2020 Draft Board: Edge Rushers

**Note: changes have been made since the draft happened. I spent May and June adjusting my process by setting strict parameters and adding all combine participants from 2008-2017. Those two improvements caused major changes to my factors and table, which means some players that were on my draft board have been removed, some players that were removed from my draft board have been put back on it, and some players have seen a drastic shift in the round grades they were originally given.

Continuing my Draft Board next we look at the Edge Rushers. Having guys who can get after the Quarterback is super important in today’s game. Drafting the wrong guys early can leave you in pass rush purgatory, just ask the Jets. During this exercise I eliminated a couple of bigger names off my draft board entirely and then placed a low round grade on a couple that are being projected as first or second round picks. Plus, there are two names that I was very surprised to find toward the top of my list. You’ll see all of this if you keep reading.

Players Removed:

I was able to eliminate 12 Edge Rushers for various reasons. The one with the "E" next to his name received my “Empty” label, the ones with a "D" received my “Depleted” label, if you are wondering what those labels mean check the Draft Boards for the QBs, RBs or WRs. They are:

Chauncey Rivers (E)

A.J. Epenesa (D)

Bradlee Anae (D)

D.J. Wonnum (D)

James Smith-Williams (D)

Jason Strowbridge (D)

Jabari Zuniga (D)

Kendall Coleman (D)

LaDarius Hamilton (D)

Nick Coe (D)

Qaadir Sheppard (D)

Trevon Hill (D)

The Table

After I eliminated players, I created a table to determine the Draft Round I would attach to each remaining player. I used their college stats and combine results to determine the chances of them being drafted in the first three rounds by setting a low extreme and high extreme for each stat. If they had more low extremes than their draft grade fell, more high extremes and it rose.

My Draft Board

My Top 5:

1) Chase Young (Ohio State)

Analysis: This isn’t a surprise. He hasn’t done any athletic tests so there’s nothing that would cause me to drop him down my list. Also, when I was breaking down the players selected in the first three rounds from ’08-’17 I found that 59% of the players who averaged double digit sacks in college were selected in the first round. In this year's draft class that stat only applies to Young and Curtis Weaver. I would have liked to have seen him test at his Pro Day, but that would have been for my own selfish reasons that pertain to continuing this exercise into future years.

2) Carter Coughlin (Minnesota)

Analysis: Another one of those "holy crap, where did this guy come from" players. He needs to add weight (weighed in at 236 at the Combine), but athletically he has the speed (4.57 forty) and explosiveness (36" Vertical, 126" Broad Jump) to be a terror off the edge. He also had solid stats at Minnesota (averages of 44.7 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 6.8 sacks). He won't go anywhere near my projection, but he's one to watch in the future.

3) Kenny Willekes (Michigan State)

Analysis: He averaged 76 tackles and 16.3 tackles for loss!! Also, 7.8 sacks, but those other numbers are the more impressive ones by a long shot. His 4.87 forty leaves a lot to be desired, but clearly he has something going for him with how often he was in his opponents backfields.

4) Alex Highsmith (Charlotte)

Analysis: The man averaged 20 tackles for loss, which leads all the Edge Rushers who were invited to the Combine (there may be some players that I view as Defensive Tackles or Linebackers that others view as Edge Rushers, I’m not counting them because I don’t believe they fit as an Edge Rusher). He didn’t just stop there; he also averaged the second most Total Tackles (67.5) among Edge Rushers. Oh, but he played for little ol’ Charlotte. Who Cares?! Players come out of small schools all the time! And I’m not saying he is the best Edge Rusher, he's #4 on my list. His size (6’3”, 248) makes him an OLB in a 3-4, which is disappointing because my team runs an even front. But I’m going to be tracking him wherever he ends up.

5) Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State)

Analysis: Gross-Matos will almost certainly end up being a first-round pick. He has the pass rush skills, he had great numbers in the Tackles for loss category and solid sack numbers in college, and he didn’t tank any of the athletic tests. The question becomes how early? I could see him going in the late teens or sliding down to the mid-20’s. The only reason I could see him falling out of the first is if teams get too caught up in the Offensive Tackle/Quarterback race and lose track of one of the better pass rushers in this draft.

Sleeper: Casey Toohill (Stanford)

Analysis: Check out his athletic profile you'll see why I like him so much. He ran a 4.62 forty, a 4.21 20-yard dash and a 7.08 3 Cone Drill. Even more impressive, he had a 39” Vertical and 126” Broad Jump. And he did all of that at 6’4” and 250 pounds. The size makes him more of a 3-4 Outside Linebacker, but that’s fine, there are plenty of teams that run an odd front that need help off the edge.