Winning at the Point of Attack
Last week's edition of Reading the Defense utilized the "pass-rush win rate" to identify edge rushers whose underlying performance metrics align with their statistical production. ESPN collects "pass-rush wins" from NFL Next Gen Stats. A pass rusher who beats the block within 2.5 seconds is credited with a win. ESPN then reports the rate of wins versus pass-rush attempts, along with the rate at which blockers double-team the defender.
If the opposite of a pass-rush win is a loss, the double-team mitigates the negative impact of the loss on the defense. Other defenders have fewer obstacles in their path to the quarterback.
A confluence of events results in a quarterback sack. The quarterback must drop back to pass and hold the ball long enough for a defender to reach and tackle him. Good coverage helps. Good offensive-line play neutralizes pass rush. Some say, "A sack is a quarterback stat." The aspect of the sack over which the pass rusher has most control is how quickly he beats his blocker.
Defensive tackles collect fewer sacks and score fewer pass-rush wins because they are typically double-teamed one-half to two-thirds of the time. Some tackles intentionally take on two blockers at a time. Some defensive coordinators aim to reduce the frequency with which a featured interior disruptor is double-teamed, thereby aiding their pursuit of passers and ball carriers.
Star Performers
Through four weeks, Jeffery Simmons leads the league with 14 pass-rush wins, 4 more than any other defensive tackle. Simmons is staking a claim as the league's best tackle surrounded by a dearth of talent along the Tennessee defensive front. Despite Simmons's success at the point of attack, he's recorded just 2.0 quarterback sacks.
Six defensive tackles have collected more than 2.0 sacks, a motley crew headlined by 39-year-old Calais Campbell in his second stint as a Cardinal. Two Seahawks join Campbell in the top six after terrorizing Campbell's quarterback, Kyler Murray, in last week's Thursday night game. Byron Murphy II is the Seahawk that appears on both Footballguys' leaderboard and ESPN's. Murphy was the first defensive player selected in the 2024 NFL draft. His development is right on schedule. Murphy is an attractive trade target for fantasy gamers seeking to strike before he fully blossoms.
Byron Murphy II is who we thought he was.
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) September 16, 2025
He leads all DTs in tackles (11) and is tied for 4th in pressures (8).
Dominant start to his sophomore campaign. pic.twitter.com/jpi7TLmSKR
Dynamic Duos
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