In a data communications network, an edge router comprises a buffer for storing data packets, one or more line interface cards for routing data packets to and from the data communications network, and a processing engine for processing a limited portion of each packet that has been captured by an associated line interface card in a packet tag. The processing engine includes one or more pipeline processing modules (PPMs) which may be dynamically configured by a system controller to perform specific processing functions in a pipelined arrangement. In order to increase edge router throughput, each packet tag is processed by the processing engine essentially in parallel with storage of the associated data packet in the buffer by the associated line interface card.