The Cleveland Browns made sure to address the defensive end position in free agency by signing Ogbo Okoronkwo in free agency. However, with the only two people other than Okoronkwo and Myles Garrett being second-year players Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas, they are more likely than not going to take another edge defender in the 2023 NFL draft.
We have already covered the five most likely defensive ends to be on the Browns’ draft board and could be available in their range. However, who are the top-20 overall defensive ends in this class? We take a look at the deep class of edge rushers here.
20
Andre Carter II, Army
Andre Carter II will likely be the highest-drafted player out of Army in quite some time. However, his 2022 tape did not live up to the hype that his 2021 tape set. He has a slender frame that allows for him to be blown off the ball in the run game without much of a fight, and he tested poorly for how thin he is as well.
There are traits to like. Carter II is flexible and can take the outside shoulder with consistency, but he has the make-up of a situational pass rusher who will not be on the field in obvious running situations. His pre-draft process did him no favors.
19
YaYa Diaby, Louisville
YaYa Diaby is one of two Louisville Cardinals to make the list here. And of the two, while rated lower, Diaby has the skill set to stay on the field more often as he is sturdy against the run and has the baseline of a decent pass rusher. While Diaby may take some time to find a starting role (and may just be a career-long rotational player), he will always find the field throughout his career.
He is athletic, has a bit of flexibility in his hips, and has shown the ability to disrupt. Diaby is a solid player buried in a deep class of pass rushers.
18
Byron Young, Tennessee
Not the Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle, but the Tennessee pass rusher, Byron Young is a dynamic athlete. There is a desire to see the tape match the testing, however, as he has day-three film. He ran a 4.4 40-yard dash, leaped to a 38-inch vertical jump, and an 11-foot broad jump.
However, his play strength is subpar, his pass rush plan is not polished as he attacks off the edge, and there is not a ton of versatility to his game. Young has the making of a compensatory pick-range player from pick no. 90 and on.
17
Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
While Yasir Abdullah’s transition takes a bit of imagination to find a role for him at the next level, his traits are undeniable. He has no issues taking the outside track and flattening tight corners to the quarterback, plays with a hot motor, and shows the ability to explode into the chest of the man across from him.
He has the makings of a situational pass rusher who can develop into a SAM linebacker in base looks as well. With a hot motor, Abdullah can fly around the football field. Abdullah is a fun, fun player.
16
Isaiah McGuire, Missouri
If an NFL team wants a sturdy, dependable player off the edge then Isaiah McGuire is their guy. While he does not have a trait that is overly eye-popping, McGuire is a well-rounded player who gets off the ball with urgency, has decent bend for his size, and shows the ability to convert speed-to-power against top-tier tackles. Against the run, McGuire even shows the ability to dig in his heels and set a strong edge.
Expect McGuire to be on the Browns’ board as they come on the clock in the third round. If they can land him at pick no. 98, there is reason to be ecstatic about McGuire being in the brown and orange.
15
Derick Hall, Auburn
A common player mocked to the Browns, Auburn’s Derick Hall is one of the most explosive pass rushers in the entire draft class. He gets off the ball with a hot motor and possesses heavy hands to consistently push pockets when he gets into the chest of opposing offensive tackles. A strong, physical run defender, Hall is a tough man to move off the spot when he is setting the edge.
With most of the pass rushers in this class, however, Hall is stiff and unrefined with his hands as a pass rusher. The NFL is all about getting after opposing quarterbacks, and Hall can collapse pockets, but he’s not going to consistently work around offensive tackles with nuance.
14
Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
One of my absolute favorite players in the class, Wisconsin’s Nick Herbig is such a polished pass rusher off the edge. He is a fluid athlete who has no issues bending the edge and taking tight corners. He has nuanced hands and knows how to set up pass rush plans pre-snap at a high level.
Herbig is, however, undersized at the position. Many think he needs to transition to an off-ball linebacker at the next level. However, if some team finds a way to use him like the Carolina Panthers have used Frankie Luvu, he will be a dynamic player in the NFL.
13
Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
A young player who was ultra-productive for the USC Trojans this past season, Tuli Tuipulotu is going to be high on the Browns’ draft board. However, he will likely be long gone by the time the Browns come on the clock with pick no. 73.
He can play inside and out, plays with strong hands and a firm anchor, and has a red-hot motor. Tuipulotu is still as well, however, and does not have many nuances with his hands as he works toward the passer. All-in-all, Tuipulotu has a high floor and can come in as a sturdy rotational player from day one.
12
Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
There may not be a player whose tape disappointed me more based off of pre-season expectations than Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey. Even though his box score is sexy and productive, Foskey’s tape shows a great deal of mop-up duty.
The traits are there, however, as Foskey is explosive with a bit of flexibility to win along the outside track. His play strength is noticeable as well, as Foskey plays with a strong base and the ability to hold his own along the interior as a run defender.
He has a long way to go as a pass rusher, however, even if the traits and high floor are present.
11
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
It seems NFL teams are higher on Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah than I am, but there is not enough polish in his game to be taken in the top 50 of the 2023 NFL draft.
He is explosive and physical when he gets into the man across from him with heavy, devastating hands, but that’s where the nuance in Anudike-Uzomah’s game is. He is not overly flexible or versatile and predominantly wins through the chest of opposing offensive tackles rather than possessing the ability to win along the outside track.
10
Zach Harrison, Ohio State
This is where Zach Harrison would be among the consensus if he had not tweaked a hamstring before testing at the combine. Instead, we have some pro day numbers where Harrison did not run the 40-yard dash to go off of.
Harrison, however, has traits that make scouts drool regardless. Starting with his staggering length, Harrison possesses 36-inch arms and reduced his game this season to refine how to use his length to get into and work through the chest of opposing offensive tackles. He is explosive with a hot first step off the line of scrimmage and even showed a bit more with his hands this season including a dynamic hand swipe.
There is limited flexibility in his hips as he will not take the outside shoulder with consistency, but he is strong against the run and has the makings of a player who can play big end or in wide-nine looks. Look for Harrison to find a role as a rotational player in year one.
9
Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
There is no freakier athlete in the 2023 NFL draft than Northwestern defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore. An explosive 4.49 40-yard dash, a 37.5-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot-5 broad jump, and elite agility. Adebawore blew up the combine a month ago.
He possesses heavy hands that provide intimidating shock value when he strikes the man across from him. Adebawore is rocked up, making him a strong run defender who can play both inside and out.
However, there is a desire to see him bring much more as a pass rusher as there is no refinement with his hands. The agility that Adebawore put on the turf in Indianapolis also does not show up on tape during his time at Northwestern as he is a “through the chest” player.
Adebawore is a rock-solid player in a deep crop of edge defenders, but his hype is a bit too high bases solely on testing.
8
Keion White, Georgia Tech
There is a ton to like about the game of Keion White. However, he is a sixth-year senior coming out of Georgia Tech who was a late bloomer after transferring over from Old Dominion.
With inside/out versatility and a great deal of speed and explosiveness for his size, White can get off the ball and into the chest of the man across from him in a flash. He even shows a bit more flexibility in his hips than you would expect for a man his size.
However, his hands are not refined or heavy, and he does not display a great deal of comfort in how he uses his hands. How much time can you give a guy who is already going to be 25 before the end of his rookie season?
7
Will McDonald, Iowa State
Will McDonald is one of the best pass rushers in the class. He is explosive, flexible to take tight corners, and has a decent bag of tricks in ways to attack with his hands.
However, his play strength against the run sinks his overall grade. While it is hard to project a player coming from a 3-3-5 system at Iowa State, it is not hard to see McDonald struggling to dig his heels in against the run.
6
BJ Ojulari, LSU
There is no player in this class that I love more than BJ Ojulari. And while he was hurt during his testing and wanted to compete anyway, his numbers impact his grade. However, this may also make Ojulari the best bang-for-buck player in the class as he looks to hear his name called in the first two rounds next weekend.
Ojulari possesses extreme bend, has a deep bag of pass rush moves, and has the arm length to out-leverage anybody across from him. While he is not the strongest pass rusher in the class, Ojulari is capable of holding his own when asked to set the edge against the run.
5
Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
For a player who never started a game at the University of Iowa, Van Ness has big-time potential at the next level. One would be hard-pressed to find a player who plays with a hotter motor than Van Ness, and he possesses wildly physical hands and a great deal of explosiveness to consistently push pockets as well.
Unfortunately for Van Ness, however, this is about all he has to his game as there is not a great deal of nuance with his hands or flexibility in his hips. There is no reason to take Van Ness off the field given any circumstance, but the team that drafts him has to understand the deficiencies in his game as well.
4
Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
Tyree Wilson is a cyborg; built in a lab.
He is unbelievably explosive off the ball, possesses strong hands, and is more than able to hold his own when forced to set an edge. His weaknesses, however, are the same as those of Van Ness.
He is stiff and struggles to take the outside shoulder of the man across from him with any sort of consistency. This is a hard way to win in the NFL, a place where 80 percent of opposing offensive tackles have strong anchors.
3
Myles Murphy, Clemson
Myles Murphy has taken a bit of a hit from draftniks throughout the past few months since the season ended. However, he remains a dynamic pass rusher who is quite flexible for how big his frame is. He also possesses devastating hand strength when he lands a long arm on the man across from him.
Even if Muprhy is a bit raw with his hands as a pass rusher, he has tremendous traits that make him well worth investing in. He is a three-down player who has starter written all over him.
2
Nolan Smith, Georgia
Nolan Smith blew the doors off of Lucas Oil Stadium, putting together a historical combine performance. There was once a time when we would mock Smith to the Browns when they sat with the 42nd overall pick in the draft. But his days of making it out of the top 20 are over.
On top of his combine performance, the tape of Smith shows a player who is unbelievably agile and flexible and a player who is strong against the run despite his slender frame. A dynamic pass rusher and a sturdy run defender, Smith has starter potential right away as he heads to the NFL.
1
Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
We are starting to get some overthink about Will Anderson Jr. and it is hilarious to watch unfold. He has been the most dominant football player in college football for two straight seasons and probably should have won the Heisman Trophy over Bryce Young in 2021.
He’s powerful, and explosive, possesses flexibility in his hips to win the outside shoulder, and plays with a hot motor every time he steps on the field. No overthink here, Anderson Jr. is the best pass rusher in the class and the second-best in the entire class behind only Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
