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New York Times
8 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The NFL's most efficient pass rusher is a player you've probably never heard of
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When Kaden Elliss gets his game plan each week, he immediately skims it to look for the arrows. For each defensive call, the player's responsibility is listed right by his position on the field. The arrow means 'go get the quarterback.' There are no other responsibilities. Just go get that guy. Advertisement 'It's just got an arrow. 'Go that way,'' Elliss said. 'I love seeing that.' As Elliss enters his seventh NFL season, his coaches are putting more and more arrows on his sheet, and maybe there should be even more. The Atlanta Falcons inside linebacker leads the league in pressure percentage (25.7 percent) in the last four seasons, according to TruMedia. 'That guy, you watch him on tape, and he's a game-changer,' first-year Falcons defensive line coach Nate Ollie said. 'A very unique linebacker. Not many linebackers in the league can do what he can do. Man, he's slippery.' Elliss is 88th in sacks over the last four years (17). But he has so many responsibilities and gets only so many chances to rush the passer. His 370 pass-rush snaps since 2021 rank 285th in the league. Last season, he had 43 quarterback pressures on a career-high 147 pass-rush snaps, and that 29.3 percent rate led the league. In fact, the only players with more than 100 pass-rush snaps to finish within 10 percentage points of Elliss last season were Detroit's Aidan Hutchinson (25 percent), Tampa Bay's Lavonte David (21.5) and Arizona's Kyzir White (20.8). 'I can't imagine throughout the league that there is a more polished pass rusher on the inside than he is,' inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud said. Elliss also led the Falcons with 150 tackles, which ranked sixth in the NFL. 'He's unique,' coach Raheem Morris said. 'He can win from a bunch of different spots.' Elliss joined the Falcons as a free agent in 2023 after four years in New Orleans in which he started a combined 12 games, only breaking out in 2023. That slow start to his career might be the reason why at 30, when many professional athletes are just trying to hold on to what they have, Elliss continues to add elements to his game. 'He's still on the rise,' said Ruud, who had a nine-year NFL career in Tampa Bay, Houston, Tennessee and New Orleans. 'I was falling off the cliff going the other way when I was 30. Usually guys when they are his age, they have kind of found their niche. If anything, they are trying to hang on. He's a guy who is going the opposite way.' One of three players all-time in a single season with at least: 5 sacks1 strip sack150 tackles1 interception Kaden Elliss 🔥 — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) June 27, 2025 Elliss' unusual development path could also be because of his football IQ, said Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who is getting his first exposure to Elliss after being hired in the offseason. 'He has this amazing ability to apply information in real time,' Ulbrich said. 'At times, you are very careful about the level of detail that you give someone because it slows some guys down. It slows more players down than it doesn't. He is the exact opposite. The more information you give him, the better he does.' Advertisement Elliss is such a high-capacity player that he has convinced Ulbrich to violate one of the coach's key tenets, which is to 'put players on repeat' by giving them a limited number of roles and responsibilities to master. 'Most of the time I would say don't dilute guys, but he's a guy that we're going to push to be versatile,' Ulbrich said. Elliss' versatility means his role can be game plan-specific. In 2024, under former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, Elliss rushed the passer 46 times (with a 32.6 percent pressure rate) in the first eight games. In the last nine games, he rushed 101 times with five sacks and a 27.7 percent pressure rate. 'It's a lot of fun getting to do a lot of different things,' Elliss said. 'It gives you so many opportunities to impact the game. You can run around, go get as many tackles as you want, take away some pass concepts and then you get an arrow on your sheet and go get the quarterback.' Elliss' role this season is likely to depend as much on what his teammates can do as anything specific to him. The Falcons signed Divine Deablo to play on the inside next to Elliss and drafted two edge rushers — Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. — in the first round. 'Kaden makes my job easy,' Deablo said. 'He's a vet by the definition of it.' Even so, Elliss is still 'a developmental player behind the ball compared to his pass-rush ability,' Ruud said. Ulbrich has seen plenty of development there this offseason. 'I'm excited for the world to see what he has become as a stack linebacker,' Ulbrich said, 'plus all the other stuff he's going to do.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chiefs 2026 scouting report: Northwestern Wildcats DE Anto Saka
The Kansas City Chiefs lose significant depth in their defensive end room over the next two years. During that time, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Mike Danna, Malik Herring, Charles Omenihu and B.J. Thompson become free agents. The Chiefs should add more pass rush help through the 2026 NFL draft. Northwestern's Anto Saka battled an injury during the second half of last season, but he posted several eye-catching performances in September and October. Saka is an undersized but explosive and powerful rusher capable of posting quick wins around the edge or beating offensive tackles with inside counters. Saka's pass rush plan includes speed rushes, converting speed to power, chops, long-arms, rips, spins, swims and two-handed swipes. He uses speed to power to force the B-gap open and punishes offensive tackles for oversetting by crossing their faces. Saka is aggressive and punches above his weight as a pass rusher. Saka's rush plan is still developmental. He relies heavily on a few moves and doesn't have a polished bag of hand counters or secondary rush moves to deploy once his initial attack stalls. With under 400 career defensive snaps, it's not surprising that Saka's rush plan is a work in progress. His career snap total should more than double in 2025, giving him essential experience to carry into his rookie season. Many explosive edge rushers in the 2026 NFL draft project best as designated pass rushers who rotate in on late downs. Saka might begin his career in this role, but he possesses true three-down potential to become a full-time NFL starter. Saka's burst and motor make him a threat to chase down ball carriers as a backside run defender. His gap integrity and block shedding are still developing, but Saka's violent and powerful upper body makes him difficult for blockers to contain. He stacks blocks with a long-arm and drives his legs to force offensive linemen backward, compressing interior run lanes. This coming season determines Saka's final draft positioning since he doesn't have much tape from previous seasons to fall back on. However, his previous flashes, including sacks against Graham Barton, Julian Pearl and Caedan Wallace in 2023, hint that he's a future second or third round selection. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: 2026 NFL draft scouting report: Northwestern Wildcats DE Anto Saka
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles' training camp: Jihaad Campbell's versatility could make Zack Baun even better
Zack Baun was initially signed by Philadelphia last off-season to add pass rush prowess and versatility to the Eagles' defense. Baun went on to become a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. The Eagles selected Jihaad Campbell in the draft, and on Saturday, the former Alabama star confirmed that he has been working out at both inside linebacker positions. Campbell learning Baun's spot could provide Philadelphia with a scenario where Nakobe Dean or Jeremiah Trotter Jr. plays the other linebacker spot alongside Campbell, allowing Baun to rush the passer more in 2025. The Erial, New Jersey native was named to the first-team All-SEC in 2024 after leading the team with 117 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks. Baun led the top-ranked total defense with 151 tackles and five forced fumbles in 2024. He also added one interception. He was one of two players since at least 2000 with 150-plus tackles and five-plus forced fumbles in a season (the Colts' Zaire Franklin also did so in 2024). This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Jihaad Campbell's versatility could make Zack Baun even more dangerous
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Commanders LB Von Miller had a hilarious answer about rushing the passer
When the Washington Commanders signed linebacker/edge Von Miller last week, some wondered how much the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer had left. In a limited role with the Buffalo Bills last season, Miller still recorded six sacks in only 33% of Buffalo's defensive snaps. For Miller, that's not going to change in Washington. He was signed to do one thing: rush the passer. Something that comes naturally to him. 'Yeah, they going to let me rush," Miller said Thursday after Day 2 of training camp with a laugh. "They're going to let me rush, that's what I do, that's what I do. I can still roll out the bed at 36 years old with my house shoes on and still rush the passer. There's other stuff that I gotta work at to get better at, of course, but the main thing for me is rushing the passer. I can do that right when I wake up fresh out of sleep. So, love rushing the passer." Miller was being funny, but he was also being honest. Throughout the offseason, Washington GM Adam Peters took swings at different edge rushers, names such as Myles Garrett (unavailable and re-signed) and Trey Hendrickson, but did not swing a deal. He wasn't going to overpay for a talented but unproven player in free agency, so he waited and signed one of the best pass rushers in NFL history. While Miller is known for his ability to rush the passer, he's also an excellent all-around defender. Washington's leader in sacks last season, Dante Fowler Jr., departed this offseason. The Commanders allowed Fowler to walk because they wanted edge defenders who could also defend the run. Fowler struggled there. Miller, even at 36, does not. Miller's primary goal is to chase quarterbacks, but his leadership and character also make him a natural fit for Washington. I'm a team guy through and through," he said. "Those are the two things that I toot my horn on. It's nothing like being on a team with other guys that's just like me going towards a common goal. I've been on a football team since I was in the fifth grade, so now we talking about 25 years, something like that, playing football. So, I just know the dynamics of a locker room. I lead with love." As long as Miller remains healthy, head coach Dan Quinn takes care of his veterans, this could be an excellent marriage for both sides in 2025. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Von Miller is honest about how he can help the Commanders
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chiefs scouting report: Iowa Hawkeyes DE Max Llewellyn
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best collections of power rushers in the NFL. It's time for the team to diversify some of the body types in its defensive end room. Several 2026 NFL draft prospects, including Texas Tech's David Bailey, Iowa's Max Llewellyn and Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas, offer the explosiveness to electrify Kansas City's pass rush. Llewellyn is a quick pass rusher with the immediate burst to stress offensive tackles vertically. Many offensive linemen break out of their usual pass set form and chase or overextend to match Llewellyn's speed. This leaves the linemen off balance and vulnerable to counters or line games. Llewellyn sets offensive tackles up with his speed rush early in games before attacking the B-gap later on. He's a fluid athlete who counters inside without sacrificing any momentum. While he sometimes attacks the B-gap with a speed rush off the line, he also works across the offensive tackle's face mid-play when he feels his outside rush won't get home. Llewellyn's pass rush plan includes chops, club-swims, long-arms, rips, swipe-rips, two-handed swipes and one of the best spin moves in the class. Llewellyn has mastered every element of the spin. He sets up offensive linemen for his best move with long strides that force them to overset, creating room in the B-gap for an inside spin. He also uses head fakes and some hip movement to manipulate the offensive tackle's leverage. It might sound like Llewellyn's pass rush plan is complete, but it's still a developmental part of his game. He relies too much on his spin move. He posts several wins per game with the spin, but offensive linemen eventually adjust and counter its effectiveness. Once this happens, Llewellyn doesn't have other polished, NFL-caliber moves that he feels comfortable deploying. Llewellyn currently projects as a late top 100 selection but could elevate into the second round if he refines his pass rush plan and unlocks his bend more often. He shows flashes of playing low to flatten his rush angle and beat the offensive tackle around their outside shoulder. However, his high pad level makes it difficult for him to bend around the corner consistently. Llewellyn's value in run defense is questionable, at best. He shows good effort but lacks the mass to anchor at the point of attack. Iowa doesn't play him in goal line situations because he lacks the play strength to consistently stack blocks and pinch run lanes. These concerns make Llewellyn a candidate to serve as a designated pass rusher early in his career. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: 2026 NFL draft scouting report: Iowa Hawkeyes DE Max Llewellyn
