2025 EDGE PROSPECTS

1. JAMES PEARCE (TENNESSEE) 6’5” 242 LBS.

Pierce was a five-star prospect and has lived up to it in his first two seasons. In his sophomore year, he earned first-team sec and finished #2 in sacks despite only starting three games. He has an explosive first step with active hands and several counter moves. He can drop in space and returned a 52-yard interception for a touchdown. A player that still has room to continue to get stronger and become a better run defender. We are high on this edge class and Pearce is our number #1 player. 

2023 STATS: 28 TACKLES – 10 SACKS – 14.5 TFL

2. SHEMAR TURNER (TEXAS A&M) 6’3” 290 LBS.

Of all the highly touted recruits on A&M’s defense the past couple of seasons none was better than Turner. He is an excellent athlete, and if he is 290 lbs. he carries it extremely well. He has very good speed, excellent hustle in pursuit, never giving up on a play. You see him block a field goal vs Ole Miss and chase down speedy running back Brian Battie from Auburn. He has been a starter since his sophomore season in 2022 earning the defense’s Mr. Dependable award. Last year earned 2nd team Sec and earned the team's defensive trenches award. Was the team's best pass rusher with 36 pressures a season ago. With Scourton coming in from Purdue Turner could get kicked inside.

2023 STATS: 33 TACKLES – 6 SACKS – 10.5 TFL

3. ABDUL CARTER (PENN STATE) 6’3” 250 LBS. 

Carter was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class but came in right away as a true freshman and had 6.5 sacks. Carter will be moved to defensive end; despite playing inside linebacker, they lined him up on the edge frequently. He is a good athlete with good range. He also has good pound-for-pound power. He made his biggest impact as a rusher last year with 28 pressures in only 112 opportunities. 

2023 STATS: 48 TACKLES – 4.5 SACKS – 5.5 TFL

4. MYKELL WILLIAMS (GEORGIA) 6’5” 265 LBS.

Williams was a five-star recruit that came and came on strong during 2nd half of the season helping the Bulldogs to the 2nd national championship. Williams has very good length and size and reminds you a bit of former Bulldogs and #1 overall pick Travon Walker. I expect him to have his best season and we will see him more as an outside linebacker. Expect to see more games like the Florida State game where he had his season high in tackles, pressures, and sacks. 

2023 STATS: 18 TACKLES – 4.5 SACKS – 6.5 TFL

5. NIC SCOURTON (TEXAS A&M) 6’4” 280 LBS.

Scourton had a breakout season as a sophomore last year leading the Big 10 in sacks. He grew on me the more I watched him. He has great size and strength he is probably the most NFL-ready edge in this class. He lacks the quick twitch athleticism of others but still moves very well, especially for his size. His motor is non-stop, has heavy hands, and a variety of moves in his arsenal. 

2023 STATS: 50 TACKLES – 10 SACKS- 15 TFL

6. PATRICK PAYTON (FLORIDA STATE) 6’5” 254 LBS. 

Payton red-shirted in 2021 and in 2022 he won ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. The first thing you notice about Payton is his length, and he uses it well with 10 PBU as a defensive end in 2023. He also is a twitchy athlete with good speed and bend. Saw improvements from the 2022 season to the 2023 season. He is a thin player but looks to be going in the right direction and is listed 15 lbs. heavier than a season ago. 

2023 STATS: 44 TACKLES – 7 SACKS - 14.5 TFL

7. JT TUIMOLOAU (OHIO STATE) 6’5” 269 LBS. 

Tuimoloau was a five-star recruit who had 28 starts in his first three years. JT has an impressive combination of size and athleticism. He lacks that great 1st step and while his athleticism is good, I don’t see him as one of the better pass rushers in this class. He is still effective with 37 pressures a season ago. He is a strong run defender who can set the edge and stack and shed. 

2023 STATS: 37 TACKLES – 5 SACKS – 7.5 TFL

8. TREY MOORE (TEXAS) 6’3” 242 LBS. 

Moore started his career at UTSA and had 22 sacks in 2022 through 2023. He was one of our surprises in summer scouting. Trey is quick off the ball, does a good job converting to speed to power, and is a dog on every snap. Has the versatility and range to play off-ball linebacker. If he can play with similar dominance in the SEC, as he did in Conference USA he has a chance to be a round-one pick. 

2023 STATS: 45 TACKLES – 14 SACKS – 17.5 TFL

9. ANTWAUN POWELL-RYLAND (VIRGINIA TECH) 6’3” 252 LBS. 

Antwaun spent his first three seasons at Florida before transferring to Virginia Tech. He enjoyed a breakout season with the Hokies finishing 2nd in the conference in sacks. He has very good 1st step quickness and exceptional bend and flexibility. We think he is one of the best pass rushers in this draft. He can convert speed to power and has a very quick spin move. He had three games that accounted for 8 of his 9.5 sacks. Needs to continue to get stronger and show more consistency.

2023 STATS: 40 TACKLES – 9.5 SACKS – 14.5 TFL

10. DERRICK MOORE (MICHIGAN) 6’3” 258 LBS. 

Moore has been a backup his first two seasons at Michigan and finished 3rd on the team in sacks. He lost some weight heading into the 2023 season and looked more explosive. He has good speed. He primarily wins with speed and quickness and being able to dip and bend. He was also a good run defender that could set the edge. 

2023 STATS: 34 TACKLES – 5 SACKS – 6 TFL

11. JACK SAWYER (OHIO STATE) 6’4” 269 LBS. 

Sawyer was another five-star recruit who was part of the special recruiting class in 2021 that decided to return for his Senior season. Sawyer has good quickness off the snap and shows good strength. He was a strong run defender who can get better as a pass rusher. As a pass rusher, I thought Sawyer was disruptive but a player who lacked pass-rush moves. When he won it was hustle and converting speed to power. 

2023 STATS: 48 TACKLES – 6.5 SACKS – 10 TFL

12. ASHTON GILOTTE (LOUISVILLE) 6’3” 270 LBS. 

Gillotte was a three-star recruit in the 2021 class and had 4 sacks as a true freshman. He was an honorable mention in 2022 with 6 sacks. Last season he led the ACC in sacks and earned all-American honors. Gillotte is not only a great pass rusher but also is good against the run. He has a nonstop motor, shows good strength, and can win in a variety of ways as a pass rusher. 

2023 STATS: 45 TACKLES – 11 SACKS – 14.5 TFL

13. LANDON JACKSON (ARKANSAS) 6’7” 282 LBS. 

Having Landon Jackson this low just tells you how good the edge defender could be. The thing that immediately stands out is Jackson's combination of length, size, and athleticism. He has some versatility in where he can line up and could potentially be a 5 technique at the next level. Good athlete especially for that size he has some stiffness and lacks the bend of other elite pass rushers. 

2023 STATS: 44 TACKLES- 6.5 SACKS – 13.5 TFL

14. PRINCELY UMANMIELEN (OLE MISS) 6’5” 255 LBS. 

Spent his first four seasons at Florida and is coming off his best season in 2023. Umanmielen is a talented edge rusher with good quickness. He was also used in coverage a lot and has range and athleticism. His motor runs cold at times and felt like he left plays out there. Needs to continue to get stronger and improve as a run defender. 

2023 STATS: 39 TACKLES – 7 SACKS – 11.5 TFL

15. DANI DENNIS-SUTTON (PENN STATE) 6’5” 270 LBS. 

Sutton was a five-star recruit and earned freshman all-American in 2022. Last year he had only 3 starts but still earned an honorable mention Big 10. Should have a bigger role with both Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac going to the NFL. Shows a quick 1st step, plays with leverage, and gives great effort. Has rare length and shows pretty good strength. Playing in space would be a struggle. I don’t think he has long speed and has some stiffness when changing directions.

2023 STATS: 26 TACKLES – 3.5 SACKS – 6 TFL

16. JOSIAH STEWERT (MICHIGAN) 6’1” 245 LBS. 

Stewert burst on the scene at Coastal Carolina in 2021 with 12.5 sacks. He didn’t have the same sack production the next year but still had 40 pressures. He was part of the defensive line rotation at Michigan and was their most explosive pass rusher a season ago. He brings a lot of energy when he comes into the game and despite his lack of size, he had his best year as a run defender. 

2023 STATS: 38 TACKLES – 5.5 SACKS – 8.5 TFL

17. ELIJAH ROBERTS (SMU) 6’4” 278 LBS. 

Roberts was a 4-star recruit who started his career in Miami in 2020. He graded out well when on the field but did not do much in his three years there, did have 2 sacks in the 2021 spring game. Transferred to SMU and enjoyed a breakout season in 2023. He looks more like a defensive tackle on film and can line up in a variety of alignments. Was 2nd in the nation in pressures with 71 only 9 behind the leader and did that in 149 less pass rush attempts. Roberts has good strength and does a good job getting off blocks and converting speed to power. Needs to work on flexibility plays high at times and lacks bend. 

2023 STATS: 37 TACKLES – 10 SACKS- 12.5 TFL 

18. KAIMON RUCKER (NORTH CAROLINA) 6’2” 265 LBS. 

Rucker has been at North Carolina since 2020 with 40 games under his belt going into the season. Rucker had 7.5 career sacks going into last year but broke out with 8.5 last year earning 2nd team all-ACC. Rucker plays with good leverage and has also won a lot with his speed rush. Lacks length but did a good job reading the run and filling gaps in the run game. 

2023 STATS: 61 TACKLES – 8.5 SACKS – 15 TFL 

19. JOHNNY WALKER (MISSOURI) 6’3” 244 LBS. 

Walker has been at MU since 2020 and became a starter last season and did not disappoint. He led the Tigers in snaps and 17 of his 30 pressures came in the first five games. He is a disruptive player that at times looks like a day 2 pick. 

2023 STATS: 43 TACKLES – 5.5 SACKS – 9.5 TFL

20. R.J. OBEN (NOTRE DAME) 6’3” 262 LBS. 

Oben's father was Roman who started 130 games as an offensive lineman in his career. Oben has been at Duke since 2019 before transferring to Notre Dame this offseason. He has 14 sacks in the past three seasons at Duke. Oben is effective at getting after the QB would like to see him become a more complete player and be a force against the run. 

2023 STATS: 17 TACKLES – 5 SACKS – 6 TFL

SLEEPERS:

SHEMAR STEWERT (TEXAS A&M) 6’6” 285 LBS. 

Shemar Stewert was a five-star prospect in the 2022 class. Stewert has shown flashes and improved from his freshman season to his sophomore season. He has the length and flashes 1st step quickness. Had 26 pressures in 191 snaps. He has some tightness, and his motor was not consistent. Should have a bigger role this year. Missed some games due to injury and only played in eight games 145 snaps. 

AMIN VANNOVER (PENN STATE) 6’4” 268 LBS. 

A lot of different players I would like to put on here, but Vannover is virtually unknown probably for good reason 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks in four years. I noticed him in the bowl game flying off the snap. He had 18 pressures on 71 pass rush attempts with a 90.3 pass rush grade. He also had a great spring game with a sack, TFL, and an interception. He missed some games last season, so his snap total dropped. He is not in line to be a starter, but I expect him to be a big part of the rotation this year.  

SENIORS 

BARRYN SORRELL (TEXAS)

ETHAN DOWNS (OKLAHOMA) 

TYLER BARON (MIAMI)

JORDAN BURCH (OREGON) 

JAH JOYNER (MINNESOTA)

JARED IVEY (OLE MISS)

STEVE LINTON (BAYLOR)

TYLER BATTY (BYU)

AHMED HASSANEIN (BOISE STATE)

DONOVAN EZEIRUAKU (BOSTON COLLEGE)

JASHEEN DAVIS (WAKE FOREST)

FADIL DIGGS (SYRACUSE)

BJ GREEN (COLORADO)

J.J. WEAVER (KENTUCKY)

JAMIL MUHAMMED (USC)

DAVID WALKER (CENTRAL ARKANSAS)

UNDERCLASSMAN

MALACHI LAWRENCE (UCF)