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Washington decided to pass up on an edge rusher in the 2025 NFL draft, but it's never too early to look ahead at pass rushing prospects to keep an eye on for the 2026 NFL draft class.
Parker broke onto the college football scene as one of the most disruptive pass rushers in his sophomore season at Clemson. The 6-foot-3 and 265-pound junior is poised for an even bigger season in 2025 with another off-season under his belt. Parker finished 2024 with 12 sacks, 11 hits, and 51 pressures with his strength and bull rush that offensive linemen can't hold up to. His speed also catches linemen by surprise with his size, and his arm length is an issue for blockers to get their hands on him first with his stiff arm. Parker is projected as the top edge rusher in the class and is ranked as the #2 overall prospect on PFF's big board. Washington would likely have to trade a haul to move up from the 32nd spot in the draft to take him (wink), but anything is possible by next April.
Rueben Bain Jr. was poised for a massive breakout season last year, but unfortunately suffered a calf injury in the 4th snap of his season. He only played eight games last season and never looked like his explosive self when he returned, but a massive 2025 season can lock Bain Jr. as a top edge rusher in the 2026 class. Even after a slump season, Rueben Bain Jr. still has 73 pressures since 2023, which is 3rd among returning edge rushers, and has a pass-rush win rate of 16.9%, which is third-best in the class. The returning Hurricane is also a big-time run stopper off the edge with a 4th best 82.7 run-stopping grade on PFF. He can also align all over the defensive line at 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, which makes him a force at any technique with his speed and power. Bain Jr. starts the season as PFF's 12th overall prospect on their big board.
Keldrick Faulk took a massive step forward in his sophomore season last year for the Auburn Tigers and is poised for an even bigger season in what is likely to be his last run in college. He made a jump of 15 points with his overall PFF grade in 2024, and finished with an 83.8 overall grade, which is fifth-best among returning edge rushers. Faulk is the best run-stopper of the class right now, in my opinion, and he backed it up with 23 run stops last year, which was eighth-most in the entire country. Keldrick is still sharpening his pass-rushing skill set, but he still has no problem using his athletic ability to plow through blockers with his burst and length, which helped him get nine sacks and 45 pressures last season. He also shows his ability to toss blockers to the side and wrap up ball carriers in the run game with ease. Keldrick Faulk is PFF's 16th overall prospect going into the season.
LT Overton is a major returning player for Alabama who decided to return to Tuscaloosa to continue his development. Overton was a top recruit at Texas A&M who wasn't producing (sounds familiar), and transferred to Alabama, where things immediately clicked, and he became a top edge rusher on a very talented defense. He has the blend of pass-rushing and run-stopping ability that makes him a complete prospect at only 20 years old. Overton finished 2024 with an 18% pass-rush win rate and an 81.7 run-stopping grade on PFF. Just like Rueben Bain Jr, Overton wields the position flexibility all over the defensive line with his mammoth frame of 6-foot-5 and 283 pounds. Alabama is reloading this season, and LT can get them back to the College Football Playoff with his big-play ability. LT Overton comes in at #20 on PFF's big board to start the 2025 college football season.
Sapp decided to return for his senior season with the Florida Gators, and it could have a significant payoff next April if he builds off of his 2024 season. Sapp led the Gators' defense with seven sacks and 13 tackles for a loss last year and will be a massive factor in Florida's success next season. He has a compact build at 6-foot-2 and 272 pounds, but he uses it to his advantage to get excellent pad level on blockers and move through them. Sapp possesses the quickness and strength to line up at multiple defensive line techniques. Tyreak has everything it takes to be a top draft pick next April with another big season, and could sneak into the top-10. PFF has Tyreak Sapp as the 27th overall prospect on their big board, and he's also the highest graded returning edge rusher with a 90.4 grade last season.
The final prospect we're examining is Dani Dennis-Sutton from Penn State, who finished the 2024 season strong in the College Football Playoffs and could have been a second- or third-round draft pick if he had declared early. Abdul Carter was the big-name prospect last season, but Dani Dennis-Sutton was having his own breakout season on the other side of the line in 2024. The Nittany Lion pass rusher finished with 8.5 sacks, 42 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and even an interception against Notre Dame in the playoffs. Dani plays with an insane motor, great competitiveness, and insane mobility for his size. He's the true blend of size, power, and speed to get to the quarterback and stop the run. Penn State appears to be a favorite to win the national championship next season after reloading, and Dani Dennis-Sutton could be the next first-round Nittany Lion we discuss next April.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Top edge rusher prospects for Commanders
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T.J Parker, Clemson
Parker broke onto the college football scene as one of the most disruptive pass rushers in his sophomore season at Clemson. The 6-foot-3 and 265-pound junior is poised for an even bigger season in 2025 with another off-season under his belt. Parker finished 2024 with 12 sacks, 11 hits, and 51 pressures with his strength and bull rush that offensive linemen can't hold up to. His speed also catches linemen by surprise with his size, and his arm length is an issue for blockers to get their hands on him first with his stiff arm. Parker is projected as the top edge rusher in the class and is ranked as the #2 overall prospect on PFF's big board. Washington would likely have to trade a haul to move up from the 32nd spot in the draft to take him (wink), but anything is possible by next April.
Rueben Bain Jr, Miami
Rueben Bain Jr. was poised for a massive breakout season last year, but unfortunately suffered a calf injury in the 4th snap of his season. He only played eight games last season and never looked like his explosive self when he returned, but a massive 2025 season can lock Bain Jr. as a top edge rusher in the 2026 class. Even after a slump season, Rueben Bain Jr. still has 73 pressures since 2023, which is 3rd among returning edge rushers, and has a pass-rush win rate of 16.9%, which is third-best in the class. The returning Hurricane is also a big-time run stopper off the edge with a 4th best 82.7 run-stopping grade on PFF. He can also align all over the defensive line at 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, which makes him a force at any technique with his speed and power. Bain Jr. starts the season as PFF's 12th overall prospect on their big board.
Keldrick Faulk, Auburn
Keldrick Faulk took a massive step forward in his sophomore season last year for the Auburn Tigers and is poised for an even bigger season in what is likely to be his last run in college. He made a jump of 15 points with his overall PFF grade in 2024, and finished with an 83.8 overall grade, which is fifth-best among returning edge rushers. Faulk is the best run-stopper of the class right now, in my opinion, and he backed it up with 23 run stops last year, which was eighth-most in the entire country. Keldrick is still sharpening his pass-rushing skill set, but he still has no problem using his athletic ability to plow through blockers with his burst and length, which helped him get nine sacks and 45 pressures last season. He also shows his ability to toss blockers to the side and wrap up ball carriers in the run game with ease. Keldrick Faulk is PFF's 16th overall prospect going into the season.
LT Overton, Alabama
LT Overton is a major returning player for Alabama who decided to return to Tuscaloosa to continue his development. Overton was a top recruit at Texas A&M who wasn't producing (sounds familiar), and transferred to Alabama, where things immediately clicked, and he became a top edge rusher on a very talented defense. He has the blend of pass-rushing and run-stopping ability that makes him a complete prospect at only 20 years old. Overton finished 2024 with an 18% pass-rush win rate and an 81.7 run-stopping grade on PFF. Just like Rueben Bain Jr, Overton wields the position flexibility all over the defensive line with his mammoth frame of 6-foot-5 and 283 pounds. Alabama is reloading this season, and LT can get them back to the College Football Playoff with his big-play ability. LT Overton comes in at #20 on PFF's big board to start the 2025 college football season.
Tyreak Sapp, Florida
Sapp decided to return for his senior season with the Florida Gators, and it could have a significant payoff next April if he builds off of his 2024 season. Sapp led the Gators' defense with seven sacks and 13 tackles for a loss last year and will be a massive factor in Florida's success next season. He has a compact build at 6-foot-2 and 272 pounds, but he uses it to his advantage to get excellent pad level on blockers and move through them. Sapp possesses the quickness and strength to line up at multiple defensive line techniques. Tyreak has everything it takes to be a top draft pick next April with another big season, and could sneak into the top-10. PFF has Tyreak Sapp as the 27th overall prospect on their big board, and he's also the highest graded returning edge rusher with a 90.4 grade last season.
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
The final prospect we're examining is Dani Dennis-Sutton from Penn State, who finished the 2024 season strong in the College Football Playoffs and could have been a second- or third-round draft pick if he had declared early. Abdul Carter was the big-name prospect last season, but Dani Dennis-Sutton was having his own breakout season on the other side of the line in 2024. The Nittany Lion pass rusher finished with 8.5 sacks, 42 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and even an interception against Notre Dame in the playoffs. Dani plays with an insane motor, great competitiveness, and insane mobility for his size. He's the true blend of size, power, and speed to get to the quarterback and stop the run. Penn State appears to be a favorite to win the national championship next season after reloading, and Dani Dennis-Sutton could be the next first-round Nittany Lion we discuss next April.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Top edge rusher prospects for Commanders
Continue reading...
