the standout player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Woodley had his breakout year in 2011 that for a while put him in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year but unfortunately, Woodley’s 2011 was later plagued with injuries that rendered him to be ineffective and wound up leading ultimately to the demise in Denver for the Steelers in the playoffs. The Steelers should be happy that they have Woodley in 2012 and will once again prove, in my mind, why he’s the best player in that linebacker corp.

Robert Mathis: Yes, I am aware that Robert Mathis has yet to play a down in the 3-4 defense but we will give him the benefit of the doubt due to the soon-to-be change of schemes in Indianapolis for he, Dwight Freeney and the other defenders will have to go through. Now while Mathis may play down on the turf in Pagano’s multiple fronts, we’ll go ahead and continue to assume that he’ll primarily be a 3-4 outside linebacker and one can only imagine the disruption that he could create coming off of a standing position at the line of scrimmage. Mathis has already done enough damage with Freeney on the opposite end to create what is right now the best tandem of edge rushers in the NFL, without a doubt in my opinion when you think of overall productivity, and Mathis’ 2011 on a horrid Colts team shows that. Mathis is one of the key members of this defense and if they undergo a successful scheme change like the Houston Texans did last year, Indianapolis may not be that much of a running joke for long.