Danielle Hunter Ranked No. 23 on NFL Top 100 Players of 2026

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Danielle Hunter continues to receive recognition from his peers as one of the NFL's premier pass rushers.

The Houston Texans defensive end was ranked No. 23 overall on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026, moving up two spots from his No. 25 ranking in 2025.

At 31 years old and entering his 11th NFL season, Hunter isn't slowing down. If anything, his second year in Houston further strengthened a résumé that is beginning to make a compelling Hall of Fame case.

Hunter earned Second-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2025, while he and Will Anderson Jr. became the first edge-rushing teammates since Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora in 2010 to both earn AP All-Pro recognition in the same season.

And while Hunter's production speaks for itself, the praise from players across the NFL in his Top 100 feature paints an even clearer picture of what makes him so difficult to block.

Trent Williams: 'He's a freak of nature'

Few players are more qualified to evaluate an edge rusher than San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams, one of the most accomplished offensive linemen of his generation.

Williams made it clear his praise of Hunter wasn't hyperbole.

"I'm not hyping him up. He's a very dominant pass rusher. He's just a freak of nature. He's one of those guys that leaves no stone unturned, and it shows when he plays football."

That combination of natural ability and relentless preparation has defined Hunter's career.

Hunter has always possessed rare physical traits, but his longevity as an elite pass rusher is about much more than athleticism. More than a decade into his NFL career, his technique and expansive arsenal of pass-rush moves continue to give offensive linemen problems.

Hunter: 'Football is important to me'

Hunter's own explanation for his sustained success is considerably simpler.

"I just focus on the main thing. Football is important to me."

It's a short quote that says plenty about the approach that has allowed Hunter to remain one of the league's premier defensive ends into his 30s.

C.J. Stroud: 'Literally the Terminator'

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud sees Hunter every day in Houston and offered perhaps the best description of the veteran's physical profile.

"Literally the Terminator. Looks like they built him in a factory. They're just saying, 'Hey, you want to put together a pass rusher, defensive end?' And he comes out in a box."

But Stroud was also quick to point out that Hunter shouldn't be viewed strictly as a pass-rush specialist.

"Super strong, super agile. He's really dominant in the run game as well and doesn't get credit for it."

The "Terminator" description is fitting for a player who has paired elite explosiveness and length with remarkable consistency throughout his career.

Steve Avila: Hunter catches offensive linemen off guard

Los Angeles Rams guard Steve Avila emphasized Hunter's quickness and unpredictability.

"Danielle is very swift in the movements he does and catches people off guard a lot."

Hunter can win with power, speed and bend, but what makes him particularly difficult to handle is how those tools work together.

An offensive lineman preparing to absorb his power can suddenly find Hunter crossing his face or spinning away from contact.

Calen Bullock: 'You would think he's a skill player'

Texans safety Calen Bullock gets a different view of Hunter's athleticism from behind Houston's defensive front.

And sometimes, even his own teammates have trouble believing a 260-plus-pound defensive end should be able to move the way Hunter does.

"The moves he got, boy, you would think he's a skill player the way he be out there moving. Eurosteps and spin moves."

It's one thing to possess the strength necessary to overwhelm NFL tackles. It's another to combine it with the movement skills Bullock describes.

Bills offensive linemen marvel at Hunter's movement

Buffalo Bills tackle Spencer Brown had his own comparison for Hunter's movement ability.

"Fluid like a ballet dancer in a way. He's a big guy, but he can still spin move, bend the corner."

Fellow Bills tackle Dion Dawkins took it one step further.

"He's like floating. He like floats."

Those descriptions help explain why Hunter has remained so productive for so long.

Despite his size, he doesn't rush like a traditional power defensive end. Hunter possesses the flexibility to bend around the edge, the coordination to string moves together and one of the most recognizable spin moves in football.

Mo Alie-Cox remembers the viral spin move

Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox, who has faced Hunter as an AFC South rival, immediately pointed to that spin move.

"He has this spin move, bro. Went viral — he did it on Penei Sewell."

The play against Detroit Lions All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell became a perfect showcase of the unusual movement ability several players highlighted in Hunter's Top 100 feature.

Even against one of football's best offensive tackles, Hunter's combination of timing and athleticism can produce a highlight.

Will Anderson Jr.: 'He's a Hall of Famer'

Perhaps the most meaningful praise came from the player lining up opposite Hunter every week.

Texans star Will Anderson Jr. has quickly developed into one of football's best defensive players himself, but he doesn't believe Hunter receives enough recognition for what he has accomplished.

"It's special. To get double-digit sacks, it's hard in this league. I don't think he gets enough recognition. He's a Hall of Famer."

Anderson added:

"I'm excited to keep seeing him roll this year, and it's been a joy to play beside him."

The partnership between Anderson and Hunter has developed into one of the NFL's most formidable edge-rushing tandems.

In 2025, Anderson earned First-Team AP All-Pro honors while Hunter made the Second Team — making them the first pair of edge teammates in 15 years to both earn AP All-Pro honors in the same season.

Hunter continues building a Hall of Fame résumé

Hunter's career is increasingly worthy of the conversation Anderson brought up.

A third-round selection by the Minnesota Vikings in 2015, Hunter has developed into one of the most productive pass rushers of his generation. After eight seasons in Minnesota, he signed with Houston in 2024 and immediately produced 12 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 90 quarterback pressures, with his pressure total ranking second in the NFL. He earned his fifth career Pro Bowl selection following the season.

That performance earned Hunter the No. 25 spot on last year's NFL Top 100.

He followed it with another dominant campaign in 2025, earning Second-Team All-Pro recognition and further cementing himself as one of the foundational pieces of DeMeco Ryans' defense.

Hunter's résumé now includes:

• 100+ career sacks

• Multiple AP All-Pro selections

• Five Pro Bowl selections through his first season in Houston

• Five seasons with double-digit sacks through 2024

• Back-to-back NFL Top 100 top-25 rankings

• No. 25 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025

• No. 23 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026

  
  

And Hunter isn't finished.

Texans continue to populate the NFL Top 100

Hunter becomes the fourth Texans player revealed on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026:

• No. 23 — DE Danielle Hunter

• No. 25 — CB Derek Stingley Jr.

• No. 58 — WR Nico Collins

• No. 92 — LB Azeez Al-Shaair

  
  

And Houston still has at least one major name waiting to be revealed: Will Anderson Jr.

Hunter moving from No. 25 to No. 23 is notable in its own right. Maintaining that level of respect from players around the league more than a decade into an NFL career is difficult.

But perhaps the quotes accompanying his selection say more than the number itself.

Trent Williams calls him a freak of nature. C.J. Stroud calls him the Terminator. Offensive linemen compare his movement to a ballet dancer and say he appears to float. His own teammate says he moves like a skill player.

And Anderson, one of the league's brightest young defensive stars, already has a label for the veteran playing alongside him:

Hall of Famer.