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When we talk about what makes pass-rushers “unblockable,” it’s not really about sacks, hits and hurries, though those are the positive aftereffects. You can lead the league in a pass-rush category with one or two moves if you’re in the right set of defensive schemes, you have other “unblockables” on the line with you and you’re teeing off on undermanned blockers who have other things to deal with on your line. It’s not that sacks, hits and hurries are less-than-revealing arbiters of unblockability; it’s more that they don’t tell the whole story.

Twelve players had 11 or more sacks last season, and seven of those players are not on this list. The top player on this list had 11 sacks last season, while the No. 10 player led the league with 15.5.

At a certain point, as is true with everything having to do with football, you have to go to the tape to round out the story. And the tape will tell you which pass-rushers are the hardest to block on a play-to-play basis, regardless of scheme or surrounding talent.

The best pass-rushers have a full array of moves to counter whatever blockers try to do to them. They can bull-rush with impressive upper-body strength and a mechanically sound foundation. They can ride a tackle around the pocket, using the “dip-and-dip” move to get under a blocker’s shoulders and move inside to the quarterback. They understand gaps and know when to shoot through them to disrupt the play. They can win with arm-over, rip and swim moves. A few can do all of this from multiple gaps, which is an incredibly important skill as NFL defensive lines become less defined and demand more versatility.

The players on this list aren’t necessarily the most well-rounded defensive linemen and linebackers, though most of them have a complete skill set. These 10 players are the ones who make themselves the toughest to block with peerless combinations of technique, game understanding, toughness and tenacity.