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Edge Rusher Scouting Reports - 2023
Bird’s Eye View: Positional Analysis
The Edge Rushers in the 2023 NFL Draft are a high-quality group of pass rushers and edge defenders available in April. They just don’t compare well to the 2022 draft class, which is one of the best classes of pass rushers observed in 30 years of scouting. However, the best Edge in either class is Will Anderson (Alabama), who appears to be the complete package of skills required to pressure the QB, hold the edge in the run game, and drop into coverage. Myles Murphy and KJ Henry (Clemson), Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech), Keion White (Georgia Tech), Lukas Van Ness (Iowa), and Isaiah Foskey (Notre Dame) all have first round grades going into April.
Positional Grade: B+
Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
6047 / 264 / 34” Arms
Prototypical NFL measurements for an edge rushing out of a three-point stance – solid muscularity throughout his body with ideal length. Displays excellent hand use and excels at hand fighting and disengaging from blocks. Good bend to flatten around the edge and close on the QB. Effective closing burst and breaks down well in space. Good bull rushing ability. Nice ability to convert speed to power. Uses a nice punch causing Illinois’ Brown to fumble on a run play during the Senior Bowl. Plays with excellent leverage and has very good power to walk the OT back to the pocket.
Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
Player Comparison:
Matthew Judon, New England
KJ Henry, Clemson
Player Comparison:
Danielle Hunter, Minnesota
KJ Henry, Clemson
6041 / 251 / 33” Arms
Former 5-star recruit. Good size with good overall length. Effective bull rush and plays with power. Excellent first step quickness – often winning at the snap. Explosive closing burst. Hand use is developed for the position. Solid job holding the edge and forcing runs inside or out of running lanes on wide runs. Can be neutralized by size or power. When he is on his game, looks like a Top 10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Extremely quick with an excellent burst. Plays with excellent bend, staying low and getting under the OT’s pads. Can effectively convert speed to power. Uses a nice swim move to shed blocks. Sometimes loses containment due to being over aggressive.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
6031 / 255 / 33.4” Arms
Good overall size and length. Lines up in a three-point stance. Extremely quick at the snap. Displays the ability to dip, flatten, and close on the QB. Good closing burst. Competes and fights to hold the edge in the run game. Lacks much of a pass rush plan and needs to add some additional techniques to improve his ability to pressure the QB. Led Big 12 in sacks in 2022 and has 20 sacks over the last two seasons. 2022 Big 12 Defensive POY.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
Player Comparison:
Kwity Paye, Indianapolis
Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
Player Comparison:
Bud Dupree, Free Agent
Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
6017 / 242 / 32.6” Arms
​Good size and length with long arms and well-distributed mass. Lines up in a two-point stance. Displays quick twitch athleticism at the snap. Nice bull rush. Shows ability to make himself skinny and slice through the LOS and disrupt the play in the backfield. Excellent bend and flatten ability with a solid closing burst. Quick and athletic and chases plays from the backside – has explosive closing speed on the ball. Lacks much of a pass rush plan other than an effective bull rush. Tends to be over-aggressive and crashes down hard against the run and subsequently can lose containment. Recorded 12 sacks in 2022 – MAC Defensive POY.
Will Anderson, Alabama
6034 / 253 / 33.7” Arms
Ideal size and length for an edge rushing out of a two-point stance. Fantastic athlete with supreme lateral agility and ability to play in-space. Explosive closing burst on the QB. Elite ability to flatten and bend and close in on the QB. Tenacious and football is important to him. Athletic enough, with outstanding lateral agility, to play man coverage – just does not do it that often. Solid tackler. Rare measurements combined with elite skills and abilities. A Top 5 talent in any NFL Draft.
Will Anderson, Alabama
Player Comparison:
Khalil Mack, LA Chargers
Jordan Ferguson, Middle Tennessee State
Player Comparison:
Carl Lawson, NY Jets
Jordan Ferguson, Middle Tennessee State
6007 / 266 / 33.3” Arms
Good thickness through his trunk and legs but lacks ideal overall length. Possesses exceptionally long arms for his size. Gets a good jump at the snap. Shows some ability to flatten and bend. Decent closing burst. Athletic and quick. Displays nice leaping ability. High effort and pursues hard from the backside. Experienced and extremely productive - 34 career sacks. Displays an explosive first step. Aggressive and pursues plays hard from the backside.
Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
6046 / 272 / 34” Arms
​Excellent size, overall length, and long arms with room to add more mass, without loss of athleticism. Has raw athletic ability that is begging to be developed. Displays the ability to bend, flatten, and close quickly on the QB. Demonstrates good balance and ability to navigate through trash. Lines up at DT and Edge for the Hawkeyes and his quickness is especially noticeable at DT. Flashes great hand use and ability to disengage from blocks. Chases hard from the backside and has a non-stop motor. Plays with a wide base and good knee bend. Very good agility considering his size. Needs to add some pass rushing techniques and needs development in the intricacies of the position. Needs continued strength development but shows promising ability to jack up OL with length and power. Very effective special teamer – length is utilized well as a kick and punt blocker. Production does not match his unrefined skills and pure athleticism. Possesses an ideal frame for a 4-3 DE. Never started a game in his career although he has plenty of game experience. Recorded 6.5 sacks and 2 blocked punts in 2022.
Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
Player Comparison:
JJ Watt, retired NFL player
Zach Harrison, Ohio State
Player Comparison:
Charles Omenihu, Kansas City
Zach Harrison, Ohio State
6054 / 274 / 36.2” Arms / 85.4” Wingspan
Huge man with prototypical height, weight, and length. Offers a huge wingspan to disrupt passing lanes. Excellent at setting the edge in the run game, Harrison is an improving pass rusher who relies on strength and power to put pressure on the QB. Very athletic but not especially explosive and possesses only a marginal closing burst.
Habakkuk Baldonado, Pittsburgh
603.7 / 212 lbs
Looks the part – excellent height and overall musculature. Very long arms. Inconsistent motor. Tends to lose leverage when tired. When fresh, is a load off the edge. Extremely athletic and quick. Flashes excellent burst. Knows how to get skinny and slice through the line. Uses length well to disrupt passing lanes. Effective run defender and can hold the edge well.
Habakkuk Baldonado, Pittsburgh
Player Comparison:
Terrell Lewis, Chicago
Keion White, Georgia Tech
Player Comparison:
Calais Campbell, Free Agent
Keion White, Georgia Tech
6050 / 285 / 34” Arms
​Transfer from Old Dominion where he was a TE. Excellent size with length and a muscular build. Looks the part and combines NFL measurements with a superb combination of speed and power. Slightly tight in his hips which hinders his ability to flatten and close on the QB. Flashes moments of spectacular play but too often disappears due to a lack of a pass rush plan – needs to learn better technique to complement his immense talent. Athletic enough to drop into coverage. A large man who moves well for his size. Intelligent and well-spoken. Extremely powerful bull rush.
Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
6060 / 271 / 35.5” Arms
Transfer from Texas A&M. Big 4-3 DE with excellent length and grapevines for arms. Looks the part. Explosive athlete with great burst and closing ability on the QB. Very fast and sudden and knows how to get skinny and penetrate gaps in the line. Bends and flattens effectively on the QB. Strong and can dominate TEs in the run game. Tremendous raw skills with rare measurements and athleticism for his size.
Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
Player Comparison:
LJ Collier, Seattle
Byron Young, Tennessee
Player Comparison:
Leonard Floyd, LA Rams
Byron Young, Tennessee
6022 / 250 / 32.4” Arms
Looks the part both being tall with solid mass and having long arms. Strong and powerful – plays with a low base and drives on contact. Very effective bull rush. Too often gets stuck on blocks and needs technique work in shedding lineman’s hands. Extremely good athlete with speed, quickness, and fluidity that is rare for his size - displays the ability to flatten and close on the QB and re-direct with ease. A bit stiff in coverage but has enough athleticism to develop.
Durrell Johnson, Liberty
6024 / 230 / 33.7” Arms
Very good size and length with long arms – looks the part of a 3-4 Edge. Primarily rushes from a two-point stance. Quick. Very good athlete with light feet and loose hips – very active against the run. High football IQ and plays alert and aware. Good use of hands to effectively shed blocks – superior shedding ability for a college player. Athletic enough to drop into zone coverage. Recorded 27.5 TFL in 2022 to lead FBS. Also secured 10 sacks in 2022.
Durrell Johnson, Liberty
Player Comparison:
Josh Allen, Jacksonville
Myles Murphy, Clemson
Player Comparison:
Kayvon Thibodeaux, NY Giants
Myles Murphy, Clemson
6045 / 268 / 33.6” Arms
Very good size with outstanding length. Displays excellent quick twitch at the snap. Plays with great natural bend which aids him with a dominating bull rush. Very good lateral agility. Plays with natural power and leverage. Effectively uses hands to clear blocks. Displays a good variety of pass rushing techniques and is a load off the edge.
Brenton Cox, Florida
6036 / 250 / 33.1” Arms
Has the size and length desired in a 4-3 DE. Productive, multi-year starter in Gainesville. Quick twitch with an effective closing burst. Displays the ability to dip, get low, and flatten to the QB. Solid in run support and does a good job holding the edge. Enough raw talent + production puts him on the cusp of first round contention in next April’s NFL Draft. Dismissed from team after throwing a punch in loss to Georgia - his background screening will have an impact on his draft status in April.
Brenton Cox, Florida
Player Comparison:
Dante Fowler, Dallas
Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
Player Comparison:
Romeo Okwara, Detroit
Tuli Tuipulotu, Edge / 5T, USC
6032 / 266 / 32.2” Arms
Excellent size for a 4-3 DE with good mass, length, and a huge wingspan. Enough size and strength to play 5T. Athletic and active – used on stunts and games due to quickness and athleticism. Extremely productive in 2022 – amongst NCAA leaders in sacks and TFL. Lacks much of a pass rush plan and needs to develop additional methods to shed blocks. Strong bull rush. Holds the edge well in the run game.