PFF: Top 25 Most Productive Pass Rushers

[Hitman21ST]

Food for the "trade Orakpo" crowd:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2011/11/30/pass-rushing-productivity-the-story-so-far/

According to Pro Football Focus, the Redskins have two (yeah, that's right, two) of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL. The much-maligned Brian Orakpo ranks out at number 7, ahead of DeMarcus Ware, Jason Babin, Clay Matthews, and John Abraham. Ryan Kerrigan ranks out at number 18, ahead of Osi Umenyiora, Tamba Hali, and Terrell Suggs.

The Top Ten:

• Carlos Dunlap
  Von Miller
  Trent Cole
  Cameron Wake
  Chris Long
  Kamerion Wimbley
  Brian Orakpo
  Jason Babin
  Clay Matthews
  Aldon Smith
  

Ware comes in at number 11.

It's not all fun and games though. Later on in the article, it lists the least productive pass rushers and Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen are right up there. That's not too surprising though, as this is a 3-4. However, it is VERY refreshing to see that the Skins have two of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL. Now we just need to lock Orakpo up for the foreseeable future and we'll be good.

[skins island connection]

RAK and RAK { Orakpo and Kerrigan } gettin' some love; about time.

Not sold on Cole and Babin; few years ago I could see Cole there, and Babin, well, over-rated IMO.

Really surprised to see Ware not in top 5; even though he's a rival, the guy is a beast.

[SWFLSkins]

Where is this "Trade Orakpo Crowd" you speak of? More like two comments in a thread, trading Orakpo would simply add to the legacy of dumb moves by Skins front offices that this FO has so far avoided. Okay well McNabb was pretty dumb but still.

[theTruthTeller]

I guess they lost me when their "most productive" pass rusher has 3 sacks. that ties for 75th in the sack rankings.

[Hitman21ST]

Where is this "Trade Orakpo Crowd" you speak of? More like two comments in a thread, trading Orakpo would simply add to the legacy of dumb moves by Skins front offices that this FO has so far avoided. Okay well McNabb was pretty dumb but still.

There's a good number of members here who keep saying that Rak is too much of a liability and not effective enough rushing the passer, and that we should dangle him as trade bait to a 4-3 team. They come out in earnest in the gameday threads and the position group threads.

[The Robert Griffin Experience]

I guess they lost me when their "most productive" pass rusher has 3 sacks. that ties for 70th in the sack rankings.

Basically he's a guy that doesn't get a lot of sacks but gets lots of pressures and double teams.

Ndamukong Suh has 3 sacks too.

[SWFLSkins]

There's a good number of members here who keep saying that Rak is too much of a liability and not effective enough rushing the passer, and that we should dangle him as trade bait to a 4-3 team. They come out in earnest in the gameday threads and the position group threads.

They must be closely aligned with the Suck for Luck crew huh? The guy is being Held, tackled, doubled, chipped and isolated in the passing game for a reason. Teams are scheming for him, so without that how good would Kerrigan be this year as a rookie? I like these two guys who play off each other. And if you can't see that, not you personally, but that crowd, then there is no reaching them.

[DC9]

Where is this "Trade Orakpo Crowd" you speak of? More like two comments in a thread, trading Orakpo would simply add to the legacy of dumb moves by Skins front offices that this FO has so far avoided. Okay well McNabb was pretty dumb but still.

I am here, where's the beer?

Yes! Great list!

Let's hang Orakpo's prowess on a list that doesn't include Jared Allen...he only leads the league in sacks... EDIT: second in the league by half a sack...

[authentic]

There's a good number of members here who keep saying that Rak is too much of a liability and not effective enough rushing the passer, and that we should dangle him as trade bait to a 4-3 team. They come out in earnest in the gameday threads and the position group threads.

those people are insane!!

[mwj473]

This seems like fuzzy math to me. Their formula has a hit/pressure equal to 3/4 of a sack. That makes no sense to me. So a player that has 3 sacks and no hits/hurries is ranked the same as a player with 0 sacks and 4 hurries.

It says that a hit/hurry reduces Aaron Rodgers completion to 50%. So when he is hit/hurried, he still gains yards 50% of the time and gains/loses no yards 50% of the time. When he is sacked, his completion % is 0% and losses yards 100% of the time. So tell me again how a hit/hurry = 3/4 of a sack?

[Cooooley47]

Sorry, but this list is garbage IMO. Mathews is #1 and Ware is #2 if you ask me. I love Rak and Kerrigan as much as anyone, but no way Orakpo is the force of Mathews and/or Ware yet. But I am excited about what these guys will be doing for us in the years to come. I think Kerrigan will be the better of two between Orakpo and Kerrigan. Although that might be due to the fact that Kerrigan faces the RT and Orakpo has to go against the LT. I just think Kerrigan is further along than Orakpo was in his first season.

[Botched]

Using pressures as 3/4 of a sack is pretty fair. A pass rusher on a team with great DB play is going to get sacks, whereas a rusher on a team with lesser coverage ability might only get pressures, even if he's just as good. Using that metric helps even it out a little bit.

[Boss_Hogg]

Sorry, but this list is garbage IMO. Mathews is #1 and Ware is #2 if you ask me. I love Rak and Kerrigan as much as anyone, but no way Orakpo is the force of Mathews and/or Ware yet. But I am excited about what these guys will be doing for us in the years to come. I think Kerrigan will be the better of two between Orakpo and Kerrigan. Although that might be due to the fact that Kerrigan faces the RT and Orakpo has to go against the LT. I just think Kerrigan is further along than Orakpo was in his first season.

These numbers are QB pressure stats. As You can see, Rak and Kerrigan are #7 and #18 in QB hurries.

That's damn good.

[theTruthTeller]

Basically he's a guy that doesn't get a lot of sacks but gets lots of pressures and double teams.

Ndamukong Suh has 3 sacks too.

I haven't seen KC play much, but I doubt he gets as many double teams as Ware, Miller and Allen. He also has a fraction of their tackles, which would leave me to believe that he is only coming in on obvious passing downs and has no run responsibilities.

Ware, Miller and Allen also have multiple forced fumbles. Dunlap, 0.

I guess anyone can come to their own conclusion about what makes a pass rusher productive.

[Sweet Sassy Molassy]

If any of you wonder what type of impact Cofield and Bowen have had on the D-Line look at the stats for least pressures from the interior linemen spots and you'll see Cofield and Bowen. On the surface that seems bad, but when you consider Orakpo and Kerrigan are ranked in the top 20 for most effective rusher, and you understand the role that DL plays in a 3-4, you'll realize that Cofield and Bowen have done their job quite capably.

[GibbsFactor]

Orakpo gets a lot of hurries, it sucks because it seems the QB often completes the passes.

I wish Orakpo would get more holding calls because he gets neck tied routinely.

The problem people have with Orakpo is his lack of playmaking ability. I don't want to trade him. I do wish he made more plays.

[SWFLSkins]

Present!

Yes! Great list!

Let's hang Orakpo's prowess on a list that doesn't include Jared Allen...he only leads the league in sacks... EDIT: second in the league by half a sack...

So you want to trade Orakpo? Please explain that position I am interested in hearing it.

And why not trade Kerrigan as well, he only has a half sack more that Orakpo.

[theTruthTeller]

This seems like fuzzy math to me. Their formula has a hit/pressure equal to 3/4 of a sack. That makes no sense to me. So a player that has 3 sacks and no hits/hurries is ranked the same as a player with 0 sacks and 4 hurries.

It says that a hit/hurry reduces Aaron Rodgers completion to 50%. So when he is hit/hurried, he still gains yards 50% of the time and gains/loses no yards 50% of the time. When he is sacked, his completion % is 0% and losses yards 100% of the time. So tell me again how a hit/hurry = 3/4 of a sack?

And I wonder how much effect a sack has on subsequent pass plays by forcing the offense to keep the RB and/or TE in to block. Thanks for adding clarity to this discussion. This list is a waste of time.

Maybe it would have some relevence if they only counted hurries where the pass was incomplete or thrown for a loss.

[Champskins]

Terrible list IMO... Ware should be top 5, along with Jared Allen, and even an injured Mario Williams sack count from earlier this year still dominates. So Bowen and Cofield are down the list, wheres Carriker with his constant pressure on the QB and around 5-6 sacks?

Orakpo will not get the holding calls because he does a terrible job of selling it... he usually goes back to the LOS and is ready for another play. If he wants to be heard then he needs to get on the refs about it constantly but he just doesnt seem like that type of guy... but no, trading him is not an option - unless its for Mario Williams (free agent next year)

[Audible_Red40]

They must be closely aligned with the Suck for Luck crew huh? The guy is being Held, tackled, doubled, chipped and isolated in the passing game for a reason. Teams are scheming for him, so without that how good would Kerrigan be this year as a rookie? I like these two guys who play off each other. And if you can't see that, not you personally, but that crowd, then there is no reaching them.

This is bang on. Great post here.

[armada58]

RAK and RAK { Orakpo and Kerrigan } gettin' some love; about time.

Not sold on Cole and Babin; few years ago I could see Cole there, and Babin, well, over-rated IMO.

Really surprised to see Ware not in top 5; even though he's a rival, the guy is a beast.

Couldn't agree more on Babin. He is incredibly overrated. He is invisible for 90% of a game.

I love our bookend OLB's. These guys should be dominant for at least 5 years. Excellent drafting/scouting by us!

[aarobinson]

I'm as vocal about Orakpo's deficiencies as anyone, and even I think trading him would be lunacy.

[DC9]

So you want to trade Orakpo? Please explain that position I am interested in hearing it.

And why not trade Kerrigan as well, he only has a half sack more that Orakpo.

Kerrigan is a worker and a playmaker. He get's to the quarterback and leads the league in forced fumbles amongst rookies.

Orakpo should be traded because he is a one trick pony. He has a speed rush. He does not have a counter-move and doesn't do well in coverage. He routinely gets run at by other teams... check out games 3 to last week.... teams are inviting him up the field and running right at him. Highway 98... that's what I call him.

That said... we have another young OLB who spells Orakpo and get's to the passer as well in Rob Jackson.

I've said Rob Jackson is a C+, Orakpo is a B. If you can get a pick in the teens were we can draft a Dont'a Hightower or Manti Te'o to learn from Fletch for a year (if he resigns), then you do it. You'll end up going down half a grade outside, and upgrade the middle with an A to replace and aging A.

Plus, there's no telling how well Jackson will play with more reps, the kid already has more NFC East sacks than Orakpo and he causes fumbles too.

Trade him to the Bucs for their pick in the 1st.

HAIL!

---------- Post added December-1st-2011 at 09:57 AM ----------

They must be closely aligned with the Suck for Luck crew huh? The guy is being Held, tackled, doubled, chipped and isolated in the passing game for a reason. Teams are scheming for him, so without that how good would Kerrigan be this year as a rookie? I like these two guys who play off each other. And if you can't see that, not you personally, but that crowd, then there is no reaching them.

I'm not in the suck for luck camp either. I'm in the draft a reciever in the first (if one of the big 3 arent' there) and draft a quarterback in the second camp. This is a deep draft for QBs and we can get two pretty good ones in my opinion. The team has to win to build momentum for the young quarterback to come in and succeed. That was the plan for the jump, me thinks.

But why keep a guy that is constantly getting beat by getting run at or getting run up the field by a tackle. How about a spin move? If you can't improve your game and reinvent yourself to be succesful and help the team, then WHY are you worth keeping? For 10 sacks a year against out of division teams?

[Champskins]

Somebody mentioned it about but Im anxious as hell to see what Markus White can do when given a chance... sadly, I doubt he'll be given a chance

[TheLongshot]

Orakpo should be traded because he is a one trick pony. He has a speed rush. He does not have a counter-move and doesn't do well in coverage. He routinely gets run at by other teams... check out games 3 to last week.... teams are inviting him up the field and running right at him. Highway 98... that's what I call him.

So, we should get rid of a good player because he doesn't happen to be outstanding at everything? Yes, people run at pass rushers. That has always happened in this league. I also think Orakpo has improved in coverage, but the great pass rushers tend not to be great in coverage. (Really, do you want Ware in coverage? No, you don't.) Why do I think that you'd nitpick Kerrigan a couple years down the line?

That said... we have another young OLB who spells Orakpo and get's to the passer as well in Rob Jackson.

While I like Jackson as a pass rusher, he tends to make mistakes when he's in there. There have been a few times when he's gone the wrong direction or gotten a penalty. I don't think he's in the same class as Orakpo.