The NFL has become a passing league over the last 10 years. Quarterbacks and big plays dominate the highlight reels as the records start to tumble.
However, the premise of defense has not changed. The quarterback won’t throw touchdowns if he is on his back, buried under a pass rusher.
Having a dominant force up front that can hurry the QB, force inaccurate throws, and create turnovers is still one of the best ways to crush an explosive passing game.
Madden 20 has a lot of terrific pass rushers across the defensive tackle, defensive end, and outside linebacker positions. But who is the best?
To find out we combined a number of different stats to come up with a positionless ranking of the best quarterback hunters the game has to offer.
Here are the best pass rushers in Madden 20.
READ MORE: Madden 20 controls guide
Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams (99 OVR)
Age: 28
Best Stats: Power Moves (99), Awareness (99), Strength (99), Play Recognition (99), Block Shed (97), Finesse Moves (96), Tackle (93), Acceleration (90)
Aaron Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL. He has claimed the last two Defensive Player of the Year awards and even garnered consideration for MVP. Donald was drafted 13th overall by the Rams in 2014 and has made 4 First Team All-Pro appearances and racked up 59.5 sacks for them, including a ridiculous 20.5 sacks last season.
In Madden 20 Donald is one of just four 99 OVR players, and it shows in his stats. He has a perfect score for strength (99), awareness (99), play recognition (99), and power moves (99). His acceleration (90) is amazing for such a big player, and his tackling (93) and block shed (97) make him terrific against the run too. His finesse moves (96) aren’t exactly bad either.
READ MORE: The best money plays in Madden 20
Khalil Mack, Chicago Bears (99 OVR)
Age: 28
Best Stats: Awareness (99), Play Precognition (99), Power Moves (97), Pursuit (95), Tackle (94), Block Shed (93), Finesse Moves (92), Acceleration (89)
Khalil Mack has been making an impact ever since he was drafted fifth-overall by the Oakland Raiders in 2014. He’s been named First Team All-Pro three times and was the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year. Last year he was traded in a blockbuster deal to the Chicago Bears where he was handed a massive contract extension and picked up 12.5 sacks and 6 forced fumbles.
Mack is a superb pass rusher in Madden 20. He brings perfect play recognition (99) and awareness (99) along with elite power moves (97) and quality block shed (93) and finesse moves (92). His tackle (94) and pursuit (95) are excellent too.
Von Miller, Denver Broncos (97 OVR)
Age: 30
Best Stats: Play Recognition (99), Awareness (99), Pursuit (96), Power Moves (95), Block Shed (94), Tackle (93), Finesse Moves (90)
Von Miller was an exceptional college prospect and the Broncos took him second-overall in 2011. As a rookie he tallied 11.5 sacks and claimed Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. His next season he posted a career-best 18.5 sacks and was named First Team All-Pro, an honor he would receive twice more.
Miller’s quality pass rush skills are from his superb power moves (95) and block shed (94). His finesse moves (90) are a little behind but still very impressive. Like the others he brings perfect awareness (99) and play recognition (99). His pursuit (96) and tackle (93) skills are also brilliant.
READ MORE: 7 tips to improve your defense
JJ Watt, Houston Texans (97 OVR)
Age: 30
Best Stats: Awareness (99), Play Recognition (98), Strength (97), Tackle (97), Power Moves (94), Finesse Moves (93), Block Shed (90)
JJ Watt was the best defender in football until injuries caught up with him. Taken 11th overall by the Houston Texans in 2011, in 2012 he posted 20.5 sacks to claim his first of a record-tying 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards. He would claim the title again in 2014 & ’15 when he became the first player in NFL history to have two 20+ sack seasons.
Watt is a big strong boy in Madden 20. His strength (97) underpins his excellent tackle (97) and power move (94). His finesse move (93) is also great. Watt’s awareness is perfect (99) and his play recognition is nearly maxed out (98). He isn’t as fast (78) as others but his stats still make him a deadly pass rusher.
DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys (89 OVR)
Age: 27
Best Stats: Finesse Moves (95), Awareness (94), Power Moves (89), Play Recognition (89), Acceleration (88), Block Shed (88)
DeMarcus Lawrence was a second-round pick for the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, but his play has far surpassed his draft status. Lawrence flashed quality his first three years in the NFL but injuries kept him from really hitting his peak. In 2017 he picked up 14.5 sacks in his first fully healthy season, and backed that up with 10.5 and a career-best 64 tackles in 2018.
The strength of DeMarcus Lawrence lies with his excellent finesse moves (95), but his power moves (89) and block shed (88) aren’t too far behind. Lawrence’s awareness is high (94) though his play recognition (89) isn’t quite where you would want it. He’s got good acceleration (88) but his tackle (82) needs a bit of work.
READ MORE: How to dominate with RPOs
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns (91 OVR)
Age: 23
Best Stats: Strength (96), Power Moves (93), Awareness (92), Play Recognition (90), Acceleration (90), Block Shed (88), Finesse Moves (86)
Myles Garrett is the next great pass rusher of the NFL. Taken first-overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2017, Garrett had a few injuries his rookie year but still posted 7 sacks in 11 games. In 2018 he played all 16 games and finished the year with 13.5 sacks and 29 QB hits as well as an invite to his first Pro Bowl.
Garrett is exceptionally strong (96) in Madden 20, which helps push his power moves (93) toward elite status. His acceleration (90) off the line is good and his block shed (88) is nice for a young player, as are his awareness (92) and play recognition (90).
Calais Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars (92 OVR)
Age: 33
Best Stats: Awareness (96), Block Shed (93), Play Recognition (93), Strength (92), Tackle (92), Finesse Moves (89), Power Moves (84)
Calais Campbell is a veteran. He was taken in the second-round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 and won a starting job on the defensive line in 2009. He was a versatile chess piece for the Cardinals and excelled in run defense and pass rush no matter where he was. Eventually as a free agent he left in 2017 and joined Jacksonville, where he was unleashed as a true pass rusher, picking up 14.5 sacks and a First Team All-Pro spot.
In Madden 20 Campbell has good block shed (93) and finesse moves (89). His power moves (84) are not as good as you might think what with his high strength (92). His awareness (96) and play recognition (93) are not as high as you might think for a player who has been in the NFL so long.
READ MORE: All the best QB’s in Madden 20
Player | Team | Age | OVR | SPD | BSH | PMV | FMV |
Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | 28 | 99 | 83 | 97 | 99 | 96 |
Khalil Mack | Chicago Bears | 28 | 99 | 87 | 93 | 97 | 92 |
Von Miller | Denver Broncos | 30 | 97 | 87 | 94 | 95 | 90 |
JJ Watt | Houston Texans | 30 | 97 | 78 | 90 | 94 | 93 |
DeMarcus Lawrence | Dallas Cowboys | 27 | 89 | 80 | 88 | 89 | 95 |
Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns | 23 | 91 | 84 | 88 | 93 | 86 |
Calais Campbell | Jacksonville Jaguars | 33 | 92 | 73 | 93 | 84 | 89 |
Brandon Graham | Philadelphia Eagles | 31 | 89 | 78 | 87 | 91 | 85 |
Geno Atkins | Cincinnati Bengals | 31 | 91 | 78 | 89 | 93 | 78 |
Jadeveon Clowney | Houston Texans | 26 | 92 | 87 | 89 | 89 | 81 |
Chris Jones | Kansas City Chiefs | 25 | 89 | 71 | 83 | 92 | 83 |
Joey Bosa | Los Angeles Chargers | 24 | 88 | 80 | 71 | 89 | 97 |
Fletcher Cox | Philadelphia Eagles | 28 | 96 | 79 | 86 | 96 | 75 |
DeForest Buckner | San Francisco 49ers | 25 | 87 | 73 | 84 | 81 | 91 |
Cameron Jordan | New Orleans Saints | 30 | 91 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 71 |
Melvin Ingram | Los Angeles Chargers | 30 | 88 | 81 | 80 | 81 | 94 |
Trey Flowers | Detroit Lions | 26 | 87 | 77 | 85 | 91 | 77 |
Ryan Kerrigan | Washington Redskins | 31 | 87 | 80 | 80 | 88 | 82 |
Kawann Short | Carolina Panthers | 30 | 85 | 70 | 91 | 89 | 69 |
Akiem Hicks | Chicago Bears | 29 | 87 | 64 | 91 | 88 | 69 |
Justin Houston | Indianapolis Colts | 30 | 87 | 82 | 84 | 87 | 76 |
Everson Griffen | Minnesota Vikings | 31 | 85 | 83 | 82 | 87 | 78 |
Michael Bennett | New England Patriots | 33 | 85 | 73 | 85 | 87 | 74 |
Jerry Hughes | Buffalo Bills | 31 | 83 | 82 | 88 | 70 | 88 |
Mike Daniels | Green Bay Packers | 30 | 87 | 75 | 89 | 7 | 84 |
Want to share your opinion? Why not Write For Us?