This edge class might not have a blue chip prospect like Chase Young, Nick Bosa, or Myles Garrett, but it more than makes up for it with its depth. There is no position in this draft that can rival the depth at edge this season and there will be plus starters available well into day two. Here are my top 10 edges in the 2022 NFL Draft.
1. Aidan Hutchinson – Michigan (6-6, 260, Senior)
Pros: Possesses ideal size and athletic traits. Great initial explosiveness out of his stance that will challenge the depth of tackles’ sets. Knows how to convert this speed to power too, with a good bull rush. Smooth mover for his size, showing excellent lateral agility. Advanced hand usage with the ability to combo moves and counter based on the technique and positioning of his opponent. Outstanding production against top competition and his 74 pressures ranked second amongst draft-eligible prospects. Excellent run defender who controls blocks well.
Cons: His length doesn’t match his size and is below average for the position, which will see him struggle against longer-limbed tackles. Cornering quickness and ankle flexion are good but not particularly special. Not the most natural speed rusher and does rely a lot on his ability to employ inside counters. Suffered a broken leg in 2020 that caused him to miss the majority of the season.
Projection: 1st round
2. Kayvon Thibodeaux – Oregon (6-4, 254, Junior)
Pros: Very few edge rushers can match his quickness out of his stance, with explosiveness that is rare even by NFL standards. All-around athletic profile is excellent and Oregon even used him on occasion as an off-ball linebacker. Has an outstanding bull rush move and is maybe the best in the class at converting speed to power. Length is excellent and allows him to keep his chest clean whilst engaged. Very good against the run too, playing with good pad level and showing the ability to stack and shed.
Cons: Still not overly refined from a technical perspective and won most often off the back of his overwhelming physical advantage. His hand placement and timing is still a little erratic. Will need to diversify his pass rushing arsenal and improve his ability to counter as a pass rusher to reach his ceiling in the NFL. Could benefit from adding a little more lower body strength in order to stand in better against drive blocks.
Projection: 1st round
3. Travon Walker – Georgia (6-5, 272, Junior)
Pros: Genuinely rare combination of size and athleticism, running a 4.51 40 yard dash at 272 lbs. Changes direction and bends like a player 30 lbs lighter. Georgia even used him in coverage and he looked comfortable playing in space. Incredibly explosive in short areas and possesses outstanding length that allows him to control blocks with ease. Powerful hands and great strength allow him to be a huge asset in the running game, showing the ability to lock out and set the edge. Showed the ability to win from a variety of alignments at Georgia.
Cons: Didn’t really play a traditional edge role in college so there is a lot of projection involved. Production was subsequently mediocre as a pass rusher and he logged a pass rush win rate of just 10.1%, which ranked 292nd at the position. Needs to develop a more varied set of moves to win at the NFL level. Doesn’t show much in terms of counters and will get stuck on blockers if his initial plan of attack fails. Lacks ideal experience, with 2021 as his only season with more than 200 snaps.
Projection: 1st round
4. Jermaine Johnson – Florida State (6-4, 254, rs-Senior)
Pros: Refined technician as a pass rusher. Shows the ability to vary up his pass rushing plan depending on the situation and technique of his opponents. Has the short area quickness to win with speed off the edge and has the play strength to overwhelm his opponents with power. Prototypical NFL edge frame and good length, which he uses to his advantage to keep his chest clean. Really excellent run defender, with good lower body strength to hold his ground and the hand usage to set the edge consistently.
Cons: Hips can be a little tight when working the outside shoulder of opposing tackles and he does not have the best bend in the class. Hand usage is good but he does need to improve his speed at countering when his initial approach fails. Late bloomer at 23 years old and has a small sample size. Barely saw the field in two years with Georgia and his 2021 season at Florida State is his only one as a starter.
Projection: 1st round
5. George Karlaftis – Purdue (6-3, 266, Junior)
Pros: Excellent size that gives him the ability to work from a variety of alignments. Great power in his hands and is able to create a tonne of movement once he gets inside the frame of his opponent. Good athlete for his size and boasts good quickness out of his stance to challenge around the edge. Shows the ability to counter too. Hugely productive as a pass rusher, with 117 pressures on 834 pass rushing snaps. Outstanding motor and rarely takes plays off, averaging over 55 snaps per game in 2021.
Cons: Lacks ideal length for a player of his size. All the more concerning given his reliance on winning with power and the bull rush. This also caused issues against the run, where he isn’t as effective as you’d expect. Struggles to keep his chest free and has issues stacking and shedding. Not overly bendy either and lacks the ankle flexion to consistently flatten at the top of the arc as a speed rusher. Has some inconsistencies when it came to reading the run too.
Projection: 1st round
6. David Ojabo – Michigan (6-4, 250, rs-Sophomore)
Pros: Has all of the traits to build on. Outstanding explosiveness out of his stance and is a natural speed rusher who will challenge tackles immediately out of their stance. Good length that allows him to initiate contact and beat his man early in the rep. Such a smooth mover with exceptional bend at the top of the arc to flatten and get at the quarterback. Possesses an impressive array of pass rushing moves for a player with such little experience. Still just scratching the surface of his potential.
Cons: Small sample size, with just 26 career snaps to his name before a breakout 2021 season. Still very new to football and getting a feel for the game. Shows up in his processing speed. Lacks ideal play strength for an NFL edge. No real power element whatsoever to his pass rush and really struggles to make an impact against the run. Needs to add more lower body strength to be an impact player on early downs. Tore his achilles in the pre-draft process and will miss the bulk of his rookie season.
Projection: 2nd round
7. Arnold Ebiketie – Penn State (6-2, 250, rs-Senior)
Pros: Excellent pass rusher with a proven track record of success. Hit the ground running in his first season in the Power Five, with 52 pressures on just 374 pass rushing snaps in 2021. His 22.9% pass rush win rate ranked seventh amongst Power Five edges. Refined technician who knows how to vary his pass rush plan to win consistently. Has the ankle flexion to win outside and the loose hips to win off inside counters. Reads the run well and uses his length to set the edge.
Cons: Doesn’t have elite explosiveness of the line and won’t win with first step quickness. Doesn’t have much of a power profile either, relying more on his ability to win with finesse than bull rushing his opponents. An older prospect at 23 years old and he had a very late breakout. Had less than 600 snaps in his four years at Temple and 2021 was his first year of high-level production.
Projection: 2nd round
8. Nik Bonitto – Oklahoma (6-3, 248, rs-Junior)
Pros: Very impressive athletic profile. Incredible explosiveness out of his stance and had a tonne of success as a speed rusher in college. Super twitchy and can change direction in an instant, causing problems for less athletic tackles. It is a testament to his fluid movement and quickness that Oklahoma often dropped him into coverage as a QB spy. Outstanding collegiate production, leading all draft-eligible edges in pass rush win rate in 2021. He led the country in the same metric in 2020 and has an incredible 122 pressures on 584 career pass rushing snaps.
Cons: Lacks play strength. Played smaller than his listed weight in college and lacked the heft to stand his ground. This showed up particularly against the run where he was easily displaced. No real power element to his game to speak of and he will get bullied by bigger tackles. Has little success with a bull rush. Lacks ideal length and struggles to dislodge opponents if they get inside his frame. Needs work before he can be relied upon as a three-down player in the NFL.
Projection: 2nd round
9. Drake Jackson – USC (6-3, 273, Junior)
Pros: Possesses a prototypical edge frame, with good size and very good length. Twitchy and quick in short areas, with very impressive explosiveness out of his stance. Outstanding bend when working as an outside track rusher and is one of the best in the class at flattening the arc. Looked comfortable when asked to drop into coverage and has two interceptions to his name. Role at USC didn’t always lend itself to pass rushing success but produced when given the chance, with 69 pressures on 697 career pass rushing snaps.
Cons: Was playing around 250 lbs in his final season and lacked any real play strength. This limited his ability to have success with a bull rush in the passing game and also saw him get manhandled routinely against the run. Needs to add more power to clear blocks and make plays and will get stuck far too often. Has a tendency to get a little out of control in his desire to make a play and will need to show better discipline and technique at the NFL level.
Projection: 2nd round
10. Cameron Thomas – San Diego State (6-4, 267, rs-Junior)
Pros: Refined technician who has a really strong record of production behind him. Lead all draft-eligible edge rushers with 77 pressures in 2021. Quick hands with precise placement and has the strength to control the block. Possesses a nice variety of pass rushing moves and is capable of stringing together counters. Quick first step allows him to slip blocks in the running game and he also shows the power to stack and shed with ease. Versatile lineman who has lined up all over the place in college.
Cons: Spent most of his career between the tackles, a role he is unlikely to play in the NFL by virtue of his size. Not the most explosive or bendy edge and this limits his ability to consistently win with speed off the edge. Some issues with his lower body strength that saw him struggle to anchor against the run. Most of his production came against a lower level of competition in the Group of Five. Length is not as good as you’d want for a player of his size.
Projection: 2nd round
