Commanders Burdened By Major Ranking Problem In Edge-Rusher Rankings

The Washington Commanders haven't done enough.

The New York Giants have done a lot.

And while the latter NFC East team isn't seen as being on the same level as the former, Washington's plan to win the division - and much, much more - could be derailed by their one major failure when it comes to roster-building ...

The Commanders' edge-rush group is the NFC East's worst.

What have the Giants done in the last two years? They added edge rusher Brian Burns to a defensive line that already included Kayvon Thibodeaux and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence last year. And this year, they took Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Washington QB Jayden Daniels might beat New York. But those guys figure to give him fits as they chase him down.

Our Anthony Licciardi constructs our NFC East edge rusher rankings. ...

1, New York Giants (Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux)

New York will enter the year with three first-round edge rushers. Carter, the least-proven of the bunch, might be the most talented. The Giants will have the ability to keep each of them fresh while also getting them on the field together through subpackages on passing downs. They don’t have the best edge rusher in the division, but they might take up the next two spots.

2. Dallas Cowboys (Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler Jr., Donovan Ezeiruaku)

Parsons is, at worst, a top-five edge rusher in the sport. He carries the load here as a perennial Defensive Player of the Year contender and the most important player on this defense. Fowler is a fringe-average starter, and Ezeiruaku has the potential to take his spot by the end of Year 1.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari)

Philadelphia’s depth stands out, as Joshu Uche and occasional snaps from Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell make this unit even more potent. However, lacking a true Robin for Smith could become a significant factor in this defense’s regression.

4. Washington Commanders (Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise, Jacob Martin)

Armstrong might be the most underrated edge rusher in the sport. With that said, Washington lacks star power off the edge. Armstrong is formidable and Wise is okay, but this unit clearly has the least upside in the NFC East. The possibility of this pass rush stalling out is legitimate and should temper expectations before the Commanders take the field in 2025.