2020 NFL Draft – Defensive End Rankings

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – DE:

You are currently viewing the best defensive ends in the 2020 NFL Draft. Our top defensive end prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best edge rushers in college football. Even though only about 20 will get selected in the draft, dozens more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2020 defensive end prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 16, 2020)

2020:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

It’s disappointing that we didn’t get to see Chase Young at the combine, because he would have dropped some jaws. Young has the size, speed, and strength combination of an All-Pro edge rusher, and that can’be taught. He led the nation with 16.5 sacks in the conference with the best offensive linemen, and had to be schemed for on every snap. One of the rare players, who draws your eye on every play, Young did a lot more than just sack the QB. He forced 7 fumbles this past year which is insane, and generally translates easily to the NFL. He forced fumbles without risking a missed tackle, and was productive against the run as well as the pass. He still has room for improvement in terms of his pass rushing moves, which should be easily coachable given his athleticism and work ethic. The only slight knocks on him are his average anticipation and predictable (yet very hard to to stop) pass rush moves.

2019 Stats

12 games: 46 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 7 fumbles forced

Yetur Gross-Matos saw his stock dip slightly after a disappointing junior year, but he is still the second best edge rusher in a pretty weak class. After 20 tackles for loss as a sophomore, he followed it up with 14.5 this year, while increasing his sack total by 1. With ideal size and athleticism for a 4-3 defensive end, Gross-Matos has the physical profile of an elite edge rusher that teams covet. He plays extremely fast and offers a lot of scheme versatility. He wasn’t as consistent on a play-to-play basis as you’d like to see, and doesn’t always play as powerful against blocks as you’d expect from someone with his strength. He has room to add some more upper body strength and improve his hand technique, which could help him turn into a dependable pass rusher and run stopper for many years.

2019 Stats

11 games: 40 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks

After sitting out a year with a wrist injury and a transfer, Greenard burst onto the scene for the Gators, leading them in TFLs and sacks. A true edge rusher, he has a lot of scheme versatility and can play defensive end or outside linebacker. While he doesn’t have great straight line speed, he is very quick and agile, while offering good bend on the outside the get below offensive tackles. Greenard is one of the better run defenders in the draft, and is very productive separating from linemen and forcing a back to cut inside. While he uses his agility well, he doesn’t have great closing speed or length to consistently hit the quarterback. While he is a tough kid who plays through pain, a couple of injury in the past have slowed him down when he stays on the field.

2019 Stats

11 games: 53 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, 5 passes defended, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles

Just like Gross-Matos, Epenesa is a Big 10 defensive end prospect who had a pretty disappointing 2019, failing to improve from the previous year. In his increased snap count, Epenesa improved against the run and improved using his size and strength to his advantage. While he looks the part of a great defensive end and has had good success with power moves, Epenesa looks slow on film and ran even slower at the combine. Teams will need to determine how to best use him to emphasize his strength and length while minimizing his need to rely on subpar lateral quickness. In the right system, his length, power, and instincts could help him excel.

2019 Stats

13 games: 49 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 4 fumbles forced

Anae is a smart, scrappy, and productive pass rusher who played his best against the best offensive tackles in the PAC 12. He works hard at taking on blocks in the run game, but makes the most plays as a pass rusher despite lacking great closing speed. He is quicker than he is fast, and uses a fast first step and powerful pulls to get into the backfield. While the effort is apparent in the run game, he doesn’t always work through his block and is often content to eat up a blocker and let his teammate clean up the mess. While he was incredibly productive in college, he is a little light at 257 pounds, and doesn’t have great speed to stand up at linebacker. He knows how to play football and has enough athleticism to make plays, but his ceiling is likely limited.

2019 Stats

12 games: 41 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 13.0 sacks, 1 fumble forced

Complete draft rankings for 2020 – Defensive End

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2020: | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Chase Young is as close as you can get to a sure-thing prospect, so this class will likely produce at least one star edge rusher. Unfortunately only one team can end up with him, and there is a huge drop off before the second player. Defensive ends over the past few years have put up some eye-popping combine numbers, but the athletic traits from this year’s group was disappointing. Some of Young and Gross-Matos didn’t participate in athletic drills, while Anae and Epenesa were much slower than anticipated. While the top of the class isn’t great, there’s some good depth here and plenty of players who impressed at all-star games. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a run at Chase Young, it isn’t the best draft to get a high round defensive end. Plenty of players are worth trying on a late-round flyer, with some small schoolers like DE/DT Austin Edwards or Chauncy Haney have the athletic traits and production you want to see.