Joseph Ferraiola, formerly of the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB and the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, developed an interesting methodology to shed new light on the athletic ability of pass-rushers. Using tracking data, Ferraiola developed what he calls a pass-rusher’s momentum — their speed relative to their weight at a point of contact with offensive linemen.
There need to be caveats, though, as he mentions. Interior defensive linemen, who play in a phone booth, have a weaker “momentum” rating than edge defenders. At the same time, edge defenders who bend edges also have higher “momentum” ratings than edge rushers attempting to bullrush through an offensive lineman, because benders are trying to build up speed to “half-man” an offensive tackle rather than trying to cut the distance to go through one.