Saints: Ranking the top pass rushers in the NFC South
By Jake Rajala
The NFC South was home to two of the top three sack leaders in 2019. Where do these premier pass rushers rank in the division typically won by the Saints?
Buccaneers DE Shaquil Barrett led the league with 19.5 sacks, while Saints DE Cam Jordan was third in the NFL with 15.5 sacks. These two prolific edge rushers are still in their prime and aiming for a career year in 2020.
Shaq Barrett and Cam Jordan were both named second-team All-Pro last year. Cam had his highest sack total last year out of his whole career. Meanwhile, Barrett is only 27 years old and just scratching the surface.
These two elite pass-rushing studs will make things fun to watch in their two divisional games this year. These two players close to reaching 20 sacks aren’t the only prolific pass rushers in their division.
Buccaneers DE Jason Pierre Paul had 8.5 sacks last year and 12.5 sacks in the season before. He recently turned 31 and still has a few prime years left in the tank. Falcons edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. was just introduced to the division from the Rams, and he logged in 11.5 sacks a year ago.
There’s still one pass rusher with the most potential in the division, who hasn’t displayed his best production. That player is Marcus Davenport, the 6-foot-6 260 DE who runs a 4.5, should look to stay healthy finally after missing three games in 2019.
Davenport had a modest six sacks last year before missing three games, which hurt his production and growth. This edge rusher had a higher pressure rate than Jordan before going to injured reserve. His motor and consistency will only grow with his freak talent.
With so many elite pass rushers in the division, where do they all stack up? Let’s take a look at who makes top 4 of the pass-rushing list in the NFC South and what the pecking order is.