Garrett sends the five best edge rushers in the Cowboys’ schedule into the race

Kyle Youmans

(Editor’s note: Who doesn’t love lists? All year long, High 5 features a top-5 list on many important topics surrounding the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season.)

It’s officially that time of year when quarterbacks and offensive coordinators can’t sleep at night. The NFL season has begun, and it’s time for the edge rushers to wreak havoc once again.

Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense have benefited tremendously from training against one of the league’s best edge rushers, Micah Parsons. Perhaps more than anything, the Cowboys are thankful that the quarterbacks always wear a red jersey when Parsons is around, which protects them from his physicality.

Unfortunately, they won’t be so lucky with some of the NFL’s other top edge rushers this season. Dallas’ 2024 schedule showcases some of the best and most dangerous pass rushers in all of football. Here are the five best they’ll see this season:

Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals – After a down year in 2022, Hendrickson has once again emerged as one of the best in his field. Last season, he finished second in the AFC with 17.5 sacks and has now posted three double-digit sack seasons in the last four seasons. With the Bengals facing high expectations this year, expect a rejuvenated Hendrickson to look to get back into AFC title contention. Aiden Hutchinson, Detroit Lions – Hutchinson was one of two players last season, along with Micah Parsons, to finish with over 100 QB pressures. His 101 pressures were second-best in the league and were accompanied by 11.5 sacks. The only thing Hutchinson doesn’t have the other top edge rushers to offer is durability. With another great season for Dan Campbell’s team, he could easily become a household name. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers – Don’t look at the sack numbers for Bosa. They don’t tell the whole story. He finished last season with just 10.5 sacks, his fewest in a full season since his rookie season in 2019. However, he was third in the league with 95 QB pressures and second with 35 QB hits, behind only TJ Watt. His impact is still as high as anyone’s when it comes to explosive pass rushers, and that will surely be the case again after the Cowboys’ off week in Week 8. TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers – TJ Watt, last season’s sack leader, is still a force to be reckoned with with an incredible 19 sacks, and he’s one of the most efficient at creating space for his teammates. Watt’s success has also been instrumental in the development of Alex Highsmith on defense. Dallas travels to Pittsburgh in Week 5 to see one of the best front sevens in football. Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns – That’s no surprise. The Arlington, Texas native has long established himself as one of the league’s best edge rushers and backed that up last season by winning Defensive Player of the Year. He finished the year with a career-high 14 sacks and four forced fumbles, while also creating 86 quarterback pressures this year. His disruptions at the line of scrimmage will pose a challenge for Tyler Guyton in his Week 1 debut at left tackle.