Jordan Laube
Apr 155 min
In today's NFL, pass rushing and run stopping off the edges are more important than ever. As offensive schemes move to outside designed run plays and play actions with sprints & bootlegs, holding and disrupting the edge is paramount. For teams in need of game-wreckers flying from the outside, this class is filled with them.
Today, we'll cover 12 guys who win in different ways, with some names much lower than consensus. As we wrap up the PRR series, I'll remind everyone this is how I think they'll perform throughout their careers, not just where they are currently at in their development. With that in mind, let's take a look at the future nightmares for NFL QBs!
Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP Photo
Trice has the strength and length to play at the next level. He has a really good punch-and-lock in run fit, and has good get-off for pass rush. On the flip side, he lacks explosiveness or finesse at the contact point, his pass rush pool is limited, and he just relies on his strength way too much. To me, he's a big development piece who could be good with the right coaching.
Pro Comp: Romeo Okwara
Xavier does everything well; he holds gap integrity in run defense, has a good set of pass rush moves, and is a good athlete, he just isn't overly great at anything except his speed rush. He may have too many things to work on to be a true game changer, but I like him as a rotational piece early who could become a starter. I will need to see if his age and foot injuries are a factor in his development.
Pro Comp: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
When Gabriel's feet don't stop, he's a hell of a player. He can win any pass rush and beat any blocker to find the ball, has good handwork and a great mix of strength and speed to help him be versatile. He struggles against the run and loses pass rushes mainly because his feet stop, needs to continue to improve his footwork and be the hammer, not the nail.
Pro Comp: Darrell Taylor
Javon has some of the most explosive reps on tape; he bursts out of his stance and immediately works his hands against his man, his hand swipe is deadly, and he played all along Troy's defensive front. I'm not sure if he'll be able to succeed at his size, but there have been a few guys with his profile who have found some success.
Pro Comp: Yannick Ngakoue
Kneeland has a ton of tools and athleticism to be able to make a splash at the next level. His hand violence, quick get-off, and smoothness when defending is a nice combo to work with. He needs to fix the fundamentals of his game when it comes to credit-carding the LOS, playing with lower pads, and have better contact balance, but that should be fixed in the NFL.
Pro Comp: Brandon Graham
Photo: Ashley Huss/Western Michigan Athletics
I was shocked that I didn't like Turner's tape. Dallas relies way too much on his strength and doesn't attack linemen at the block point, he has a minimal pass rush pool and won't fight off blocks for long. On the flip side, he has a ton of strength and speed, as well as a great foundation with his lower half power. Hopefully, someone can unlock his technique at the next level.
Pro Comp: Baron Browning
Jared's athleticism is off the charts for his size, and he's incredibly strong, but man, there is a lot left to be desired from his tape. He needs to get himself into NFL shape in the draft process, and get smarter when it comes to football IQ. If he works on those things and improves in the run game, there's no doubt he can be a really good player.
Pro Comp: Athletic Clelin Ferrell
Booker isn't being talked about enough. He does a lot of NFL-type things well when it comes to hand fighting and body control. He also has a high motor and a deep pass rush set to complement his play style. He does need to improve somewhat against the run, and he needs to get more aggressive and attack his blockers rather than waiting for the play to commit. Outside of that, I think he'll be a steal.
Pro Comp: Slower Haason Reddick
Photo: Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal
Adisa is a well-rounded edge. He plays effectively against the run and pass, has a good pass rush move-set and can bench guys off of him in the run. He also has pretty decent gap integrity, he just needs to not scream upfield as much as he does and continue to trust his athletic ability to squeeze down the line. He's a really solid prospect who will be a starter in the NFL.
Pro Comp: David Ojabo
Darius surprised me a ton. He has a lot of juice and nuance to his game that few DL have in this class. He has the inside/outside versatility, as well as violent hands and great leverage. He will need to improve his pass rushing off the edge and get better at bending around the corner, other than that he looks awesome.
Pro Comp: Cam Jordan
Photo: Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire
I love Chop's game (and he has a great nickname for a pass rusher). He's so twitchy and loaded, can use most pass rush moves and succeed, and he has great length and leverage. He needs to get better at bending and flowing with blocks rather than just running until he gets to the ball, also has some shoddy tackling. Other than that, I think he has all the tools necessary to be a day 1 starter.
Pro Comp: Josh Sweat
Latu is one of my favorite edge prospects I've ever scouted. He does a lot of little things well and is refined to a pro level. He needs to get better control of his balance and take on tough blocks better, but that will be fixed at the next level. Great power, speed, get off, and hand violence will make him a day 1 starter and long time dominator off the edge.
Pro Comp: Jaelan Phillips
Photo: Ric Tapia
Final Notes:
With this edge class being loaded, there are some good prospects who were cut from the list. Mohamed Kamara, Jalen Green, and Jonah Elliss are a few among them. Jalyx Hunt is also a super interesting prospect, as he converted from playing defensive back to edge rusher throughout his college career.
Join me on Wednesday and Friday as we wrap up PRR for the year, with the best QBs in this class, as well as a list of "my guys"!