This 12 months’s class of cross rushers could be very deep, and the 2025 NFL Draft might see a report variety of defensive ends and dashing outdoors linebackers come off the board.
Usually we’d rank the highest 10, however that may not even make it to the top of Spherical 2 this 12 months, so we expanded to incorporate the highest 14 gamers on the EDGE place — all of the gamers who acquired votes within the high 10 from our assortment of draft consultants from our 32 NFL group websites.
We should always notice that we’re grouping collectively cross rushers as EDGE rushers, which suggests you would possibly discover some gamers labeled as defensive finish and a few labeled as outdoors linebacker.
The highest EDGE rushers within the 2025 NFL Draft
14. Josaiah Stewart, Michigan
The Massachusetts native initially started his faculty soccer profession at Coastal Carolina, the place his teammate Isaiah Possible — now with the Baltimore Ravens — additionally joined the group. After incomes back-to-back All-Solar Belt honors, he transferred to Michigan in 2023. At simply 6’1” and 249 kilos with 32” arms, he was by no means capable of recapture the magic of his 12.5-sack freshman season on the Huge Ten degree, however he’s an fascinating, although undersized, pass-rushing prospect. He by no means labored out on the mix because of a hamstring subject and didn’t run at Michigan’s professional day in March, so we’d by no means get a solution on how athletic he actually is — a possible crimson flag.
13. Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
Kyle Kennard kind of got here out of nowhere final season. After recording 12.5 sacks over 4 years with Georgia Tech, Kennard posted 11.5 sacks in his lone 12 months with South Carolina. For that effort, he was rewarded with consensus All-American, SEC Defensive Participant of the 12 months and Bronko Nagurski Trophy honors. Whereas Kennard was a high-level pass-rusher on the faculty degree final season, there are questions on whether or not his high-effort model of play will translate to the subsequent degree. At simply 254 kilos, he solely ran a 4.73-second 40-yard sprint and doesn’t seem like a lot of an edge bender on movie.
12. JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
A former five-star recruit who had energy convention presents to play basketball, JT Tuimoloau has been on NFL radars for years. In every of his final three seasons, he was named a first-team All-Huge Ten participant. He’s extra bursty than flexible as an athlete, which helps him extra towards the run than the cross. Nonetheless, he lastly had a breakout pass-rushing season in 2024, when he shattered his earlier report of 5 sacks in a season to publish 12.5. He additionally does an incredible job of moving into quarterbacks’ passing lanes at 6’4” with 34” arms. Tuimoloau doesn’t have any elite traits, however he’s a stable all-around defensive finish.
11. Landon Jackson, Arkansas
Initially a defensive deal with for LSU, Landon Jackson transferred to Arkansas after enjoying simply 5 video games as a real freshman in 2021. The Texarkana product dropped right down to 264 kilos by the scouting mix, which allowed him to place up an unbelievable 40.5” vertical and a greater than first rate 4.68-second 40-yard sprint. The 6’6” defensive finish has plenty of Lukas Van Ness in his sport, which makes you marvel why he’s not thought-about a first-round decide on this class. Certain, this edge class is deep, however normally, gamers along with his dimension and athleticism don’t final to Day 2 of a draft, regardless of what number of defensive ends are anticipated to go within the first spherical. He by no means posted greater than 6.5 sacks in a single season at Arkansas, however he did earn first-team All-SEC honors in 2023 and second-team honors in 2024, partially because of his run sport prowess. In the end, he’s a younger and lengthy high quality run defender who has the athletic upside to develop as a cross rusher.
10. Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
Jack Sawyer goes to be a participant that groups with a 3-4 scheme worth greater than 4-3 groups, just because he’s a extra all-around participant than a real edge bender. The truth that Sawyer can set an honest edge and might truly drop into protection at 6’4” and 260 kilos will make him a tier extra useful for groups that wish to use him in a Preston Smith-like position in a 3-4 scheme. Sawyer was a former five-star recruit who was capable of earn back-to-back second-team All-Huge Ten honors over the past two seasons. Whereas he by no means hit double-digit sacks in faculty, he can have a job on the subsequent degree.
9. Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi
After spending 4 years at Florida, Princely Umanmielen transferred to Ole Miss in 2024, the place he earned All-SEC honors for the second time in his faculty profession. He’s the second of three faculty defensive linemen amongst his brothers, with Pricewill, a Nebraska switch, following Princely’s footsteps with the Rebels for the 2025 season. Princely is a top quality pass-rushing possibility after the wave of first-rounders come off the board. Whereas he received’t wow you with elite athleticism, on the relative scale of NFL starters, he constantly finds methods to get after the quarterback. That’s one cause why he was capable of rack up 17.5 sacks over the past two years, principally towards SEC play, regardless of operating a 7.33-second three-cone throughout the pre-draft course of.
8. Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston School
Essentially the most distinctive cross rusher on this class is Boston School’s Donovan Ezeiruaku, who kind of performs like a sawed-off Chandler Jones. As an alternative of being the 6’5” with 35” arms that Jones was, although, Ezeiruaku is 6’2” with 34” arms. He’s extra of a slow-burn cross rusher than you’ll anticipate for somebody beneath 250 kilos, as he doesn’t have an incredible first step. That’s normally a game-ender for smaller ends, however he’s such a sophisticated and artful pass-rusher that he was capable of publish 16.5 sacks in 2024, incomes him All-American honors. The 21-year-old is a little bit of a raffle, solely as a result of we’ve by no means seen a prolonged Euro-step pass-rusher are available in a 6’2”, 248-pound bundle earlier than, however his technical talent might help him overcome his weight and first-step knocks.
7. Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Coming into 2024, there have been excessive expectations for Nic Scourton, who was one of many greatest transfers within the portal. At Purdue, Scourton was named an All-Huge Ten participant after he led the convention with 10 sacks in 2023. At A&M, he solely posted 5 sacks, which was extremely disappointing relative to his preseason hype. He was listed by the Aggies at 285 kilos, which is the burden he appeared to hold on movie, however he lower right down to 257 kilos for the mix. In fact, he in all probability carried an excessive amount of “dangerous weight” to play a run-first position in Texas A&M’s scheme final 12 months. For those who actually need a really feel for the bull rusher, it’s important to dig again into his 2023 tape at Purdue, as NFL groups will nearly definitely need him to play nearer to his mix weight on the subsequent degree.
6. James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Whereas the vast majority of the highest edge defenders had been performed out of place on the faculty degree, one participant who benefitted from being put in the fitting place on a down-to-down foundation was James Pearce Jr. of Tennessee. Tennessee went out of their option to ensure that Pearce was the “open” finish — enjoying one-on-one towards tackles somewhat than to the aspect of the tight finish — to an excessive extent. When tight ends motioned throughout the formation, the Volunteers would regularly flip their total defensive field in order that Pearce might get one-on-one alternatives. Pearce was additionally allowed to play in a wide-9 method, making him an every-down pass-rusher greater than a real defensive finish. At solely 245 kilos, he would possibly simply find yourself settling into a delegated pass-rusher position on the NFL degree, the place his 4.47-second velocity might present extra worth to groups. He’s extra of a clean-up participant — a great one due to his velocity — than somebody who creates strain shortly in passing downs.
5. Mike Inexperienced, Marshall
Initially recruited as a pass-catcher at Virginia, Mike Inexperienced ended up main the FBS in sacks in 2024 with 17 for Marshall. As a pure designated pass-rusher, Inexperienced might be the second-best participant on this class behind solely Penn State’s Abdul Carter. For a 6’3”, 251-pound finish from a Group of 5 program, he’s a greater run defender than you’ll anticipate, partially as a result of he performs like his hair is on fireplace each down. On the mix, Inexperienced addressed two sexual assault allegations, courting again to his time in highschool and Virginia. Inexperienced claims he’s by no means been questioned by legislation enforcement and that he did “nothing unsuitable.”
4. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
One of many gamers with the widest vary of outcomes on this draft is Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, who has all of the traits you’ll ask for out of a defensive finish however not one of the manufacturing. In three years, the previous five-star recruit posted simply 4.5 sacks. Whereas he improved as a run defender yearly at A&M, the protection primarily targeted on stopping the run somewhat than getting after the quarterback, which frequently confirmed on play-action and RPO reps — a great quantity of the passes that the Aggies confronted within the SEC. With that being stated, Stewart’s first step is the perfect within the class at 6’5” and 267 kilos. He posted a 4.59-second 40-yard sprint and 40” vertical bounce on the mix, each unbelievable numbers for a participant his dimension.
3. Mykel Williams, Georgia
As soon as Travon Walker was drafted first general, the Georgia Bulldogs primarily plugged in five-star recruit Mykel Williams into their 4i position within the Bulldogs’ protection instantly. Williams usually performed on the defensive inside for Georgia, simply as a result of construction of their protection, however isn’t anticipated to play there a lot at 6’5” and 260 kilos on the NFL degree. The 20-year previous is an athletic participant who was twice named an All-SEC participant off of the power of his run protection. He has a toolbox of counter pass-rushing strikes however doesn’t have a calling card for beating tackles across the edge. The hope is that he can develop a go-to outdoors transfer on the subsequent degree.
2. Jalon Walker, Georgia
One of many hardest projections within the draft is whether or not or not Jalon Walker will likely be performed on the sting full-time. At 6’1” and 243 kilos, he doesn’t have the body on paper or the power on movie to constantly maintain the sting on the NFL degree. With that being stated, he was named a first-team All-American and second-team All-SEC participant in 2024, enjoying a hybrid pass-rushing linebacker position. In fact, his greatest position could be an off-ball linebacker on run downs who can play the “spinner” position, lining up over the middle as a get up participant in pass-rushing conditions. He has pass-rushing juice, however the query is solely whether or not or not he’s an each down defensive finish, one thing that would restrict what number of pass-rushing alternatives he’s going to have in his NFL profession.
1. Abdul Carter, Penn State
The consensus high pass-rusher on this class and certain top-five choice is Penn State’s Abdul Carter, who only one 12 months in the past was an off-ball linebacker for the Nittany Lions. In his first 12 months on the sting, he was capable of earn 12 sacks and an FBS-leading 24 tackles for loss on the way in which to All-American and Huge Ten Defensive Participant of the 12 months honors. Carter isn’t anticipated to be a premier edge setter at simply 6’3” and 250 kilos, however his athleticism makes him a primary pass-rushing candidate. 3-4 groups ought to fall in love with the prospect, as he additionally was a Freshman All-American and First-Workforce All-Huge Ten participant as a real linebacker, giving him worth as a dropper in base protection seems.