This year’s edge class is difficult to gauge. After watching hours of film, I only see a few can’t-miss prospects. The rest of the class is far from star-studded, but plenty of players will be able to fill a specific role for a team in need. From the raw physical freaks, the naturals who are somewhat athletically limited, to the future All-Pros, here’s my Top five edge prospects of 2025.
5. Donovan Ezeiruaku 6′ 2″, 247 lbs Boston College
Donovan Ezeiruaku was born to rush the passer. He already has a vast repertoire of rush moves in his bag and does an excellent job of setting each one up throughout the game, leaving tackles bewildered about what move is coming next. Ezeiruaku shows decent hip mobility when turning the corner to bring down quarterbacks which he did 16.5 times his senior year.
Strengths
-Ezeiruaku’s arm-over move is absolutely filthy. His chop snatch move is no joke either and frequently leaves tackles grasping at air on passing downs.
-Ezeiruaku frequently gets hands-on blockers first and does a solid job holding the edge against the run. He also shows solid backside pursuit angles and shows a great motor chasing ball carriers down from behind.
-By no means will you see Ezeiruaku overpowering opposing tackles, but he is stronger than a lot of people give him credit for.
Weaknesses
-Ezeiruaku has average athleticism. He struggled to track ball carriers in space when they could see him coming.
-His skillset offers very little other than rushing the passer and his frame is too slight to be an every-down player on Sundays.
-Ezeiruaku may have had a staggering 16.5 sacks this past season, but Boston College didn’t play many high-level opponents.
Scheme fit /Utilization: Any (As situational pass rusher)
I don’t envision the Williamstown, New Jersey, native playing on running-downs. Ezeiruaku is purely a situational pass rusher. The team that drafts him will be getting immense value on obvious passing downs as the rush technician that Ezeiruaku is makes opposing tackles and quarterbacks’ lives miserable.
Player Comp: Yannick Ngakue
Ngakue, too, is a marginal athlete at the pro level. His lethal cross-chop move has helped him land contracts and provide value for teams on third downs since 2016. Ezeiruaku has the catchy last name and similar skillset to follow in Ngakue’s footsteps.
4. Nic Scourton Texas A&M 6′ 4″, 285 lbs
Nic Scourton is a raw edge rusher whose talent has been overshadowed by his fellow teammate, Shemar Stewart. Scourton saw his sack totals drop from 10 in 2023-24 to just 5 this past season. In Scourton’s defence, the interior of the Aggies’ defensive line got little to no push this season, which quite often allowed quarterbacks to step away from Scourton’s grasp.
The junior has all the natural abilities and instincts to be a solid NFL edge player, but his fundamentals are holding him back (I’ll go over the specifics a little later). Scourton has a solid first step off the ball, a good motor and great speed for his size.
Strengths
-When Scourton has a definite rush plan, he’s very effective off the edge.
-He utilizes his hands well on speed rush moves and has a nice spin counter move he uses when he can’t quite turn the corner.
-He has a great feel for when he’s rushed too far upfield and retraces his steps toward the quarterback at the right time.
-Scourton has flashes where he overpowers offensive linemen in the run game and will blow up plays in the backfield in the process.
Weaknesses
Scourton can be very frustrating to watch. One play, you’ll see him look dominant and showcase his talents listed above. The very next, he’ll get blown off the ball in the run game or run directly into the chest of a tackle versus the pass with no rush plan.
The good news is the issues against the run have nothing to do with his strength. Scourton gets reached and loses the edge or gets blown off the ball because his base is ridiculously narrow far too often. Regularly, you’ll see him with his feet in a sprinter’s stance while trying to take on tackles.
The craziest part is he wins while doing that on occasion!!! On top of fixing his base, the Bryan, Texas native needs to use his arms and lock out so blockers can’t get right into his chest plate.
Scheme fit/ Utilization: Fangio 3-4 multiple
Scourton is very versatile. While pass coverage isn’t one of his strengths, he’s more than capable of dropping to curl/flat or hook curl zones when needed. He can really play as an edge in any scheme, but the extra interior lineman should help him on early downs as he works on his base and becomes better versus the run. If Scourton can refine his technical skills and add more pass-rush moves to his bag, he’ll have a solid career.
Player Comp: Melvin Ingram
Like Ingram Scourton isn’t a plus athlete at the pro level, what they both have is a natural feel for rushing the passer that can’t be taught. They both have a similar tempo and approach when attempting to get to the quarterback. If Scourton can learn to use his hands like Ingram, I could see him paving out a very successful career just like Ingram.
3. Shemar Stewart Texas A&M 6′ 6″, 290 lbs
If you believe that physical upside is what makes a great prospect, Shemar Stewart is your man. 6 feet, six inches and 290 pounds simply should not be capable of moving the way Stewart does on tape. The Junior from Miami, Florida, has incredible straight-line speed and lateral agility for his size, which pops on film when he chases down receivers in the screen game or tracks ball carriers down in the open field.
When Stewart (and let’s put a big emphasis on when) gets his hands on tackles first, he’s able to overpower them and drive them helplessly right into opposing quarterbacks’ laps. Stewart is stout vs the run and does a solid job holding his gap integrity, taking on pulling linemen and building and stonewalling blockers at the line of scrimmage.
Stewart may have registered only 4.5 sacks during his 3 seasons for the Aggies, but I believe a huge part of that was due to the team’s interior rushers getting no push in the middle of the pocket, which allowed quarterbacks to step up and get rid of the ball as Stewart collapsed the edge.
Strengths
-When Stewart is in a two-point stance, he showcases a great first step.
-He’s very powerful and showcases that strength against the run and while bull-rushing tackles vs the pass.
-Stewart has a great motor, which he showcases quite often, redirecting and pursuing to the ball on bubble and tunnel screens while blowing them up on occasion.
Weaknesses
-Stewart is very slow out of a three-point stance and plays with a much higher pad level, with his hand in the dirt rather than in his two-point.
-Stewart fails to use his reach consistently while rushing the passer. Too often, he gets T-rex arms and lets tackles get hands inside his chest plate.
-He often lacks a rush plan and has no counters out of his initial rush. When moved inside, because Stewart never uses his arms to strike blockers first, he rarely gets any penetration upfield.
-Despite having excellent movement skills, he lacks the elite ability to turn the corner when rushing on the edge.
Scheme fit/ Utilization: 4-3, one gap system
To me, Stewart is a true strong side, even front end. He will have a place right away on early downs with his ability to stop the run. Playing in a primarily four-down lineman, one-gap, attack react system that allows him to get upfield and be disruptive like he played in at A&M will best suit his strengths. If paired with either an interior rusher who can collapse the pocket or a speed rusher opposite, Stewart could be very disruptive once he learns to use his hands and have a better rush plan. The lack of those skills after three years of college ball is worrisome to me, but there is no denying the potential that Stewart’s physical traits give him.
Player Comp: Jaguars Malik Jackson
Stewart’s combo of size, athleticism and raw power reminds me a lot of Jackson. After he develops his rush package, I imagine Stewart playing as an end in base personnel sets and then sliding inside on passing downs Like Jackson did when he was in Jacksonville.
2.Abdul Carter 6′ 3″, 259 lbs Penn State
Abdul Carter is the definition of an explosive athlete. His speed, lateral agility, and bend when rushing the passer absolutely blow you away when you watch him on film. Carter utilized his explosion and an excellent understanding of hand usage and leverage on his way to registering 12 sacks in one of college football’s toughest conferences this past season.
Not only is Carter a force as a rusher, but the junior can play as an off-ball backer on run-downs. That kind of versatility will have NFL front offices and Defensive coordinators salivating at the prospect of utilizing Carter’s talents.
Strengths
– Carter has an elite first step, which puts massive amounts of pressure on tackles to get depth in their pass set.
-Carter often gets hands on tackles first, or quickly swipes tackles arms away when chasing after the quarterback.
-Carter’s a natural as a pass rusher. He utilizes his favourite speed rushes at an elite level.
-Carter has a great feel for when he’s gotten too far upfield when rushing and utilizes his counter moves efficiently.
-The ability to track ball carriers from depth as an off-ball backer brings incredible versatility to the table for his future defensive coordinator.
Weaknesses
-Against the run Carter has a tendency to run around blocks rather which created seams in the Penn States defence for teams to run through
-Carter didn’t have an official wingspan measurement available, but on tape he seemed to have an average reach
-Carter has a slighter frame, which shows up on occasion when taking on tackles in the run game. He will get pushed around from time to time.
Scheme fit/ Utilization: Fangio 3-4 multiple
Carter may struggle early in his career on edge versus the run while he puts on a bit more weight and gets stronger. In the meantime, teams will be able to play him off the ball as a Mac backer and then let him wreak havoc off the edge on obvious passing downs. The Fangio system has the capability to implement odd front structures against heavy run looks. Those looks allow inside backers to flow freely and Carter will thrive being protected by bigger lineman as he flows from depth on early downs.
Player Comp: Micah Parsons
Carter’s skillset is eerily familiar to Parsons. Both have quick twitch speed rushing and off-ball backer versatility. It’s honestly crazy that Penn State has produced two players with these unique skill sets that are just years apart from one another.
With his positional versatility, Carter is without question the best defensive prospect in the draft, but he’s not my number one edge player…..
1.Mike Green Marshall 6′ 4″, 248 lbs
Now, Before you call me crazy or something worse, let me explain. Green has the best tape I’ve seen so far in this draft process. He’s not quite the athlete Carter is, but he’s not far off. Green has superior strength against the run, using his arms and an excellent base as an anchor that opposing tackles can’t seem to move.
Green explodes off the ball when given the green light. In Marshall’s defensive scheme, Green didn’t get the opportunity to fly around off the edge like other prospects. He was forced to slant inside on Marshall’s favourite pressure call, Play inside tight ends (leading to him being chipped often) or in certain alignments, be over the guard inside.
Despite this, Green still finished with 17 sacks, which is incredibly impressive, all things considered.
Strengths
-Green has incredible hip flexibility when turning the corner. Many times it looks like his knee is on the turf as he turns the corner at ridiculous angles and leaves opposing tackles at a loss for words.
-He utilizes elite hand usage against the run and pass.
-Green is an effortless rusher. Speed to power, bull rush, ghost rush and a downright filthy inside spin counter move reminiscent of a certain former Indianapolis Colt.
-Elite Motor. Green is always flying around the field.
-Green is way stronger than his frame would indicate. He has no problems holding his ground against tackles in the run game and even held his own against guards when lined up inside.
-Elite speed and agility for his position
Weaknesses
Quality of competition. Marshall plays in the Sun Belt Conference, which isn’t exactly the SEC. Many may point to his game against Ohio State being his worst. That might be true, but Green still popped in that game and was clearly the best player on the field for Marshall’s defence.
Scheme fit/ Utilization: 4-3 one gap system
Teams will want Green flying off the edge as much as possible. He’s more than capable of playing the edge in any scheme, but teams will want him rushing the passer 99% of the time, not wasting snaps in coverage. Even front systems that rarely drop their ends will allow him to maximize his abilities.
Player Comp: Dwight Freeney
The explosive first step, the ghost rush, the spin move, and utter disruptiveness are very Freeney-like. Green just has the it factor, which makes me see him turning into a perennial Pro Bowler at the next level. Rap legend DMX once asked, ‘Where my dogs at?’ well, Mike Green is an absolute dog, and he’s going to be in opposing quarterbacks and coaches’ nightmares for the foreseeable future.