NFL Stats Leader 2021: Who has the most sacks heading into Week 9?

Week 8 games have mostly come to a close, and the sack leaders from last week have also mostly stayed intact. Defensive players who can effectively rush the quarterback on a week-to-week basis usually end up in overall talks for Defensive Player of the Year.

The DPOTY race is on and looks like a seemingly tight race. T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Harold Landry are battling to see who can terrorize opposing quarterbacks the most.

Here's a look at the sack leaders heading into Week 9.

Current top five sack leaders

#5 - Hasson Reddick - 7.5 sacks

Hasson Reddick continues to remain in the top five week-to-week when it comes to sacks, and the Panthers finally got a much-needed win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Although Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals is also tied for 5th with 7.5 sacks, Reddick leads in overall tackles and tackles for loss, earning him the rightful 5th place in this week's rankings.

Reddick has been a nightmare on the field and yesterday was no different, as Reddick was able to get to Matt Ryan with a sack. The Panthers are lucky to have such a good pass-rushing linebacker in their ranks.

#4 - Matthew Judon - 8 sacks

Matthew Judon has made his way back into the top five sack rankings this week after being absent the past two games without being able to log a sack. That wasn't the case for Sunday's game when Judon accounted for 1.5 sacks.

That was part of the reason the New England Patriots were able to secure a win against the Los Angeles Chargers. This Patriots team is slowly starting to come together, and their 4-4 record showcases their improvement. With Judon stepping up as a stalwart defensive player, the Patriots may be a problem should they make it to the playoffs.

Top 3 sack leaders heading into Week 9

Who are the top three sack leaders?

#3 - Harold Landry III - 8.5 sacks

Harold Landry continues to be one of the most dominant pass-rushers in the entire league. Even more impressive is that he is keeping pace with T.J. Watt for sack numbers. Landry has been able to log a minimum of half a sack in every game since Week 2.

That impressive feat is what is keeping him tied for second place, barely out of reach for the most sacks in the league, and nearly beating out former DPOTY runner-up, T.J. Watt.

The Titans have lost Derrick Henry for the season, so the defense will need to step up even more, and Landry can be the leader to show the rest of the Titans defense how to continue their dominant ways.

#2 - T.J. Watt - 8.5 sacks

Although T.J. Watt is tied for second in the league for sacks with Harold Landry, his other numbers are what hold him in a higher position. Watt is currently in second place with sacks, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries among defensive players.

These numbers have also been achieved, with Watt having sat out two games due to injuries. If Watt had not been injured, his numbers might have been leading the pack. The Steelers are beginning to look like a more competitive team, and their win over the Browns yesterday can be attributed to Watt's 1.5 sacks.

#1 - Myles Garrett - 10.5 sacks

Despite the Browns being beaten up on both sides of the ball and dealing with a slew of injuries, Garrett remains one of the most reliable players they have. He has 10.5 sacks leading the league and Garrett is making his case for DPOTY every week.

Garrett leads the pack with two sacks and continues to be a force on the defensive side of the ball. Garrett was able to reach Roethlisberger at least once yesterday, and he continues to log a sack in every single game he plays. The Browns are lucky to have Garrett keeping the team together.