2020 NFL Draft: Top 30 EDGE rankings and analysis

These top overall edge rushers of the 2020 NFL Draft have a ton of potential. With Pro Bowl upside and varying levels of current readiness, all of these top players are at different levels of their game and bring different skill sets to an NFL team.

1. Chase Young, Ohio State

Chase Young is an incredibly dominant player who led the NCAA in sacks and forced fumbles despite being suspended for two games in 2019. He has an outstanding blend of size, power and speed. He has great get off, solid blend and elite closing speed in pursuit of the quarterback.

He does a great job of using his hands to grab the blockers’ to keep his body clean. He is a strip-sack specialist who often goes for the ball rather than the big hit, getting the ball back for his offense.

Young found success occasionally lining up as a three-technique on passing downs and even showed some capability to drop back into coverage and play standing up on the edge. He has good vision and instincts as a stunter to find a gap to shoot.

He consistently beats both left and right tackles and has the size and the speed to play either strong or weak side end at the next level. He usually goes around blockers, but he has the hand strength and the power to go right through blockers as well. He has been so effective while using so pretty basic rush moves.

He doesn’t use flashy swims, spins and rips, just being a master of get off and hand usage and can only get better as he develops some of these moves. He covers the read option well with the recognition and explosiveness to cover both players.

Chase Young is an elite defensive prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft who can do everything you ask of him at a very high level. He is a three-down defensive end (or 3-4 OLB if need be) that will make impactful plays snap after snap in the NFL.

2. K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU

K’Lavon Chaisson is a versatile, pass-rushing linebacker with incredible get off. LSU usually had three down lineman on defense, allowing Chaisson to stand up on the edge and keep the defense guessing whether he would rush or drop back in coverage, usually with a blitz coming at them elsewhere.

Known for his pass-rushing prowess, Chaisson is very effective in basic coverages as well, allowing him to play that versatile role as a 3-4 OLB at the next level. Chaisson has a great motor, never giving up on a play and pursuit of the ball, often making tackles down the field. He has very good length and pop to start his pass rush, but also to hold the edge and make a tackle in the run game.

He is very explosive off the edge with great bend to get around tackles. He can get a little eager at times, jumping across the line of scrimmage early. Chaisson shows great awareness and explosion when stunting and blitzing inside. He is a fiery player who can lay the boom all across the field. He is able to use his length and strong hands effectively, getting into the body of the blocker and driving them back despite being just over 250 pounds. He has a lethal spin move and great ball instincts when rushing.

Chaisson was given the number 18 this season as a high character who exemplifies “The Tiger Way” on and off the field. As a player, Chaisson is still developing and is a bit raw, but his potential as a 2020 NFL Draft prospect is through the roof. He is versatile and already starting to put things together. He should be able to step in and be a three-down player right away at 3-4 OLB and could become one of the best players in the league in the near future.

3. Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State

Unlike many edge prospects who are mostly pass-rush specialists who can get by against the run, Yetur Gross-Matos excels as a run stopper. Gross-Matos was very productive for the Nittany Lions the last two seasons. He had eight and nine sacks as a sophomore and junior, but totaled 20.0 and 14.5 tackles for loss in those two seasons, displaying his prowess in the run game.

He sets a great anchor as an edge setter and uses simple but very effective moves to get by blockers and into the backfield. He has good instincts with incredible length and reach to make tackles.

As a rusher, Gross-Matos is very good at setting up his blocker and then taking advantage of him with a counter move. He has good length and bend to get around the edge, but also uses his long arms to keep the blocker at a distance and to disconnect whenever he wants to go and make a play.

Yetur Gross-Matos is a high floor, high ceiling player who should step in and be a three-down 4-3 DE right away with the potential to be great. If he continues to fill out his frame and develop his pass-rushing arsenal, the sky’s the limit for Gross-Matos out of the 2020 NFL Draft.

4. Jonathan Greenard, Florida

Jonathan Greenard may be my absolute favorite player in the 2020 NFL Draft. There really just isn’t anything not to like about Greenard. He has been productive at two different schools in two different conferences and is a great leader and worker on and off the field. As a player, Greenard excels in just about every aspect of his position.

He is an excellent pass rusher. He has the explosiveness to get off the line in an instant and the bend to get around the edge effectively. Greenard also has strong hands (although he did have surgery on his right wrist in 2018) and a relentless motor to get through and by blockers if he is unable to completely avoid them. He has an effective counter move with a spin and loves to keep blockers guessing utilizing a half spin inside and then going back outside.

During his rush, Greenard has great feel and awareness and is very good at jumping passing lanes. Against the run, Greenard has a strong anchor with great block shedding and tackling ability to get off his block and make a play. He has great size at 6-foot-3 and 263 lbs with nearly 35 inch arms.

He isn’t the most athletic player at the position, but he is certainly sufficient in that regard and much more refined as a college prospect than many, many others. He showed his versatility at Florida, playing both standing up and down in a stance at times, occasionally dropping back in coverage, adding another dynamic to his game.

Greenard is always around the ball making a play. Whether it is a swarming tackle in the run game or even just forcing the quarterback to throw it before he wants to, Greenard is very intelligent and effective all across the football field. He is versatile, dynamic and scheme diverse and given the opportunity will be very effective in the NFL early in his career and for years to come.

5. Marlon Davidson, Auburn

Marlon Davidson is an effective four-year starter who would likely get more attention if not for teammate Derrick Brown. He doesn’t have crazy impressive numbers, but he is a very solid and well-rounded player in the 2020 NFL Draft.

He is a very versatile player who can play standing up, with his hand in the dirt on the edge or on the interior of the defensive line. He is a bit of a tweener, lacking the sheer size and power of true defensive tackles like his teammate Derrick Brown and the speed and quickness to win consistently around the edge.

Depending on how the team that drafts him views Davidson, he will likely have to go one way or the other with his weight and playing style. He is powerful enough to hold his own on the inside and is a very effective gap shooter when lining up more towards the middle of the line. But on the end, Davidson has a great blend of strength and bend that allows him to beat tackles, even if it isn’t with speed or finesse.

If he drops a bit of weight and becomes just a little more athletic on the edge he could be very effective at the next level. He probably fits best right now as a versatile 3-4 defensive end who could line up at the 3 or 5 technique. But I like Davidson’s fit as a 4-3 end down the road once he slims down a bit and becomes even more explosive.

With his length, bend and power he can beat most tackles, and adding more speed and finesse moves as a rusher will allow him to become even more effective down the line at the next level.

6. Zack Baun, Wisconsin

Zack Baun excelled this season as a senior for the Badgers, mostly lining up as a stand-up edge presence as part of a four-man front with two down linemen. Baun showed his versatility and production on the stat sheet with 75 total tackles, 19.5 for loss, 12.5 sacks, a pick-six, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

Baun shows great potential as a versatile 3-4 OLB with legit cover skills, good instincts in the run game, enough power to set the edge and a growing but diverse set of pass-rushing skills. He has a good spin move, an effective swim and powerful hands to knock blockers back and get by them. He has good get off and solid bend to get around the edge with solid closing speed to get to the quarterback. He is a big hitter with a high motor in relentless pursuit of the ball.

Baun is dynamic against the pass but doesn’t have quite the anchor to really set the edge in the run game. He may work best in a creative defense where he can play more off the ball on run downs and rush the passer on third.

I think Baun will succeed as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL where his versatility can benefit a defense, able to rush the passer or drop in coverage and possibly sliding back more off the ball on early run downs. Baun allegedly had a diluted sample at his combine drug test which may push him down the board in the 2020 NFL Draft.

7. Bradlee Anae, Utah

Bradlee Anae stood up a good bit on the end of the Utah defensive line and dropped back in coverage at times, but his NFL future is as a downhill, pass-rushing 4-3 DE.

Anae is a great penetrator. Whether in pass rush or against the run, heads up against a blocker or shooting a gap, Anae finds a way into the backfield. He uses his hands very well and has a sufficient blend of power and speed to beat most blockers one way or the other.

He has a good feel for when he should go to a counter move and is very effective when doing so. He has a very effective swim move and has good instincts and awareness of where the ball is at. He has good get off and bend around the edge and the speed to get to the quarterback.

He was very productive in the sack department at Utah, winning in a variety of ways that should translate to NFL success. Anae has an extremely high motor, is a vocal leader and plays violently and aggressively. His aggression can get the best of him at times, jumping snaps, badly misreading plays… but his tenacity is unmatched.

He doesn’t have the desired length for an edge rusher and isn’t a great anchor on the edge in the run game, but Anae’s natural ability and work ethic won’t allow him to fail at the next level, regardless of what role he plays. I love his potential as a thick and athletic 4-3 DE in the 2020 NFL Draft who excels on third down.

8. A.J. Epenesa, Iowa

A.J. Epenesa is a strong edge presence who has been productive at the college level with his power. He primarily utilizes a bull rush, gets low and gets his strong and powerful hands high on the blocker to drive him backward.

The main problem that I see for Epenesa at the next level is that he is a bit of a tweener as it stands right now. Despite playing 4-3 DE at Iowa, he lacks the bend and athleticism that most teams desire from a true edge rusher. He may be effective bumped slightly inside to 3-4 DE, allowing him to use his power, but he is a little leaner than most at that position and has a more powerful upper body than strong anchor against bigger, stronger interior lineman.

On the edge, Epenesa occasionally gets a very good jump and has the explosiveness to get right by the tackle and to the quarterback. It is when he doesn’t get that clean release that doesn’t persist around the edge and resorts to a one-on-one power match. He has great hands, and when he does win on the edge it’s usually because he used his hands to keep the defenders off of him, giving him that clearer path to the quarterback.

Once he gets to the QB, Epenesa is very adept at locating and going for the ball. With his power and penetration ability, Epenesa shows flashes of effectiveness against the run, but I’d like to see him recognize plays a little better and be a more consistent force in that area.

Overall, I think A.J. Epenesa has the tools to be solid starting 4-3 DE in the NFL if he continues to improve and develop his game at the next level. He once had a lot of first-round buzz, but Epenesa may come off the board in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

9. Kenny Willekes, Michigan State

Coming in as a walk-on and leaving Michigan State as an All-Big Ten staple, Kenny Willekes knows how to make a name for himself. He may be this year’s Maxx Crosby, as a valuable 2020 NFL Draft sleeper who could be productive right away.

He is a very impressive edge presence who loves to set himself up for an inside move. He has enough get off and athleticism to beat slower tackles around the edge, but he really excels at getting the tackle to lean outside, then using strong arms and quick feet to work his way inside to make a tackle in the run game or rush directly at the quarterback.

He excels when he can shoot a gap but is a solid block shedder once engaged as well. Willekes is an outstanding penetrator with a relentless motor, always finding his way to the backfield. He has a solid anchor to set the edge in the run game and is effective enough off the edge to be a menace on third down.

Willekes is smart, tough, versatile and productive in pretty much all aspects of his game. He’s not super long or explosive off the edge, but he always finds a way to get the job done, and I am confident he will do so at the next level as well.

10. Darrell Taylor, Tennessee

Darrell Taylor is a very athletic, versatile and productive edge presence with a lot of potential. Taylor has a great frame and plus athleticism as an edge rusher. He has elite explosiveness and bend around the edge.

He isn’t very refined as a rusher and will need to add more dynamic moves to his arsenal, but he is very slippery and quick to get into the backfield. He stood up very often at Tennessee and showed his versatility dropping back in coverage on occasion.

He has the athleticism to stay with receivers in the open field, but also the strength throughout his body to anchor down and set the edge in the run game. He uses powerful hands and long arms both in the run game and as a rusher and has a ton of physical tools as a 2020 NFL Draft prospect that teams will covet at the next level.

Taylor could play either 3-4 OLB or 4-3 DE, providing versatility and production either way. He may at least start out more as a linebacker for a team that could use his athleticism in multiple different ways until he can fill out his frame with even more mass and strength to move down to the line.