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The 2025 NFL draft is now just a few days away. And as the Carolina Panthers prepare for Thursday night with their final meetings, one position has consistently stood out among the rest during the offseason—pass rusher.
This year's class features a litany of exciting and intriguing talents off the edge. There are speed rushers, run stoppers, all-around playmakers, pass-rushing specialists, raw talents and versatile weapons.
With that in mind, let's rank the 10 best edge rushers in this year's draft.
Grade valuation: Top 10/Blue-chip talent
Carter is one the best defensive prospects in the draft, as he provides high-end athleticism and freakish explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. His ceiling is sky-high due to the upside in his rush plan and as a run defender, making him an easy projection of a potential perennial Pro Bowler.
Grade valuation: First round
There is a lot of conversation about how Walker should be deployed at the next level. But it seems fairly simple—designate him as an outside rush linebacker while moving him around the first and second levels.
Let Walker rush the passer mugging the A or B gaps, sit off the ball as a quarterback spy or just tee off from the edge. Despite being an undersized pass rusher, he is more than capable of setting the edge and taking on blockers at the point of attack.
Grade valuation: First round
Stewart is one of the most polarizing prospects in this class, and is the classic "traits over production" player. His size, rare athleticism, twitch, power at the point of attack and run defense make him an early starter at the next level.
Unfortunately, much will be made about his lack of production—as he amassed just 4.5 sacks over three years.
Grade valuation: First round
Williams is another "traits over production" player, but there is a little more juice in his production. He is an alignment-versatile defender who can play most techniques along a defensive front—exhibiting high-end run defense, raw power, a decent set of rush moves and the athleticism to grow into a great three-down defender at the next level.
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
Ezeiruaku offers one of the the best sets of rush moves and counters of any defensive player in the draft. Racking up 16.5 sacks in 2024, he displays ample football acumen, a hot-running motor, explosiveness, bend and sufficient power at the point of attack to handle run responsibilities.
He projects best as a pass-rush specialist with room to grow into a three-down starting outside linebacker.
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
There is a lot to like with Pearce—a speed-rusher savant with outstanding first-step explosiveness. There are rumblings of off-field concerns that could see him fall down the order, but teams looking to acquire a high-ceiling pure rusher should seriously consider him as their first-round selection.
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
Off-field concerns and average run defense could scare some teams away from Green as well. But he is a terrific pure pass rusher with outstanding plans of attack when getting after the quarterback.
It would not be a surprise if he is the third pass rusher selected on April 24.
Grade valuation: Second round
Scourton's 2023 tape with the Purdue Boilermakers was outstanding. Unfortunately, he saw a dip in production in 2024 as part of the Aggies' complex defensive front.
The combination of run discipline, size, hand usage and above-average play strength make Scourton a potential starter at outside linebacker in odd fronts or as a base end in even fronts.
Grade valuation: Second round
Umanmielen is explosive, bendy, versatile and athletic. He projects purely as a pass-rush specialist early in his career, where he can utilize his speed and flexibility to stress the outside shoulder of edge blockers.
Grade valuation: Second round
Jackson has some exciting tape for teams needing a true even front base-end or 4i defender. He has a terrific physical and athletic profile, flashes as a pass rusher and is effective against the run.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Ranking the top 10 edge defenders of the class
Continue reading...
This year's class features a litany of exciting and intriguing talents off the edge. There are speed rushers, run stoppers, all-around playmakers, pass-rushing specialists, raw talents and versatile weapons.
With that in mind, let's rank the 10 best edge rushers in this year's draft.
No. 1: Abdul Carter, Penn State
Grade valuation: Top 10/Blue-chip talent
Carter is one the best defensive prospects in the draft, as he provides high-end athleticism and freakish explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. His ceiling is sky-high due to the upside in his rush plan and as a run defender, making him an easy projection of a potential perennial Pro Bowler.
No. 2: Jalon Walker, Georgia
Grade valuation: First round
There is a lot of conversation about how Walker should be deployed at the next level. But it seems fairly simple—designate him as an outside rush linebacker while moving him around the first and second levels.
Let Walker rush the passer mugging the A or B gaps, sit off the ball as a quarterback spy or just tee off from the edge. Despite being an undersized pass rusher, he is more than capable of setting the edge and taking on blockers at the point of attack.
No. 3: Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Grade valuation: First round
Stewart is one of the most polarizing prospects in this class, and is the classic "traits over production" player. His size, rare athleticism, twitch, power at the point of attack and run defense make him an early starter at the next level.
Unfortunately, much will be made about his lack of production—as he amassed just 4.5 sacks over three years.
No. 4: Mykel Williams, Georgia
Grade valuation: First round
Williams is another "traits over production" player, but there is a little more juice in his production. He is an alignment-versatile defender who can play most techniques along a defensive front—exhibiting high-end run defense, raw power, a decent set of rush moves and the athleticism to grow into a great three-down defender at the next level.
No. 5: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
Ezeiruaku offers one of the the best sets of rush moves and counters of any defensive player in the draft. Racking up 16.5 sacks in 2024, he displays ample football acumen, a hot-running motor, explosiveness, bend and sufficient power at the point of attack to handle run responsibilities.
He projects best as a pass-rush specialist with room to grow into a three-down starting outside linebacker.
No. 6: James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
There is a lot to like with Pearce—a speed-rusher savant with outstanding first-step explosiveness. There are rumblings of off-field concerns that could see him fall down the order, but teams looking to acquire a high-ceiling pure rusher should seriously consider him as their first-round selection.
No. 7: Mike Green, Marshall
Grade valuation: Late first to early second round
Off-field concerns and average run defense could scare some teams away from Green as well. But he is a terrific pure pass rusher with outstanding plans of attack when getting after the quarterback.
It would not be a surprise if he is the third pass rusher selected on April 24.
No. 8: Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Grade valuation: Second round
Scourton's 2023 tape with the Purdue Boilermakers was outstanding. Unfortunately, he saw a dip in production in 2024 as part of the Aggies' complex defensive front.
The combination of run discipline, size, hand usage and above-average play strength make Scourton a potential starter at outside linebacker in odd fronts or as a base end in even fronts.
No. 9: Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss
Grade valuation: Second round
Umanmielen is explosive, bendy, versatile and athletic. He projects purely as a pass-rush specialist early in his career, where he can utilize his speed and flexibility to stress the outside shoulder of edge blockers.
No. 10: Landon Jackson, Arkansas
Grade valuation: Second round
Jackson has some exciting tape for teams needing a true even front base-end or 4i defender. He has a terrific physical and athletic profile, flashes as a pass rusher and is effective against the run.
Honorable Mentions, in order:
- Bradyn Swinson, LSU
- Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
- Jordan Burch, Oregon
- Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
- Josaiah Stewart, Michigan
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Ranking the top 10 edge defenders of the class
Continue reading...
