Ranking NFL’s Best Pass-Rushing Duos After Micah Parsons Trade

The Green Bay Packers acquired one of the NFL’s best pass rushers when they traded for Micah Parsons on Thursday. In four seasons, Parsons has ranked in the top eight in sacks each year. Combined with his new sidekick, Rashan Gary, the Packers should field a game-changing pass rush.

“You’ve got to pick your poison,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday. “It definitely flips the field in your favor.

Where does a Parsons-Gary tandem rank among the best pass-rushing duos? Here’s the top five.

5. New York Giants: Dexter Lawrence II, Brian Burns

It seems strange opening a list about pash rushers with a defensive tackle, a position that is traditionally meant to plug holes in the running game and tends to create opportunities for others to rush the passer, but Dexter Lawrence is a special case.

Sexy Dexy nearly led defensive tackles in sacks last year, coming in second with nine even after missing the last five games with an elbow injury. He showcased himself as a top pass-rushing tackle and pass rusher overall with a three-sack performance against the Seahawks in Week 5, leading the Giants to one of their three wins.

Among 73 interior defensive linemen with at least 200 pass-rushing opportunities last season, Lawrence ranked ninth in Pro Football Focus’ pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 13th in pass-rush win rate.

Brian Burns brings the juice from the edge. After starting his career in Carolina, Burns was new to the Giants in 2024, and he wasted no time making an impact. He finished with 8.5 sacks and 17 tackles for losses. He ranked 13th among edge rushers with 61 pressures

Paired with former No. 5 pick Kayvon Thibodeaux and this year’s No. 3 pick, Abdul Carter, the Giants are in a great position to have a dangerous pass rush.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers: T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward

T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward have been a top pass-rushing duo in the league for years. Both are looking at a Hall of Fame induction when they decide to call it quits.

Watt has been one of the best defenders in the league, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. He’s been a first- or second-team All-Pro five of the last six seasons and led the NFL in sacks in 2020, 2021 and 2023. Technically, he had a down year last season, at least by his standards, with 11.5 sacks, which was the third-fewest of his career. Still, he tied for eighth in sacks and led the NFL with six forced fumbles.

Heyward is also destructive, especially for his position. Among defensive tackles, he ranked third with eight sacks, fourth with 56 pressures and seventh in pass-rush win rate.

3. Houston Texans: Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr.

Although this duo has only been together for one season, Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter quickly became one of the best in the league last year.

Hunter finished the season with 12 sacks while Anderson added 11, making the Texans one of two teams to have two players finish in the top 10 in sacks and one of four teams to have two players with double-digit sacks.

This duo combined for 117 pressures, with Hunter having 66 and Anderson having 51, making them one of the most consistent pash-rush combos in the league. Among 93 edge defenders with at least 200 pass-rushing opportunities, Anderson finished 11th in pass-rush win rate and Hunter was 13th, according to PFF.

Before drafting Anderson, the Texans had one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Drafting Anderson in 2023 and adding Hunter in 2024 helped make them one of the best.

2. Green Bay Packers: Micah Parsons, Rashan Gary

With this week’s addition of Micah Parsons, which the Packers were able to do without giving up their best pass rusher, Rashan Gary, the Packers could have the most dangerous pass-rushing combo in the NFL.

Parsons in only four seasons is on track to be a Hall of Famer. Over those four seasons, he is fifth with 52.5 sacks and also fifth in pressures and knockdowns. Last season, he finished fifth with 12 sacks in only 13 games. The players either tied with him or above him in sacks played all 17 games except for one, Kyle Van Noy, who played 16. According to PFF, he finished second in pass-rush win rate behind only Myles Garrett.

Parsons has never had less than those 12 sacks in a season and is one of the best defenders and best players overall in the NFL.

Gary had a down year last season with only 7.5 sacks, though his all-around game made him a first-time Pro Bowler.

While Gary is chasing his first 10-sack season, Year 2 in Jeff Hafley’s scheme and the arrival of Parsons could lift him to new heights. Parsons should create more opportunities for Gary, with Parsons getting a lot of attention and double teams from the offensive line, leaving Gary more one-on-one chances.

While they will start the season in the No. 2 spot, this duo has every opportunity to be the best pass-rushing tandem in the NFL by a long shot.

1. Denver Broncos: Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper

It’s no surprise that the team that led the NFL in sacks last year has the best pash-rushing duo.

Nik Bonitto finished the season with 13.5 sacks, making him third in the league behind the Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson and the Browns’ Myles Garrett. With 10.5 sacks, Jonathon Cooper was just a half-sack away from cracking the top 10.They combined for 118 pressures last year, with Cooper’s 61 ranking 13th and Bonitto’s 57 ranking 18th.

It’s not just those two. Defensive tackle Zach Allen added 8.5 sacks. According to the official league stats, he led all players with 40 quarterback hits. According to PFF, he led all defensive tackles with 75 pressures. The combination of his interior pressure and the rush from edges helped make Denver’s defense elite.

After their breakout seasons, there is always fear of regression. However, Cooper is only 27 years old and Bonitto is only 25, so both players are entering their primes, making them a potentially dangerous pass-rushing duo for years to come.

Packers Trade for Superstar Micah Parsons