The NFL regular season is in the books and the college football postseason is almost over. All-Star game invites have gone out and we’re learning who’s going for the draft and returning to school (or entering the transfer portal). It’s time to do final tape evaluations and update my position rankings, though much can still change with the upcoming All-Star games and Combine.
Today we’re looking at edge defenders, and this is an incredibly talented group. All 10 of the players I’m discussing here are in my top 50 overall, with maybe as many as eight that could go on Day 1. The depth in this class is outstanding with several players outside my top 15 that will be Day 2 selections and impact rookies in the NFL.
If you want to see how these rankings compare to how I ranked this class over the summer, check out the link below. Additionally, my other updated rankings can be found below as well. As always, stay tuned for more 2025 draft content, as I’ll be looking to update all my position rankings before the Senior Bowl at the end of January.
Updated Position Rankings:
1: Abdul Carter, Penn State
A 6-3, 252-pound junior from Philadelphia, Carter was a high school star in both football and basketball when he committed to play for the Nittany Lions. Originally a linebacker, he played off-ball his first two seasons at State College, only getting rotational snaps at edge defender as a sophomore. He flashed such high upside as a pass rusher that the coaching staff decided they weren’t going to have a repeat of the Micah Parsons situation and moved him to the edge full-time in 2024. In just 10 games this season, Carter had 70 pressures, 15 sacks and two forced fumbles as well as 68 tackles.
Carter’s bend off the edge is the best I’ve ever scouted. Once he gets to a position he likes, he drops his inside shoulder and rubs around the tackle, shedding the block and charging at the quarterback. His first-step explosiveness is special, giving him a quick advantage off the snap. Carter is extremely athletic, making Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” as one of the most athletic players in college football. This shows up in the speed, power, and agility present in his pass rushes.
With two years of off-ball linebacker experience at the college level, Carter has a more advanced understanding of run defense principles than you might expect. He knows how to deal with complex blocking schemes and how to shed pulling guards, using his strong upper body to fight through blocks and make plays on the ball carrier. Pursuit speed is a plus with Carter, whether he’s trailing a play downfield or chasing down a scrambling quarterback, he can close and make the tackle.
For all his strengths, Carter is still a fairly raw pass rusher. He’s only been doing this full-time for one season, mind you. He doesn’t have the advanced bag of pass rush moves others in this class do, and he’s still learning how to coordinate hand usage with his rush plan. It’s a little too easy for tackles to get into his chest right now and knock him off his path, disrupting the timing of his rush. Like many young edge defenders, he can get caught chasing the big play a little too often, sometimes losing integrity on his play-to-play responsibilities.
The advanced metrics Carter generated as a junior put him in truly elite company. It’s a profile that stacks up similarly to elite pass-rushing prospects like Browns ED Myles Garrett and Chargers ED Joey Bosa. Carter was first-team All-American twice — at two different positions. The sky is the limit with his potential, and he’s the odds-on favorite to be the first edge rusher taken, perhaps even the No. 1 overall pick.
2: James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
A true junior from Charlotte, North Carolina, Pearce was a four-star high school recruit and leaves Knoxville as one of the most decorated Volunteers of all time. After being a solid rotation player as a freshman, Pearce exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, earning first-team All-American nods behind a 13-sack, 54-pressure campaign. He entered his junior year with substantial hype and eyes on being the No. 1 pick in this draft. While it was a quieter season, Pearce pulled down another eight sacks and 59 pressures logged, once again being named first-team All-SEC.
At 6-5, 243, Pearce possesses great length to get into the chests of opposing tackles. The way he can bend the edge is nothing short of incredible — he has the uncanny ability to flatten himself against the tackle, running almost parallel to the ground until he wins the outside shoulder and beelines for the quarterback. When he fires out of his stance, it forces tackles to defend him differently, granting him immediate advantages in his rush just based off his first step alone.
It’s not just speed with Pearce, either. While his rushes as a sophomore mostly consisted of him trying to (and succeeding at) “out-athleting” his opponents, as a junior he took strides in his technique and pass rush plan. He has several go-to moves, including a rip and a spin, and he uses his hands well to create leverage and keep his pads clean. Converting speed to power is something he can do, as well, with a noticeable pop on contact when delivering those moves.
Pearce’s weaknesses are mostly what you’d expect for a player with his profile, and they’re all things he can work on. As a run defender, he doesn’t have the strength at the point of attack to hold the edge. That’s not surprising for an undersized edge defender, but it does mean his snaps might be limited on early downs to start his career. There are moments on his tape where he gets tunnel vision while rushing the quarterback, losing lane integrity and contain. That needs to be cleaned up, and I’d also like to see him add a few more pass-rush moves. He’s off to a good start in that department, but the best NFL rushers are always adding new tricks.
While he won’t go No. 1 overall, I still love Pearce as a prospect. I thought he noticeably improved this season, refining his game in some pretty major ways, and he has game-changing potential at the next level. Teams are always searching for pass rushers who can single-handedly alter the way an offense has to operate, guys who can win on third downs and in the fourth quarter to get their defense off the field, and Pearce can do all of that. He has a chance to go top 10 and depending on his landing spot, I might be eyeing some early Defensive Rookie of the Year bets with this guy. He’s that good.
3: Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
A Texas native and former four-star recruit, Scourton started his career at Purdue before transferring to Texas A&M for the 2024 season. He broke out in a major way as a sophomore, leading the Big 10 in sacks with 10 and racking up 46 pressures for the Boilermakers on his way to a first-team All-Big 10 selection. As a junior with the Aggies, Scourton didn’t have quite as flashy a season, finishing with just four sacks. But he still made his presence felt, creating 38 pressures and making first-team All-SEC.
Scourton is a unique player and it makes him an interesting evaluation when projecting to the NFL. At 6-4, 285, you’d expect him to be more of a tweener, playing as much on the interior as on the edge. Instead, Scourton lined up the majority of his snaps as a stand-up outside rusher in all three of his collegiate seasons. His best work is done from a two-point stance, where he has the flexibility to release and attack in multiple directions. That’s not to take anything away from his versatility, however, as Scourton does line up all over the defensive line and can win from any alignment.
During Scourton’s breakout sophomore year at Purdue, he played under former Boilermakers’ head coach (and current Washington defensive coordinator) Ryan Walters. Walters runs a unique scheme that asks a lot of its edge defenders. That year, Scourton logged 131 snaps in coverage, not simply on underneath zones, but often carrying running backs and tight ends in man coverage. He performed admirably, highlighting how rare his combination of skill and athleticism is.
But let me be clear: pass rushing is Scourton’s specialty. His big frame gives him leverage advantages against many tackles, and he has the power to pair with that size. When he makes initial contact, he moves people, pushing tackles off their marks and immediately disrupting the pocket. What’s so impressive about Scourton’s game is the speed he pairs with that power, enough to legitimately threaten the outside shoulder and make pursuit tackles in the backfield. It’s not just athleticism with him, either, as he has an impressive array of moves in his arsenal, consistently winning against top college competition through his blend of speed, power, and technique. In run defense, he holds the edge well, shedding blocks and making plays.
Ironically, given his size, the main thing I still want to see with Scourton is more reps with his hand in the dirt. He’ll be asked to do that a lot in the NFL, and right now he’s more comfortable rushing from a two-point stance. Additionally, at his size, he’s not the bendiest guy in this draft. Still, he’s proven his adequate agility on tape, and his success in coverage indicates movement ability isn’t a concern with him.
Scourton is a wild watch on tape. You might not scout a more unique player in this class, at any position. His combination of skill and athleticism is rare, especially at his age. He’s one of the youngest players in the class and won’t turn 21 until well into training camp his rookie year. That’s almost NBA-level youth in a prospect, and it makes his future all the more exciting. If he’s this good now, just wait until he gets a few years in an NFL system.
4: Mike Green, Marshall
A transfer from Virginia, Green has been a revelation for the Thundering Herd over the last two seasons. A monster athlete, Green checks in at 6-4, 248 pounds, with impressive high school testing numbers that have likely only improved in college. His junior campaign in 2024 totaled 81 tackles and 69 pressures for an eye-popping 17 sacks, earning him an All-American nod for this work.
Green’s wrestling background is evident in how he wins off the edge. Advanced hand-fighting techniques anchor his skillset, where he uses effective stiff-arm and rip moves to keep his chest clean. Tackles struggle to make initial contact with Green, as his natural leverage created by his length gives him the ability to dictate a rep off the snap. Impressively for his size, he plays with a lot of power in his actions, shocking blockers on contact and moving them off the line.
Twitchy hips and quick feet give Green a big advantage when rushing the passer. The way he bends the edge and flattens back to the quarterback is impressive. He has an explosive first step and the speed to generate immediate pressure, paired with a strong set of counter moves to exploit any tackles who overcommit to their outside shoulders. On top of all that, Green has the closing speed to chase down scrambling quarterbacks and downfield runners, making plays that other defensive linemen just can’t.
There’s no escaping that Green is undersized for a full-time NFL edge rusher. He can’t always anchor properly against the run, getting moved off his spot by down blocks and double teams. Additionally, he can sometimes lose rush integrity, moving past the quarterback and allowing scrambling lanes when the play breaks down.
It’s rare for a small-school prospect to be this athletic, this refined and this young. That combo is usually only seen in former five-star recruits at premier programs. Green was recruited by some top football schools, but there is a certain amount of concern with his level of competition. I’m not too worried, however. He’ll have his chance at the Senior Bowl to establish himself against college football’s best. Green is a surefire first-rounder and a guy who can be a top-flight pass rusher in the NFL.
5: Jalon Walker, Georgia
Walker’s path to the NFL has been an interesting one. He arrived at Georgia as a more traditional off-ball linebacker, but as time went on, he transitioned to playing edge rusher more and more. The Bulldogs still list him as a linebacker, but as a junior in 2024 he split time roughly equally between linebacker and edge rusher. He totaled 61 tackles, seven sacks and 39 pressures this season, routinely making big plays in the biggest moments and earning first-team All-SEC and All-America honors.
At 6-2, 245, Walker is small for a full-time edge rusher in the NFL. Still, he brings a lot of valuable skills to that position. As you might expect for someone who predominantly played off-ball in college, his movement and change-of-direction skills are off the charts. He has elite bend off the edge, capable of turning the corner against the best tackles he faced. He’s not the longest player, but he knows how to win with leverage, getting low and fighting underneath longer blockers.
Speed is what jumps off the tape with Walker, both in his pass rushes and in run support. He flies all over the field, with true sideline-to-sideline range as an off-ball backer. His tackling technique is strong, consistently wrapping up instead of simply lowering his shoulder, and he also has disciplined fundamentals in his pass rush. Despite his lack of experience at the position, he displays advanced moves in his game, using a variety of speed-to-power, bull-rush and counter moves on his tape.
I’m a little lower on Walker than most, and that’s because I’m not sure how clean his fit in the NFL is. He doesn’t have a ton of collegiate experience, with 2024 being his only year as a full-time starter. I think he’d struggle trying to play off-ball in the NFL, as his range in coverage is limited. Edge rusher is his natural home, but he’s still new there and undersized for that position.
But for all that said, Walker is still an exciting prospect. If there’s one thing we’ve heard from NFL circles, it’s that he’ll be a top-15 pick come April. The league is in love with this guy’s tools and production and it’s not hard to see why. In spite of his lack of experience, he’s got a serious bag of tricks to win off the edge, and his athleticism will play at the next level. Teams looking for more juice off the edge will be excited to get Walker in the building.
6: Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
A breakout star in 2024, Kennard spent his first four years in college at Georgia Tech. He was always a steady performer with the Yellow Jackets, increasing his production each year, but transferring to South Carolina changed his career path. In one season with the Gamecocks, Kennard had 43 pressures and 11 sacks, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was named a unanimous first-team All-American.
Kennard is explosive off the edge and can win with his first step alone. Often the first defender moving off the snap, he wastes little time or movement, stepping straight into an advanced array of pass-rush moves, including rips, spins, cross-chops, step-throughs and one of the most devastating ghost moves you’ll ever see. These moves are enhanced by his length and agility — at 6-5, 254, he can dictate contact with his long arms and bend the edge around a tackle’s outside shoulder, flattening back to the quarterback when he’s won the rep.
An underrated part of an edge rusher’s game is their ability to recognize plays and misdirection, and Kennard routinely takes advantage of his plus speed to chase down screens and put pressure on with backside pursuits. He can line up in a variety of alignments and is capable of initiating his rushes from any of them. He’s a solid run defender who plays with good discipline.
If there’s one major critique of Kennard’s game, it’s that his play strength is sometimes lacking. This shows up most often in run support, especially when down blockers get their hands on him, but he can also get into trouble when rushing the passer. Tackles who can keep pace with his initial rush and get their hands on him can stymie his momentum, and he hasn’t developed a consistently reliable counter move yet to break contact and work back under the blocker’s other shoulder.
Kennard’s status as a late-breakout player may keep him out of the first round, but he’s a fantastic, high-floor pass rusher in play early on Day 2. He plays with discipline and is incredibly disruptive, wrecking the SEC in 2024 and standing out above all the incredibly talented edge defenders in that conference. I like him enough to take him in the latter stages of Round 1, and with a strong workout at the Combine, it’s possible the NFL will get there too.
7: Mykel Williams, Georgia
A physical specimen at 6-5, 265, Williams is a former five-star recruit who made an immediate impact on the Bulldog’s 2022 national title team. Despite all the NFL talent on that defense, Williams was a key contributor as a true freshman, and his role only expanded from there. As a junior in 2024, he had six sacks on 30 pressures, adding 29 positively-graded run defense snaps per PFF and earning a second-team All-SEC selection.
Williams does his best work against the run, using his long frame and powerful leg drive to control the point of attack. There isn’t a better edge-sealer in this class, as Williams can effectively shut down runs to his side of the field. He plays with natural leverage and can hold up against double-teams, providing a major deterrent to runs to his side of the field.
Comfortable playing as both a down lineman and stand-up rusher, Williams can effectively rush the passer from the interior as well as the edge. The production isn’t spectacular, but he’s incredibly athletic, giving him major upside if he can develop. His strength is often enough to win reps on its own, and it’s made more dangerous by his impressive lateral agility. He can collapse the pocket and quickly relocate to attack from a new angle. Williams’ game already has some moves and counters in it, it’s just a matter of developing them further.
Now, as I mentioned, Williams’ production as a pass rusher lags behind others in this class. He’s still very raw in this area, mostly relying on his natural athleticism to win reps. He needs to improve his hand usage and learn more moves to reliably win at the next level. This profile isn’t always the safest one to bet on, as often these kinds of players don’t develop significantly in the NFL.
A powerful presence on the edge, Williams will be a first-round pick based on his athleticism alone. These kinds of players don’t last into Day 2, as coaches love to get their hands on these guys to work with them. You can’t teach these tools, they’ll say. I like Williams more than I thought I would, and at worst you have a rock-solid secondary pass rusher and one of the better run defenders in the league, and if he develops a more stable pass-rushing plan, he can be one of the best in the league.
8: Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss
A fifth-year senior and transfer from Florida, Umanmielen has shown steady improvement over his career. He showed flashes with the Gators, totaling 11.5 sacks between 2022-2023, but it was with the Rebels that he had his true breakout. This past season, Umanmielen was named first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America, with 58 pressures and 12 sacks in his best season to date.
At 6-4, 255, Umanmielen is built the way you want your edge defenders built in the NFL. He has a nasty combination of explosive speed and advanced pass-rush plans — Umanmielen knows how to win against experienced tackles and uses his first-step burst to create leverage he can exploit through hand-fighting. He’s another example of an edge rusher in this class with excellent bend, as he turns the corner well against some noteworthy competition in the SEC. When pursuing backside or downfield, Umanmielen plays with a relentless motor that doesn’t wane over the course of a game.
What separates Umanmielen from other prospects is his pass rush bag. Spins, rips, pin-and-pulls, and more all comfortably within his wheelhouse. There are certainly more moves he can add to his repertoire, but he has one of the more advanced collections of moves I’ve seen from a college prospect. He combines this with his versatility, capable of winning from multiple alignments, to be a devasting force on the defensive line.
For all Umanmielen’s speed, he needs to be better at combining power in his game. You can see his natural strength in other areas of his game, but he tends to rely on pure speed or specific moves to win against tackles, failing to mix in some power moves to his game plans. He also gets washed out against the run too often, either from being blocked out of the play or from overpursuing and losing the play.
Umanmielen is a great speed rusher prospect who should be in play for teams early on Day 2 or even at the end of Round 1. He’s been on a consistent upward trajectory his whole career, finally seeming to put it all together at Ole Miss in 2024. This is a loaded edge defender class, but Umanmielen brings a lot of valuable skills to the table and shouldn’t be overlooked.
9: Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
A 6-5, 260-pound senior from Pickerington, Ohio, Sawyer has been a model of consistent production for the Buckeyes. After a 38-pressure, eight-sack junior year, Sawyer took a leap in 2024, recording 10 sacks on 64 pressures, including the game-sealing strip sack and fumble-return touchdown against Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals. His performance as a senior earned him a second-team All-Big 10 nod.
Two things immediately jump out on Sawyer’s tape: his strength and his tenacity. Sawyer has a powerful frame and knows how to maximize it. He uses his strong lower half to hold the point of attack in the run game — he’s a monster in run defense, with a whopping 57 positively-graded run defense plays, per PFF. When rushing the passer, he’s able to run through blockers, moving them off the line and discarding them to chase the quarterback. He plays with good leverage, too, using his length to disrupt opposing tackles and get into his moves.
Speed-to-power is Sawyer’s go-to move, and he uses it well. He has the first-step explosiveness to threaten the outside shoulder of the tackle, allowing him to use stronger moves on his counter. When faced with strong tackles, he showcases good ability to shed those blocks with a combination of hand-fighting and raw strength. Additionally, he has a variety of pass-rush moves and knows how to string them together on a single play and over the course of a game.
Unfortunately, Sawyer isn’t the most athletic player on this list. He has limited lateral quickness and struggles to bend the edge, too often getting strung out by a tackle who can handle his power moves. He’s also not the fastest edge rusher, unable to win on speed alone. This forces him to spend time fighting through tackles instead of bending around them consistently, slowing his overall time to the quarterback.
There might not be a higher-floor player you could draft on Day 2. As your second pass rusher, Sawyer will be productive and reliable, able to push the pocket and create consistent pressure. He might not ever be a 15-sack guy, but he’ll get you eight or 10 every year, all while being one of the best run defenders on the team. That’s immensely valuable, and NFL teams will love his demeanor and dedication.
10: JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
The better-known of the Buckeyes’ edge duo, Tuimoloau was a five-star and the top recruit in his class. Much like Sawyer, his production has grown year-over-year, culminating in a 14-sack, 48-pressure senior season, helping lead Ohio State to the College Football Playoff national championship. He’s been a first-team All-Big 10 selection for three straight years, dominating on the biggest stages and being a leader for the Buckeyes on and off the field.
Tuimoloau stands at 6-5, 269 pounds, with prototypical NFL size and length. The power in this guy’s hands is remarkable — tackles are shocked back on contact, with Tuimoloau able to dictate a rep just through the pop on his initial contact alone. If you don’t play with proper anchor, Tuimoloau will go through your chest in an instant, as he plays with overpowering strength and leg drive on his pass rushes. This strength extends to the run game, where he can hold his side of the line and lock down rushing lanes at the point of attack.
With a solid bag of pass-rushing moves, Tuimoloau is equipped to deal with a variety of opposing tackles. He has nice spin, bull rush, ghost, and rip moves, among others, and he knows how to win the leverage battle. Physicality is the name of Tuimoloau’s game, as uses his natural gifts well in conjunction with his high-level awareness and understanding of opposing schemes.
The limiting factors with Tuimoloau as a prospect are his average speed and lateral agility. He struggles to bend the edge or win with speed, relying on his power profile to generate pressure. He’s very good at what he does, but it’s hard to consistently win off the edge in the NFL when you’re limited in your pass-rush plan like Tuimoloau is.
The scout on Tuimoloau is remarkably similar to the scout on Sawyer — Sawyer gets the nod one spot higher due to his better production throughout his career. Tuimoloau is a high-floor prospect with more room to grow. He will lock down his edge in run support, generate pressure as a secondary pass rusher, and be one of the hardest-working players on your team. There’s little chance he makes it outside the top 50.
The next five
11: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville — Athletic monster with a dominant blend of power and speed, Gillotte can rush from the edge or the interior. Lacks the length to consistently generate his own leverage but plays with a relentless motor.
12: Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech — Uber-productive edge rusher with NFL-caliber explosiveness and bend. Undersized, likely limiting his role at the next level, but one of the most consistent pressure-generators in this class.
13: Landon Jackson, Arkansas — A 6-7 edge rusher with length for days, Jackson bends the edge impressively well for his size. Loses a lot of leverage battles due to his height but makes up for it with good hand-fighting abilities.
14: Bradyn Swinson, LSU — An undersized yet explosive edge defender, Swinson profiles as a designated pass rusher at the next level. Elite speed and length combined with an advanced pass rush bag make him an intriguing prospect.
15: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College — Undersized, bendy edge rusher who was a unanimous All-American in 2024. Can be deployed in coverage at times and wins off the edge through his impressive ability to wrap around opposing tackles.
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