If you’re a team (or a fan of one) in search of pass-rush help, you’re in luck. This year’s crop of edge defenders is one of the draft’s most talented position groups.
Last year’s draft class had six first-round edge defenders, but it wasn’t until the 18th pick that the first (the Dolphins’ Jaelan Phillips) came off the board. In addition, four of those six first-rounders were taken within the final five selections of the opening round.
This year’s draft class may not have the same level of elite talent at the very top as we saw in 2019 (Nick Bosa) or ’20 (Chase Young), but one-third of my top 18 prospects play on the edge. It’s certainly shaping up to be similar to 2019, when five edge defenders were selected in the first half of Round 1.
