Cameron Jordan sits alone at the top of the NFC South edge-rusher pile for the 2010s, but the division had more than one pass rusher worth remembering. The Saints star is the headliner, yet the Falcons and Panthers each put forward names that earned their place in the conversation over the decade.
Jordan’s case is built on steady dominance. After managing just one sack in 2011, he turned into a yearly problem for opposing quarterbacks, piling up at least 7.5 sacks every season from 2012 through 2022.
His 2017 season stood out even more: 13 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 11 passes defensed, and a fourth-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting. That year also brought his only touchdown, when he intercepted Matthew Stafford in the end zone.
If he gets to the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, the 2010s will be the foundation.
The Panthers’ representative is Charles Johnson, who earned his spot through production more than awards. A third-round pick who spent his early years behind established names like Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker, Johnson didn’t become a regular starter until his fourth season.
Once he got the opportunity, though, he delivered three different double-digit sack seasons. He also set a Panthers franchise record with five postseason sacks in seven playoff games.
Atlanta’s edge-rushing case starts with Vic Beasley, a player whose rise and fall happened fast. He arrived with plenty of hype, then exploded in 2016 with 15.5 sacks and six forced fumbles, leading the league in both categories.
But the production didn’t hold. His slight frame made it tough to sustain his game, and once blockers adjusted, he struggled to turn speed into power.
Even so, at his peak he was one of the league’s toughest blocking assignments.
John Abraham also gets a spot from Atlanta, even if his best years were split across eras. His strongest stretch came at the end of the 2000s and into the early 2010s, but he still put together a big 2010 with 13 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, and the only interception of his career.
The Falcons may have wished they kept him longer after he posted 11.5 sacks for the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 and earned another Pro Bowl nod, but a frightening career-ending injury in 2014 cut things short. Abraham finished with 133.5 sacks overall, including 68.5 with Atlanta.
In Other News...
Another Saints Star Just Earned Major NFL Top 100 Respect
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Olaves standing matters even more for a New Orleans offense that will keep leaning on him as a featured target, and it also adds a little extra intrigue to the Saints' 2026 schedule. The Arizona Cardinals are set to see him up close in Week 16 in New Orleans, where his speed and route-running will again be part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Jonas Sanker Faces A Huge Saints Test After Alontae Taylors Warning
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Sanker has shown why the Saints are intrigued, with preseason moments that hinted at real playmaking upside. New Orleans wants him to help as both a run defender and a pass rusher from that hybrid spot, which means the job is about more than just lining up and holding ground. The challenge now is turning those flashes into something steady, and the next step will be whether Sanker can keep trusting his instincts when the role starts demanding more from him. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Fans Still Debate Which Early 2000s Topps Card Matters Most
The early-2000s Topps Football run still has collectors arguing over which card carries the most weight, and it is easy to see why. The 2000 set brought in the blue-border design and a rookie crop that included Brian Urlacher, while the 2001 and 2002 editions added more of the eras defining names and kept the hobby conversation moving from one release to the next.
For Saints fans, the appeal goes beyond the cardboard itself because those sets overlap with a franchise history that eventually became tied to one of the eras most important quarterbacks. The market has settled into a familiar split, with the biggest chase card commanding premium attention and the other key rookies remaining far more approachable, but the debate over which Topps issue matters most still has plenty of life left in it. [Read more 🡒]