I used to do these draft rankings straight up, separating defensive ends and outside linebackers and letting NFL coaches decide how to use each guy. There’s really no point in that anymore. Teams are running hybrid 4-3s and 3-4s now, with the idea that they’ll use the best guys they have, regardless of their designation, to get after the quarterback. That’s why you’re seeing the term “edge rusher” used more often than not and it’s trickled into the college game too.
Here are the guys that nearly made the cut.
10. Arden Key (DE, LSU), 9. Sam Hubbard (DE, Ohio State), 8. Marquis Haynes (OLB, Ole Miss)…
TOP SEVEN EDGE RUSHERS
https://youtu.be/fTyTQtQotzc
7. Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA
2017: 55 tackles, 17.5 for a loss, 8.5 sacks, four passes defended, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one defensive touchdown (6-7, 255 pounds)
Davenport was a man among boys in Conference USA for good reason. Not only does he flash on the tape, he did the exercise routine at the NFL combine the scouts love to see, running a 4.58 40. Here’s why he’s not higher on the list for me. Those are good numbers and Davenport has a dominating film, but is it dominating enough considering the competition he faced off against last season? Did he line up across a single tackle that will play in the NFL? And, if not, why didn’t he record more sacks? Baylor was the only team outside of a lower conference UTSA played. Davenport had three tackles and a sack. Not bad, but he looks like a situational player right now and project to me.
Ideal situation: New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks
6. Duke Ejiofor, DE/OLB, Wake Forest
2017: 43 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, one pass defense, two forced fumbles (6-4, 275 pounds)
Ejiofor played with his hand in the dirt a lot at Wake Forest, but he looks a lot more like a 3-4 OLB in the NFL. He doesn’t have an explosive move at the snap, but makes up for it by knowing how to use his hands.
Ideal situation: Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Jeff Holland, DE/OLB, Auburn
2017: 45 tackles, 12.5 for a loss, 9.5 sacks, one pass defense, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery (6-2, 249 pounds)
Holland doesn’t look like a fluid runner on tape, but he’s tenacious and keeps his legs churning. He’s quick off the snap and has little trouble using his speed to slide off blocks on the edge, turning his hips and attacking the pocket from behind. Unlike Davenport, Holland has put his numbers up against the big boys in the SEC. He faced an NFL-level tackle every week and still beat them to get to the QB.
Ideal situation: Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets
https://youtu.be/i60hpK6U_OY
4. Uchenna Nwosu, OLB, USC
2017: 75 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, 9.5 sacks, 13 passes defended, one fumble recovery
Nwosu will give the team that drafts him a lot of options at outside linebacker. He could easily just play that position straight up in a 4-3 and maybe adding him standing on the hip of a pass rushing defensive end could really cause some trouble. I think he gets snatched up by a 3-4 team that sees that explosion off the snap and body control and a consistent, double-digit sack threat.
Ideal situation: Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers
3. Harold Landry, DE/OLB, Boston College
2017: 38 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, five sacks, two passes defended (6-3, 250 pounds)
Landry’s numbers were down last season because of an ankle injury that cost him a fourth of his season. The year before he had 50 tackles, 22 for a loss and 16.5 sacks and you better believe NFL scouts are looking hard at that tape. Landry is a dominant speed rusher that’s not had to develop any other moves at BC. He needs some work and a good OLB coach to develop his skillset, so he’ll be a year away from really contributing on every down. Still, he looks like a first rounder to me.
Ideal situation: Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens
https://youtu.be/GVmff0yRrY8
2. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DE/OLB, Oklahoma
2017: 75 tackles, 17 for a loss, eight sacks, two passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries (6-1, 240)
Okoronkwo is one of just two players on this list that I can see starting from day one. He has a full set of moves, from the spin to the swim and is at full speed in his first step. While he might have been listed as a DE at Oklahoma, they played him as a stand-up rusher enough that there should be no issues plugging right into a 3-4.
Ideal situation: Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams
1. Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State
2017: 72 tackles, 23 for a loss, 10 sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble (6-4, 275 pounds)
If Chubb isn’t the best player in this year’s draft, he’s no worse than No. 2. That’s why the New York Giants will have a difficult time passing him up with the second pick. If you were drawing up a 4-3 defensive end, this is exactly what he’d look like. He can turn the corner like Robert Quinn and has the size of a Cameron Jordan.
Ideal situation: Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts
