The AFC North’s edge-rusher picture looks a lot different heading into 2026, and the biggest reason is simple: the division no longer belongs to Myles Garrett. Free agency and the draft reshaped all four rooms, but some teams came out of the offseason in far better shape than others.
Pittsburgh still sits at the top. T.J.
Watt remains the standard in the division, even after a 2025 season that saw his pass-rush numbers dip a bit. He made his eighth straight Pro Bowl, though for the first time since 2022 he didn’t land on either All-Pro team.
His 74.2 PFF grade ranked 31st at the position in 14 games, but the Steelers still have a true headliner. Alex Highsmith gives them another proven starter on the other side after putting up 9.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits and 23 pressures in just 13 games.
Then there’s Nick Herbig, who got a hefty four-year extension this offseason after showing real disruption value. He has only 16 sacks in three seasons, but his nine career forced fumbles stand out, and in 2025 he posted a career-high 29 pressures and 18 quarterback hits while grading as the seventh-best edge rusher with an 86.7 PFF grade.
Pittsburgh’s depth also includes Jack Sawyer, KJ Henry and Julius Welschof.
Baltimore comes next, and the Ravens made their biggest splash by bringing in Trey Hendrickson from a division rival. That move gives them an immediate starter and the clear leader of the group.
Hendrickson arrives as the pass-rushing answer for a team that finished near the bottom of the league in sacks last season. The Ravens also used the draft to add Missouri’s Zion Young with the No. 45 overall pick, and he looks like a player who could get on the field early.
Young and Tavius Robinson fit more as sturdy run defenders on the edge, while Hendrickson and Mike Green bring the more direct pass-rush juice. Green is one of the more interesting names here after flashing high-level ability in 2025 and entering Year 2 with room to rise.
Adisa Isaac and Kaimon Rucker round out the depth.
Cleveland drops after losing Garrett, and there’s no way around what that means for the defense. Garrett had been the engine for this unit for years, so his absence changes everything.
The Browns did get a strong piece back in Jared Verse, the 2024 defensive rookie of the year. In two seasons, Verse has already piled up 12 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, 45 quarterback hits and 69 pressures, and he gives Cleveland a legitimate building block.
On the other side is Alex Wright, who started nine games last season and set career highs across the board. Wright is entering his fifth year after being taken in the third round in 2022.
Behind them are Julian Okwara, Isaiah McGuire, Logan Fano and Benton Whitley.
Cincinnati checks in fourth after losing Trey Hendrickson, who had been their pass-rushing ace for the past five seasons. That departure leaves a major hole and a lot of production to replace.
The Bengals added Boye Mafe from Seattle and used a second-round pick on Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, who brings five years of productive college work and should be ready to help right away. Mafe didn’t post eye-popping numbers with the Seahawks, but he was a key piece of that championship defense.
The wild card is Shemar Stewart, last year’s first-round pick. His rookie season was derailed by early contract issues and later injury problems, and it didn’t go the way Cincinnati hoped.
If he takes a real step in Year 2, this group can look a lot better. The rest of the depth chart includes Cedric Johnson and Isaiah Foskey.
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Zion Young Could Answer A Huge Ravens Defensive Question Fast
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Youngs appeal is that he does not look like a one-trick edge player. He was a strong run stopper in college and is expected to bring that same edge-setting presence to Baltimore while also rushing the passer and potentially sliding inside when the matchup calls for it. For a defense that could use another versatile piece who helps against the run without disappearing on passing downs, Young might end up answering a big question sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]