The 10 best edge rushers in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are most famous for their legendary defenses over the years. The Steel Curtain dynasty of the '70s is considered by many as the greatest defense of all time. Decades later, Pittsburgh's 2000s defense was among the best and most imposing units in the league. This was made possible thanks to the remarkable edge rushers who were able to get after the quarterback routinely.

While the Steelers have had their struggles finding talent at some positions over the years, pass rushers have not been one of them.

Over the years, these pass rushers have had many labels. In Pittsburgh's 4-3 defense during the '70s and '80s, they were labeled as defensive ends. In the '90s and 2000s, when the Steelers moved to a 3-4 defense, they were known as outside linebackers. Modern-day football language refers to them as edge rushers or edge defenders.

However you want to label them, their primary mission was the same: to get after the quarterback and inflict pain. These players did this at a level like no others in Steelers franchise history.

Criteria for selection

Determining which criteria to use for these edge rusher rankings was not easy. The position has changed dramatically over the years. Some of these players were full-time edge rushers with their hand in the dirt and others were stand-up pass rushers who would frequently drop into coverage.

Some players, like Greg Lloyd, were truly a blend of linebacker and pass rusher. However, because Lloyd's primary objective was to rush the quarterback, he is included on this list of greatest edge rushers -- not on the all-time linebacker list. These determinations were made on a case-by-case basis for various other players who had multiple assignments on defense based on the category in which they fit best.

Statistics were very important in ranking criteria, as players who routinely racked up sacks, tackles for a loss, and forced fumbles consistently made their presence felt on the football field. This often came with personal accolades, such as Pro Bowls and All-Pros -- which were also factored into these rankings.

Each player's leadership qualities and intangibles were considered. Likewise, the longevity of each edge rusher's career with the Steelers played a factor. Those who had longer tenures in Pittsburgh received a boost.

I also considered which players were the most dominant at the peaks of their Steelers careers and the impact they had on their respective defenses.

The top 10 pass rushers in Pittsburgh Steelers history

10. Alex Highsmith

Alex Highsmith is one of the many great success stories of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former college walk-on at Charlotte worked his butt off and climbed the ladder to become a third-round pick by the Steelers in the 2020 NFL Draft.

After two promising seasons to open his NFL career, Highsmith broke out with a 14.5-sack campaign in 2022, which included a league-leading five forced fumbles. Highsmith's quickness off the snap and cyclone spin move has made offensive tackles look foolish.

Highsmith is still writing his story in Pittsburgh, and with all of the outstanding edge rushers to wear the black and gold throughout Steelers' history, it's impressive that he has cracked the top-10 list.

9. LaMarr Woodley

Seeing LaMarr Woodley this low shows you just how dominant Pittsburgh's edge rushers have been over the years. Woodley was an impressive player very early in his NFL career. The 46th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft worked in a part-time role as a rookie and recorded 4.0 sacks.

From 2008 to 2011, Woodley averaged 11.0 sacks and nearly 14 tackles for a loss per season -- earning Pro Bowl honors once during this span. His surge of dominance couldn't have come at a better time, as he played a major factor in helping the Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl win in 2008 (and another Super Bowl appearance in 2010).

Playing alongside the great James Harrison, Woodley was never considered the top edge rusher in Pittsburgh and his career fizzled out quickly after his fifth season. Still, the four-year stretch the Steelers received from Woodley made him a pivotal player on the league's best defense.

8. Dwight White

Dwight White was a 4-3 defensive end for the Steelers, but the talented defender lands on the list of the best edge rushers in Steelers history. At 6'4'' and 255 pounds, White had a terrific blend of size and athletic traits.

White's career began with a bang. Interestingly, his best five seasons all came in his first five years in the NFL. Pittsburgh's fourth-round pick in 1971 earned Pro Bowl honors in his second and third seasons in the NFL. While sacks did not become an official stat until 1982, Pro Football Reference's charting credits White with 42.5 sacks in his first five seasons.

White was a key contributor to Pittsburgh's defense in the '70s. He started 104 of 126 games for the Steelers from 1971 to 1980 and assisted his team in four Super Bowl victories.

7. Jason Gildon

One of my earliest memories of the Steelers is watching Jason Gildon and his neck roll tear it up on the edge as a violent pass rusher. At 6'4'' and 255 pounds, Gildon had excellent size and elite physicality at the position.

Gildon played most of his career in a true 3-4 defense and was no stranger to taking on multiple assignments and dropping into coverage. Still, his bread and butter was his pass-rush ability. The third-round pick in 1994 averaged nearly 11 sacks per season over a five-year span from 1998 to 2002.

This impressive run led to three Pro Bowls as well as First-Team All-Pro honors in 2001. Gildon played 10 seasons in Pittsburgh before signing with the Jaguars to play one final NFL season in 2004.

6. Kevin Greene

Kevin Greene's placement on this list will be controversial. With 160.0 career sacks and an average of just over 10.5 sacks per season, Greene is considered one of the best edge rushers in NFL history. His dominance helped him earn Hall of Fame honors in the 2016 class.

But as great as Greene was, the Steelers can hardly claim him as their own. The phenomenal pass rusher played just three of 15 NFL seasons in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, he earned Pro Bowl honor with the Rams, where he spent the first eight seasons of his career, and was an All-Pro player for the Panthers -- playing three of his final four seasons for Carolina.

Green's three-year tenure with the Steelers was spectacular. He averaged over 11.5 sacks per season and started every game while recording one All-Pro and two Pro Bowls. However, I knocked him a bit in my all-time Steelers edge rusher rankings due to his lack of longevity with the team.

5. Joey Porter

When you think of the biggest trash talkers and intimidators in Pittsburgh Steelers history, Joey Porter is the first player who comes to mind. As a third-round pick from Colorado State in 1999, this franchise had no idea that Porter would be as good as he was.

Porter didn't start until his second NFL season, but we immediately knew we had something special. In year two, he recorded 10.5 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, an interception, and a defensive touchdown.

Like Jason Gildon, Porter was asked to drop back and play in space as well as get after the quarterback. In 2002, Porter snagged four interceptions and returned them for 153 yards while recording nine sacks and 89 tackles.

Porter was one of the best players on the team during Pittsburgh's Super Bowl win following the 2005 season. He departed for Miami during the 2007 offseason and recorded a 17.5-sack season for the Dolphins in 2008. Porter played eight of 13 NFL seasons for the Steelers -- recording 468 tackles, 60.0 sacks, 75 tackles for a loss, and 10 interceptions.

4. Greg Lloyd

We can't mention the legendary Steelers' edge rushers without talking about the great Greg Lloyd. At 6'2'' and 228 pounds, Lloyd was a true outside linebacker in Pittsburgh's 3-4 front, but he's one of the most versatile players ever to play this hybrid position.

Lloyd was just as impressive in space as he was generating quick pressure on the quarterback. His unmatched blend of quickness, strength, leverage, and play-recognition made him the perfect fit in Pittsburgh's defense.

A sixth-round pick in 1987, Lloyd didn't see the field until his second NFL season and didn't earn a full-time starting role until year three in 1989. By 1991, Lloyd emerged as a perennial Pro Bowler. Though his sack numbers weren't gaudy (just one 10-sack season), Llyod was a tackling machine who routinely made plays at and behind the line of scrimmage.

Llyod was also elite at swiping and dislodging the football. He recorded at least five forced fumbles in five straight seasons from 1991 to 1995. The versatile edge rusher was a three-time First-Team All-Pro player and five-time Pro Bowler during his ten-year career in Pittsburgh.

3. L.C. Greenwood

L.C. Greenwood possessed all the traits the Steelers could have asked for in an edge rusher. The 4-3 defensive end stood at 6'6'' and 245 pounds with speed, length, and quickness. While 'Mean' Joe Greene deservingly stole the spotlight on Pittsburgh's defensive line in the '70s, Greenwood was a pivotal piece to the team's success.

In his third season in 1971, Greenwood -- a 10th-round pick -- worked his way up the ladder to earn a starting job as the team's left defensive end. It was all uphill from there. From 1973 to 1979, the outstanding edge rusher was named to six Pro Bowls and earned First-Team All-Pro honors twice.

Perhaps most important was his longevity with the Steelers. Greenwood played all 13 NFL seasons in Pittsburgh and helped the franchise to their first four Super Bowl wins. Greenwood was a finalist in the 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame voting but did not get elected.

2. James Harrison

James Harrison's career journey is an inspiring story. The former undrafted free agent out of Kent State signed with the Steelers in 2002. After bouncing around practice squads for the Steelers and Ravens for years, Harrison eventually stuck with Pittsburgh. However, he didn't earn his first start until his age-29 season in 2007.

His late start didn't stop him from becoming a Steelers legend. Harrison earned Pro Bowl honors in his first season as a starter. At just 6'0'' and 242 pounds, the undersized edge rusher had unmatched leverage and incredible strength for his size.

Harrison's 2008 season was one of the best we've ever seen by a player in a Steelers uniform. He recorded 101 tackles, 16.0 sacks, 19 tackles for a loss, seven forced fumbles, and an interception. This was capped off with Harrison's 100-yard pick-six in Super Bowl XLIII.

While his late start may prevent him from making the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Harrison was the 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year and two-time first-team All-Pro. He played 14 seasons in Pittsburgh and earned two Super Bowl rings while recording 772 tackles, 80.5 sacks, 122 tackles for a loss, and 33 forced fumbles.

1. T.J. Watt

At the end of the day, it's almost impossible to argue that any player should be higher on the list of all-time Steelers edge rushers than T.J. Watt. While he doesn't have the Super Bowl hardware that several other players do on this list, he is a generational player and future Hall of Famer.

As good as every player is on this list, Watt has treaded down a path like no other before him. The 2017 first-round pick recorded 20.0 sacks combined over his first two seasons before asserting himself as one of the best players in the league -- regardless of position.

In his first seven seasons, Watt recorded 96.5 sacks and 107 tackles for a loss -- leading the NFL in sacks on three separate occasions. He also earned Defensive Player of the Year honors following the 2021 season when he tied Michael Strahan's single-season sack record with 22.5.

Watt is on a historic pace and is still writing his own story. He will go down as one of the best players to ever put on a Steelers uniform and possibly one of the best defensive players in NFL history.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

The 10 best edge rushers in Steelers history by sacks

Note: Sacks were not made official before 1982. Pro Football Reference charted unofficial sack numbers for players beginning in 1960.

*Denotes unofficial sack numbers.