The NFL continues to become more and more of a pass-happy league. Therefore, getting to the quarterback is as crucial as ever.
Allowing guys like Tom Brady and Drew Brees to stand in the pocket without any pressure in their face is no bueno. Getting pressure can cause a quarterback to get out of rhythm and can change the course of a contest.
A guy like Aaron Donald has taken the league by storm with his ability to find different ways to take down the quarterback. Last season, Donald had 20.5 sacks to lead the entire NFL in that category.
As phenomenal as Donald is, the Los Angeles Rams pass rusher doesn't make the top three list of the NFL's pass-rushing duos in the NFL. So who are the top three duos in the NFL when it comes to sacking the quarterback?
3. Von Miller/Bradley Chubb
For plenty of years, Von Miller has been considered one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. Miller is entering his ninth season with the Denver Broncos in 2019, but he still is among the best at getting to the quarterback.
In the past five seasons, Miller has started in every game and has gotten 63 sacks, 69 tackles for loss, 132 quarterback hits, and 14 forced fumbles. Men lie, women lie, but numbers don't lie. Miller is still one of the best defensive players in the entire league.
Last season, Denver drafted Bradley Chubb in the first round to give Miller some help off of the edge. In his rookie season last year, Chubb tallied 12 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and 21 hits on the quarterback.
Miller and Chubb combined for 26.5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, and 47 quarterback hits. The potential for the Broncos pass-rushing duo is through the roof and another season like 2018 could land this duo at number one next year.
2. Khalil Mack/Akiem Hicks
Most people believe that Aaron Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL, but some believe that Khalil Mack is. Mack was traded to the Chicago Bears in 2018 and immediately elevated the Bears defense to elite-status.
In his first season in Chicago, Mack managed to total 12.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hits, and six forced fumbles. Among a loaded group of edge rushers in the NFL, Mack is the best the league has to offer.
With Mack on the defense, the Bears improved from being the league's 10th ranked defense in 2017 to the third-best defense in 2018. There's no doubt that Mack's presence and production were crucial to that improvement.
Along with Mack, the Bears have Akiem Hicks who causes destruction in the trenches. At 6-foot-5, nearly 320 pounds, Hicks is a better pass-rusher than people give him credit for. Here is a video showing how Hicks uses his size to create pressure.
In 2018, Hicks finished the season with 7.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and 16 quarterback hits. All in all, Mack and Hicks combined for 20 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, nine forced fumbles, and 34 hits on the quarterback in 2018.
1. J.J. Watt/Jadeveon Clowney
As many know, J.J. Watt has been one of the best defensive players in the NFL since being taken in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Last year, we witnessed Watt return to his once-dominant form.
Injuries plagued Watt in 2016 and 2017, with the Texans pass rusher missing 24 games in those two seasons combined. Then, Watt bounced back in 2018 with 16 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles, and 25 hits on the quarterback.
If Aaron Donald wasn't in the league, Watt would have likely taken home his fourth Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2018. Now, the All-Pro pass rusher is poised to wreak havoc on opposing offenses again in 2019.
On the opposite side, Jadeveon Clowney can hold his own as an edge rusher as well. Clowney is entering his sixth season in the NFL but he may be in for his best one yet despite his contract issues.
Last season, Clowney accumulated nine sacks, 16 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and 21 hits on the quarterback. Exclusively, Watt and Clowney combined for 25 sacks, 34 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles, and 46 hits on the quarterback to take home the label of the NFL's best pass-rushing duo.
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