Today I wanted to look at the edge prospects, a position stacked with high end talent and depth. The graph below uses their 2021 PFF Grade and their current rank on PFF’s Big Board that updates through the draft process:
The top overall player on PFF’s current board is Michigan edge Aidan Hutchinson who played the last three seasons and got the most experience with 700+ in 2019 and 2021, with 100+ B gap and over tackle snaps in 2019 and primarily played outside the tackle in each, especially last season with 750+ snaps. He had 90+ overall, pass rush, and run defense grades, a great 24.8% pass rush win rate and good 8% run stop rate.
Oregon edge Kayvon Thibodeaux is currently top 5 on the board and played the last three seasons with over 450+ total snaps and 400+ outside the tackle in each. He had an 80+ overall grade, 90+ pass rush grade, 75+ run defense grade, a great 23.1% pass rush win rate and good 8.3% run stop rate.
Purdue edge George Karlaftis ranks in the top ten played the last three seasons and got the most experience with 2019 (800+ total snaps!) and 2021 (650+ total snaps), with 600+ outside the tackle snaps in each and 100+ over tackle snaps in 2019. Last season he had an 85+ overall grade, 90+ pass rush grade, 75+ run defense grade, a great 23.6% pass rush win rate and above average 7.1% run stop rate.
Continuing on the top right we see South Carolina edge Kingsley Enagbare who played the last three seasons, with 350+ snaps in 2019 and 2020, then 550+ last season, and most his experience outside the tackle. He had an 85+ overall grade, 90+ pass rush grade, 65+ run defense grade, a great 25.8% pass rush win rate, but below average 5.5% run stop rate. Enagbare started for the American team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance with multiple wins as a pass rusher but was faked on a play action play and sealed on another in the run game.
Penn State edge Arnold Ebiketie played the last three seasons primarily aligning outside the tackle, and most his experience in 2021 with 700+ snaps. He had an 85+ overall grade, 90+ pass rush grade, 75+ run defense grade, a great 22.9% pass rush win rate, and above average 6.5% run stop rate.
The next players are in the current top 50 with above the mean grades, starting with USC edge Drake London who played the last three seasons with 600+ snaps in 2019 and 400+ last season, primarily lining up outside the tackle in each. Last season he had an 80+ overall grade, 85+ pass rush grade, 70+ run defense grade, a good 19.5% pass rush win rate and below average 5.2% run stop rate.
Florida State edge Jermaine Johnson played the last three seasons aligning primarily outside the tackle, and most his experience came last season with 700+ snaps. He had an 80+ overall grade, 75+ pass rush and run defense grades, and above average 14.1% pass rush and 7.2% run stop rates.
Minnesota edge Boye Mafe played the last three seasons, aligning primarily outside the tackle, and most his experience came last season with 450+ snaps. He had 80+ overall and pass rush grades, a 70+ run defense grade, a good 19.1% pass rush win rate, and slightly below average 5.6% run stop rate. Mafe started for the National team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance highlighted with two sacks (one was a strip sack), along with several other pressures winning with variety and regularity off the snap, around the edge, bull rushes, and came free to tackle a run for loss, but two occasions where he missed tackle opportunities.
Michigan edge David Ojabo played the last two seasons, sparingly in 2020 and 500+ snaps last season, primarily lining up outside the tackle. He had a 75+ overall grade, 85+ pass rush grade, 70+ run defense grade, a good 19% pass rush win rate and above average 7% run stop rate. (UPDATE: Serious knee injury during pro day)
The final two players in the current top 50 have lower grades, starting with Georgia edge Travon Walker who played the last three seasons primarily playing outside the tackle, with most his experience coming last season on nearly 600 snaps and some alignment versatility with 100+ B gap snaps and nearly 100 over tackle. He had 70+ overall and run defense grades, a 65+ pass rush grade, a below average 10.1% pass rush win rate, and slightly below average 5.8% run stop rate.
The final player in the current top 50 is Texas A&M edge DeMarvin Leal who played the last three seasons with 400+ snaps in each and nearly 700 in 2021, aligning primarily outside the tackle along with 100+ over tackle in 2019 and 150+ B gap snaps last season. He had 70+ overall and pass rush grades, a 65+ run defense grade, a good 8.3% run stop rate, and slightly above average 12.7% pass rush win rate.
The following two players are just outside the current top 50 with high grades, starting with Oklahoma edge Nik Bonitto who played the last three seasons, primarily playing outside the tackle and some off ball experience along with 350+ snaps each season and 500+ in 2021. He had 90+ overall and pass rush grades, a 70+ run defense grade, a fantastic 28.9% pass rush win rate, and good 8.3% run stop rate.
San Diego State edge Cameron Thomas played the last three seasons with good alignment experience playing the B gap primarily, had 600+ total snaps in 2019 with 300+ B gap and 250+ A gap snaps, 100+ B gap and outside the tackle snaps in 2020, and 750+ total last season with 300+ outside the tackle, 200+ over tackle, and 150+ B gap snaps. He had 85+ overall, pass rush, and run defense grades, a great 21.1% pass rush win rate and 12.4% run stop rate!
Cincinnati edge Myjai Sanders played the last three seasons primarily outside the tackle, with 550+ total and 100+ over tackle snaps each season, and 750+ total snaps in 2021. He had an 80+ overall grade, 85+ pass rush grade, 75+ run defense grade, a great 20.2% pass rush win rate, and slightly below average 5.6% run stop rate. Sanders started for the National team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance with a couple strong pass rushes, great pursuit tackle on a reverse, and strong tackling in the run game.
Kentucky edge Josh Paschal played the last three seasons with 400+ total snaps in 2019, 500+ in 2020, and 650+ last season, primarily aligning outside the tackle along with 250+ over tackle snaps in each of the last two seasons. In 2021 he had 90+ overall and run defense grades, an 80+ pass rush grade, a good 16.3% pass rush win rate, and great 12.4% run stop rate.
Getting outside the current top 100 we see Western Kentucky DeAngelo Moore who played the last three seasons with 700+ snaps each of the last two and 800+ in 2019, primarily aligning outside the tackle. He had 75+ overall, pass rush, and run defense grades, a good 9.4% run stop rate, and above average 14.2% pass rush win rate. Malone started for the American team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance with double digit positive plays including a combined sack, multiple pressures especially winning the edge, a good bull rush, a couple good tackles in the run game with one on the goal line, allowed a couple catches in coverage but made the tackles, and noted a couple missed tackle opportunities.
Ole Miss edge Sam Williams played the last three seasons with 400+ snaps in each and playing primarily outside the tackle, with 750+ total snaps and 150+ over tackle last season. He had a 75+ overall grade, 90+ pass rush grade, 65+ run defense grade, a good 18.1% pass rush win rate, and above average 7.2% run stop rate.
The final player in the current top 150 is Ohio State edge Tyreke Smith who played the last three seasons mostly from outside the tackle, with most his experience in 2021 on 400+ snaps. He had a 70+ overall grade, 80+ pass rush grade, 65+ run defense grade, a great 20.2% pass rush win rate, but poor 2.4% run stop rate. Smith played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and had a sack but was also blocked to the ground on a pass rush and got away with a facemask that wasn’t called.
The remaining players are currently PFF’s later round/undrafted possibilities, and I will discuss some. Penn State edge Jesse Luketa played the last three seasons playing primarily off ball with nearly 200 snaps there in 2019 and 400+ in 2020, then 400+ outside the tackle snaps along with 150+ off ball snaps for nearly 600 total snaps last season. He had 80+ overall and run defense grades, a 65+ pass rush grade, a great 11.6% run stop rate, and slightly below average 11.6% pass rush win rate. Luketa played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance, highlighted by a strip sack, beating a double team on the edge for another, an initial punch to pancake his opponent, but was also pancaked himself, had a failed spin move, and a false start penalty.
Iowa State edge Eyioma Uwazurike played the last three seasons mostly outside the tackle with 600+ total snaps in 2019 and 2021 and 450+ in 2020 and good alignment experience, in 2019 played 250+ over tackle and 150+ B gap snaps, 100+ over tackle snaps in 2020, and 200+ A gap and 100+ over tackle snaps last season. He had 75+ overall and run defense grades, a 70+ pass rush grade, a good 16.7% pass rush win rate, but poor 3.9% run stop rate.
Florida edge Zachary Carter played the last three seasons playing primarily outside the tackle with 600+ snaps the last two and 400+ in 2019, along with 100+ B gap snaps each season and 100+ over tackle snaps the last two. In 2021 he had a 75+ overall grade, 80+ pass rush grade, 70+ run defense grade, average 11.9% pass rush win rate, and poor 4% run stop rate. Carter started for the American team in the Senior Bowl and had a couple good pass rushes including a bull rush.
Oklahoma edge Isaiah Thomas played the last three seasons and most his experience in the last two with 450+ total snaps in 2020 and 500+ last season, along with 150+ B gap snaps in each season as well. In 2021 he had 75+ overall and pass rush grades, a 65+ run defense grade, above average run stop rate, and average pass rush win rate. Thomas played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and had a couple good plays as a pass rusher, beating a double team on one, a nice chase and pursuit to run a quarterback scramble out of bounds, but was pushed back and blocked to the ground in the run game.
Coastal Carolina edge Jeffrey Gunter played the last two seasons primarily outside the tackle with 650+ total snaps in 2020 and 500+ last season. He had 75+ overall and pass rush grades, a 70+ run defense grade, with good 17.2% pass rush and 8.1% run stop rates. Gunter played for the East team in the Shrine Bowl and enjoyed his performance with a few strong pass rushes and a tackle for loss.
Texas A&M edge Michael Clemons played the last three seasons primarily outside the tackle, with most his experience coming last season on 550+ snaps. He had 75+ overall and pass rush grades, a 65+ run defense grade, a good 15.7% pass rush win rate, but below average 4.7% run stop rate.
Colorado edge Carson Wells played the last three seasons primarily outside the tackle and a bit of off ball experience, with 500+ total snaps in 2019 and 700+ last season. He had a 75+ overall grade, 80+ run defense grade, 65+ pass rush grade, above average pass rush win rate, and average 6% run stop rate. Wells started for the East team in the Shrine Bowl and had some strong tackles including a run stop and applied pressure on another but couldn’t capitalize due to a pump fake.
Virginia Tech edge Amare Barno played the last two seasons primarily outside the tackle with 400+ total snaps in 2020 and nearly 600 last season along with a bit of off ball experience. He had 70+ overall, pass rush, and run defense grades, a slightly above average 6.2% run stop rate, and slightly below average 11.5% pass rush win rate. Barno played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and noted one good pass rush around the edge.
Kansas edge Kyron Johnson is low on the current board with a good grade and played the last three seasons, primarily off ball in 2019 with 650 snaps then playing mostly outside the tackle the last two seasons. He had 80+ overall and pass rush grades, a 70+ run defense grade, a good 16.6% pass rush win rate, and below average 4.8% run stop rate. Johnson played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and noted a good pass rush.
Notre Dame edge Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa played the last three season with 450+ total snaps in 2019 when he had 350+ B gap snaps, 250+ B gap snaps in 2020, and 550+ total snaps last season with 400+ outside the tackle snaps and 100+ over tackle snaps as well. He had a 70+ overall grade, 65+ pass rush and run defense grades, an above average run stop rate, and slightly below average 11.1% pass rush win rate. Tagovailoa-Amosa started for the West team in the Shrine Bowl and had a nice pass rush providing a quarterback hit.
Miami (OH) edge Dominique Robinson played the last two seasons with most his experience coming last season on 400+ total snaps, 200+ outside the tackle, and 150+ over tackle. He had 65+ overall, pass rush, and run defense grades, with above average 13.9% pass rush and 6.4% run stop rates. Robinson played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his pass rush performance winning his matchup on a handful of plays.
The lowest graded player on the graph was Alabama edge LaBryan Ray who played sparingly the last three seasons with a bit of time aligning across the defensive line. He had 60+ overall and pass rush grades, a 65+ run defense grade, below average 10.4% pass rush win rate, and poor 4.3% run stop rate.
With such quality and depth at the position, it will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh takes advantage, possibly waiting for a hopeful steal or even the undrafted pool with more pressing holes to fill and limited draft picks.
While the ranks on PFF’s board will certainly change, and surely some names missing from this list, I especially hope you enjoyed the grade data and some notes from the all-star games. Later in the process as the Steelers Depot draft team continues to compile more draft profiles, I plan and look forward to providing visuals with their Depot draft grade and projection.
What are your thoughts on this year’s edge class? Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts in the comments!
