By Charlie Campbell.
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This page was last updated March 30, 2022. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
Position Review: Edge Defenders
Defensive End Class
Early-round talent: A-
Mid-round: B+
Late-round: A-
Overall grade: A-
Merging the 2022 and 2021 prospects
Aidan Hutchinson
Travon Walker
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Zaven Collins
Jaelen Phillips
George Karlaftis
Kwity Paye
Jermaine Johnson
Payton Turner
Gregory Rousseau
Odafe Oweh
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Arnold Ebiketie
Azeez Ojulari
Drake Jackson
David Ojabo
Just to be clear this article and series is all my opinion based off my own study and 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.
The past three straight drafts where were not an especially strong in terms of edge rushers, but the 2022 NFL Draft comes along and provides an excellent group of pass rushers and defenders for the next level. This year’s class could have at least five edge defenders selected in the first round and present good value picks for Day 2 and 3. The 2022 NFL Draft has more talent on every day than last year did.
If you were to merge the two classes together, the 2022 group would still yield the top three edge rushers off the board in Hutchinson, Walker and Thibodeaux. George Karlafatis is on a par with Zaven Collins, Jaelen Phillips and Kwity Paye as a mid-teens to early 20s-caliber player. Jermaine Johnson could be in that group as well and is better than last year’s crop of late first-round picks in Payton Turner, Gregory Rousseau, Odafe Oweh and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Arnold Ebiketie is similar to Oweh and on a par with Azeez Ojulari as an early second-rounder. Drake Jackson is a second-round-caliber prospect as well. David Ojabo would have been above Zaven Collins and behind Kayvon Thibodeaux if it weren’t for the torn Achilles he suffered at the Michigan pro day.
Safest Pick: Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
Previous Picks:
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: Bjoern Werner, Dion Jordan
Looking back at the previous picks, I’m pretty strong. All of the players panned out except for the 2013 tandem in that horrible draft class, which had many first-round busts.
This was an easy choice because Hutchinson is one of the safer prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, and that is why he is a top contender to go No. 1 overall. Hutchinson has good size, speed, athleticism, and advanced technique. He plays hard and has very good instincts. While Hutchinson may not have the skill set of Chase Young, the Bosa brothers, Myles Garrett or Jadeveon Clowney, Hutchinson is a natural football player. Sources from a number of NFL teams feel that while Hutchinson may not be a grand slam, he is safe enough to be akin to a solid double or triple.
Biggest Bust Potential: Amaré Barno, Virginia Tech
Previous Picks:
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
Overall, I have a good track record here as none of these players turned into a standout pro.
This was a tough choice because none of the first-round edge rushers for the 2022 NFL Draft look they have dangerous bust potential. Barno has received some early-round projections, and his ultra-fast 40 at the combine caused more hype about him going in the first round. Barno, however, must get stronger because his run defense is a liability, and his pass rush was not as impressive in 2021 compared to 2020. A team could reach on Barno in the second round, and it would not surprise me if he gets overdrafted and ends up being a disappointment.
Defensive End Rankings by Attributes
Pass Rush:
NFL prototype: T.J. Watt, Steelers
- Aidan Hutchinson
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
- Jermaine Johnson
- Travon Walker
- George Karlaftis
- Arnold Ebiketie
- David Ojabo
- Drake Jackson
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.
Hutchinson is a beast of a pass rusher. Off the ball, he has solid quickness to fire out of his stance to get upfield, but what makes him really special is his ability to get off blocks. Hutchinson has excellent hand usage and upper body strength to get offensive linemen hands off of him and push them away to get free of blockers. When he’s free, Hutchinson has a burst to close, and with his big frame, he is an imposing figure who rattles quarterbacks. Hutchinson’s length keeps blockers from getting into his chest, and he has quick feet to cut to the inside or outside. With some developed moves, Hutchinson has a nice rush plan and sets up tackles well. He also has good vision, intelligence, and recognition skills, which led to him batting down a lot of passes or redirecting to chase a scrambling quarterback. Even though Hutchinson did produce big sack totals prior to his senior year in college, it would not be a surprise if he puts up good sack totals consistently during his NFL career.
Thibodeaux has a good burst off the ball to work upfield and a first-step that often makes him the first player out of his stance from either line. Offensive tackles can be surprised at how quick he gets off the snap. Thibodeaux has enough speed to turn the corner and is able to close on the quarterback. Thibodeaux is not a blinding speed rusher like a Von Miller or Brian Burns who just blows by tackles, so he does not have elite speed, but he is plenty quick enough to get wins with his power.
Johnson is dangerous pass rusher. He has nice club move, using his strength to knock offensive tackles off balance. Once he has them on his heels, he uses a burst to fire by blockers and shows real quickness to close on the quarterback. With quality technique, Johnson shows a nice ability to actively use his hands and feet at the same time. Johnson is not blindingly fast off the edge, but he has enough quickness to give tackles problems with his speed.
Against the pass, Walker is a versatile and capable rusher. He has surprising speed, athleticism, agility, and explosion for a thick-bodied defensive lineman. Walker shows explosives in his burst to close when he gets free. With natural power, Walker can bull rush through tackles or guards, rolling them back to the quarterback. Walker also has quality vision, recognition, and ability to adjust to quarterbacks.
In the pass rush, Karlaftis shows some natural ability to put heat on the quarterback. Using active hands and some functional strength, Karlaftis does a nice job of shedding blocks to get free to the signal-caller. Karlaftis has an impressive arm-over move that he uses to disengage offensive tackles, and when Karlaftis gets loose, he has a burst to close. Karlaftis uses active hands in conjunction with his feet, and that makes it difficult for tackles to sustain blocks against him. Karlaftis also has the size, functional strength, and athleticism to slide to the inside and rush as a tackle in the sub package. To get the better of pro offensive tackles, Karlaftis should continue to add and refine his pass-rushing moves.
Ebiketie has the speed and strength to be a challenge for NFL offensive tackles. As a pass rusher, Ebiketie can burn tackles with a speed rush and also is strong enough to fight them off with his hands. After his quick first-step to get upfield, Ebiketie uses his hands and feet at the same time nicely, also displaying the agility to redirect to the inside or sink his hips while running the loop on the outside. Ebiketie has an excellent rip move with natural leverage. After staying low and maintaining good position while charging upfield, Ebiketie rips with his inside arm to keep tackles from getting a hold of him to finish off his rush. Ebiketie is also dangerous working to the inside, and he has excellent closing speed to eat up space in blur. Ebiketie has the potential to be a very good pass rusher as a pro.
For the NFL, Ojabo has the speed and strength to be a tough battle for offensive tackles. As a pass rusher, Ojabo can burn tackles with a speed and he is explosive off the ball. Ojabo uses his hands and feet at the same, showing the ability to translate speed to power. He flashes the agility to redirect to the inside or sink his hips while running the loop on the outside. Ojabo also is superb at slapping at the ball while taking the quarterback down. His natural instincts to go for the strip sack are phenomenal. It would help Ojabo to improve his hand usage because he can occasionally struggle to get tackles hands off of him. Given the skill set of pro tackles, Ojabo could use more refinement with his pass-rushing moves to have more options for remaining an effective attacker.
As a pass rusher, Jackson has talent and upside to improve as he gains experience. He has good size to take on tackles and an impressive burst to close on the quarterback. Jackson’s quickness helps him do a nice job of darting to the inside, and he shows a quality rip move to work the inside shoulder of offensive tackles. Jackson is not a pure speed demon off the edge, and he needs to improve his get-off for the pros. He is not the first defender to get upfield off the ball, so improving there will help him to be a more effective rusher in the NFL. Along with improving his first-step, Jackson should continue to refine his pass-rushing moves.
Run Defense:
NFL prototype: Jadeveon Clowney, Free Agent
- Travon Walker
- Jermaine Johnson
- David Ojabo
- Aidan Hutchinson
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
- Drake Jackson
- George Karlaftis
- Arnold Ebiketie
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. This class features two excellent run defenders in Travon Walker and Jermaine Johnson.
Walker is very strong and physical at the point of attack against the run. He uses his strength and length to take on blocks while being very reliable to hold his gap. There is no doubt that Walker has developed strength, as he is adept at shedding blocks to flow to the ball for stops or disruption. Walker gives superb effort in both phases and always is flowing to the ball. Immediately in the NFL, Walker will be a plus run defender as a defensive end.
Johnson is a real presence in run defense, using his length to stand up blockers and then his strength to shed them. He can quickly flow to the ball thanks to his speed, arriving in time to get in on tackles. In college, Johnson showed more desire and “want to” than many edge defenders, who seem more consumed with rushing the quarterback. Johnson is a physical defender who battles blockers and puts ball-carriers into the turf hard. Johnson is dangerous to fight off blocks and fire into the backfield to notch tackles for a loss.
Ojabo is also a decent run defender considering he weighs less than 260 pounds. He flashes the ability to get off blocks and flow to the ball-carrier. For the NFL, Ojabo could stand to improve at defending downhill runs coming straight at him.
In the ground game, Hutchinson is sufficient. He wants to win with suddenness and athletic ability to knife through with moving and slanting. As a run defender, he can find the ball and use his quickness and athletic ability to make plays. He can struggle, however, when runs come downhill straight at him, and that is the major area for improvement for Hutchinson in the NFL, especially considering pro tackles are bigger, stronger, and physical than what Hutchinson saw in college.
Thibodeaux can hold his ground against the run and keep offensive tackles from driving him off the ball. While Thibodeaux is not an overwhelming force as a run defender, he will solidly hold his gap and not get blown off the ball. On many plays, Thibodeaux can fight off his blocker and pursue to the ball. There were also flashes where he would fire into the backfield or cut around the line to make a tackle for a loss or at the line of scrimmage. He also clearly takes some plays off as a run defender.
In the ground game, Jackson needs to show improvement for the pro game. As a sophomore, there were times when he looked like he was doing the minimum and seemingly disinterested. Johnson, however, looked better as a junior, playing harder and showing more effort. He flashes the ability to be a quality run stuffer, but has to get better at stacking his block, shedding the offensive lineman, and flowing to the ball.
Karlaftis is an odd and interesting prospect. While he has the strength to shed blocks as a pass rusher, it doesn’t translate to the ground game. It was peculiar to some team sources, but for the NFL, Karlaftis needs to get stronger because he can get moved around and pushed out of his gap. He gives effort to flow to the ball, but holding his ground against bigger offensive tackles is going to be an issue. As a run defender, Karlaftis has room for improvement.
Ebiketie could stand to improve as a run defender, and he can get covered up by some offensive tackles. That is not surprising considering his lack of height, length and weight. As a pro, he could get rotated out a fair amount in running situations.
Motor:
NFL prototype: J.J. Watt, Cardinals
- Aidan Hutchinson
- Travon Walker
- Jermaine Johnson
- George Karlaftis
- Arnold Ebiketie
- David Ojabo
- Drake Jackson
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
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 this group whose motor is lacking is Thibodeaux.
Hutchinson was a relentless pass rusher for Michigan, and he was able to create some of his sacks off of a second effort to go along with his great physical talent. Walker has an excellent motor, never taking plays off. Ditto for Johnson and Karlaftis, who never quit on a play and go through the whistle. Those prospects all really stand out for having good motors.
Ebiketie, Ojabo and Jackson all give quality effort. None of them are bad, but they all can have stretches where they can get quiet. Thibodeaux turned it on and off in 2021, and it was clear that he was taking some plays off.
Forcing Fumbles:
NFL prototype: Chandler Jones, Raiders
- David Ojabo
- Arnold Ebiketie
- Aidan Hutchinson
- George Karlaftis
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
- Jermaine Johnson
- Drake Jackson
- Travon Walker
Recap: The art of a strip sack is a great equalizer in the NFL. Strip sacks can change games and make a big impact on the scoreboard. Ojabo is the clear leader in this category, having notched five forced fumbles in 2021. Ojabo is superb at slapping at the ball while taking the quarterback down. His natural instincts to go for the strip sack are phenomenal.
Ebiketie is a tick behind, but does a really nice job of this as well. Over his past two seasons, Ebiketie produced five forced fumbles and showed good instincts to go for the ball. Hutchinson notched four forced fumbles over the past few seasons, and he was cognizant to go for the strip sack.
Karlaftis notched two forced fumbles for Purdue last year, one the year before, and came close to more. He is aware of going for the strip when he gets close to the quarterback. Thibodeaux and Johnson showed some potential with two forced fumbles each last year. Johnson came close to a few others.
Drake Jackson had one forced fumble in 2021, and Walker had one in 2020. Each could stand to improve their emphasis to go for the strip when they get to the quarterback.
Strength:
NFL prototype: J.J. Watt, Cardinals
- Travon Walker
- Jermaine Johnson
- David Ojabo
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
- Aidan Hutchinson
- Drake Jackson
- George Karlaftis
- Arnold Ebiketie
Recap: Walker is a blue-collar type who is very strong at the point of attack. He can get physical and push offensive linemen thanks to his developed upper body with heavy hands that are ready for the next level.
Johnson and Ojabo already have NFL strength with shock in their hands to disengage from blocks. They both are strong ends who can set a physical edge.
Thibodeaux is strong and doesn’t get pushed around. He has functional strength that could further improve as he develops in a pro strength and conditioning program. Hutchinson possesses quality strength, but he could stand to add more power to handle downhill runs coming straight at him. Jackson, Karlaftis and Ebiketie all could stand to get stronger for the NFL.
Versatility:
NFL prototype: Chandler Jones, Raiders
- Travon Walker
- Aidan Hutchinson
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
- David Ojabo
- Arnold Ebiketie
- Drake Jackson
- Jermaine Johnson
- George Karlaftis
Recap: Defensive coordinators love versatility. Edge defenders who drop in coverage and play in space are in demand. Coaches also like defensive ends who can move inside to defensive tackle on passing downs. This class of edge rushers features a lot of versatility prospects.
Walker is by far the most versatile of this group. He made big plays for Georgia in 2021, lining up all over the defensive front, playing base end, moving inside to rush over guards, and dropping into pass coverage as a linebacker. Here are the thoughts of an area scout on Walker, “He is one of my favorites. He’s completely untapped and he can play anywhere on the defensive line in any scheme. He’s my favorite of this defensive line class. He’s already a very good player, relentless, and still has huge upside. Walker can drop 10 pounds and be Cam Jordan, or gain 15 pounds and play DeForest Buckner.”
Hutchinson, Thibodeaux, Ojabo, Ebiketie and Jackson have the versatility where they could be a 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end. Hutchinson has an edge over them in that he could line up on the inside in the sub package.
Johnson looks like a base end in a 4-3 defense, but looked better than expected dropping into coverage in the drills at the combine. Karlaftis is similar where he probably is more of a base end, but could have the ability to stand up and play in space.
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