Edge Rusher
This refers to the outside-most defensive players that rush the quarterback in American football.
- In a 4-3 set-up, it’s the defensive ends
- In a 3-4 set-up, it’s the outside linebackers
Those players are on the “edges” of the defensive line scheme – the edges of whatever format is expected to rush the passer rather than fall back into pass coverage.
There seems to be general agreement that an “edge rusher” is not a named position, but simply a functional position for a specific play.
Why I Looked It Up
I saw some article about the top football draft prospects, and it listed several players’ positions as “Edge.”
(Note that this disputes the claim above that “edge” is not a named position. I don’t know how to reconcile that.)
Postscript
Added on
I was talking with a friend who knows a lot about football.
[Edge rushers and defensive ends] are really the same thing. Now, I do think that, over time, edge rusher has kind of come to take on a different kind of meaning. They really just see this guy rushing the quarterback. Whereas a pure defensive end is rushing the quarterback and looking to stop the run. So, think of an edge rusher as someone they bring in on third to get after the quarterback. But honestly, they’re really the same thing.
I asked a few questions:
Me: Do some guys just get called in to be an edge rusher for certain plays?
Him: Yes, they like to rotate them to keep them fresh.
Me: Do college kids get drafted as “edge rushers”? Like, do they market themselves to teams as that specialty?
Him: Yes, it is one of the higher paid spots because is so important to get pressure on QB
Me: So, “edge rusher” is not an actual position, is it? It’s just a … role, for a certain play?
Him: [thumbs up emoji]