Myles Garrett is the heavy favorite at +250 on DraftKings Sportsbook to finish the regular season with the most sacks. And for good reason. During his rookie season, he started nine of 11 games and racked up only seven sacks. Since then, he’s posted double-digit sacks in every season, even when he only played 10 games in 2019. Now he joins a Rams team that was sixth in total sacks and fourth in pressure rate last season. If Aaron Donald joins the team, then double-teams would essentially be nonexistent. The Rams offense should continue being potent, which could force opposing offenses to drop back more in order to chase points. Really, my only worry is that the defense could be too good, especially since the Rams bolstered the secondary in the offseason. There could be plenty of 3-and-outs while the Rams bludgeon defenses on the ground. That said, Garrett should be in the mix for the sack crown barring injury. Let’s see if there are any candidates that could end up on the sack throne.
Before we get into this year’s pool, let’s take a brief look at the history of sack leaders from the past. Since 2011, the last name Watt has been one of royalty in these streets. JJ led the league in 2012 and 2015. TJ accomplished the feat in 2020, 2021 and 2023. TJ was the only player to go back-to-back. In addition, the Watt brothers are the only players to lead the league in sacks more than one season.
It took over 20 sacks to lead the league six times. The low was 15. On average, it took 19.3 sacks. Over 15 seasons, a player racked up at least 15 sacks 43 times. Last season, three players hit the mark – Garrett (23), Brian Burns (16.5) and Danielle Hunter (15).
Aidan Hutchinson is a worthy candidate at +500. He was the second overall pick in the 2022 draft and finished with 14.5 sacks last season. Outside of 2024, when he played only five games due to injury, Hutchinson has played in every other game and racked up 9.5 and 11.5 sacks during his first two years in the league. The Lions have a potent offense that should force opposing teams to drop back more often. That said, the rest of the defensive line isn’t great, so that could mean more double teams for Hutchinson.
Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. at +600 are interesting. And not in a particularly good way. For the last two seasons in Houston, both have racked up double-digit sacks. That’s good, but do they both nerf some upside for the other? In addition, DeMeco Ryans is a defensive-minded coach and the offense will likely be more of the ground-and-pound variety, especially after acquiring David Montgomery and bolstering the offensive line. That could produce fewer sack opportunities than other teams.
Trey Hendrickson racked up 17.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024, finishing with the league lead in 2024. He will be 32 years old, though, while coming off a season cut short by hip and core muscle injuries.
My longshot is Abdul Carter at +5000. He plays opposite Brian Burns, who had 16.5 sacks last season, so there should be plenty of one-on-one opportunities. Abdul Carter was the third overall pick in the 2025 draft and is highly regarded as an explosive pass rusher. He only finished with four sacks last season but started only six of 17 games. That said, he finished with the seventh-most pressures last season. I still think Garrett is the best bet, but it’s football and strange things happen. What if Garrett gets injured? The price is nice for the upside.
