The Houston Texans have a problem most teams would kill for. They have too many elite pass rushers, and the rest of the league knows it.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler dropped his annual ranking of the top edge rushers this week, and it confirmed something Texans fans already felt. Their duo is the best in football. No other team can say that after reading this list.
Will Anderson Jr. jumped from eighth to third. Danielle Hunter climbed from ninth to sixth. That puts Houston in exclusive company — the only franchise with both starting edge rushers inside the top six.
Anderson is still only 24 years old, and some scouts think he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. One NFC scout told Fowler he’s still “underrated to a degree.” That sounds strange for a top-three player at his position, but the numbers back it up. Anderson posted 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in 2025. But the counting stats don’t tell the full story. His pressure rate is elite. He lives in the backfield. He makes everyone around him better.
Hunter’s career is aging like fine wine
Hunter turned 31 this year, and he’s still wrecking games. One NFL coordinator called him “a total force” and said his career production is quietly dominant. That coordinator even questioned whether there’s been a more underrated player in the league during his time in the NFL. High praise, and not entirely wrong.
The veteran has been consistently excellent since entering the league, but he doesn’t get the national headlines that younger flashier pass rushers get. That might finally change now that he and Anderson are making noise together.
Having both guys on the field at the same time creates a nightmare for offensive coordinators. You can’t double-team both. You can’t chip both. You can’t slide protection away from both. One of them is going to win their matchup, which means quarterbacks are going to feel the pressure all game long.
The Texans are hoping this pass rush carries them deep into January. C.J. Stroud is still playing on a rookie contract, which gives Houston a window to load up elsewhere. They’ve done exactly that on the edge. If the Texans make noise this fall, this duo is the reason.
ESPN’s rankings were compiled from feedback from over 70 NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. That’s a big sample size. And the verdict is clear: Houston owns the best pass-rushing tandem in the league. Now they just have to prove it when the games actually start.
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