TBD
Edge Defender Class
Early-round talent: A-Mid-round: B+
Late-round: B
Overall grade: B+
2024 prospects vs 2025
Abdul CarterLaiatu Latu
Dallas Turner
Jared Verse
Jalon Walker
Mykel Williams
James Pearce Jr.
Chop Robinson
Darius Robinson
Shemar Stewart
Just to be clear, this article and series are all my opinion. I base my evaluation on my own film study and also on information I’ve gotten from general managers, directors of college scouting, national scouts, area scouts, and NFL coaches who know way more than I do.
I think Abdul Carter is a different type of player, but as a prospect he is in the ballpark of recent top-5 edge rushers like Travon Walker, Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Will Anderson. Carter is a better prospect than any of last year’s pass rushers. The 2024 edge rush class is not as deep as this year, but I do personally like Laitatu Latu, Dallas Turner, and Jared Verse more than this year’s most likely second-drafted edge rusher in Jalon Walker.
I like Mykel Williams and James Pearce Jr more than where I had Chop Robinson last year. I think Chop Robinson and Darius Robinson were better prospects last year than Shemar Stewart is this year.
Safest Pick: Abdul Carter, Penn State 
Previous Picks:2024 Dallas Turner
2023 Will Anderson
2022 Aidan Hutchinson
2021 Jaelen Phillips
2020 Chase Young
2019 Nick Bosa, Josh Allen
2018 Bradley Chubb, Tremaine Edmunds
2017 Myles Garrett
2016 Joey Bosa, DeForest Buckner
2015 Dante Fowler
2014 Jadeveon Clowney
2013 Bjöern Werner, Dion Jordan
This was an easy choice as Carter is my No. 1 rated prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft. Carter is extremely fast off the ball, and his rare explosiveness is even more dynamic with his ability to bend off the edge. Carter is a dangerous speed rusher off the edge, and he has the versatility to play Sam linebacker as well. Penn State lined him up inside the linebacker and rushed off the edge, so he already had experience moving around the defensive front. A number of team sources have Carter as the best prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft as well. In the NFL, I think Carter could be a Von Miller/Micah Parsons-style edge rusher.
Biggest Bust Potential: Mike Green, Marshall 
Previous Picks:2024 Bralen Trice
2023 Nolan Smith
2022 Amare Barno
2021 Gregory Rousseau
2020 Terrell Lewis
2019 Jachai Polite
2018 Arden Key, Lorenzo Carter
2017 Takk McKinley
2016 Kevin Dodd, Noah Spence
2015 Owa Odighizuwa, Randy Gregory
2014 Kareem Martin, Dee Ford
2013 Barkevious Mingo
This was a difficult choice because I see some boom/bust potential in Mike Green, Jalon Walker, Shemar Stewart, and James Pearce Jr. Pearce has character issues, Stewart is talented but extremely raw, and Walker is very undersized. Ultimately, I went with Green because he is undersized and a liability as a run defender. I could see him being held on the sideline when a run is possible and Green being used as a DPR (designated pass rusher) only. That will limit his playing time significantly. He also is a bit of a one-trick pony as a speed rusher, and has character concerns. Hence, I could see a few routes that lead to him not panning out.
Edge Defender Rankings by Attributes
Pass Rush:
NFL prototype: Micah Parsons, Cowboys
- Abdul Carter
- James Pearce Jr.
- Jalon Walker
- Mykel Williams
- Shemar Stewart
Recap: The NFL is a passing-driven league, and coaches will tell you that an elite pass-rusher is the most important position on the defensive side of the ball. Unless a team has a defensive tackle like the Rams’ Aaron Donald, it has to have edge rushers who can consistently pressure the quarterback.
In the pass rush, Carter is a dynamic quarterback hunter who is a lethal pass rusher off the edge. With a tremendous get-off, Carter has explosive speed off the edge as he fires off the ball with superb first-step quickness. Carter is extremely fast to blow by offensive tackles and get upfield to cause quick penetration into the pocket. Carter can beat tackles with sheer speed off the edge, as he is extremely fast. On top of being fast, Carter has a repertoire of moves with an impressive rip move, speed to power, and swim to the inside. He has functional upper body strength to shed blockers and is capable of using his hands and feet at the same time. Carter has excellent instincts and feel as a rusher, showing good play recognition to redirect and read plays well to know when he can fire off his landmark and hunt down the quarterback when he lines up as an off-the-ball linebacker. Carter is a tremendous pursuit defender who plays hard and packs a punch when he gets there. He is strong and physical and has the ability to take over and dominate football games.
For the NFL, Pearce is a pure speed rusher off the edge. He has a fast first step and instant acceleration to get upfield. If a tackle is slow out of his stance or is late to get depth in his pass set, Pearce is dangerous to produce a blow-by that gets to the quarterback in a blur. Pearce has the speed to turn the corner with quick twitch to dart to the inside when tackles overset to the outside. With smooth agility and explosion, Pearce has dangerous inside/outside speed rush potential. On plays where Pearce is blocked, he can redirect to chase down a scrambling quarterback, and Pearce will give a second effort. With his explosion and acceleration, Pearce flashed some speed-to-power potential occasionally last season. Pearce has the potential to be an impact player in the pass rush.
As a pass rusher, Walker is a mixed bag. He has some good traits that lead to him getting to the quarterback, but also some significant limitations for the NFL. On the negative side, Walker lacks length and has short arms. That leads to him having issues getting off blocks when offensive tackles get their hands on him. There is nothing that Walker can do about his size, so he is going to have to play well around it. Walker is more effective when he blitzes compared to when he lines up as a pass rusher, so that is a little concerning for the NFL as pro teams are adept at identifying blitzers. On the plus side, as a pass rusher, Walker plays really hard and tough. He has some burst off the ball with speed to get around the corner. He has a serious ability to close when he runs free. Walker has a good motor and doesn’t quit on plays with a relentless attitude.
In the pass rush, Williams has quickness off the ball and enough speed to turn the corner. He is an impressive power rusher who uses his length and strength to bullrush blockers backward into the pocket. At tackle or end, Williams can get into the chest of blockers and get them rolling in the wrong direction. Williams uses his length and strength to shed blocks and push defenders away. Williams also has quality vision, recognition, and ability to adjust to quarterbacks as they scramble in the pocket. Williams uses his hands and feet at the same time to battle blockers. While Williams did not have big sack totals in college, he has the ability to be more productive in the NFL.
As a pass rusher, Stewart is quick off the ball with impressive first-step quickness. Stewart has serious speed to fire upfield and a real burst to close. He has the speed to turn the corner and is able to run past offensive tackles with speed rushes. Stewart also has a powerful bull rush and speed-to-power ability to go through offensive linemen to get penetration into the pocket. While there is no doubt that Stewart is a physical freak with an excellent combination of height, weight, and speed, Stewart was an underachiever in college as he is a better athlete than a football player. Stewart lacks instincts as a player, has vision issues, and has struggled to finish some plays. All of those issues are seen in his career sack total of 4.5. With his speed, strength, and size, Stewart should have had some big seasons and multi-sack games in his career. Instead, he had zero big seasons of production despite being more talented than the players he was going against. Stewart is going to need to learn pass-rushing moves for the NFL, as he will not be able to win alone on being strong and fast.
Run Defense:
NFL prototype: Aidan Hutchinson, Lions
- Abdul Carter
- Mykel Williams
- Jalon Walker
- Shemar Stewart
- James Pearce Jr.
Recap: Defending the run isn’t as in demand as it used to be with NFL coaches, but they still watch it closely when evaluating prospects, and teams need some tough run defenders at the point of attack. They also are looking closely at the effort. This class features some quality run defenders.
As a run defender, Carter plays hard and is phenomenal in pursuit. He shows the strength to take on and shed blocks. He also demonstrated the ability to drop into pass coverage as a traditional off-the-ball linebacker. The only real knock on Carter is that he lacks the size to be a three-down base end in the NFL. At his size, he could have issues holding up as a run defender against offensive tackles that outweigh him 50-80 pounds. Carter will have to be a hybrid defender who plays some linebacker in base sets and lines up as an edge rusher in the subpackage. However, if used correctly, Carter should be an asset as a run defender.
As a run defender, Williams is strong at the point of attack with physicality and impressive instincts. He is strong to hold his ground against downhill runs coming straight at him. He can stuff running lanes and shed his block to pursue outside his gap. For the NFL, Williams is a quality run defender who should be an asset to his pro defense.
As a run defender, Walker plays hard and uses his speed and motor to track down ball carriers. He is a good pursuit-run defender who charges hard with some strength as a tackler. As a pro, he could have issues with defending runs coming downhill straight at him. Walker’s size and length make him a Sam linebacker as he lacks the size to be lining up directly over offensive tackles as a base end in potential run downs. Walker can only serve as an edge rusher in obvious passing situations. Thus, he has some scheme limitations.
As a run defender, Stewart has size and strength at the point of attack. He can hold his gap and stand-up blockers when runs are coming downhill straight at him. He needs to improve his vision and instincts to get in on more tackles. Stewart profiles as a potential power base end in a 4-3 defense that can help to limit rushing offenses.
In 2023, Pearce had some ugly moments in run defense. There were plays in the ground game where he got absolutely destroyed. Pearce got pushed back out of his gap and pancaked five yards downfield. However, in 2024, Pearce’s run defense was significantly improved. He was stronger to hold his ground, did a better job of not getting pushed out of his gap, and was more stout at the point of attack. Pearce’s run defense still needs work for the NFL, but he is on the right track to be at least average.
Motor:
NFL prototype: Maxx Crosby, Raiders
- Jalon Walker
- Abdul Carter
- Mykel Williams
- James Pearce Jr.
- Shemar Stewart
Recap: Prospects who show a lack of effort can get knocked quickly by coaches when they start evaluating players. Coaches have zero patience for players who dog it. Conversely, a great motor will help players who may be short on athletic ability. This draft class has a lot of good motors amongst the early-round prospects and the only player in the group that I would say there is not a single player that has a motor in need of improvement.
Walker and Carter have excellent motors and they play with relentless effort. Williams was consistent and had a steady motor in 2024. Pearce and Stewart can have some quiet stretches, but Pearce showed a better motor and effort last season.
Forcing Fumbles:
NFL prototype: Myles Garrett, Browns
- Abdul Carter
- Mykel Williams
- James Pearce Jr.
- Shemar Stewart
- Jalon Walker
Recap: The art of a strip sack is a great equalizer in the NFL. Strip sacks can change games and have a big impact on the scoreboard. Latu is the clear leader in this category, as he had five forced fumbles over the past two seasons. Latu is very cognizant to go for the strip when he gets the opportunity.
Carter was the best of this group at forcing fumbles, as he totaled four over the past two seasons. Pearce had three forced fumbles over the past two seasons, but he could stand to improve going for the strip when he is getting to the quarterback. Williams had two in 2024 despite missing time with an injury and Georgia deploying a heavy rotation. Stewart had one forced fumble last year, and Walker had zero. Both of them need to work on going for the strip.
Versatility:
NFL prototype: T.J. Watt, Steelers
- Abdul Carter
- Jalon Walker
- Shemar Stewart
- Mykel Williams
- James Pearce Jr.
Recap: Defensive coordinators love versatility. Edge defenders who drop in coverage and play in space are in demand. Coaches also like ends who can move inside to tackle on passing downs. This class of edge-rushers features a lot of versatility as a group.
This group is very versatile and can be lined up in a variety of places. Carter and Walker can play traditional linebacker as well as a rush off the edge. Carter is really good at linebacker, along with standing up over offensive tackles. Stewart is versatile to line up at end or tackle. Williams can kick inside some, as well. Pearce could play some outside linebacker as well as defensive end.
