Who are the top edge rushers in the 2020 NFL Draft? Find out
From the Everything you need to know for the 2020 NFL Draft series
Edge rushers are a premium in the NFL. Who are the top prospects in the 2020 draft? Find out.
Welcome to draft season! This is the first positional breakdowns leading up to the NFL draft (April 23-25). Eddie Brown, a sports writer for the The San Diego Union-Tribune who has covered the NFL Draft for over a decade presents his top 10 edge rushers:
1. Chase Young (Jr., Ohio St., 6-foot-5, 264 pounds)
Updated
Young is the best player in this draft class. He's an elite prospect who hasn't maxed out his ceiling. Just wait until he diversifies his pass rush repertoire. Projected: Top 3
2. A.J. Epenesa (Jr., Iowa, 6-5, 275)
Updated
I put more weight on production and talent than physical test scores. Epenesa isn't a speed demon off of the edge, but he's more than athletic enough (he was a good basketball player and won back-to-back state discus titles in high school). Projected: 1st round
3. K'Lavon Chaisson (So., LSU, 6-3, 254)
Updated
Durability concerns are only thing keeping him from being a top-10 pick. Projected: 1st or 2nd round.
4. Yetur Gross-Matos (Jr., Penn St., 6-5, 266)
Updated
Gross-Matos features a prototypical combination of size, athleticism and agility. He was highly productive as a two-year starter for the Nittany Lions (17.5 sacks and 35 tackles for loss). Projected: 1st or 2nd round
5. Zach Baun (Sr., Wisconsin, 6-2, 238)
Updated
Baun is a former dual-threat quarterback whose athleticism makes him capable in coverage and an asset as a pass rusher. Projected: 1st or 2nd round.
6. Terrell Lewis (Jr., Alabama, 6-5, 262)
Updated
Teams will need to balance injury history against his elite athleticism and off-the-charts potential. Projected: 2nd or 3rd round.
7. Curtis Weaver (Jr., Boise St., 6-2, 265)
Updated
The 2019 MWC Defensive Player of the Year was highly productive as a three-year starter (34 sacks and 46.5 tackles for loss). Will his below-average athleticism translate in the NFL? Projected: 2nd or 3rd round.
8. Julian Okwara (Sr., Notre Dame, 6-4, 252)
Updated
Will likely be a bigger, stronger version of his brother, Romeo (Lions edge rusher). Most projections are based on dominant 2018. A broken leg wiped out an average 2019 and will likely keep him out of the first round. Projected: 2nd or 3rd round.
9. Josh Uche (Sr., Michigan, 6-1, 245)
Updated
Uche only started nine games total for the Wolverines, but his athleticism and skill set are tantalizing. Projected: 2nd to 4th round.
10. Jabari Zuniga (Sr., Florida, 6-3, 264)
Updated
Zuniga is a versatile, explosive athlete still trying to put it all together. Projected: 2nd to 4th round.
The next level
UpdatedBradlee Anae (Sr., Utah, 6-3, 257)
Anae uses a non-stop motor to effectively get after the quarterback (28 sacks the last three seasons). Projected: 2nd or 3rd round
Khalid Kareem (Sr., Notre Dame, 6-4, 268)
Kareem is a technician who utilizes his immense power to make plays against the run and pass. Projected: 2nd to 4th round
Darrell Taylor (Sr., Tennessee, 6-4, 267)
Taylor is a talented physical specimen who has shown the ability to overpower his competition from time-to-time. A stress fracture in his foot could depress his draft stock. Projected: 3rd to 5th round
Jason Strowbridge (Sr., North Carolina, 6-4, 275)
An impressive performance during Senior Bowl week put him on the map. Can impact special teams at the next level too (he blocked four kicks over the last three seasons). Projected: 3rd to 5th round
Kenny Willekes (Sr., Michigan St., 6-3, 264)
Former walk-on who was highly productive (26 sacks and 51 tackles for loss the last three seasons) and wins with work ethic. Projected: 4th to 7th round
In this Series
Everything you need to know for the 2020 NFL Draft
1
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When is the 2020 NFL Draft? Times, broadcast information and draft order
2
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Six-round 2020 NFL mock draft: Who will your favorite team take?
3
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NFL Combine results: Dig deep into the data
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