A trio of former Wisconsin Badgers appeared on ProFootballFocus’ list of the top 32 edge rushers ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Led by Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett, PFF’s list includes former Badgers T.J. Watt, Andrew Van Ginkel and Nick Herbig.
Watt, who is entering his ninth season representing the Pittsburgh Steelers, landed at No. 3 on the hierarchy behind Garrett and Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons. Watt earned the No. 3 designation ahead of San Francisco 49ers great Nick Bosa and Detroit Lions rising star Aidan Hutchinson in the top 5.
In 17 starts at left outside linebacker for Mike Tomlin’s crew, Watt tallied 60 total tackles (40 solo), 27 quarterback hits, 19 tackles for loss, 11 1/2 sacks, a league-best six forced fumbles and four pass deflections. The former Badger pocketed his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, was named second-team All-Pro and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Patrick Surtain II (winner), Trey Hendrickson and Garrett.
Watt has also led the NFL in sacks three times at linebacker as arguably the most consistent defensive player since he was first named a Pro Bowler in 2018. Here’s PFF’s analysis of the superstar ahead of the 2025 campaign:
“Watt is best known for his pass-rushing prowess, which was on full display once again in 2024. His 90.1 PFF pass-rush grade marked the fifth time in six seasons he earned a grade of 90.0 or higher.
He also took home PFF Run Defender of the Year honors last season, backed by a 1.63-yard average depth of tackle and a 3.2% negatively graded play rate, the lowest among all box defenders in the NFL.”
RANKING THE TOP 32 EDGE DEFENDERShttps://t.co/WML8rNATmC
— PFF (@PFF) May 26, 2025
The second Badger to make an appearance on the ranking is Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who earned a one-year, $23 million contract extension on April 29 for his contributions for Brian Flores’ defensive unit during the 2024 season. The Wisconsin product totaled 79 tackles, 18 for loss, 11 1/2 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, six pass deflections, one forced fumble and two pick-sixes a season ago, enough to pocket him a Pro Bowl nod, second-team All-Pro selection and No. 7 finish in Defensive Player of the Year ballots.
The former Badger displayed glimpses of his dominance from 2019-23 with the Miami Dolphins prior to his 2024 output with Minnesota. His overall emergence is unexpected following his fifth-round selection in the 2019 NFL draft. Here’s what PFF’s staff had to say:
“Van Ginkel reunited with former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores in Minnesota and delivered the most productive season of his career, recording 50 pressures for the second straight year and a career-high 11.5 sacks. His pass-rushing numbers could have been even higher if not for his frequent coverage responsibilities — he dropped into coverage 212 times in 2024, by far the most among edge defenders. Still, with three pick-sixes over the past two seasons, it’s a skill set the Vikings are wise to utilize.”
The third and final Badger to secure a spot on PFF’s list is Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig, a first-team All-Big Ten team member in 2022 and emerging playmaker behind Watt.
In 13 total appearances, the Hawaii native tallied 22 total tackles (13 solo), 11 quarterback hits, 5 1/2 sacks, five tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. Following a strong preseason, Herbig flashed his brilliance early in the season, including a three-tackle, two-sack performance in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
While he doesn’t draw the headlines like some of his teammates, Herbig is a versatile player on a loaded defense.
“No player embodied the “pass-rushing specialist” role better than Herbig in 2024. The second-year pro was elite in limited snaps, earning a 91.5 PFF pass-rush grade — fourth among 109 qualifying edge defenders. However, he struggled against the run, grading out at 48.2 (101st), and will need to improve in that area to move up this list next season.”
All three will look to build off what they accomplished during the 2024 campaign with strong individual outputs this fall. Pittsburgh begins its season on Sept. 7 against the New York Jets, and Minnesota kicks off on Sept. 8 in Chicago.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football products on PFF top 2025 NFL edge rusher ranking