2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Minnesota EDGE Jah Joyner

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Minnesota EDGE Jah Joyner.

No. 1 17 Jah Joyner/EDGE Minnesota – 6042, 262 pounds (Senior)

MEASUREMENTS

The Good

– Put together with filled-out frame and long arms
– No-nonsense power rusher
– Uses length well to create space between blocker
– Able to push pocket on bull rush
– Shows ability to rip and bend through contact to win the edge
– Retraces and rarely pushed up the arc; smart rusher who doesn’t get past junction point
– Attacks the football and can punch it out
– Flashes counter swim when tackles set wide
– Play strength against the run and able to squeeze down gaps
– Gets hands up in passing lanes to bat down passes
– Experience at both defensive end spots
– Plays with acceptable effort and hustle

The Bad

– Average explosiveness and burst off the ball
– Lacks the twitch to become a top-end pass rusher
– Can pop up against run and get washed/controlled
– Prone to getting stuck on rushes when power can’t win
– Rush arsenal isn’t deep and could use more consistent counter
– Shows stiffness when changing directions, has trouble closing and can overrun plays in run game/scramble situations
– Middling career production

Bio

– One-year starter for Minnesota (43 career games)
– Career: 66 tackles (18 TFL), 14.5 sacks, 9 PDs, 4 FFs
– 2024: 32 tackles (6 TFL), 7 PDs, 4 sacks, 2 FFs
– Registered 7.5 sacks in 2023
– Three-star recruit from Danbury, Conn.; chose Minnesota over Georgia Tech, UConn, and Rutgers (took three visits)
– Initially committed to Boston College but re-opened recruitment after school fired Steve Addazio
– Had 13 sacks senior season of HS
– Has four siblings
– Wants to one day become a lawyer (per LinkedIn page)
– Calls speed rip his “go-to” move

Tape Breakdown

Jay Joyner was just a one-year starter, though his 2023 sack production as a rotational player was better than his 2024 results. He certainly looks the part with a great frame. Big and long, he checks all the boxes getting off the bus. He plays to his frame, too, a power rusher who uses his length to his advantage. His bull rush can be effective.

I like that Joyner is a smart, no-nonsense rusher who doesn’t get worked up the arc and taken out of the play. He’ll retrace his steps and doesn’t get past the quarterback. At his best, Joyner is able to rip and bend through contact. He’s rushing over RG in the second clip versus Penn State. In the others, he’s at left or right end on tackles.

It’s hard to show but his first step looked just average on tape. The 30-inch vertical he posted at the Combine yesterday is indicative of that. He shows tightness when he can’t work through contact, which is also reflected in his shuttle times.

Joyner isn’t a high-traits rusher, and his career sack production is just average. He can get a little tall against the run, allowing him to be controlled by blocks, though I liked his run defense overall. As a rusher, nothing feels high-end and it’s all pretty average across the board. Reps of average burst, getting stuck on rushers when his go-to moves don’t work.

You can see the hip/ankle tightness here as the left defensive end against the North Carolina RT.

Joyner has played up and down the line. He likes using a crab/four-point stance at RDE but doesn’t seem to use it at LDE.

Conclusion

Overall, Jah Joyner is a solid though not spectacular defense end who best profiles as a strong side end at the NFL level. A guy who can get 3-5 sacks in a season and provide steady, smart play. My NFL comp is Cle Ferrell.

Projection: Mid-Late Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.3 – Fourth Round (Rotational Player)
Games Watched: vs North Carolina (2024), vs Maryland (2024), vs Penn State (2024)