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2025 NFL Draft Position Groups Breakdown: Edge Defenders

January 16, 2025 by Cat Scratch Reader

NFL: NFL Draft
Detroit Free Press-Imagn Images

As the 2025 NFL Draft inches closer, let’s dive deeper into each position group to see where the talent and depth are.

Now that the regular season is over, the Carolina Panthers are locked into the number eight overall pick of the first round. They also have the Los Angeles Rams’ second round pick (currently projected to be pick 57), their own third (74) and fourth (109), the Dallas Cowboys’ fourth (112), the New York Giants’ fifth (139), their own fifth (145), the Baltimore Ravens’ fifth (projected to be pick 163), and the Arizona Cardinals’ seventh (227). The exact number of some of these picks is subject to change based on playoffs results, and the Panthers could (and probably will) make trades involving these picks and/or obtaining others. Because the Panthers have picks in almost every round of the Draft, let’s take a deep dive into each of the position groups making up this year’s crop of players. Obviously some of these players could be listed at different positions depending on who you ask, so I tried to include realistic options for each position. For example, some edge defenders might be listed as defensive linemen on some sites. Today, we’ll look at the edge defenders.

High End Talent

This particular draft has a ton of high end edge talent, with up to eight players who could conceivably be taken on Day 1 of the Draft. The undisputed top prospect is Penn State Nittany Lions defender Abdul Carter, who might not even make it to pick eight for the Panthers. Other players who could crack the first round include James Pearce Jr of Tennessee, Mykel Williams of Georgia, Nic Scourton of Texas A&M, Jack Sawyer of Ohio State, Landon Jackson of Arkansas, Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M, Mike Green of Marshall, J.T. Tuimoloau of Ohio State, and Princely Umanmielen of Ole Miss.

Depth

Day 2 of the Draft could see some of those potential first rounders fall a bit. With such a high number of quality players, the depth is also quite strong in this position group. Getting into the second and third round, teams will have to pick a type of edge defender instead of getting an all around game breaker like some of the first rounders could be. Teams could go after immediate pass rush help like Josaiah Stewart of Michigan, Bradyn Swinson of LSU, or R Mason Thomas of Oklahoma. If teams prefer raw athleticism and upside, they could look to players like Kyle Kennard of South Carolina, Jordan Burch of Oregon, or L.T. Overton of Alabama.

Sleepers

The Draft always has players that will be drafted on Day 3 who immediately or eventually make huge impacts for their teams. Some of the sleepers to look at in this year’s edge class are Elijah Roberts of SMU, David Vann of NC State, and Tyreak Sapp of Florida. These players have either shown or are capable of positional flexibility. They also have great motors and the ability to play the run game. The versatility, motor, and run defense will potentially allow them to get more snaps early in their careers compared to the situational pass rushers later in the draft.

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