2024 NFL Draft: Chop Robinson tops Jared Verse and Darius Robinson as the best defensive end

The 2024 NFL Draft has no elite defensive end and only has two players with first-round grades in its class. Despite this lack of surefire talent, the class does have a couple of players with intriguing potential led by Penn State’s Chop Robinson who posts strong testing numbers and has underrated production.

The class also has a couple of interesting sleepers in it. One of these players is Xavier Thomas who shows the raw tools that made him the number four player in his recruiting class. Another underrated player in this class is Washington State's Brennan Jackson whose non-stop motor has allowed him to account for 14.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

2024 NFL Draft defensive end class ranking No. 1-4

1. Chop Robinson, Penn State

I am in the minority regarding my top defensive end in the 2024 NFL Draft being Chop Robinson. However, he has the most potential in the class, and when on the field he has put up strong numbers. This season in just seven games he recorded seven tackles for loss and four sacks. He also had the highest pass-rush grade in the Big Ten according to Pro Football Focus. in addition, he possesses ridiculous testing numbers including a 4.47 40 and 400-pound bench press according to Bruce Feldman. This speed shows up on the field as well. When it comes to rushing the passer he has the fastest first step off the ball in the 2024 NFL Draft and also has the flexibility to make the tight turn against the offensive tackle. While he is an explosive pass rusher he can improve against the run. In this area, he needs to use his hands better, and not turn his shoulders which opens up running lanes. Draft Grade: First Round

2. Jared Verse, Florida State

Florida State’s Jared Verse entered the season with a first-round grade and finished the season with the same grade. The reason he carries such a high ranking is his impressive get off the ball. This speed allows him to get around the tackle which combined with his flexibility has helped him register 18 sacks over the last two seasons. As a run defender, he has the strength to hold his ground and shows a strong initial punch. In the NFL he will be best served by playing in a 4-3 defense since he lacks the awareness to hold up in coverage as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Draft Grade: First Round

3. Darius Robinson, Missouri

Perhaps no one had a better Senior Bowl than Missouri’s Darius Robinson, which is good news for Robinson as he is also coming off his best college season. This year he set career highs with 14 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks and was named first-team All-SEC. The biggest positive with Robinson is the power he plays with. He does a great job with his initial punch and his 6-foot-5 286-pound size makes it very hard to create any run lanes against him. His 35-inch arms are another measurable that works in his favor. As a pass rusher, he shows good quickness for a 286-pound defender and could even play some as a 3-technique defensive tackle on pass-rushing downs. He also has a variety of pass-rushing moves including a nice swim move and bull-rush. Draft Grade: Second Round

4. Bralen Trice, Washington

A player who played out of position this year is Washington’s Bralen Trice. While Trice is one of the bigger defensive ends in the 2024 NFL Draft, he played outside linebacker in the Huskies' defense. While he was productive being named a third-team All-American and leading the nation with 70 pressures in 2022 according to Pro Football Focus, his best position in the NFL will be as a 4-3 defensive end. In this role, his strength and ability to get off blocks should allow him to establish himself as a strong run defender. In addition, to being strong vs. the run Trice also has some intriguing pass-rushing traits. His biggest positive in this area is his non-stop motor which has helped him record 16 sacks over the past two seasons. He also shows good hand use as a pass rusher and is one of the more polished defensive ends in that area in the 2024 NFL Draft. A concern with him that scouts will have is he is a little stiff and may have trouble turning the corner against NFL offensive tackles. Draft Grade: Second Round

2024 NFL Draft defensive end class ranking No. 5-8

5. Brennan Jackson, Washington State

Another Pac-12 defensive end who gives great effort is Washington State’s Brennan Jackson. This high effort style of play has allowed him to be named second team All-Pac-12 the past two seasons and account for 24.5 tackles for loss over that time period. Other than his his good work ethic another thing working in his favor is his impressive first step off the line of scrimmage and overall quickness. He is also a good athlete who shows the flexibility to challenge the edge and also breakdown in space. A concern I have with him though is he does play out of control at times which causes him to be out of position, especially when it comes to defending the run. He has also battled some injuries during his career including missing the last 11 games of the 2019 season due to a leg injury. Draft Grade: Third Round

6. Adisa Isaac, Penn State

A defensive end I am a little lower than other people is Penn State’s, Adisa Isaac who carries a second-round grade according to NFL Mock Draft Database, but only carries a fourth-round grade on my board. One of the main reasons why he carries a day three grade is his ability to hold up at the point of attack. He is consistently overpowered by offensive tackles and doesn’t have the strength to set the edge against the run. He also has some trouble with his balance, which really showed up at the Senior Bowl. While I don’t like his fit as a 4-3 defensive end I could see a team who prefers the 3-4 defense take him before the fourth round. In this scheme, his agility and pass-rushing skills could be a good fit. However, he does need to prove that he can consistently hold up in coverage. Draft Grade: Fourth Round

7. Gabriel Murphy, UCLA

Murphy had his best season with the Bruins this year, after transferring from North Texas in 2022. He finished the year with 16 tackles for loss and had at least 0.5 tackles for loss in 11 of 13 games this season. He also got to the quarterback eight times which is a career high. One of the traits he showed was the athletic ability to be a good fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker. In this scheme he has the quickness to be a consistent pass rushing threat. He also is athletic enough to hold up in coverage, which is something he looked comfortable doing this year for the Bruins. This scheme will also cover up one of his weaknesses which is his ability to play the run. In this area he lacks the strength to be an every down defensive end in a 4-3 defense but he should be able to help set the edge as more of a 9-technique in a base 3-4 scheme. Draft Grade: Fourth Round

8. Jonah Elliss, Utah

The 2023 season was a breakout year for Utah’s Jonah Ellis. Going into the season he never had more than three sacks, but he accounted for 12 sacks in 2023 to go along with 16 tackles for loss. These numbers would have even been better this year also if he had not missed the end of the season with a torn labrum, which could also limit him at the NFL Combine. When healthy Elliss excelled in the Utes 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker, which is the same position he will likely play in the NFL. His top attribute as a pro prospect is his speed off the ball, but he also has surprising strength to go along with that quickness. This combination makes him a force vs. both the run and the pass and should be enough for him to hear his named called in the third or fourt round despite coming off a significant injury. Draft Grade: Fourth Round

2024 NFL Draft defensive end class ranking No. 9-12

9. Braiden McGregor, Michigan

Michigan’s Braiden McGregor saved his best game for one of his final games as a Wolverine recording two sacks against Alabama in the College Football Playoffs. These two sacks were almost half of the total he had all season only having registered 4.5 sacks on the year. Despite this lack of impressive production, he has the raw tools to make scouts think he can develop into a quality defender in the NFL. His most impressive trait might be the agility he shows for a 6-foot-5 263-pound defensive end. He shows the flexibility to get around the edge as a pass rusher and also the fluid hips to hold up surprisingly well in coverage for a defensive end his size. Another positive with him is how well he holds up against the run, and he should be a three-down defender in the NFL. Two areas he can improve on are his pass rush moves and using his hands better in general. Draft Grade: Fourth Round

"Going into the playoffs I was 50/50. I wasn’t really sure. I wanted to go — but I didn’t think my film was good enough to get drafted where I wanted to get drafted."

Braiden McGregor via MLive

10. Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State

A player who impressed me at the East-West Shrine Bowl was Colorado State’s Mohamed Kamara. What stood out to me the most about his game was his terrific first step that allowed him to continually beat offensive tackles off the ball. This speed helped him finish third in the nation with 13 sacks, and second in the Mountain West with 17 tackles for loss. While he is a feared pass rusher, he has not been a big factor against the run. In this area his lack of size (6-1 250) and strength allows offensive tackles to push him off the ball, and overall he has a hard time setting the edge. This limitation could make him a better fit in a 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker, and one team that runs that scheme who has shown an interest in him is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Draft Grade: Fifth Round

11. Austin Booker, Kansas

Austin Booker spent his first two seasons at Minnesota where he made little impact finishing his career with the Golden Gophers with just two tackles. However, he transferred to Kansas this year and quickly established himself as one of the better defensive ends in school history. This season he led the Big 12 with 38 pressures and also finished the season with eight sacks. As a pro prospect, the first thing that stands out is his impressive length coming in at 6-foot-6 with 34-inch arms. He also shows good flexibility which helps him as both a pass rusher and in coverage. An area he needs to prove he can play at an NFL level is defending the run, since he tended to get pushed around against the run in the Big 12. Draft Grade: Fifth Round

12. Nelson Ceaser, Houston

Nelson Ceaser has had an interesting career at Houston starting off as a nose tackle, and finishing his career by leading the Big 12 in sacks as a defensive end. This past season Ceaser recorded 13.5 tackles for loss to go along with his 9.5 sacks. As a pro prospect he is a disciplined player who rarely finds himself out of position and is someone who is capable of setting the edge as a run defender. He also is a proven pass rusher who could even see some snaps as a 3-technique defensive tackle. In addition to those roles he was also the top graded edge defender from the American conference when it came to pass coverage in 2022 according to Pro Football Focus. Draft Grade: Fifth round

2024 NFL Draft defensive end class ranking No. 13-16

13. Xavier Thomas, Clemson

Expectations were high for Xavier Thomas coming out of high school as he was rated as the fourth best player in his recruiting class by 247Sports. However, he has not lived up to expectations missing all but three games in 2022 and has never had more than 3.5 sacks in year. Despite having a somewhat disappointing career he still should hear his name called late in the 2024 NFL Draft. The main reason for this is him impressive athletic ability. He shows an explosive first step, which was on full display at the East-West Shrine Bowl. In addition, to his burst off the ball he also shows good change of direction skills and should get some as an outside linebacker especially in an odd front. Draft Grade: Sixth Round

14. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington

Going into the 2023 season I named Zion Tupuola-Fetui the most overrated defensive end in the 2024 NFL Draft, and after another average season, draftniks are starting to agree with my opinion on him. One of my biggest concerns with him is he has not looked like the player he was back in 2020 when he recorded seven sacks in just four games. Since then he has ruptured his Achilles and only has nine sacks over the past three seasons. His biggest downfall as a prospect is he lacks the explosion off the ball, you want to see in an edge defender. He also lacks the agility to hold up in coverage as an outside linebacker at the NFL level. Draft Grade: Sixth Round

15. Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan

Marshawn Kneeland is another defensive lineman who is being overrated. One reason why he is being overvalued is his average production never having more than 4.5 sacks in a season for the Broncos. Another reason why I am not as high on him as others are is his lack of quickness off the ball, and how he will likely prevent few issues for NFL offensive tackles coming off the edge. On the positive side he does play with good strength and his 34-inch arms allow him consistently push back the man assigned to block him. Draft Grade: Sixth Round

16. Javon Solomon, Troy

Javon Solomon of Troy led the nation in sacks this year with 16 and is one of the more productive pass rushers in the 2024 NFL Draft. Over the past three years he has gotten to the quarterback 31.5 times and has made 42.5 tackles for loss over the same time period. One of the reason he has such success is his long arms that allow him to preventh offensive tackles getting into his body. He also plays with good power for a defensive end only 247 pounds. Despite these traits and production I only have a sixth round grade on Solomon. One of the reasons for this is that he is on;y 6-foot-1 and doesn’t look agile enough to move to outside linebacker. Another reason for this ranking is he only shows an average burst off the ball. Draft Grade: Sixth Round

2024 NFL Draft defensive end class ranking No. 17-20

17. Cedric Johnson, Ole Miss

A player who will test better on the field than he has played on the field is Ole Miss defensive end Cedric Johnson. Johnson was named Bruce Feldman’s 2022 #42 Freak Athlete due to him posting a 36.5-inch vertical jump and bench pressing 390 pounds. However, his play on the field has been inconsistent. One of the major reasons for this is his lack of pass-rushing moves which caused problems for him when trying to get off blocks. He also lacks explosion off the ball, and tends to win more with power than speed. On the positive side, he has shown smooth hips and looks comfortable so his best bet in the NFL might be as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Draft Grade: Sixth Round

18. Jalen Green, James Madison

One of the most productive players in the 2024 NFL Draft is James Madison’s Jalen Green. In just nine games this season Green had 21 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. Unfortunately, though his season ended early due to a leg injury. In addition, to having concerns about his health he also doesn’t show much explosion off the ball and his lack of athletic ability limits his upside. On the positive side he is a proven playmaker who plays with good strength. Draft Grade: Seventh Round

19. Joe Evans, Iowa

A player whose production should get him looks late in the NFL Draft, despite not having prototypical NFL tools is Iowa’s Joe Evans. This season Evans had 9.5 sacks including four in the Citrus Bowl against Tennessee. He also finished his career with 28 sacks which is the fourth most in Hawkeye history. Despite these strong numbers Evans, has limited potential. He lacks the burst off the edge an NFL defensive end 6-foot-2 252 pounds needs, and he is also not athletic enough to move to outside linebacker. Draft Grade: Seventh Round

20. Myles Cole, Texas Tech

A player who has all the measurables but very little production is Texas Tech’s Myles Cole. At the Senior Bowl, Cole came in at 6-foot-6 272 pounds and had the longest wingspan of defensive end at the event by over two inches. However, he has not been able to use these tools to produce at a high level. He only has five career sacks and only started for one year at Texas Tech. The main reason for this lack of elite stats is his lack of football awareness that sees him out of position consistently. He also is very raw when it comes to using his hands to get off blocks and using different pass rushing moves which you would not expect for a player who has been in school for six years. Draft Grade: Seventh Round