2025 NFL Draft: EDGE Rankings (Preseason Edition)

The 2025 NFL Draft Class is loaded with edge rushers! All Access Football previews the top prospects in the land, plus a look at the latest draft trends.

Ric Serritella

Jul 16, 2024

Volume XXIV Edition X | 2025 NFL Draft EDGE Preview

In this edition of the All Access Football Newsletter:

Top 30 EDGE Prospects For 2025 NFL Draft
Latest Draft Trends: Past, Present & Future
1st Ever AAF Zoom Room July 26th @ 9p ET

2025 NFL Draft Preview Series: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DT

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS: EDGE RUSHERS AT PREMIUM

When dissecting the draft trends of pass-rushers, there were too many hybrid players to pinpoint exact numbers but approximately five edge rushers are selected in the first round of the NFL Draft on average.

Much like quarterback on offense, the pass-rushers on defense tend to get pushed up the board. Many of the great edge players in the NFL were chosen in the first round. Superstars such as Myles Garrett (No.1 overall in 2017) of the Cleveland Browns, Micah Parsons (No.12 overall in 2021) of the Dallas Cowboys and TJ Watt (No.30 overall in 2017) of the Pittsburgh Steelers were all taken in round one.

While choosing prospects who hail from a small school, or mid-major pedigree comes with a greater risk, the willingness to roll the dice on such players can pay great dividends. Teams such as the Las Vegas Raiders who were willing to pull the trigger on Maxx Crosby out of Eastern Michigan in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft (No.106 overall) and the New Orleans Saints who selected Trey Hendrickson (now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals) out of Florida Atlantic in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft (No.103 overall) were rewarded with All-Pro talents.

Every team in the NFL would like to add an additional impact edge rusher who can pressure the quarterback and the Class of 2025 is loaded! It’s possible that more than a half dozen edge players could be chosen in round one come April. While there are several prominent prospects squarely on the radar, there’s certain to be a few more who rise up boards as the season wears on.

2025 NFL DRAFT PRESEASON BIG BOARD: EDGE

The 2025 NFL Draft Class is shaping up to be a great group of pass-rushers. Whether 4-3 defensive end, or 3-4 outside linebacker, edge rushers are sure to be pushed up the board. The gray area between the two has almost become blurred. The line of demarcation seems to be Von Miller (2011), as we then began to see similar body types such as Leonard Floyd (2016), Haason Reddick (2017) and Josh Allen (2019) be more valued.

Many of the phenomenal edge rushers eligible for 2025 would seem to fall under the similar category of being able to adapt to a hybrid role of standing or, or playing with their hand in the dirt. Tennessee stud rusher James Pearce Jr. exploded onto the NFL radar, terrorizing the SEC for nine and a half sacks in his first year as starter. He does an excellent job of converting speed-to-power and should only continue to improve.

It has been an NFL-factory for pass-rushers in Happy Valley lately. Add Abdul Carter as the next one to come down the following in the footsteps of Chop Robinson, Micah Parsons, Odafe Oweh, amongst others. Carter lacks ideal length, so he is one player who could be asked to transition to outside linebacker at the next level. However, his pass-rush prowess puts him in strong consideration for round one.

There’s also a handful of legacy prospects including Florida State defensive end Marvin Jones Jr., the son of Seminoles Hall of Fame legend Marvin Jones (No.4 overall pick of the 1993 NFL Draft) and RJ Oben of Notre Dame, the son of longtime NFL offensive lineman Roman Oben, who now works in the league office.

James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, Jr., 6036, 242, 4.55
Mykel Williams, Georgia, Jr, 6036, 265, Jr, 4.55
Harold Perkins, LSU, Jr, 6001, 215, 4.38, 1.15 [B] | (photo: LSU)
Abdul Carter, Penn State, Jr, 6022, 250, 4.55
Patrick Payton, Florida State, rJr, 6046, 240, 4.65
Nic Scourton, Texas A&M, Jr, 6036, 280, 4.68
Marvin Jones Jr., Florida State, Jr, 6044, 250, 4.60
JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State, Sr, 6041, 268, 4.80, 1.25 [B]
Jack Sawyer, Ohio State, Sr, 6042, 265, 4.90, 1.45 [B]
Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi, Sr, 6036, 258, 4.65, 1.45 [B]
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State, Jr., 6036, 260, 4.70
Jalon Walker, Georgia, Jr, 6022, 245, 4.56
Landon Jackson, Arkansas, Sr, 6053, 271, 4.75, 1.35 [B]
Ashton Gillotte, Louisville, Sr, 6023, 266, 4.75, 1.45 [B]
RJ Oben, Notre Dame, rSr, 6031, 260, 4.78, 1.65 [B]
Jordan Burch, Oregon, rSr, 6060, 280, 5.00, 1.4 [B]
Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina, rSr, 6012, 257, 4.75, 1.4 [B]
Tyler Baron, Miami, Sr, 6042, 260, 4.75
Trey Moore, Texas, rJr, 6026, 235, 4.66
Ethan Burke, Texas, Jr, 6055, 257, 4.70
Malachai Lawrence, UCF, rJr, 6047, 248, 4.65, 1.5 [B]
Jah Joyner, Minnesota, rSr, 6045, 265, 4.68
Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., Virginia Tech, rSr, 6021, 242, 4.80, 1.85 [B]
Josaiah Stewart, Michigan, Sr, 6006, 245, 4.68
Elijah Roberts, SMU, rSr, 6026, 278, 4.79
Khordae Syndor, Vanderbilt, rJr, 6032, 262, 4.79
Pryce Yates, UConn, rJr, 6036, 270, 4.78
Korey Foreman, Boise State, Sr, 6040, 235, 4.56
Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State, Sr, 6022, 267, 4.85, 1.8 [B]
Ben Bell, Texas State, rSr, 6020, 250, 4.75

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