2016 National Leaders Sacks - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/09/2017
| Name | Team | Yr | Pos | G | Sacks | Sack Yards | Sacks/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Taylor | Houston | SR | OLB | 2 | 4.5 | 22 | 2.25 |
| 2 | Ed Oliver | Houston | FR | DT | 2 | 4.0 | 27 | 2.00 |
| 2 | Alex Aukerman | Army | JR | LB | 1 | 2.0 | 14 | 2.00 |
| 4 | Arden Key | LSU | SO | DE | 5 | 6.5 | 47 | 1.30 |
| 4 | Taco Charlton | Michigan | SR | DE | 5 | 6.5 | 30 | 1.30 |
| 6 | Patrick Gamble | Ga Tech | SR | DL | 3 | 3.5 | 12 | 1.17 |
| 7 | Jonathan Allen | Alabama | SR | DL | 6 | 6.5 | 44 | 1.08 |
| 8 | Vincent Taylor | Okla St | JR | DT | 4 | 4.0 | 42 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Derek Barnett | Tennessee | JR | DE | 4 | 4.0 | 29 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Jordan Willis | Kansas St | SR | DE | 4 | 4.0 | 22 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Psalm Wooching | Washington | SR | OLB | 4 | 4.0 | 21 | 1.00 |
| 8 | K.J. Smith | Baylor | JR | DE | 3 | 3.0 | 24 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Jason Hall | Texas | JR | S | 3 | 3.0 | 20 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Takkarist McKinley | UCLA | SR | DL | 3 | 3.0 | 11 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Tyus Bowser | Houston | SR | OLB | 2 | 2.0 | 21 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Adam Butler | Vanderbilt | SR | DL | 2 | 2.0 | 13 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Averee Robinson | Temple | SR | DL | 2 | 2.0 | 11 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Carl Granderson | Wyoming | SO | DE | 1 | 1.0 | 11 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Junior McMullen | Miami (Oh) | SO | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 10 | 1.00 |
| 8 | JT Jones | Miami (Oh) | SR | DL | 1 | 1.0 | 10 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Omarius Bryant | Western Ky | SR | DL | 1 | 1.0 | 9 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Robert Spillane | W Mich | JR | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 9 | 1.00 |
| 8 | D.J. May | Wyoming | SR | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 8 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Jalen Davis | Utah State | JR | CB | 1 | 1.0 | 8 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Elijah Parker | USM | SR | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 8 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Alex Lyons | Rice | SR | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 8 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Kent Berger | Ohio | SO | DL | 1 | 1.0 | 8 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Aikeem Coleman | Idaho | JR | DE | 1 | 1.0 | 7 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Jeremiah Harris | EMU | SO | DL | 1 | 1.0 | 7 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Preston Gordon | Rice | SO | DT | 1 | 1.0 | 7 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Jakob Buys | CSU | JR | DL | 1 | 1.0 | 6 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Da'Sean Downey | U Mass | JR | OLB | 1 | 1.0 | 6 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Joel Iyiegbuniwe | Western Ky | SO | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 6 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Blain Padgett | Rice | SO | DE | 1 | 1.0 | 6 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Jameel Spencer | Georgia St | SR | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 5 | 1.00 |
| 8 | John Voit | Army | JR | DL | 1 | 1.0 | 4 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Jeremy Smith | Tulsa | JR | DE | 1 | 1.0 | 4 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Kaden Elliss | Idaho | SO | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 3 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Derek Larsen | Utah State | SO | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Ja'Von Rolland-Jones | Ark St | JR | DE | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Kenneth Brinson | Army | SO | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Harvey Langi | BYU | SR | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Caleb Bailey | W Mich | JR | LB | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1.00 |
| 44 | Brian Burns | FSU | FR | DE | 5 | 4.5 | 23 | 0.90 |
| 45 | Hunter Dimick | Utah | SR | DE | 3 | 2.5 | 7 | 0.83 |
| 46 | DeMarcus Walker | FSU | SR | DE | 5 | 4.0 | 39 | 0.80 |
| 46 | Carroll Phillips | Illinois | SR | DL | 5 | 4.0 | 25 | 0.80 |
| 48 | Chris Wormley | Michigan | SR | DE | 6 | 4.5 | 27 | 0.75 |
| 48 | Jesse Aniebonam | Maryland | JR | DL | 4 | 3.0 | 32 | 0.75 |
| 48 | Evan Panfil | Purdue | SR | DE | 4 | 3.0 | 30 | 0.75 |
| 48 | Harold Landry | BC | JR | DE | 4 | 3.0 | 26 | 0.75 |
| 48 | Marquis Haynes | Miss | JR | DE | 4 | 3.0 | 22 | 0.75 |
| 48 | Josh Sweat | FSU | SO | DE | 4 | 3.0 | 19 | 0.75 |
| 48 | DeMarquis Gates | Miss | JR | LB | 4 | 3.0 | 18 | 0.75 |
| 48 | Ejuan Price | Pittsburgh | SR | DL | 4 | 3.0 | 16 | 0.75 |
| 48 | Nick Thurman | Houston | JR | DE | 2 | 1.5 | 10 | 0.75 |
| 57 | Clelin Ferrell | Clemson | FR | DE | 7 | 5.0 | 35 | 0.71 |
| 58 | Ifeadi Odenigbo | N'western | SR | DL | 6 | 4.0 | 24 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Ryan Anderson | Alabama | SR | LB | 6 | 4.0 | 21 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Devonte Fields | Louisville | SR | LB | 3 | 2.0 | 27 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Josh Carraway | TCU | SR | DE | 3 | 2.0 | 22 | 0.67 |
| 58 | DeVante Wilson | California | SR | DE | 3 | 2.0 | 19 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Anree Saint-Amour | Ga Tech | SO | DL | 3 | 2.0 | 15 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Micah Kiser | Virginia | JR | ILB | 3 | 2.0 | 15 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Myles Garrett | Texas A&M | JR | DL | 3 | 2.0 | 14 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Dorance Armstrong Jr. | Kansas | SO | DE | 3 | 2.0 | 12 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Pat Jasinski | UCF | SO | LB | 3 | 2.0 | 10 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Patrick Levels | Baylor | SR | DB | 3 | 2.0 | 10 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Jacob Tuioti-Mariner | UCLA | JR | DL | 3 | 2.0 | 9 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Hercules Mata'afa | Wash St | SO | DL | 3 | 2.0 | 7 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Joe Giles-Harris | Duke | FR | LB | 3 | 2.0 | 7 | 0.67 |
| 58 | Greer Martini | Notre Dame | JR | LB | 3 | 2.0 | 4 | 0.67 |
| 73 | T.J. Watt | Wisconsin | JR | OLB | 7 | 4.5 | 36 | 0.64 |
| 74 | Duke Ejiofor | Wk Forest | JR | DL | 4 | 2.5 | 30 | 0.63 |
| 74 | Willie Yarbary | Wk Forest | SO | DL | 4 | 2.5 | 27 | 0.63 |
| 74 | Joe Jackson | Miami (Fl) | FR | DL | 4 | 2.5 | 22 | 0.63 |
| 74 | Demetrius Cooper | Mich St | JR | DE | 4 | 2.5 | 16 | 0.63 |
| 78 | Jaleel Johnson | Iowa | SR | DL | 5 | 3.0 | 26 | 0.60 |
| 78 | Tashawn Bower | LSU | SR | DE | 5 | 3.0 | 22 | 0.60 |
| 78 | Porter Gustin | USC | SO | DE | 5 | 3.0 | 19 | 0.60 |
| 78 | Troy Dye | Oregon | FR | LB | 5 | 3.0 | 17 | 0.60 |
| 78 | Rasheem Green | USC | SO | DT | 5 | 3.0 | 13 | 0.60 |
| 83 | Reuben Foster | Alabama | SR | LB | 6 | 3.5 | 26 | 0.58 |
| 83 | Maurice Hurst | Michigan | SR | DT | 6 | 3.5 | 20 | 0.58 |
| 85 | Carlos Watkins | Clemson | SR | DT | 7 | 4.0 | 21 | 0.57 |
| 86 | Dexter Lawrence | Clemson | FR | DT | 7 | 3.5 | 24 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Nick Bosa | Ohio State | FR | DE | 6 | 3.0 | 14 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Derrick Nnadi | FSU | JR | DT | 5 | 2.5 | 12 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Josh Banks | Wk Forest | SR | DL | 4 | 2.0 | 26 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Malik Carney | N Carolina | SO | DE | 4 | 2.0 | 19 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Zach Allen | BC | SO | DE | 4 | 2.0 | 18 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Carl Lawson | Auburn | JR | DL | 4 | 2.0 | 16 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Kevin Kavalec | BC | SR | DE | 4 | 2.0 | 16 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Marquel Lee | Wk Forest | SR | LB | 4 | 2.0 | 15 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Jhaustin Thomas | Iowa State | SR | DE | 4 | 2.0 | 14 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Cole Walterscheid | Okla St | SO | DE | 4 | 2.0 | 14 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Nazair Jones | N Carolina | JR | DT | 4 | 2.0 | 14 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Vita Vea | Washington | SO | DL | 4 | 2.0 | 13 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Gelen Robinson | Purdue | JR | DE | 4 | 2.0 | 13 | 0.50 |
| 86 | Michael Barton | Arizona | SR | LB | 4 | 2.0 | 12 | 0.50 |
Note: To qualify, player must have played in 75% of his team's games.