Madden 19: Best pass rushers

Putting pressure on the quarterback is of greater and greater importance in the NFL. As quarterbacks and passing offenses get better, often the only way to stop them is to keep putting the passer on his back. In the three Super Bowls that Tom Brady has lost, it has been because the pass rush got to him at the right moment.

How to choose the best pass rushers in Madden 19's Franchise Mode

There's no singular stat for pass rushing in Madden, instead you need to consider several attributes, making it tough to see who really is the best. Speed is obviously important, as is strength, but there's also technique stats like power moves, finesse moves, as well as block shedding, that you need to take into account. Balancing all those stats can be tough, but you don’t have to because we've sorted through them all to bring you the best pass rushers in Madden 19.

Aaron Donald, Defensive End, Los Angeles Chargers (OVR 99)

Age: 27

Development Trait: Superstar

Contract: 1 year/$4.43m

2018 Cap Hit: $4.43m

Stats: Speed (83), Strength (97), Power Moves (98), Finesse Moves (92), Block Shedding (88)

Aaron Donald is the best pass rusher in Madden 19. It might surprise you that it isn't one of the star edge players, but it shouldn't. Donald has been nothing but dominant from the defensive tackle position throughout his NFL career. A move to 3-4 defensive end didn't slow him down in 2017 either. Over the last three years Donald has amassed 30 sacks and 95 QB hits.

In Madden 19 it's Donald's combination of strength (97) and speed (83) that make him a remarkable physical specimen. He combines that with 90+ in both power moves (98) and finesse moves (92) to be the best pass rusher. It is important to put Donald where he belongs when you use him though. Don't line him up on the edge because that just isn't his style. Donald is at home over the guard where he can cause chaos.

Von Miller, Outside Linebacker, Denver Broncos (OVR 99)

Age: 29

Development Trait: Superstar

Contract: 4 years/$53.6m

2018 Cap Hit: $12.6m

Stats: Speed (87), Strength (84), Power Moves (89), Finesse Moves (95), Block Shedding (95)

The best true edge rusher is Von Miller. The Broncos man has been a terror since he entered the NFL as the second overall pick in 2011. He's been to six Pro Bowls and has been named First Team All-Pro three times already. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011 and was MVP in Super Bowl 50. Miller has 34.5 sacks and 79 QB hits over the last three seasons.

In Madden 19 Miller's outstanding finesse moves (95) and block shedding (95) make him a nightmare to stop. He has the speed (87) and moves to dominate offensive tackles. If that wasn't good enough then 99 play recognition and 99 awareness means he is never fooled by an offense either.

Khalil Mack, Defensive End, Oakland Raiders (OVR 98)

Age: 27

Development Trait: Superstar

Contract: 1 year/$7.43m

2018 Cap Hit: $7.43m

Stats: Speed (87), Strength (89), Power Moves (93), Finesse Moves (88), Block Shedding (92)

Khalil Mack is not too far behind Von Miller as a pure edge rusher. The Raiders star has been a force of nature as a pass rusher in the NFL, overwhelming some tackles. His five-sack game against the Broncos is 2015 is the single most impressive performance from any pass rusher in the last decade. Mack has 36.5 sacks and 72 QB hits in the last three years.

In Madden 19 Mack's speed (87) and strength (89) combo is actually better than Miller's, it's just in the technical aspects of his play that he lags behind. At just 27 though, there is plenty of time for you to develop Mack's power moves (93) and finesse moves (88) until they are better than Miller's,

JJ Watt, Defensive End, Houston Texans (OVR 98)

Age: 29

Development Trait: Superstar

Contract: 4 years/$67.77m

2018 Cap Hit: $14.9m

Stats: Speed (78), Strength (97), Power Moves (91), Finesse Moves (86), Block Shedding (93)

Watt has been plagued by injuries over the last two years. Multiple back surgeries and then a knee injury has meant that the Texans' megastar has played just eight games in the last two seasons. However, Watt has been playing at a historic pace over his career. He's a three-time Defensive Player of the Year along with Lawrence Taylor, and he's the only player in NFL history with 20+ sacks in two different seasons. From 2013 to 2015, his last three healthy seasons in the NFL, Watt registered a massive 48.5 sacks and a ridiculous 147 QB hits.

In Madden 19 Watt's speed (78) is what stops him being higher up this list. His strength (97) and power moves (91) are terrific. Like Donald he is at home on the inside of the defense, and that is probably his best position in Madden 19 given his relatively poor speed. His block shedding (93) makes him a nightmare for any blocker to deal with.

DeMarcus Lawrence, Defensive End, Dallas Cowboys (OVR 91)

Age: 26

Development Trait: Star

Contract: 1 year/$17.1m

2018 Cap Hit: $17.1m

Stats: Speed (80), Strength (86), Power Moves (93), Finesse Moves (87), Block Shedding (87)

Injuries have hampered DeMarcus Lawrence throughout his career. He played just seven games in his rookie season (2014) and nine games in 2016. In 2017 he finally showed the league just how good he is. Lawrence finished the year with 14.5 sacks and 26 QB hits. He was the Cowboys best defensive player, and they slapped the franchise tag on him to keep him for another season.

In Madden 19 Lawrence represents the start of a separate tier of pass rushers. Donald, Miller, Mack, and Watt are the super elite pass rushers in the NFL, but that doesn't mean Lawrence can't get the job done. His power moves (93) stat is excellent, and while he doesn't have tremendous athleticism (speed 80), he can beat blockers on the edge in a variety of ways.

Cameron Jordan, Defensive End, New Orleans Saints (OVR 95)

Age: 29

Development Trait: Superstar

Contract: 3 years/$30.02m

2018 Cap Hit: $8.31m

Stats: Speed (78), Strength (91), Power Moves (94), Finesse Moves (74), Block Shedding (92)

Constant changes in the defensive scheme meant that Jordan, a first-round pick in 2011, had an inconsistent career. Sometimes he was an edge player, sometimes a defensive tackle, and other years a 3-4 defensive end. In 2013 Jordan had 12.5 sacks, but followed that up with just 7.5 thanks to scheme change. Under Dennis Allen he's been consistently playing on the outside, and it returned dividends in 2017. Jordan finished with a career-high 13 sacks and picked up 28 QB hits.

In Madden 19, Jordan's speed (78) makes it difficult to put him on the edge every down. However, his combination of strength (91), power moves (94) and block shedding (92) means he can overwhelm blockers wherever he lines up.

Calais Campbell, Defensive End, Jacksonville Jaguars (OVR 93)

Age: 32

Development Trait: Star

Contract: 3 years/$38.9m

2018 Cap Hit: $12.2m

Stats: Speed (73), Strength (87), Power Moves (80), Finesse Moves (91), Block Shedding (93)

Much like Jordan, Campbell has moved all over the defensive front throughout his career. In his nine years at Arizona you never knew, from one snap to the next, where the massive Campbell would line up. He could be at nose tackle or wide 9 defensive end thanks to his length and athleticism. In 2017 he moved to Jacksonville and became a dominant pass rushing force. He finished the year with 14.5 sacks and 30 QB hits as a versatile piece of the Jags front, playing outside on early downs and then kicking inside in third and long situations.

In Madden 19 Campbell's speed (73) makes him far more suited to playing defensive tackle, where he can cause chaos. With 87 strength, his power moves (80) are surprisingly poor, but his finesse moves (91) and block shedding (93) more than make up for it.

Brandon Graham, Defensive End, Philadelphia Eagles (OVR 93)

Age: 30

Development Trait: Star

Contract: 1 year/$6.62m

2018 Cap Hit: $6.62m

Stats: Speed (79), Strength (86), Power Moves (93), Finesse Moves (83), Block Shedding (87)

Brandon Graham has been a quiet assassin for some time now as part of the Eagles rotation at defensive end, but in 2017 he made his biggest impact. He led the Eagles with 9.5 sacks and also registered 14 QB hits. That doesn't sound like a lot compared to others on this list, but he played far fewer snaps than everyone else. He also had the crucial strip sack on Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII to secure Philadelphia's first Lombardi Trophy.

In Madden 19 Graham is all about the power moves (93). It's his only elite pass rush stat, but his block shedding (87) is superb and his finesse moves (83) are strong too. He lacks the speed (79) to play consistently on the edge, but just like in real life you can put Graham over a guard and dominate on the inside.

Myles Garrett, Defensive End, Cleveland Browns (OVR 88)

Age: 22

Development Trait: Superstar

Contract: 3 years/$23.13m

2018 Cap Hit: $7.41m

Stats: Speed (84), Strength (96), Power Moves (87), Finesse Moves (74), Block Shedding (86)

Myles Garrett is the next superstar of pass rushing. He was the first overall pick in 2017 after a dominant three years at Texas A&M where he finished his career with 31 sacks and 47 tackles for loss. As a rookie he played just 11 games due to some injuries, but he finished the year with an impressive seven sacks and a team-leading 18 QB hits.

Garrett is incredibly strong (96) in Madden 19, and that underpins his power moves (87) and block shedding (86). His speed (84) is good, but the key with Garrett is the future. His superstar development trait and age of just 22 means he can quickly catch up to the likes of Khalil Mack and Von Miller as a dominant edge player.

Joey Bosa, Defensive End, Los Angeles Chargers (OVR 91)

Age: 23

Development Trait: Superstar

Contract: 2 years/$13.28m

2018 Cap Hit: $6.26m

Stats: Speed (81), Strength (87), Power Moves (89), Finesse Moves (95), Block Shedding (76)

The third overall pick in 2016, Joey Bosa entered the NFL as one of the most technically savvy rookies ever. He made an instant impact for the Chargers and led the team in sacks (10.5) and QB hits (21) during his rookie year. In 2017 he finished the season with 12.5 sacks and 21 QB hits.

In Madden 19 Bosa's technical prowess shines through with his 95 finesse moves and 89 power moves. He's a little under-served with a 76 block shedding, but like Myles Garrett he has youth and a superstar development trait on his side.

Other star pass rushers