The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the edge position.
The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dale's First Look
1. Abdul Carter, Penn State, 6-3 6/8, 250
2. Mike Green, Marshall, 6-3 1/8, 251 lbs.
3. Mykel Williams, Georgia, 6-5 ⅛, 260 lbs.
4. James Pearce, Tennessee, 6-5 ¼, 245 lbs.
5. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M, 6-5, 267 lbs.
Dale's Second Look
1. Abdul Carter, Penn State, 6-3 6/8, 250
2. Mike Green, Marshall, 6-3 1/8, 251 lbs.
3. Mykel Williams, Georgia, 6-5 ⅛, 260 lbs.
4. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M, 6-5, 267 lbs.
5. Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College, 6-2 ½, 248 lbs.
Dale's Thoughts: I bumped James Pearce out of my top five and moved Donovan Ezeiruaku in based on his wide variety of pass rush moves and production. … Stewart is the exact opposite of players such as Green and Ezeiruaku in that he is nearly completely lacking in production with 4.5 sacks in three seasons. But he's got the height-weight-speed combination that is tantalizing. It might take some time for that to show itself on the field – or it might never happen. … Carter's foot injury that was revealed at the Combine is concerning, but he's an outstanding prospect and should still go early. … Many analysts include Georgia's Jalon Walker with the edge rushers, but at 6-foot-1, 243 pounds, he's undersized. He also was utilized off the ball at Georgia, so I view him as an inside linebacker with edge rushing capability. But he might struggle as a full-time edge rusher. … The position is deep this season, with good depth into Day 3. That includes some interesting players such as big edge rushers such as LSU's Sai'vion Jones (6-5, 283 lbs.), SMU's Elijah Roberts (6-3, 285 lbs.), Georgia's Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (6-5, 276 lbs) and BYU's Tyler Batty (6-6, 271 lbs.) offering some flexibility as potential 3-4 defensive ends, as well. That group might be attractive late for a team that takes advantage of good depth at the nose tackle position looking to add a combo edge rusher.
Matt's First Look
1. Abdul Carter, Penn State, 6-3, 250 lbs.
2. Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-1, 243 lbs.
3. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M, 6-5, 267 lbs.
4. Mike Green, Marshall, 6-3 1/8, 251 lbs.
5. Mykel Williams, Georgia, 6-5 1/8, 260 lbs.
Matt's Second Look
1. Abdul Carter, Penn State, 6-3, 250 lbs.
2. Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-1, 243 lbs.
3. Mike Green, Marshall, 6-3 1/8, 251 lbs.
4. Mykel Williams, Georgia, 6-5 1/8, 260 lbs.
5. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M, 6-5, 267 lbs.
Matt's Thoughts: Stewart bumps down a few spots simply because his lack of sack production is just pretty alarming. That couldn't be further from the case for Green. … As is the case with the defensive tackles in this draft, the edge class is also just loaded with potential first rounders, exciting day two players, and great depth. … Case in point: Boston College's Donovan Ezeiruaku and Tennessee's James Pierce couldn't make this list. Both would be easy top five players at this position in nearly any other year. … Digging a little deeper, LSU has a pair of really interesting, yet quite different, guys that could hear their names called as early as the third round. Bradyn Swinson is more of the typical 3-4 outside linebacker type. He runs very well and is best attacking the outside shoulder of an offensive tackle. On the other hand, his teammate, Sai'vion Jones is much bigger with a large wingspan. It is a bit of a projection, but Jones could conceivably project as a 3-4 defensive end or at least an interior pass-rusher on throwing downs. … Stewart's teammate at Texas A&M, Nic Scourton, is also a very interesting case. Scourton was a wrecking machine off the edge at Purdue, transferred to A&M, put on weight and bulk, and his production dried up. Surely adding the weight was a request at his new university, but Scourton was wide to shed some pounds for the Combine and highlight the explosiveness he displayed with the Boilermakers. He best projects as an every down 4-3 base end and could hear his name called very early on Friday.
Mike's First Look
1. Abdul Carter, Penn State, 6-3, 250 lbs.
2. Mike Green, Marshall, 6-3 1/8, 251 lbs.
3. Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-1, 243 lbs.
4. Mykel Williams, Georgia, 6-5 1/8, 260 lbs.
5. James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 245 lbs.
Mike's Second Look
1. Abdul Carter, Penn State, 6-3, 250 lbs.
2. Mike Green, Marshall, 6-3 1/8, 251 lbs.
3. Mykel Williams, Georgia, 6-5 1/8, 260 lbs.
4. James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 245 lbs.
5. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M (6-5, 267 lbs.)
Mike's Thoughts: Georgia's Jalon Walker (6-1, 243 lbs.), a player who can line up in multiple positions, is reclassified as an inside linebacker, after further review. That leaves a Top 5 spot at edge for Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart (6-5, 267 lbs.), an athletic freak whose upside far surpasses his production. While still developing, Stewart, who turned 21 in November, has already drawn comparisons with Myles Garrett … UCLA's Oluwafemi Oladejo (6-2 3/4, 261 lbs.) is heading in the opposite direction of Walker. Oledejo's move from off-the-ball linebacker to the edge in 2024 suggested tremendous untapped potential in the Cal transfer, as did his performance during Senior Bowl Week … Landon Jackson (6-6, 264 lbs.) of Arkansas seemingly never stopped impressing at the NFL Scouting Combine. Jackson's vertical leap of 40 1/2 inches came up a half inch shy of Mario Williams (first overall in 2006) and one inch less than Garrett (first overall in 2017), the best efforts such that have been recorded in Indianapolis by a defensive linemen who weighed 260 or more pounds … Boston College's Donovan Ezeiruaku (6-2 1/8, 248 lbs.) has a "body type that's perfect for a pass rusher," in NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah's estimation. As Jeremiah explained it, leverage plus length equals nightmare for pass protectors … Ohio State's Jack Sawyer (6-5, 260 lbs.) established himself as a leader and a player who rose to the occasion during the Buckeyes' run to the national championship. "I kept writing down 'rugged,'" Jeremiah noted of his Sawyer evaluation … Sawyer's Ohio State teammate, JT Tuimoloau (6-5, 265 lbs.), for some reason seemingly hasn't generated an appropriate amount of pre-draft buzz. Seems curious in the wake of Tuimoloau's 10 tackles for a loss, six-and-a-half sacks and one forced fumble in four games in the College Football Playoff … Mississippi's Princely Umanmielen (6-3 3/4, 264 lbs.) reportedly didn't enter the draft last year because he felt he had something to prove. Then he went out and earned First-Team All-SEC honors in 2024 … David Walker (6-0 7/8, 263 lbs.) of Central Arkansas stood out at the Senior Bowl, which is what FCS players on the way to the NFL need to do against FBS competition. His 29.5 career sacks suggest he knows how to rush the passer … Texas A&M's Nic Scourton was also a First-Team All-SEC selection and the Defensive MVP for the Aggies in 2024. Scourton translated his power and length into 10 sacks in 2023 at Purdue … North Carolina's Kaimon Rucker (6-1 1/8, 266 lbs.) got then-Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy's attention. Nagy assessed Rucker as "a prototypical Steelers 3-4 outside linebacker." Rucker also has a fitting nickname, "Ruck the Butcher" … Virginia Tech's Antwaun Powell-Ryland (6-2 5/8, 258 lbs.) amassed 25.5 sacks the last two seasons. He had two four-sacks games in 2024 (against Old Dominion and Boston College) … South Carolina's Kyle Kennard (6-3 3/4, 248 lbs.) spent four seasons at Georgia Tech, then won the Nagurski Trophy (nation's best defender) and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in his lone season at South Carolina … Baylor's Steve Linton (6-5, 237 lbs.) is long and athletic. "He's someone that's gonna make a team and is gonna block kicks," Jeremiah suggested. "It's just a matter of finding him a home on regular downs but he can play special teams, he's gonna find a role there." … Mississippi's Jared Ivey (6-5 5/8, 283 lbs.) played two seasons at Georgia Tech before spending the last two at Ole Miss. He was perceived as a player on the rise after producing a combined 12.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024 … Fadil Diggs (6-4 3/8, 257 lbs.) spent four seasons at Texas A&M and one at Syracuse. He was a team captain at both stops, he plays with effort and he can run.
