Risen Star
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Penn State’s Abdul Carter casts a large shadow over this class of edge rushers. Not only does Carter clearly rank as the best at his position, he might wind up as the best player in the draft.
After that, it’s about as clear as mud.
One team had 14 players graded as starters. Another team projected about half that many.
Missing information clouds the picture for evaluators with anxious owners waiting to write big checks. Ten of the top 15 prospects have yet to run and/or probably won’t run the 40-yard dash, an unprecedented number. Only seven have performed the vertical jump and the bench press.
In the last four years 53 edge rushers have been selected among the top 100 picks, an average of 13.3. That looks about right for this class.
Of the 53, 22 have gone in the first round.
Ten of the 11 edge rushers that made the all-rookie team as selected by the Pro Football Writers of America in the past four years were taken in the first round. The exception was the Rams’ Byron Young, a third-round pick in 2023. Two of the rookie stalwarts — Aidan Hutchinson and Jared Verse — have been voted to the Pro Bowl.
Like most positions, it helps to draft edge rushers early. Of course, there are exceptions.
The Broncos’ Nik Bonitto, the last pick of the second round in 2022, made the Pro Bowl last season. Bonitto has 23 career sacks while another unheralded Bronco, Jonathon Cooper (seventh round, 2021), has 23 ½.
Many of the leading prospects have their fair share of warts. One personnel executive, who happened to rank Marshall’s Mike Green second behind Carter, said, “It’s kind of hit or miss. After the top two it’s strictly developmental. You’re just hoping with the rest of these guys.”
Spent the off-season rehabilitating foot and shoulder injuries. “He’s just what you want up there (top of the first round),” a fourth scout said. “He’s a Pro Bowl player. He’s got everything you’re looking for as an edge rusher. But he’s not a quality guy.” That scout was one of four personnel people to express reservations about Carter’s makeup. “He’s not a great worker,” said one. “Plays his *** off on Saturday but he’s not a great guy during the week because he’s so gifted. I give him credit. He got hurt in the Boise State (playoff) game and had no business playing against Notre Dame. Played, and played his *** off. He’s a modern, high-maintenance, big-time player. There are similarities to Micah Parsons as a player and as a kid. Micah was probably a little more malicious coming out.” Four-year recruit from Philadelphia. Lettered in basketball as a power forward. “Super athletic,” said a fifth scout. “There’s a little baggage that comes with him. Some people just shrug their shoulders and say it comes with the territory. Other people were a little more concerned with it. Penn State seemed to dial it back because they obviously wanted him to go top 5 or top 10. There’s a pretty strong consensus here that he’s the top defender out there.” His 23 sacks rank sixth on the Nittany Lions’ career list. “If you watch 2023 tape he’s a top-10 will linebacker,” said one scout. “His rarity is he plays at an elite level at two different positions, one of which is a major elite position: pass rusher. You could just as well stand the guy up and say, ‘Hey, go cover this guy,’ and he can do it better than anybody else. Dynamite pass rusher. Just natural. In some games he makes like every other play. Now, with guys with this amount of talent, there’s times you want a little more out of him.”
2. JALON WALKER, Georgia (6-1, 243, no 40, 1): Third-year junior, one-year starter. “When you add the whole player up I’d rather have this guy (than Carter),” said one scout. “Quick twitch, good speed. Big-time motor. If you don’t like him, he’s a tweener. If you like him, he’s a hybrid, and you can use him as an outside linebacker and as a rusher.” Played on and off the ball throughout his career. Often compared to Nolan Smith (6-2, 240, 4.42, 32 5/8 arm), his former teammate and the Eagles’ 30th overall selection in 2023. “He’s not as speedy (as Smith) but he plays heavier and bigger,” a second scout said. “Nolan was also a little more of a one-trick pony where they lined him up almost as a wide-9 rusher. This guy has more versatility as a pass rusher.” Played as a backup in 29 games as a freshman and sophomore before starting 11 of 14 in 2024. “He’s a defensive coordinator’s dream,” said a third scout. “He played stack backer but he’s best as a DPR (designated pass rusher). You can align this guy all across the front. He has twitch, the ability to bend and to redirect to create pressure. There’s a defensive coordinator right now watching this guy and frothing at the mouth as to what he can do with this guy and creating pressure on the quarterback.” Finished with 89 tackles (19 for loss), 12 ½ sacks and three passes defensed. “What is this guy?” said a fourth scout. “Really good athlete. Can run like the wind. He’s a great quarterback spy. He does show edge speed when he’s allowed to attack, which is not as often as you would like. Not a ton of wiggle as a pass rusher. More just straight bursts and speed upfield. I questioned his instincts and reaction quickness as a linebacker. Gets stuck on blocks too much and needs work on his hand use. Doesn’t have a great body of work in terms of his career because they’ve had so many guys there.” Semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. His makeup was praised by multiple personnel men. “He has top character off the field,” a fifth scout said. “He has that mentality and I like the way he plays, but he just doesn’t produce. He doesn’t feel it. He doesn’t have good instincts. It’s almost similar to the Packers’ Quay Walker guy. When he figures it out and see it, he goes and attacks. He is a tough guy. Plays hard. I think he kind of short-circuits a little bit. He has to be a 3-4 (edge) and not do all this other stuff they do with him. They played him off and he didn’t see it. He was a disappointment.” Arms were 32, hands were 10 ¼.
3. SHEMAR STEWART, Texas A&M (6-5, 270, 4.58, 1): Third-year junior, one-year starter. “He’s the classic example of a guy who has no idea how to play football,” one scout said. “Doesn’t know how to take on blocks, doesn’t know how to find the ball, doesn’t know how to work off things. I was shocked he was 281 (at the Senior Bowl). He plays like he’s 240. He crushed it at the combine but in the games he is just a nonfactor. Just can’t figure it out. He’s damn near defensive-tackle size and they’re playing him standing up, too. He should be a hand-down, go-at-it guy.”
Was 270 at pro day after being 267 at the combine, where he was clocked in 4.58 despite tweaking his hamstring, posted a 40-inch vertical jump and a position-best 10-11 broad jump. “He looks incredible but he’s got like five sacks in his career,” said a second scout. “It’s a little bit all over the map, but the way he tested and the way he looked and ran he’s going in the first round.” Arms were 34 1/8, hands were 9 5/8. “Height-weight-speed physical freak show,” a third scout said. “He’s almost as good as Abdul Carter. Different guy completely. Good effort player. Plays hard in pursuit and in-line. Why isn’t this guy more productive? Wow edge speed. You really see it coming out of the turn. He’s explosive down the middle of a blocker. He’s really stout at the point. Plays with physicality. He lacked instincts and awareness. Mental delays when he’s stunting inside. Mental has to be looked into. Maybe it’s what they’re asking him to do. I don’t know. Maybe we could do something different with him and it would look different. Physically, this guy’s everything you want. He could play either defensive end or 3-technique.” Finished with 65 tackles, 4 ½ sacks and four passes defensed in 37 games, including 19 starts. Five-star recruit from Miami.
After that, it’s about as clear as mud.
One team had 14 players graded as starters. Another team projected about half that many.
Missing information clouds the picture for evaluators with anxious owners waiting to write big checks. Ten of the top 15 prospects have yet to run and/or probably won’t run the 40-yard dash, an unprecedented number. Only seven have performed the vertical jump and the bench press.
In the last four years 53 edge rushers have been selected among the top 100 picks, an average of 13.3. That looks about right for this class.
Of the 53, 22 have gone in the first round.
Ten of the 11 edge rushers that made the all-rookie team as selected by the Pro Football Writers of America in the past four years were taken in the first round. The exception was the Rams’ Byron Young, a third-round pick in 2023. Two of the rookie stalwarts — Aidan Hutchinson and Jared Verse — have been voted to the Pro Bowl.
Like most positions, it helps to draft edge rushers early. Of course, there are exceptions.
The Broncos’ Nik Bonitto, the last pick of the second round in 2022, made the Pro Bowl last season. Bonitto has 23 career sacks while another unheralded Bronco, Jonathon Cooper (seventh round, 2021), has 23 ½.
Many of the leading prospects have their fair share of warts. One personnel executive, who happened to rank Marshall’s Mike Green second behind Carter, said, “It’s kind of hit or miss. After the top two it’s strictly developmental. You’re just hoping with the rest of these guys.”
EDGE RUSHERS
1. ABDUL CARTER, Penn State (6-3 ½, 250, no 40, 1): Third-year junior. “Early in the season he didn’t show much but he was dominating after that,” one scout said. “I’d take (Aidan) Hutchinson. It’s two different body types and two different type of twitches. Carter’s more twitchy. Hutchinson is stronger, more rangy. Carter can come off the edge and bend better.” Started in 2023 as an off-the-ball linebacker before moving to the edge last season. “It’s almost like they did Micah Parsons,” said a second scout. “I guess those guys don’t know how to coach there. They got the top pick in the draft playing inside linebacker last year. He’s a legitimate difference-maker. He’s rare with his motor and athletic ability. He does get beat up some. He’s on the ground too often. He’s just going to keep getting better once he gets more reps (outside).” Started 35 of 42 games, finishing with 172 tackles (41 for loss), 23 sacks, 13 passes defensed and five forced fumbles. “He’s, like, really good,” said a third scout. “He’s f-----g quick. He’s got a get-off. Fluid. Elite pass rusher. He closes quickly and has range all over the field. In the run game, he’s not the most powerful taking on blocks but, ****, the run and chase on him, he’s all over. But the pass game is where he makes his money.”Spent the off-season rehabilitating foot and shoulder injuries. “He’s just what you want up there (top of the first round),” a fourth scout said. “He’s a Pro Bowl player. He’s got everything you’re looking for as an edge rusher. But he’s not a quality guy.” That scout was one of four personnel people to express reservations about Carter’s makeup. “He’s not a great worker,” said one. “Plays his *** off on Saturday but he’s not a great guy during the week because he’s so gifted. I give him credit. He got hurt in the Boise State (playoff) game and had no business playing against Notre Dame. Played, and played his *** off. He’s a modern, high-maintenance, big-time player. There are similarities to Micah Parsons as a player and as a kid. Micah was probably a little more malicious coming out.” Four-year recruit from Philadelphia. Lettered in basketball as a power forward. “Super athletic,” said a fifth scout. “There’s a little baggage that comes with him. Some people just shrug their shoulders and say it comes with the territory. Other people were a little more concerned with it. Penn State seemed to dial it back because they obviously wanted him to go top 5 or top 10. There’s a pretty strong consensus here that he’s the top defender out there.” His 23 sacks rank sixth on the Nittany Lions’ career list. “If you watch 2023 tape he’s a top-10 will linebacker,” said one scout. “His rarity is he plays at an elite level at two different positions, one of which is a major elite position: pass rusher. You could just as well stand the guy up and say, ‘Hey, go cover this guy,’ and he can do it better than anybody else. Dynamite pass rusher. Just natural. In some games he makes like every other play. Now, with guys with this amount of talent, there’s times you want a little more out of him.”
2. JALON WALKER, Georgia (6-1, 243, no 40, 1): Third-year junior, one-year starter. “When you add the whole player up I’d rather have this guy (than Carter),” said one scout. “Quick twitch, good speed. Big-time motor. If you don’t like him, he’s a tweener. If you like him, he’s a hybrid, and you can use him as an outside linebacker and as a rusher.” Played on and off the ball throughout his career. Often compared to Nolan Smith (6-2, 240, 4.42, 32 5/8 arm), his former teammate and the Eagles’ 30th overall selection in 2023. “He’s not as speedy (as Smith) but he plays heavier and bigger,” a second scout said. “Nolan was also a little more of a one-trick pony where they lined him up almost as a wide-9 rusher. This guy has more versatility as a pass rusher.” Played as a backup in 29 games as a freshman and sophomore before starting 11 of 14 in 2024. “He’s a defensive coordinator’s dream,” said a third scout. “He played stack backer but he’s best as a DPR (designated pass rusher). You can align this guy all across the front. He has twitch, the ability to bend and to redirect to create pressure. There’s a defensive coordinator right now watching this guy and frothing at the mouth as to what he can do with this guy and creating pressure on the quarterback.” Finished with 89 tackles (19 for loss), 12 ½ sacks and three passes defensed. “What is this guy?” said a fourth scout. “Really good athlete. Can run like the wind. He’s a great quarterback spy. He does show edge speed when he’s allowed to attack, which is not as often as you would like. Not a ton of wiggle as a pass rusher. More just straight bursts and speed upfield. I questioned his instincts and reaction quickness as a linebacker. Gets stuck on blocks too much and needs work on his hand use. Doesn’t have a great body of work in terms of his career because they’ve had so many guys there.” Semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. His makeup was praised by multiple personnel men. “He has top character off the field,” a fifth scout said. “He has that mentality and I like the way he plays, but he just doesn’t produce. He doesn’t feel it. He doesn’t have good instincts. It’s almost similar to the Packers’ Quay Walker guy. When he figures it out and see it, he goes and attacks. He is a tough guy. Plays hard. I think he kind of short-circuits a little bit. He has to be a 3-4 (edge) and not do all this other stuff they do with him. They played him off and he didn’t see it. He was a disappointment.” Arms were 32, hands were 10 ¼.
3. SHEMAR STEWART, Texas A&M (6-5, 270, 4.58, 1): Third-year junior, one-year starter. “He’s the classic example of a guy who has no idea how to play football,” one scout said. “Doesn’t know how to take on blocks, doesn’t know how to find the ball, doesn’t know how to work off things. I was shocked he was 281 (at the Senior Bowl). He plays like he’s 240. He crushed it at the combine but in the games he is just a nonfactor. Just can’t figure it out. He’s damn near defensive-tackle size and they’re playing him standing up, too. He should be a hand-down, go-at-it guy.”
Was 270 at pro day after being 267 at the combine, where he was clocked in 4.58 despite tweaking his hamstring, posted a 40-inch vertical jump and a position-best 10-11 broad jump. “He looks incredible but he’s got like five sacks in his career,” said a second scout. “It’s a little bit all over the map, but the way he tested and the way he looked and ran he’s going in the first round.” Arms were 34 1/8, hands were 9 5/8. “Height-weight-speed physical freak show,” a third scout said. “He’s almost as good as Abdul Carter. Different guy completely. Good effort player. Plays hard in pursuit and in-line. Why isn’t this guy more productive? Wow edge speed. You really see it coming out of the turn. He’s explosive down the middle of a blocker. He’s really stout at the point. Plays with physicality. He lacked instincts and awareness. Mental delays when he’s stunting inside. Mental has to be looked into. Maybe it’s what they’re asking him to do. I don’t know. Maybe we could do something different with him and it would look different. Physically, this guy’s everything you want. He could play either defensive end or 3-technique.” Finished with 65 tackles, 4 ½ sacks and four passes defensed in 37 games, including 19 starts. Five-star recruit from Miami.
