Do the New York Giants have one of the 10 best edge rusher units in the NFL?
The Giants have Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux as their primary outside linebackers. Burns, a second-team All-Pro honoree in 2025, recorded a career-high 16.5 sacks last season. Carter recorded 4.0 sacks last season and was a finalist for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award, while Thibodeaux showed that he is capable of returning to form as a star edge rusher in the league.
DAZN’s Jason Abbey has the Giants’ trio ranked as a Tier 2 edge rusher group along with the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Giants’ group boasts three former first-rounders, but their efficiency has been mixed.
Brian Burns finished second only to Myles Garrett with a career-high 16.5 sacks. While we would be remiss not to mention that Burns’ 11.3% pressure rate placed him in the 42.9th percentile, we know he’s usually a safe bet to do better.
Abdul Carter came on slowly in his rookie year, but he finished on a high and should go from strength to strength in 2026. 3.5 of Carter’s 4 sacks arrived in his last five games, and his 13.0% pressure rate was good for the 65.4th percentile.
Thibodeaux has been a disappointment since putting up 11.5 sacks in 2023, but, assuming he isn’t traded, he provides solid depth.
Arvell Reese wasn’t included in this evaluation because the Giants confirmed he would be playing in an off-ball role.
The Giants’ trio joins elite company. The Rams feature the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who capped a historic 2025 season by breaking the single-season sacks record with 23.0. Byron Young added 12.0 sacks last season. The Steelers pack a massive punch, led by former Defensive Player of the Year and sacks record holder T.J. Watt, as well as Alex Highsmith, who posted 9.5 sacks last season.
Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper combined for 22.0 sacks last season and helped the Broncos’ defense become one of the best in the league in 2025. For the Chargers, outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu recorded 13.0 sacks last season. Khalil Mack added 5.5 sacks across 12 games in his age-34 season. Akheem Mesidor provides the team with one of the most explosive rookie edge rushers from this year’s draft class.
The Giants’ trio has the potential to outdo all of the other edge rusher groups in the NFL next season. With three legitimate threats to record double-digit sacks in 2026, they stand as one of the best units in the league without question.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Will New York Giants sport a top-10 EDGE unit in 2026?
Reporting by Matt Legros, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Matt Legros, Giants Wire | USA TODAY Network
