Disruption from the edge is crucial to winning on defense in today’s NFL. Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles (and the Kansas City offensive tackles). Philly lost some major production this offseason with the free agent departure of Josh Sweat and the retirement of Brandon Graham. Nolan Smith, who had a really promising season but is recovering from surgery, is currently the Eagles best edge rusher. They have Bryce Huff still, who had a disappointing first year in Philly. Then they have Jalyx Hunt, who has sky high potential and showed flashes late in the season. The Eagles signed BJ Ojulari and Josh Uche to one year deals, both of whom might be able to contribute. But they do not have a “sure thing” in the group outside of maybe Smith. It’s possible they turn to the draft for answers. Luckily for them, and the rest of the NFL, this is an incredibly deep edge defender class. All twenty five players I watched would be worthy of being drafted in the first four rounds. The top seven guys are players who should definitely be first round picks and there are a few others who could make it in at the back end… The Eagles will definitely need to dip, or double dip, into this class for edge talent.
1) Abdul Carter, Penn State
A lot of ink has been spilled about Abdul Carter. And for good reason… the dude is f*cking awesome. There was a period early in the season where I delusionally thought he could be an Eagle. But he just ended up being one of the best players in the country and the Eagles ended up winning the Super Bowl. Not bad for either party.
Anyway, Carter is a freakish athlete and an extremely polished defender. Despite not having a ton of experience playing defensive end, Carter has great awareness, technique, and demeanor for the position. Some medical concerns are floating around but luckily I am not a doctor and can only judge that, on talent, Abdul Carter should be one of the first three names called later this month.
NFL Comparison: Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
2) Jalon Walker, Georgia
Jalon Walker is one of my favorite prospects in this class. He is just such a cool player.
Walker was a hybrid Linebacker/Edge Defender at Georgia. His combination of speed and ferocity made him an asset wherever the Bulldogs lined him up. NFL teams will probably see him in a similar way.
He is good, not great in “space” as an off-ball defender and his best work definitely comes when he lines up on the line of scrimmage where he can pin his ears back and attack. Walker’s lack of height or weight is offset by quickness, violence, and long strong arms. It’ll be fun to see how a creative coordinator uses him in the NFL.
NFL Comparison: Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos
3) Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Another small but mighty edge defender. Donovan Ezeiruaku was highly productive during his career at Boston College. Last season, Ezeiruaku piled up the awards and honors while also piling up 16.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for a loss.
Ezeiruaku has a unique build at 6’3” and under 250 pounds, both on the smaller side for a defensive end. However he’s well built with long, muscular arms. On the field, he uses blinding speed, great bend, and a consistent technique to disrupt blockers. Bigger, stronger linemen can definitely neutralize him, but it’s entirely reliant on them winning early in the snap… which they rarely do.
Ezeiruaku will need to develop a second wind in the NFL, because linemen will definitely be able to more consistently win off the snap. He can’t win on initial speed alone. But the talent is evident and he could thrive in the right defense… maybe one that has Jalen Carter in it… Just saying.
NFL Comparison: Haason Reddick, New York Jets
4) Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
The Shemar Stewart conversation has been polarizing.
After a career at Texas A&M where he didn’t fill the stat sheet much, Shemar Stewart dominated the Senior Bowl before having a historically good combine. At 6’5” and nearly 270 pounds, Stewart is a truly rare athlete at the position and the type of talent that defensive coordinators dream of… but why the lack of pass rush production.
Part of it speaks to Stewart’s role in the Texas A&M defense. He played at a heavier weight than he showed up to the combine at. Texas A&M wanted him playing face-up on offensive tackles, setting the edge and playing the run. It was rare he was paying wide outside the tackle’s shoulder where he was just rushing up field. It’s worth mentioning, he was an awesome run defender at Texas A&M.
Lack of experience as a pure rusher means lack of refinement, and that shows up too. Stewart would try to “athlete” his way through tackles without a plan, which didn’t work often.
I am optimistic about Shemar Stewart. He definitely has a learning curve, steeper than some of his peers in this class, but the talent is too good to write him off. An NFL coach will help him improve his pass rush technique and a smart coordinator will move him around a defensive line to maximize his size and athletic tools.
NFL Comparison: Jadaveon Clowney, Carolina Panthers
5) Mykel Williams, Georgia
Mykel Williams is another “Best Football is Still Very Much Ahead of Him” type of player, similar to Stewart.
Mykel Williams has a NFL ready frame at 6’5” and over 260 pounds with long arms despite not even being 21 years old yet. He can continue to grow physically while improving as a football player.
At Georgia, Williams’ calling card was his high motor and impressive physicality. Williams turned every snap into an all-out brawl. He really made offensive tackles work for every rep. Williams can’t just outwork NFL tackles though. He will need to develop some more moves, especially when rushing the passer.
He is an extremely talented player though that could be a star in the right situation.
NFL Comparison: Michael Bennett, Seattle Seahawks
6) Mike Green, Marshall
Mike Green led the country with 17 sacks in 2024. His ability to rush the passer is quite obvious. As a much smaller player, there would normally be concern about run defense but he thrived on all three downs during his two seasons starting at Marshall.
Green’s talent is not in question. He will need to answer for serious off-field concerns however to make teams comfortable with drafting him. It’s not really my place to judge the maturity and growth of someone I do not know, but the history is upsetting and could take him off teams’ boards. We will see.
NFL Comparison: Elvis Dumervil, Baltimore Ravens
7) James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
James Pearce was a force in the SEC over the last two seasons and it’s easy to see why. Pearce has rare speed for an edge defender, evidenced by his sub 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
Pearce relies heavily on speed to dominate competition. His lack of size makes his game a bit one dimensional, but it is a very effective dimension!
Athletes of Pearce’s caliber are typically worth betting very highly on. While there have been murmurs of off-field concerns, nothing substantive has been really brought to light. That’s homework for NFL teams to do. On the field, Pearce can help an NFL team early and could develop into a game changer.
NFL Comparison: Randy Gregory, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Rest
8) Nic Scourton, Texas A&M9) Landon Jackson, Arkansas 10) Bradyn Swinson, LSU11) JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State12) Kyle Kennard, South Carolina13) Josaiah Stewart, Michigan 14) Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss15) Jack Sawyer, Ohio State16) Jared Ivey, Ole Miss17) Jordan Burch, Oregon18) Ashton Gillotte, Louisville 19) Quandarrius Robinson, Alabama20) Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State21) Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech22) Elijah Roberts, SMU23) Olu Oladejo, UCLA24) David Walker, Central Arkansas 25) Barryn Sorrell, Texas
