Abdul Carter is the guy everyone is talking about in this group and he stands above the rest. However, after him, there’s a plethora of edge rushers to love and you can have you pick because there’s all kinds of different one. Do you like quick, agile guys off the edge? Here’s James Pearce Jr., Mike Green, or you can wait for Princely Umanmielen or Donovan Ezeiruaku a little later. Do you want a big, powerful edge player? How about Shamar Stewart or Mykel Williams, no just wait for JT Tuimoloau or Jordan Burch. This group is insanely deep, everyone gets a new edge player in this draft.
Edge Rusher/Defensive Ends
1. Abdul Carter (Penn St.): Carter is the dark horse to be the first pick in this draft. He’s an elite pass rusher with his speed and athleticism off the edge setting him apart. He has as high of a ceiling as any prospect this year. He could be a cross between Micah Parsons and TJ Watt. While his size at 6’3 252 lbs. doesn’t make him the biggest edge rusher, he has great strength. His speed and explosive first step make him one of one this year and he could be a great pass rusher.
2. James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee): Pearce is long and lean at 6’5 243 lbs. and has great edge rushing ability. He can bend the edge and get around OTs with a nice set of moves. He isn’t going to be a stout run defender because of his size but no one is drafting him to be a base end, it’s to get to the QB. Teams that need an elite pass rusher are going to be after this guy, he has high upside off the edge.
3. Mike Green (Marshall): Green has been a steady climber all season as he was dominant at Marshall. That culminated at the Senior Bowl when he went up against some really good offensive linemen and was awesome. He seems smaller being 6’4 248 lbs. and looking lean, but he can convert speed to power and knock a big man off his feet. He has great pass rush skill to get around the edge too and he’s going to go much higher than anyone thought he would.
4. Mykel Williams (Georgia): If you could build a DE in a lab he would look like Mykel Williams. He’s 6’5 265 lbs. with long arms and he’s a physical freak. Unfortunately, he’s never been as productive as his physical profile would lead you to believe. He’s a good overall defender but he’s never had great pass rush skill or instincts that shine through. He could develop his skills but it’s betting on potential not production. Someone is going to take the chance on his physical profile and probably pretty early.
5. Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M): Stewart was a man amongst boys early at the Senior Bowl practices. He’s a really big man for a defensive end, he’s 6’6 290 lbs. and plays to his size. He can slide inside and rush from a DT spot or just overwhelm guys on the edge. His size is his calling card and he made a move up the board at the Senior Bowl.
*Others to know (this is just a list, this class is ridiculously deep): Nic Scourton (Texas A&M), Jack Sawyer (Ohio St.), Landon Jackson (Arkansas), Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss), JT Tuimoloau (Ohio St.), Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College), Jordan Burch (Oregon), Jared Ivey (Ole Miss) That’s 13 edge rushers who should go in the first two rounds of this draft.
The Hott Read 