2020 NFL Draft: Top 30 EDGE rankings and analysis
This second tier of EDGE prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft have a lot of upside and all bring something to the table, they just aren’t as well-rounded or ready to play as the top players at the position.
11. Alex Highsmith, Charlotte
Alex Highsmith is a very explosive and speedy athlete off the edge with great production in his last two seasons at Charlotte. When he gets a good jump off the snap (which is rather frequently), watch out. He’ll be by the tackle and to the quarterback in a flash.
Sometimes, however, it seems like he’s sort of running in circles out there. He goes outside of the tackle and tries to swing around to the quarterback play after play to the point where he gets predictable and easier to defend. But he does have effective counter moves when he decides to use them, and powerful arms and hands to detach from blockers to make a play.
As a senior, Highsmith was near the top of the nation in both tackles for loss (21.5) and sacks (15.0). What really stands out to me is his junior year stat line of 18.5 tackles for loss and just three sacks, showing that he can be very disruptive in the run game as well. He has the speed to chase down run plays from the weak side and the power to deliver bruising blows to the ball carrier.
If Highsmith can be a more physical anchor in the run game and continue to diversify his rush moves against NFL competition, he could become a legit 4-3 DE at the next level coming out of the 2020 NFL Draft.
12. Jabari Zuniga, Florida
Jabari Zuniga is an impressive athlete with great power as an edge rusher. He is very explosive out of his stance and turns that burst into a powerful punch. He excels when he is able to shoot a gap with minimal resistance after his great jump.
He is explosive to the edge with good hands and strength to fight off the blocker. He always keeps his legs churning, driving his opponent back and then uses his strong upper body to shove him aside and make a play. Well, he usually ends up in a position to make a play, but I’d like to see him complete a few more than he does. Sometimes just one little misstep or miscalculation at the peak of the play can waste a very good rep leading up to that point.
Zuniga is a versatile piece on the defensive line that can set the edge against the run and even move inside to rush on passing downs. He was ultra-productive in 2018 but was hindered by a high ankle sprain this season causing him to miss over half the season.
With a unique blend of speed and power, Zuniga is versatile enough to play any position on a 4-3 front. He has enough speed and bend to win on the edge and the strength and explosion to beat blockers on the inside and shoot gaps. Zuniga may be underrated in this 2020 NFL Draft and could contribute for an NFL team early in his career at the next level.
13. Josh Uche, Michigan
Josh Uche was very versatile at Michigan playing with his hand in the dirt as a pass rusher all the way back to an off-ball linebacker dropping deep down the field in coverage and even lined up across from receivers in the slot.
He has great length and get off as an edge rusher and is a very explosive rusher. In terms of production, Uche was more effective as a pass rusher with 14.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons compared to just 46 total tackles over that span. The ratio was seven sacks to 13 tackles in 2018, so Uche did expand his ability off the ball this past season.
Against the run, Uche has great instinct and insane closing ability. He uses that explosion to succeed off the edge as a rusher, exhibiting great bend and athleticism. As a rusher, he is still rather raw, relying mostly on his length and athleticism rather than refinement and special moves.
Uche has loads of potential and it will be interesting to see how he is used at the next level after being selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. He has enough edge prowess to succeed as a full-time 3-4 OLB who floats towards the middle of the field off the ball on run downs. He could work in a 4-3 scheme as an outside backer who blitzes often and subs in on the line occasionally as a situational rusher.
14. Julian Okwara, Notre Dame
Julian Okwara is a very talented pass rusher with outstanding get off at the line of scrimmage. Most of his pass rush wins are simply getting a good jump off the snap and running right around the tackle. He has very good bend around the edge with impressive length for hand battling.
Once he gets to the quarterback he is always looking to knock the ball out. In the run game, he can use his length to shed blocks and make reach tackles. He has shown the ability to set the edge, but strength is definitely not his game.
He had a relatively even mix of standing up and coming out of a stance at Notre Dame but was typically part of a four-man front and I think his best fit is as a weakside 4-3 defensive end at the next level. He has the speed and explosiveness to chase down run plays from the backside and will surprise right-handed quarterbacks by laying a hit on them in a flash off the edge.
Okwara may serve more as a pass rush/third-down specialist early in his career, but if he can add some more functional strength to his impressive frame he has a high ceiling as a defensive end prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft.
15. Terrell Lewis, Alabama
Terrell Lewis is a very raw prospect with a lack of experience due to some injuries, but he has a lot of promising traits that he could develop at the next level. For a raw player, Lewis is very instinctual.
He has good feel and good vision, recognizing plays and getting in position to stop them. He is an explosive athlete who can close ground in a hurry. He has long arms and strong hands that he can use to his advantage at the next level. He is starting to develop some very nice pass rush moves and will only get better has he continues to add and refine them.
He is very effective as a blitzer and on stunts and can shed blocks fairly well to make plays in the run game. Lewis is a little thin to be a real edge setter, especially at the next level, and will need to add more functional strength to his frame if he wants to play near the line. I think his best fit is as a 3-4 OLB, occasionally playing off the ball on early downs.
His athleticism and instincts should be on the field early in his career, and as he continues to beef up his body and his arsenal as a pass rusher, he could become a real force off the edge in the NFL down the line. After some durability concerns at Alabama, Lewis will have to prove that he can stay healthy and his injury history could cause him to fall a bit on 2020 NFL Draft day.
16. LaDarius Hamilton, North Texas
LaDarius Hamilton really came on strong in his final two seasons at North Texas with 7.5 sacks, over 10 tackles for loss and over 30 tackles in both his junior and senior seasons for the Mean Green.
While the numbers aren’t anything crazy, it shows that he can consistently get the job done, and the tape backs that up. LaDarius Hamilton first stood out to me when watching the 2020 NFL Draft Scouting Combine. In addition to his impressive 4.89 40-yard dash time and his 27 bench press reps, Hamilton looked very smooth throughout the on-field drills as well.
When you watch him on film, all of those qualities come out in his play. The thing that I noticed about Hamilton the most was his willingness to take on and go right at some of the biggest and strongest blockers on the field, doing so with great success.
At 6-foot-2 and over 260 pounds, Hamilton is no slouch himself, but he has the ability to stand up tackles and guards and not let them move him back one bit. This strength and power allow him to be a great edge setter in the run game and an effective bull rusher on passing downs. He doesn’t show quite the get off and bend that you look for in a typical ideal edge rusher, but Hamilton gets the job done with grit and will.
A very fiery player with a high motor, Hamilton plays to the whistle snap after snap, always chasing the ball. He excels when stunting and lined up at various spots across the defensive line in some interesting fronts employed by North Texas.
17. Derrek Tuszka, North Dakota State
Although he played at the FCS level, Derrek Tuszka has some NFL level qualities. He was very productive on the stat sheet and helped lead North Dakota State to three straight FCS titles. He lacks NFL length and explosiveness but is a very powerful and effective player on the edge.
Tuszka has the ability to set a strong edge in the run game with the ability to detach and make a tackle. He uses his hands well as a rusher and always keeps his legs driving while engaged. He had enough get off and bend to win on the edge at NDSU but will need to prove that he can do so at the next level.
Tuszka is a fiery player with an endless motor who never stops until the whistle blows. With a solid 2020 NFL Draft Scouting Combine performance, Tuszka has been coming onto the radar of evaluators and should absolutely hear his name called in the 2020 NFL Draft and could contribute early and often as a pro.
18. Trevis Gipson, Tulsa
Trevis Gipson has an ideal NFL edge frame and displays a lot of valuable qualities as a 2020 NFL Draft prospect. He is effective in the run game, setting a solid edge and shooting gaps to make plays. He fights hard through blocks and is a sound tackler.
He’s not an explosive athlete, but he has good bend and uses his hands well to fend off blockers. He isn’t afraid to go inside, keeping tackles on their toes. He is still fairly raw, but Gipson brings a lot to the table and will bring even more down the line.
19. Jonathan Garvin, Miami
Jonathan Garvin has a lot of desirable traits as an edge presence and some more consistent effort may make him a viable NFL starter. On the edge, Garvin has good get off and very impressive bend. At 6-foot-4 and with 34-inch arms, Garvin is an optimal size for an NFL edge rusher.
He uses those long arms well, keeping blockers at bay and giving him sufficient space to detach and make plays. He can be very powerful with his hands and has good drive with his lower body. He has shown the ability to fill the stat sheet with 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a sophomore but will need a more concerted effort and a higher motor to do so at the next level.
If he is able to do that and diversify his attack as a rusher he could succeed at the next level as a late-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
20. Kendall Coleman, Syracuse
Kendall Coleman is a very well-rounded edge prospect out of Syracuse. Like his teammate Alton Robinson, Coleman had a breakout season in 2018, totaling 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Also like Robinson, his production dropped in 2019, but Coleman still led the team with 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks.
Coleman isn’t the longest or most athletic edge rusher in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he is fairly polished and does a lot of things well. He doesn’t have elite get off, but he bends very well around the edge. He also has a very effective inside move and keeps the blocker guessing which way he’ll go.
He is a powerful hitter and a strong presence in the run game. He has strong hands and a strong base to anchor down and uses his hands well to disengage and make a tackle. While he may not be quite the gifted athlete that Robinson or other edge prospects may be, Coleman is a far more consistent penetrator down after down and plays with a desirable level of grit and tenacity.
Coleman always seems to put himself in a position to make a play, and the stat sheet would be more impressive if he was able to finish off just a few more of them. He has dealt with a labrum injury twice so far in his career, apparently even considering quitting football at one point, so that may be a concern for some teams.
He may not have quite the ceiling that some other edge prospects do, but on a play-by-play basis, there aren’t many other players at the position I’d rather have out on the field right now.
21. Alton Robinson, Syracuse
Alton Robinson is a pure pass rusher with outstanding burst and bend off the edge. He was incredibly productive during his sophomore season in 2018 racking up 10 sacks 17 tackles for loss and 31 solo tackles. He wasn’t quite as productive on the stat sheet in 2019 but displayed some very valuable qualities for a pass rusher.
He gets a great jump off the snap and gets up-field in a hurry. He exhibits very impressive bend around the blocker and is quick to close ground on the quarterback. He needs to develop a counter and some more dynamic pass rush moves to succeed at the next level, but he has a very solid foundation as a rusher.
In the run game, Robinson doesn’t offer much aside from an occasional block shed and tackle if he’s already in a position to make the play. He doesn’t anchor well on the edge and should play with more power when not rushing around the edge.
Overall, Robinson has the body and the athletic traits to succeed at the next level. He has some things he needs to improve and may be used as a situational rusher early in his career, but if he continues to work and improve he has the makings of a starting defensive end in the NFL out of the 2020 NFL Draft.