A pass rushing end in football is a defensive end who rushes the quarterback while a pass is being attempted. Pass rushing ends tend to be among the league leaders in sacks, which is a statistic that measures how many times a defensive player manages to bring the quarterback to the ground before the ball is thrown.
A good pass rushing end has the ability to get past the offensive player that is trying to block the player from getting to the quarterback. This requires exceptional hand speed, bursts of quickness and strength. Unlike interior defensive tackles that rely on brute strength to push offensive linemen backwards and disrupt the play, pass rushing ends must possess a variety of finesse tactics such as spin moves, swim moves (using one arm to push off the opposing player while the other arm elevates over the outstretched hands of the player) and juke moves.
| Player | Team | # of Sacks in 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Donald | Los Angeles Rams | 20.5 |
| Von Miller | Denver Broncos | 14.5 |
| Khalil Mack | Chicago Bears | 12.5 |
| Cameron Jordan | New Orleans Saints | 12.0 |
| Calais Campbell | Jacksonville Jaguars | 10.5 |
Note: Any number of sacks with a value of 0.5 included denotes half a sack, meaning two players were involved in taking down the quarterback (i.e. 20.5 sacks)