RADIO
Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as much as possible.
There are a handful of defensive players who completely transform defenses from bad units to passable or from mediocre groups to some of the NFL's best. One example of this is Dallas Cowboys linebacker/edge rusher Micah Parsons. Without him on the field, they barely have a decent unit, but with him, they're one of the best defenses in the league.
Thus, finding even halfway decent edge-rusher prospects in college is a vital task that NFL player management staffs face every offseason. This year will be no different. So let's play GM and dive into the top-10 edge rusher prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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1. Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State
Carter went to the same school as Parsons and mainly did the same thing as his predecessor- dominate in every facet of his game. Like Parsons, Carter is a remarkable talent. He put his team's defense on his back, logging 12 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 68 total tackles.
Abdul Carter SHOULD be the #1 pick to the Tennessee Titans.
Whatever way you look at it he’s a Top-2 player in the class and a prospect who has legitimate DPOY upside, with a high floor as it is. A refined pass rush arsenal, great explosiveness, and versatility. Total package. pic.twitter.com/DKbW1jEMML
— Andy 🏈 (@CUandyy) February 26, 2025
He constantly threw opposing offenses in disarray and was incredibly disruptive, both in the pass and run game. His off-the-line quickness was elite, and he often blasted past blockers as if they weren't even there with his vast array of pass-rush moves.
Abdul Carter highlights vs Maryland pic.twitter.com/LqVu4gEgqR
— Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) February 15, 2025
Even when he wasn't getting sacks, his presence made life hell for opposing quarterbacks. A defensive player who can consistently find his way into the backfield, draw double teams, and even beat them sometimes completely changes how opposing offenses approach the game.
He's capable of lining up at all spots along the defensive line and winning against all varieties of offensive linemen. He has the bend, elusivity, and moves to beat blockers to both sides and get in the quarterback's face.
He's also a big asset in the run-game, as he's often able to overwhelm his blockers and shove them into the backfield, closing off running lanes. There are no big weaknesses to his game, and at 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds, he has the size to deck opposing running backs.
Oregon OT Josh Conerly v. Penn State Edge Abdul Carter pic.twitter.com/qrjRj2uX3J
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) March 6, 2025
Against big and highly athletic offensive tackles, he can struggle at times, though. That's an area of his game he'll need to work on. He can, at times, be bullied by very strong offensive linemen. It's an area of his game that he can definitely improve, though, and it doesn't knock him off the No. 1 ranking here.
2. James Pearce Jr., DE, Tennessee
Pearce logged 9.5 sacks in 2024, as well as forcing a fumble and recovering another. At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, his 4.47 40-yard dash, 10-foot-3-inch broad jump, and 31-inch vertical leap showed impressive athleticism.
No amount of smoke screens will ever cause me to be out on James Pearce Jr.
My #1 “my guy” in the 2025 NFL Draft: pic.twitter.com/zRpBGGNd6N
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 18, 2025
His fluidity especially stands out. Combined with the raw strength to bully offensive linemen who don't get the first punch on him, that will be a force to be reckoned with. His raw potential is among the best in the class, so it's confusing to see him being slept on right now.
Not going to get cute when it comes to Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr.
• Bend
• Fluidity
• Production
• Twitch
• Eyes & athletic profile v the runAll the potential in the world to be whatever type of ballplayer he wants to be on Sundays & a kid that was lauded for his… pic.twitter.com/CrJyuiBTqd
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) February 18, 2025
3. Donovan Ezeiruaku, DE, Boston College
Ezeiruaku may be another case of the helmet logo dragging a player's draft stock down. The Boston College product logged 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss and tested extremely well at the 2025 NFL Combine, as stated in the X post below. His film is awesome!
Is Donovan Ezeiruaku the most underrated player in this class?
- 34.5” arms
- Elite Bend
- 16.5 Sacks, 21 TFLs last season (ELITE production)
- High motor
- 90th+ percentile shuttle and 3 coneWhy isn’t this guy a top 20 lock yet?
— 𝙙𝙤𝙩 (@dotwav___) March 6, 2025
I tend not to devalue production at "smaller" schools to the same degree as much of the industry. While he may not have the blazing speed that some other prospects have, neither do many pass rushers that end up being some of the NFL's best.
So yeah Donovan Ezeiruaku is a problem pic.twitter.com/MGMbBWQ4Fn
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 14, 2025
Polish and technique are very important for edge-rushers. Some players, even the highly athletic ones, may not always develop these. Ezeiruaku could be a full-time player on defense and immediately have a big impact.
4 . Mike Green, DL, Marshall
The depth of this class starts to become apparent here. Green was an absolute force for the Thundering Herd in 2022 and 2023, racking up impressive stat lines as a pass rusher and being fantastic against the run. He should immediately play the majority of defensive snaps at the next level.
Mike Green is a WEAPON on the edge.
He’s put up 23 sacks and 89 pressures in the last 2 seasons and boasts a 20.1% pass rush win rate.
He’s also been an absolutely dominant run defender, posting a 90+ grade in the last two seasons.
Top 15 player in the draft. pic.twitter.com/xiPmnkpRyW
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 10, 2025
He's far more talented than his rankings on various NFL Draft sites suggest. He could immediately become an impact player and log double-digit sacks if he's drafted to a good landing spot.
5. Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
While Walker is listed as a linebacker, he's capable of lining up on the edge and played both there and in the defensive backfield at Georgia. He's swift for his size, has a relentless motor and constantly moving feet, and has a knack for chasing down opposing quarterbacks.
Jalon Walker vs. Texas was absolutely monstrous on film:
➖ 7 Pressures
➖ 3 Sacks
➖ 6 Run StopsEnjoy some All-22 highlights below… pic.twitter.com/CjAibfgpMK
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) February 15, 2025
It seems likely that an NFL team will try to develop him as a pass-rusher, though snaps at linebacker are probably in his future as well. The exact splits there remain to be seen. But he has crazy upside if he can develop his package of moves, as he's extremely agile laterally and is a fantastic accelerator.
6. Nic Scourton, DT, Texas A&M
Pass rushers who are intelligent, instinctive, and run defenders who can effectively set the edge on outside run plays and sniff out read-option plays are extremely valuable assets. His size is a concern, as he stands 6-foot-4 and played at over 280 pounds, but he dropped weight ahead of the combine, which helped him move better.
WARNING: Do not use Nic Scourton as your read man… pic.twitter.com/R5eZSjpqhP
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 7, 2025
Should a team prefer him to play on the edge, as he has the skill set to do so, especially with more development, that weight drop should become permanent.
6'4", 285 lbs ED Nic Scourton breaking out the inside spin move and taking advantage of shallow pockets around the edge pic.twitter.com/YzQMHk0p9k
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) February 20, 2025
His surprisingly nimble spin move for his size seems indicative of more untapped talent, so I'm putting him above Shemar Stewart here.
7. Mykel Williams, DT, Georgia
Another prospect from Georgia, Williams is much bigger, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 265 pounds. There are plenty of highly successful defensive ends with his size and weight, though, and it shouldn't affect his ability to win with elusiveness rather than just power.
Georgia really made Mykel Williams (#13) spend half his career rushing from the interior when he was showing the ability to do stuff like this on the edge each week... pic.twitter.com/sIupuc0tUw
— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) February 25, 2025
Williams' potential on the edge hasn't been realized yet, but he has shown flashes of elite potential. He's just 21 years old and has a ton of room to grow. If he does, he could end up as the best pass-rusher from this year's draft because of his freakish athleticism and strength.
8. Shemar Stewart, DT, Texas A&M
He's 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, and one of the most freakish athletes in the NFL Draft this season. However, his production wasn't impressive in college, which always raises red flags. He only logged 1.5 sacks and 31 total tackles while forcing one fumble.
Shemar Stewart is DOMINATING the Senior Bowl.
He’s 6’5, 281lbs with explosiveness you just can’t teach.
There is NO WAY he doesn’t go in the first round. pic.twitter.com/E1awJejsUb
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 29, 2025
However, his ability to physically dominate offensive linemen will be highly sought-after by NFL teams. Some players take longer to develop than others, and if Stewart can improve in a handful of areas, he could become an immediate impact player against both the pass and the rush.
9. Bradyn Swinson, DE, LSU
Swinson is yet another extremely fluid, highly-skilled pass-rusher, with excellent size. His game isn't highly polished, and he doesn't have elite strength, but he could immediately contribute as a good situational and part-time player who beats his draft capital.
One of the best defensive players in the 2025 #NFLDraft is EDGE Bradyn Swinson.. You don't generally see guys with his size (6'4 250 pounds), bend, and pass rush technique. He is going to end up being one of the really productive players from this class. pic.twitter.com/1LrtSlD9Y7
— Sanjit T. (@Sanjit__T) January 15, 2025
A little more polish on his game and a little more work on not getting stonewalled by direct punches to the chest by offensive linemen, and he could develop into a full-time role. NFL offenses will notice this weakness in his game (that he needs to build up speed to bull rush more effectively), though. That could be a pure athleticism issue, which isn't always easy to fix.
10. Josaiah Stewart, DE, Michigan
Stewart is undersized compared to most pass-rushers at his position, but beating the man across from him consistently and in an infinitude of ways earns him a spot on this list. He's a pressure machine and racked up impressive stats in his final season.
Josaiah Stewart is a pass rushing savant.
He put up 9 sacks and 37 pressures in 2024 with an INCREDIBLE, best-in-class 27.3% pass rush win rate.
Concerns over size (6’0, 241lbs) and run defense translating to the NFL are prevalent, however he’ll be a dynamic day 2 pass rusher. pic.twitter.com/flGmu4qhHc
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 5, 2025
Consistency could become an issue against bigger, more athletic offensive linemen, so he might not become a full-time player right away. And if he doesn't develop his weaknesses further, it could stop him from ever being an impact player.
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