Complete 2026 NFL Draft Edge Rankings:
You are currently viewing our edge rusher rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft. The 2026 edge rusher class has a chance to make it back to back years with really deep classes.
Our top edge prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the most talented defensive ends and outside linebackers in college football. Even though only about 30 will get selected in the draft, a lot more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite.
We’ll provide you with inside information to help you know who will be a star, who will be a bust, and which sleepers will shock the world.
BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2026 NFL draft edge rusher prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.
(Last Updated: March 5, 2026)
1. Rueben Bain, Miami (FL)
DE | 6’2″ | 263 lbs | 3rd Year
Rueben Bain Scouting Report
Rueben Bain entered his true junior season at Miami looking to recapture the dominance he displayed as a freshman. In 2023, Bain burst onto the scene with 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles, earning him ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He was the only freshman in the conference to record more than seven sacks that season.
His sophomore campaign in 2024 was less impactful, partly due to nagging injuries which caused him to miss 4 games. Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 265 pounds, Bain possesses elite strength for an edge rusher. He combines that with good quickness, hand usage, and solid pass rush moves for his age.
Bain’s 2025 season was started a bit up-and-down, but steadily improved as the year went on. Teams will also knock his thick frame that’s more like an interior lineman, and will be especially critical of his short arms. Despite that, his exceptionally powerful hands and explosive first step should make him a favorite among defensive coaches in the NFL.
Rueben Bain 2025 Stats
16 games: 54 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 fumble forced
2. David Bailey, Texas Tech
OLB | 6’4″ | 251 lbs | 4th Year
David Bailey Scouting Report
At this time last year, I was one of the only people saying David Bailey was worthy of a 1st round pick. After transferring from Stanford to Texas Tech this past season, he showed everyone what I was seeing.
Bailey was one of the most productive edge rushers in the nation, leading the Big 12 in both tackles for loss and sacks. Bailey brings good length, twitch, power, and a bit of flexibility off the edge, allowing him to threaten tackles with speed and finesse around the corner. He plays with an aggressive motor and does a good job staying active throughout the rep, often working back inside when his first move is stalled. He is also adept at forcing fumbles, striking at the football with great timing and power.
There are still refinements needed with hand usage, and he isn’t as bendy as you’d expect from a potential top-5 pick. Still, the athletic profile and production make him a legitimate difference maker.
David Bailey 2025 Stats
14 games: 52 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 3 fumbles forced
3. Akheem Mesidor, Miami (FL)
DE | 6’3″ | 259 lbs | 6th Year
Akheem Mesidor Scouting Report
Akheem Mesidor was one of the most productive edge rushers in college football this past season thanks to an impressive mix of power, athleticism, and pass rushing moves. The 6th year player played 65 collegiate games, and was an immediate high level contributor to open his college career at West Virginia.
Mesidor has really good quickness around the edge with the ability to convert speed to power or win with a finesse move. He does a great job of maintaining vision on the quarterback as well as countering offensive linemen to win leverage. He’s effective against the run and has a strong build that allows him to effectively set the edge and stay in his gap. The overall athletic profile is good, and he’ll show solid bend around the edge.
The biggest issue for Mesidor is going to be his age. He’ll be a 25 year old rookie, and by the time his second contract comes around he’ll be at the age where most players are on a downward trajectory. He also has a bit of a tweener frame, with somewhat short arms and a shorter height than normal.
Akheem Mesidor 2025 Stats
15 games: 63 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 4 fumbles forced
4. Zion Young, Missouri
DE | 6’6″ | 262 lbs | 4th Year
Zion Young Scouting Report
Zion Young has steadily put himself on the radar as one of the more complete edge defenders in the 2026 class after breakout season for Missouri this year.
Young brings a well built frame, good length, and a solid overall athletic profile, winning more with strength, leverage, and effort than pure explosiveness. He does not have an especially quick first step, but he does a good job converting speed to power and working through contact once engaged. Young sets a firm edge in the run game, plays with discipline, and rarely takes snaps off, which shows up in his down to down consistency.
His pass rush production comes from persistence and hand usage rather than suddenness, wearing tackles down over the course of a game. He has continued to refine his technique and feel as a rusher each season. While his ceiling may be capped without elite burst, he projects as a dependable, high floor edge who can contribute early.
Zion Young 2025 Stats
13 games: 42 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 2 fumbles forced
5. TJ Parker, Clemson
DE | 6’3″ | 265 lbs | 3rd Year
TJ Parker Scouting Report
TJ Parker entered this season as one of the top prospects in the entire class, coming off an All-American sophomore season in 2024. Like a lot of other players in the class, the production fell off quite a bit this year.
Parker looks the part of an NFL edge rusher, with prototypical size and length and above average athletic traits. He plays with active hands and gets into the offensive lineman’s chest first, while displaying good physicality at the point of attack and showing the leg drive to disrupt the pocket or blow up run plays. He changes directions well and has quick feet for his size.
This past season Parker didn’t look quite as explosive off the line of scrimmage, and rarely would win early. His 2024 success relied so much on speed to power, and without the speed he doesn’t look nearly as impressive. NFL teams will have to decide which version of TJ Parker they think they’re getting.
TJ Parker 2025 Stats
12 games: 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 pass defended
6. Keldric Faulk, Auburn
DE | 6’6″ | 276 lbs | 3rd Year
Keldric Faulk Scouting Report
Keldric Faulk had a breakout season as a true sophomore in 2024, showcasing an impressive combination of length, strength, and athletic traits. His production was down this past season, but he played his best football in Auburn’s biggest games.
Faulk brings a long, athletic frame with a bit of burst off the line and plenty of physicality at the point of attack. When his timing is right, he shows the ability to win quickly and disrupt plays in the backfield, and plays with a strong motor. His size and quickness gives him the versatility to line up across the defensive line and hunt mismatches as a pass rusher.
While he’s a good athlete for his size, he doesn’t have quite as much twitch as you’d expect out of a 1st round edge rusher. The minimal production (2 sacks) will draw question from scouts, and his pass rush technique will still need to be refined quite a bit.
Keldric Faulk 2025 Stats
12 games: 29 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 passes defended
7. Malachi Lawrence, UCF
DE | 6’4″ | 253 lbs | 5th Year
Malachi Lawrence Scouting Report
Malachi Lawrence was probably the most underrated pass rusher in the nation this past year. His impact went far beyond what you see on the stat sheet, and he has all the tools to continue that success at the next level.
Lawrence has an abundance of pass rushing moves. He’s a tactician with his hands and is always ready with a counter move if he doesn’t win outright. He has a prototypical frame for an NFL defensive end with a good combination of size and length, plus a fast first step that showed up in his athletic testing.
He’ll need to improve multiple aspects of his game against the run if he’s going to see the field consistently in the NFL. He doesn’t set the edge as cleanly as you’d expect, and he is rarely making stops in the run game.
Malachi Lawrence 2025 Stats
12 games: 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 fumbles forced
8. Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
DE/OLB | 6’2″ | 250 lbs | 5th Year
Cashius Howell Scouting Report
After starting his college career at Bowling Green, Cashius Howell transferred to Texas A&M where he impressed in 2024. A year later he took his game to the next level, becoming the X-factor of one of the best defenses in college football.
Howell has the short area quickness you expect from a top pass rusher, with great flexibility to bend around the edge and accelerate around the corner. He has a refined pass rushing repertoire, showing the ability to win in a variety of ways. In a 3-4 scheme Howell can also provide value dropping back into coverage where he looks about as good as an off-ball linebacker. When he isn’t dropping back he’s also very active getting his hands up and batting down passes.
While he offers a ton to work with as a pass rusher, his slight frame and a lack of gap discipline causes him problems as a run defender. He has a lean build and minimal length which too often results in him being pulled out of the lane and allowing a big gap for the running back.
Cashius Howell 2025 Stats
13 games: 31 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 6 passes defended, 1 fumble forced
9. R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
DE | 6’2″ | 250 lbs | 4th Year
R Mason Thomas Scouting Report
R Mason Thomas is an extremely twitchy athlete who plays with a high motor and consistently wins on the edge. The 1st team All-SEC edge rusher is undersized, but requires a ton of attention from the defense due to his athleticism.
It’s easy to find R Mason Thomas on film. He moves like an NFL edge rusher, with an extremely quick acceleration, constantly high speed, and solid bend around the edge. He has a wide range of pass rush moves he can cycle, through, with the suddenness to turn speed into power and the body control to win with spin moves. He took a step forward as a run defender this past season, showing improved pad level and physicality to set the edge.
While the twitch will get everyone’s attention, Thomas will need to be more active finishing plays as a run defender and avoiding missed tackles. His lack of size and length is a part of that which won’t improve. His injury history will also cause some worry in NFL scouts. Despite nothing too major, he’s missed multiple games in 3 of his 4 college seasons. This includes multiple ankle injuries and a quad injury this past year.
R Mason Thomas 2025 Stats
10 games: 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 1 pass defended, 2 fumbles forced
10. Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
DE | 6’5″ | 256 lbs | 4th Year
Dani Dennis-Sutton Scouting Report
Dani Dennis-Sutton is a high floor defensive end with prototypical traits and a consistent all around playstyle. Having earned early playing time as a true freshman, Dennis-Sutton is one of the most experienced edge rushers in the class, with 55 games of experience. He’s produced at a very high level over the past two seasons, becoming known as one of the best pass rushers in the Big Ten while forcing a ton of fumbles.
Dani Dennis-Sutton plays with power, toughness, and grit. He does a good job of setting the edge, and uses his length well to separate and make a play in the run game. He has heavy hands and gets off his blocks very effectively, while having good eye discipline for hustle sacks or finding the ball carrier.
While his athleticism is decent, he isn’t super bendy around the edge and doesn’t usually when with speed. Most of his wins require him to use his length, and he won’t have the length advantage nearly as often in the NFL. His all-around game should still be good enough to earn snaps early, and if he can develop some counter moves he could become a very solid long term player.
Dani Dennis-Sutton 2025 Stats
12 games: 42 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 3 fumbles forced
Complete 2026 NFL Draft Edge Rusher Rankings
| RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | AGE | HT | WT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rueben Bain Jr. | Miami (FL) | 3rd | 6'2" | 263 |
| 2 | David Bailey | Texas Tech | 4th | 6'4" | 251 |
| 3 | Akheem Mesidor | Miami (FL) | 6th | 6'3" | 259 |
| 4 | Zion Young | Missouri | 4th | 6'6" | 262 |
| 5 | TJ Parker | Clemson | 3rd | 6'4" | 263 |
| 6 | Keldric Faulk | Auburn | 3rd | 6'6" | 276 |
| 7 | Malachi Lawrence | UCF | 5th | 6'4" | 253 |
| 8 | Cashius Howell | Texas A&M | 5th | 6'3" | 253 |
| 9 | R Mason Thomas | Oklahoma | 4th | 6'2" | 241 |
| 10 | Dani Dennis-Sutton | Penn State | 4th | 6'5" | 256 |
| 11 | Gabe Jacas | Illinois | 4th | 6'4" | 260 |
| 12 | Derrick Moore | Michigan | 4th | 6'4" | 255 |
| 13 | Keyron Crawford | Auburn | 4th | 6'4" | 253 |
| 14 | Romello Height | Texas Tech | 6th | 6'3" | 239 |
| 15 | Jaishawn Barham | Michigan | 4th | 6'4" | 240 |
| 16 | Caden Curry | Ohio State | 4th | 6'3" | 257 |
| 17 | Joshua Josephs | Tennessee | 4th | 6'3" | 242 |
| 18 | Mason Reiger | Wisconsin | 6th | 6'5" | 251 |
| 19 | Keyshawn James-Newby | New Mexico | 6th | 6'2" | 240 |
| 20 | Trey Moore | Texas | 5th | 6'2" | 243 |
| 21 | Vincent Anthony Jr. | Duke | 4th | 6'6" | 258 |
| 22 | Mikail Kamara | Indiana | 6th | 6'1" | 265 |
| 23 | Patrick Payton | LSU | 5th | 6'5" | 260 |
| 24 | Nadame Tucker | Western Michigan | 6th | 6'2" | 247 |
| 25 | Logan Fano | Utah | 4th | 6'5" | 257 |
| 26 | LT Overton | Alabama | 4th | 6'3" | 274 |
| 27 | Max Llewellyn | Iowa | 5th | 6'6" | 258 |
| 28 | Isaiah Smith | SMU | 4th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 29 | George Gumbs Jr. | Florida | 5th | 6'4" | 245 |
| 30 | Cian Slone | NC State | 5th | 6'3" | 239 |
| 31 | Eddie Walls III | Houston | 5th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 32 | Tyreak Sapp | Florida | 5th | 6'2" | 273 |
| 33 | Ethan Burke | Texas | 4th | 6'6" | 269 |
| 34 | Bryan Thomas Jr. | South Carolina | 4th | 6'1" | 245 |
| 35 | Quintayvious Hutchins | Boston College | 5th | 6'3" | 233 |
| 36 | Aidan Hubbard | Northwestern | 5th | 6'4" | 260 |
| 37 | Wesley Williams | Duke | 4th | 6'4" | 256 |
| 38 | Michael Heldman | Central Michigan | 5th | 6'4" | 265 |
| 39 | Nyjalik Kelly | UCF | 4th | 6'5" | 256 |
| 40 | Devean Deal | TCU | 5th | 6'4" | 255 |
| 41 | Anthony Lucas | USC | 4th | 6'6" | 256 |
| 42 | Stephen Daley | Indiana | 4th | 6'1" | 270 |
| 43 | Miles Capers | Vanderbilt | 5th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 44 | Cam Robertson | SMU | 4th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 45 | AJ Pena | Rhode Island | 4th | 6'2" | 245 |
| 46 | Mitchell Melton | Virginia | 6th | 6'4" | 255 |
| 47 | Jack Pyburn | LSU | 4th | 6'4" | 258 |
| 48 | Eric O'Neill | Rutgers | 5th | 6'3" | 250 |
| 49 | CJ Nunnally IV | Purdue | 5th | 6'3" | 240 |
| 50 | Marvin Jones Jr. | Oklahoma | 4th | 6'5" | 245 |
| 51 | Khordae Sydnor | Vanderbilt | 5th | 6'4" | 270 |
| 52 | Dasan McCullough | Nebraska | 4th | 6'5" | 235 |
| 53 | William Whitlow Jr. | Memphis | 5th | 6'2" | 260 |
| 54 | Sabastian Harsh | NC State | 6th | 6'3" | 250 |
| 55 | Tre Smith | Arizona | 5th | 6'5" | 270 |
| 56 | Arden Walker | Colorado | 5th | 6'3" | 250 |
| 57 | James Stewart | Tennessee State | 5th | 6'3" | 250 |
| 58 | Ben Bell | Virginia Tech | 6th | 6'2" | 255 |
| 59 | Nathan Voorhis | Ball State | 4th | 6'3" | 250 |
| 60 | Jimari Butler | LSU | 6th | 6'4" | 262 |
| 61 | Ricky Freymond | Western Colorado | 5th | 6'5" | 268 |
| 62 | Tyce Westland | Wyoming | 5th | 6'4" | 237 |
| 63 | CKelby Givens | Southern | 4th | 6'1" | 243 |
| 64 | Justin Wodtly | Arizona State | 6th | 6'2" | 260 |
| 65 | Dayon Hayes | Texas A&M | 6th | 6'3" | 265 |
| 66 | Ethan Hurkett | Iowa | 6th | 6'3" | 260 |
| 67 | Jordan Lawson | Louisiana | 6th | 6'4" | 237 |
| 68 | Cam'Ron Stewart | Temple | 5th | 6'5" | 250 |
| 69 | TJ Guy | Michigan | 5th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 70 | Kenneth Eiden IV | Montana State | 5th | 6'1" | 250 |
| 71 | Kris Trinidad | Old Dominion | 5th | 6'4" | 280 |
| 72 | Josh Celiscar | South Florida | 6th | 6'4" | 265 |
| 73 | Prince Dorbah | Arizona State | 6th | 6'2" | 240 |
| 74 | Dean Miller | Kansas | 5th | 6'5" | 240 |
| 75 | Wesley Bailey | Louisville | 6th | 6'5" | 255 |
| 76 | Elijah O'Neal | Arizona State | 5th | 6'4" | 260 |
| 77 | Keegan Davis | Florida International | 5th | 6'3" | 252 |
| 78 | Jimmori Robinson | West Virginia | 7th | 6'5" | 250 |
| 79 | Malick Sylla | Mississippi State | 4th | 6'6" | 245 |
| 80 | Demarcus Hendricks | Arkansas State | 6th | 6'2" | 245 |
| 81 | Jah-Marien Latham | Alabama | 6th | 6'3" | 260 |
| 82 | Robert Holtz | Gardner-Webb | 6th | 6'2" | 250 |
| 83 | Roy Williams | Northern Illinois | 4th | 6'6" | 255 |
| 84 | Malik McKinzie | Charleston Southern | 4th | 6'2" | 235 |
| 85 | Mo Westmoreland | Tulane | 6th | 6'2" | 250 |
| 86 | David Hoage | West Georgia | 7th | 6'2" | 244 |
| 87 | Phillip Lee | Arkansas | 5th | 6'4" | 240 |
| 88 | Daniel Rickert | Virginia | 6th | 6'2" | 230 |
| 89 | Bryce Cage | Grambling State | 5th | 6'5" | 270 |
| 90 | Noah Miles | Howard | 4th | 6'3" | 255 |
| 91 | Jacob Psyk | UC-Davis | 5th | 6'3" | 260 |
| 92 | Nikko Taylor | Oregon State | 5th | 6'5" | 265 |
| 93 | Chris Wright | Abilene Christian | 5th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 94 | Bradley Weaver | Rutgers | 5th | 6'4" | 263 |
| 95 | Malin White | Buffalo | 6th | 6'2" | 260 |
| 96 | Quincy Ivory | Jackson State | 5th | 6'3" | 240 |
| 97 | Xavier Holmes | James Madison | 5th | 6'3" | 240 |
| 98 | Korey Foreman | Fresno State | 6th | 6'4" | 235 |
| 99 | Tony Anyanwu | Rice | 6th | 6'2" | 250 |
| 100 | Luke Pirris | Navy | 4th | 6'4" | 220 |
| 101 | Kaghen Roach | Abilene Christian | 7th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 102 | Cody Stufflebean | Kansas State | 6th | 6'4" | 260 |
| 103 | Cazeem Moore | Virginia | 4th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 104 | Matt Spatny | Lehigh | 4th | 6'2" | 250 |
| 105 | Michael Lunz II | South Carolina State | 5th | 6'3" | 245 |
| 106 | Leon Lowery | Illinois | 6th | 6'3" | 255 |
| 107 | Christopher Eaton Jr. | Sam Houston State | 6th | 6'2" | 253 |
| 108 | Jordan Botelho | Notre Dame | 6th | 6'3" | 250 |
| 109 | Owen Ostroski | Northern Iowa | 5th | 6'2" | 265 |
| 110 | Kalil Alexander | Texas State | 6th | 6'3" | 225 |
| 111 | Clayton Smith | Arizona State | 5th | 6'4" | 240 |
| 112 | Kam Olds | Kentucky | 4th | 6'4" | 255 |
| 113 | Ethan Hassler | Arkansas State | 5th | 6'2" | 245 |
| 114 | Kevin Abrams-Verwayne | Appalachian State | 6th | 6'3" | 245 |
| 115 | Malachi Cooper | San Diego | 5th | 6'5" | 287 |
| 116 | Aaron Austin | Stephen F. Austin | 4th | 6'3" | 245 |
| 117 | Warren Robinson | Grambling State | 6th | 6'2" | 255 |
| 118 | Corey Walker | Wisconsin | 5th | 6'5" | 290 |
| 119 | Israel Nwokocha | Benedict | 5th | 6'2" | 250 |
| 120 | Jamal Jones | Bowie State | 5th | 6'2" | 240 |
| 121 | Chris Murray | Auburn | 5th | 6'3" | 255 |
| 122 | Angelo Anderson | Tarleton State | 6th | 6'3" | 265 |
| 123 | Anthony Dunn Jr. | Toledo | 4th | 6'4" | 260 |
| 124 | Tamatoa McDonough | Iowa State | 5th | 6'5" | 255 |
| 125 | Michael Shimek | Ashland | 4th | 6'1" | 248 |
| 126 | Bryan Whitehead | Arkansas State | 5th | 6'1" | 265 |
| 127 | Kershawn Fisher | Western Michigan | 6th | 6'2" | 241 |
| 128 | Hunter Parsons | Montana State | 5th | 6'4" | 245 |
| 129 | Finn Claypool | Fresno State | 5th | 6'0" | 246 |
| 130 | Brett Karhu | New Mexico | 4th | 6'1" | 225 |
| 131 | Deamontae Diggs | Florida State | 6th | 6'5" | 250 |
| 132 | Smith Vilbert | North Carolina | 7th | 6'6" | 289 |
| 133 | Charles Esters III | Texas Tech | 5th | 6'3" | 270 |
| 134 | Ashaad Hall | UTEP | 4th | 6'3" | 244 |
| 135 | Shawn Robinson | Fayetteville State | 5th | 6'3" | 245 |
| 136 | Dominick Williams | East Texas Baptist | 4th | 6'7" | 235 |
| 137 | Conroy Cunningham | Samford | 7th | 6'3" | 260 |
| 138 | Braden Mullen | Charlotte | 5th | 6'4" | 240 |
| 139 | Rico Watson III | South Florida | 7th | 6'0" | 235 |
| 140 | Thomas Davis | Appalachian State | 5th | 6'2" | 235 |
| 141 | Chris Davis Jr. | ETSU | 5th | 6'3" | 235 |
| 142 | James Djonkam | Virginia Tech | 5th | 6'2" | 260 |
| 143 | Thomas Ibrahim | Southeastern (FL) | 5th | 6'3" | 255 |
| 144 | Richie Hagarty | Northwestern | 7th | 6'3" | 245 |
| 145 | Keanu Koht | Vanderbilt | 5th | 6'4" | 240 |
| 146 | Yasir Holmes | Tarleton State | 5th | 6'4" | 240 |
| 147 | Tajay Passmore | Lindenwood | 6th | 6'3" | 255 |
| 148 | JaQues Evans | Colorado State | 6th | 6'2" | 250 |
| 149 | Briceon Hayes | North Texas | 5th | 6'3" | 230 |
| 150 | Malik Gucake | Prairie View A&M | 4th | 6'3" | 250 |
| 151 | Samuel Dankah | East Carolina | 4th | 6'5" | 204 |
| 152 | Hunter Peck | Montana | 5th | 6'2" | 245 |
| 153 | Jackson Filer | Grand View | 5th | 6'3" | 245 |
| 154 | Max Van Landingham | Northern State | 6th | 6'4" | 265 |
| 155 | Michael Akins | Texas Southern | 5th | 6'2" | 255 |
| 156 | Chisom Ifeanyi | Wyoming | 7th | 6'4" | 245 |
| 157 | Lando Brown | Southern Utah | 5th | 5'11" | 215 |
| 158 | Anthonie Cooper | Arizona State | 7th | 6'2" | 265 |
| 159 | Charlie Parks | Saskatchewan | 4th | 6'4" | 222 |
| 160 | Jackie Johnson III | Hawaii | 5th | 6'0" | 245 |
| 161 | Nate Temple | Pittsburgh | 7th | 6'4" | 245 |
| 162 | DQ Watkins | LIU | 5th | 6'3" | 270 |
| 163 | Ejike Adele | Rice | 5th | 6'2" | 270 |
| 164 | Reggie Grimes II | Memphis | 6th | 6'4" | 275 |
| 165 | Mattheus Carroll | Kent State | 5th | 6'4" | 242 |
| 166 | Tim Alderman | North Carolina A&T | 6th | 6'3" | 230 |
| 167 | Emmanuel Olaitan | Reinhardt | 4th | 6'1" | 265 |
| 168 | Miles Mitchell | Purdue | 4th | 6'4" | 250 |
| 169 | Peter Johanik | Wheaton (IL) | 4th | 6'1" | 230 |
| 170 | Tindell Frick | Assumption | 4th | 6'3" | 260 |
| 171 | Cam'ron Willis | Idaho State | 4th | 6'0" | 220 |
| 172 | Jeremy Walton | SE Missouri State | 5th | 6'1" | 250 |
| 173 | AJ Knox | Siena Heights | 5th | 6'3" | 240 |
| 174 | Maurice LaPierre | Tennessee Tech | 4th | 6'1" | 230 |
| 175 | Corey Floyd Jr. | Ottawa (AZ) | 4th | 6'4" | 235 |
| 176 | Makai McCall | NC Central | 6th | 6'4" | 203 |
| 177 | Joshua Randall | SE Louisiana | 5th | 6'2" | 205 |
| 178 | Zach Myers | Evangel | 5th | 6'2" | 225 |
| 179 | Dominic Harris | Defiance | 4th | 6'1" | 220 |
| 180 | Jordan Crawford | Texas Wesleyan | 6th | 6'1" | 260 |
| 181 | Keith Conley Jr. | UNLV | 7th | 6'2" | 255 |
| 182 | Colby Taylor | West Florida | 6th | 6'2" | 255 |
| 183 | Osasare Odemwingie | Calgary | 4th | 6'0" | 220 |
| 184 | Keelan Cox | Sam Houston State | 6th | 6'4" | 240 |
| 185 | Charlie Boucher | St. Thomas | 4th | 6'2" | 245 |
| 186 | Aden Wiser | Cortland | 4th | 6'2" | 240 |
MORE NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
Traits That Make an Edge Rusher Prospect Great
Edge rusher is likely the most important position in the game outside of quarterback. Being an elite edge rusher prospect requires a rare blend of elite physical traits. Quickness, bend, arm length, and strength are just a few of these traits.
Some of the factors we consider when scouting are included below.
Flexibility
No edge rusher is going to be highly touted if they aren’t good at bending around the edge, quickly flipping their hips, staying on their toes, and redirecting to chase down ball carriers. Edge rushers need to react quickly and remain coordinated, while having the uncoachable traits to beat tackles 1-on-1.
Burst
Having a quick yet powerful burst off the line of scrimmage is vital for pass rushers. If you’re able to beat the offensive lineman to his spot, you’ll get in the backfield consistently and disrupt a lot of plays. Having a burst is a lot more than just playing with a high motor, you need innate athletic talent.
Power
Being an edge rusher isn’t all about the pass rush, it’s also about setting the edge in the run game. For that, you need a lot of power. Holding up against double teams blocks from offensive linemen who are bigger than you, or even pushing them into the backfield to disrupt running lanes is a top trait for defensive ends and outside linebackers.
Length
A big part of being an edge rusher is disrupting plays even if you aren’t making a tackle for loss. Length is the best way to do that. It will help setting the edge, knocking down passes at the line of scrimmage, and slowing down or tackling running backs through a tight lane.
2026 Edge Draft Prospects FAQs
Who is the best edge rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Rueben Bain Jr. is the best true edge rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft. NFL scouts will make sure you know he has short arms, but everything else is phenomenal. He plays with strength, speed, intensity, and refined technique. He’s dominated throughout his career and should be ready to contribute on day 1.
How good is the edge rusher draft class in 2026?
The 2026 edge rusher draft class is good at the top, and still really soid in the middle rounds. Following a strong class in 2025, this group is led by a large number of rising juniors who dominated as sophomores when they weren’t yet draft eligible. The addition of breakout stars like Cashius Howell and Zion Young help take the class to the next level.
