NFL free agency 2022: Best edge rushers available
By John Buhler
Here are some of the best pass rushers hitting 2022 NFL free agency this offseason.
If an NFL team cannot get after the opposing quarterback, then that team is going nowhere fast.
Though not quite as critical as getting the quarterback position right, it is so hard to win in this league when you cannot trust who is coming off the edge. Being able to sack an opposing signal-caller or disrupt his timing is paramount towards winning with any consistency. Maybe even more importantly, having reliable edge rushers when a team is up big is a great way to close out games.
Here are some of the best edge rushers who could be looking for new teams in NFL free agency.
NFL free agency 2022: 5 best pass rushers hitting the market
DL. Calais Campbell. 5. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Baltimore Ravens. 26
Calais Campbell is coming off a down season, but he is a future hall of famer
The ageless Calais Campbell has already solidified himself of future Canton enshrinement one day down the line in the not-so-distant future. The six-time Pro Bowler, 2017 First-Team All-Pro, the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year and the former Mayor of #Sacksonville has done seemingly everything in his illustrious career but this one thing: Win a Super Bowl championship as a player.
Campbell played for one in his early days with the Arizona Cardinals and came within a game of another during his first year in Jacksonville. While he had a good first year with the Baltimore Ravens two years ago, Campbell was kicked inside and only had 1.5 sacks. He is 6.5 away from getting to 100 in his career. Campbell may need to play two more years, but let the big dog eat!
Though he could re-up with Baltimore, his former defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale is now with the New York Giants. While that team is not ready to win just yet, going to play for a coordinator he knows well could lead to him joining his fourth NFL team. Better yet, look for Campbell to take a potential discount to link up with a title contender to ride off into the sunset.
Campbell turns 36 years old in September, but his impact from a culture standpoint is undeniable.