The big names at the quarterback and wide receiver positions might draw the most attention across the NFL landscape, but the star power at a premium position like pass rusher in the AFC North is nothing to bat an eye at.

Though T.J. Watt is coming off a down year, he remains a superstar and a future Hall of Famer. Myles Garrett remains in Cleveland (for now), coming off a second Defensive Player of the Year award while setting the NFL’s single-season record for sacks.

Trey Hendrickson changed teams in the division, going from Cincinnati to Baltimore, while the Bengals reshaped their defense and hope for a sizable step forward in Year 2 from former first-round pick Shemar Stewart.

Quarterbacks beware in the AFC North, and around the NFL. The division is loaded, and not just with stars, either.

So how does the division shake out from best to worst at the EDGE position? Let’s found out in today’s Ranking The Rooms: AFC North series.

1. PITTSBURGH STEELERS

It shouldn’t be a surprise at all that the combination of Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, not to mention emerging second-year pro Jack Sawyer, leads the AFC North EDGE rankings.

Yes, Watt is coming off a down season with just 7.5 sacks. He dealt with a serious lung injury last season, too, causing him to miss games. Questions abound regarding Watt and his playing future. He needs a bounce-back season, but with new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in the mix, hopes are high.

Opposite him, Highsmith remains a real force — when he’s on the field. Health is the only thing holding Highsmith back. If he can avoid the nagging injuries, he could really ascend to another level and be viewed in that true upper echelon of pass rushers.

Then there’s Herbig, who is in line for a major extension this summer. He played a career-high 636 snaps last season and set a career-high in sacks (7.5) and pressures (48). He was a dominant force, but with Watt and Highsmith set to be the starters, it will be on Graham to find a way to work Herbig in consistently.

Depth is very good behind those three with Sawyer, who made some big plays on defense as a rookie. He flashed more as a pass rusher than anticipated and handled his own in coverage, too. The arrow is pointing up for Sawyer.

Behind the big four, players like K.J. Henry and Julius Welschof will compete for practice squad spots. Welschof has been around a while for the Steelers and has flashed in the preseason, while Henry was on and off the Steelers’ practice squad last year but did enough to earn another contract.

2. CLEVELAND BROWNS

Having the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and the league’s record holder for sacks in a single season is a great starting point for the Browns on the edge. Myles Garrett, love him or hate him, is a dominant force. Unfortunately for him, that dominance hasn’t helped lead to any real playoff success for Cleveland.

While Garrett is a true game wrecker, he doesn’t have a true running mate opposite him. Alex Wright projects to be the starter, and while Wright flashed last season, he still had just 5.5 sacks. Isaiah McGuire is in the same boat, too, after managing just two sacks in 2025.

The Browns added veteran Julian Okwara in free agency, have second-year pro Adin Huntington returning, and did well to add pieces such as Tyreak Sapp, Logan Fano and Khordae Sydnor as undrafted free agents out of Florida, Utah and Vanderbilt, respectively. Those are intriguing young players to try and develop.

But it all revolves around Garrett in Cleveland, and rightfully so.

3. BALTIMORE RAVENS

What a strange offseason the Ravens had on the edge. They agreed to trade two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby before pulling out of that deal. They subsequently signed Trey Hendrickson away from the Bengals, adding a high-end pass rusher to the mix.

Hendrickson hasn’t been himself recently though. He had just 4.0 sacks last season in limited action, dealing with a hip injury throughout the season. He appears healthy now and could get back to his back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024. He’s the true elite pass rusher the Ravens have been searching for.

Tavius Robinson returns and will start opposite Hendrickson after a 4.5-sack season, while second-year pro Mike Green looks to take a significant step forward after having just 3.5 sacks as a rookie. They form a nice duo opposite Hendrickson. But it might be rookie second-round pick Zion Young who surpasses both of them.

Young had 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss last season at Missouri and profiles as an explosive pass rusher who could be disruptive off the edge in a 3-4 scheme. Rookie UDFA Ethan Burke and veteran Adisa Issac are also in the mix.

The Ravens had plenty of depth here, but Hendrickson’s health and effectiveness at age 31 raises questions about this group overall. Will that hip slow him down?

4. CINCINNATI BENGALS

Losing Hendrickson is a big blow, but that’s the Bengals’ own fault. They had plenty of chances to sign him. Instead, they are leaning into the draft-and-develop approach off the edge.

Unfortunately for the Bengals, that approach backfired last season with a real swing and miss on Shemar Stewart. The Texas A&M product had a strange contract holdup throughout the summer, and once he was back in the mix didn’t do much to impact things. He had just one sack last season and was largely out of sight, out of mind.

The Bengals did well this offseason though rebuilding the position, signing Boye Mafe in free agency. He had just 2.0 sacks last season with the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks, but he’s a good pass rusher with great athleticism and length.

Myles Murphy returns, too, coming off a 5.5-sack season. Though the Bengals declined his fifth-year option, he showed signs of putting things together last season.

The Bengals drafted Cashius Howell out of Texas A&M in the second round, adding another athletic pass rusher with great college production. Howell is a bit undersized though, and his NFL fit in a 4-3 scheme is curious. But there is no denying his ability to rush the passer.

Veterans Cedric Johnson and Isaiah Foskey return as depth, too. There’s still a long way to go here for the Bengals. The hope is Stewart takes a step forward, Maye provides veteran leadership and production, and Howell makes an immediate impact.

2025 AFC North EDGE rankings: 

No. 1 – Pittsburgh Steelers 

No. 2 – Baltimore Ravens

No. 3 – Cleveland Browns 

No. 4 – Cincinnati BengalsÂ