Can the 2024 NFL Draft EDGE class match up with a top-heavy 2023 class that set the bar high for this cycle?
There might not be a prospect quite at Will Anderson Jr.’s level this year, but the first-round EDGE group is led by four true top-20 talents, and down the board, players with intriguing upside, potential, and schematic versatility await.
Ranking the EDGEs in the 2024 NFL Draft
The 2023 NFL Draft had it all at the EDGE position. It was more than just a deep class. It was a diverse one with a plethora of player types — from power rushers to finesse rushers and everything in between.
Pass rush has always been an indispensable area for coaches, but especially in the modern NFL, it’s one of the most important components of the game itself.
To function properly, every pass-rushing unit needs both top-end talent and reliable depth. The 2024 NFL Draft class appears to have a decent mix of both.
10) Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian
A former safety, Jalyx Hunt amassed 13.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss in his first two seasons playing the EDGE position full-time. Then he went to the Senior Bowl and made a lasting impression against FBS blockers, putting him on the rise in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle.
At around 6’4″, 252 pounds, with arms over 34″ long, 4.64 speed, and elite explosiveness numbers, Hunt has all of the physical tools a defensive line coach could want. And his background as a safety also gives him unique versatility as a flat defender and coverage disguiser.
9) Bralen Trice, Washington
In 2022, Bralen Trice amassed nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Not only did he produce at a high clip, but he also provided evaluators with many high-level reps.
Then, in 2023, he added seven sacks and 11.5 TFLs to his totals, terrorizing Quinn Ewers in a two-sack CFB Playoff performance.
At 6’4″ and 250 pounds with near-33″ arms, Trice has a solid power profile. He can assuredly go through you if he wants to — Trice has the shock in his hands and the force at contact to win head-on. But for his size, he’s also a surprisingly twitched-up, agile mover who has enough burst to threaten the apex.
Trice isn’t much of a bender, but his violent, high-energy style yields results.
8) Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
On the heels of a four-year Western Michigan career that saw him put up 12.5 sacks and 28 TFLs, Marshawn Kneeland has been a steady riser through the pre-draft process. He stood out at the Senior Bowl and kept on the gas with his 2024 NFL Scouting Combine showing.
At the Combine, Kneeland measured in at 6’3″, 267 pounds, with 34″ arms, and he logged high-level explosiveness numbers. He’s not a speed or bend rusher, but with his raw power and hot motor, Kneeland can provide value for an NFL defense.
7) Chris Braswell, Alabama
Dallas Turner has been the Crimson Tide’s premier EDGE prospect for the entirety of the 2024 NFL Draft cycle, but Chris Braswell has been on the rise since the summer.
At 6’3″ and 251 pounds, Braswell is an elite athlete. He amassed eight sacks, 10.5 TFLs, and three forced fumbles in a breakout third-year campaign.
At his size, Braswell is very natural playing as a stand-up EDGE, and he has an excellent power profile with his searing explosiveness, length, and frame density. He’s still developing beyond the power element, but Braswell’s upside is immense.
6) Adisa Isaac, Penn State
The Penn State Nittany Lions boasted one of the nation’s most exciting duos outside the tackle. You’ll see Chop Robinson higher on this list, but his counterpart, Adisa Isaac, is also a top-50 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft and a high-upside talent rushing off the edge.
In 2022, Isaac put up four sacks and 11 TFLs, showing off his range in pursuit and his well-rounded pallet of traits. In 2023, he took another step up as a pass rusher, accruing 7.5 sacks and 15 TFLs.
At 6’4″ and 254 pounds, Isaac has a little bit of everything: explosiveness, ankle flexion, length, and power capacity. A torn Achilles in 2021 delayed Isaac’s development somewhat, but he returned with a vengeance and is now an early-round prospect.
5) Darius Robinson, Missouri
Darius Robinson played primarily on the interior during the first four seasons of his Missouri career. But in 2023, he took over for Isaiah McGuire on the edge and fared incredibly well despite being 6’5″ and 290 pounds.
Robinson logged 7.5 sacks and 12 TFLs and made plays week in and week out. At his size, with his elite length, he can drive awesome amounts of power downhill on the attack, and he’s a stellar run defender with high-level play strength and leverage acquisition.
Robinson is still growing as a pass rusher, but his ceiling is astronomical. His profile is unique, but at his peak, Robinson could provide an impact similar to that of Denico Autry.
4) Laiatu Latu, UCLA
No 2024 NFL Draft EDGE prospect was more productive over the past two seasons combined than UCLA’s Laiatu Latu. Latu had 10.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs in an eye-catching 2022 campaign. Then, in 2023, he upped the ante with 13 sacks and 21.5 TFLs.
If production is any indication, Latu should be in the early-to-mid Round 1 conversation. At 6’5″, 260 pounds, he checks the size box. He’s also an impressively flexible mover who can pry past blocks with ankle flexion, brisk agility, speed, and savvy weight distribution.
As long as Latu’s medical history doesn’t come back to bite him, he’s an absolute pass-rushing technician whose reliability and proactivity on the attack are matched by few.
3) Jared Verse, Florida State
Florida State’s Jared Verse entered the 2023 season as our top EDGE prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft class. At the beginning of the year, his numbers fell below his nine-sack, 17-TFL 2022 campaign, but Verse ramped things up with 4.5 sacks and six TFLs in the final two games.
Verse remains a first-round candidate. The only question is, where in Round 1?
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Verse lacks elite bend and hip flexibility, which often shows when he attempts to breach the apex. Even so, he’s still an excellent explosive force with unnerving twitch, ruthless power, strength in run support, and fast hands on the attack. He’s a viable mid-to-late Round 1 prospect who can be an impactful NFL starter.
2) Chop Robinson, Penn State
Demeioun Robinson — better known by his very fitting nickname “Chop” — is a prospect we can reliably project near the top of the 2024 NFL Draft EDGE class. He might not have the elite length that other prospects possess, and he doesn’t have elite production, either. But on tape, Robinson’s ability to disrupt the offense’s timing is nearly unmatched.
At 6’3″ and 254 pounds, he’s a hyperdense maniac with searing bend and bristling explosiveness — evidenced by his 4.48-second 40-yard dash and 1.54-second 10-yard split.
Robinson can use his combination of athletic tools in tandem with his red-hot motor to pierce through gaps with extreme prejudice. His unique alignment versatility makes him a modern-age game-wrecker.
Who Is the Best EDGE in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Several EDGE prospects are clustered in the 10-20 range on PFN’s Big Board. But right now, no prospect has the combined production, physical profile, and developmental track to unseat Dallas Turner in the top spot.
1) Dallas Turner, Alabama
No EDGE prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle will grade as highly as Anderson did, but that’s a high bar to clear. Anderson was a clear blue-chip prospect with an immediate impact projection.
Turner’s NFL transition might not be as smooth, but he has a ceiling in the same range.
At 6’3″ and 247 pounds, Turner first appears as more of a finesse-oriented player. He’s a lightning bolt off the line with absurd hip flexibility and ankle flexion around the apex.
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Those two traits alone can be overwhelming for tackles. But just when you think you’ve figured Turner out, he’ll hit tackles with devastating long arms and bull rushes, weaponizing his 34 1/2″ arms. With his length and burst, he also has ruthless power on his side.
Turner is a true freak of nature, and those tools led to production in 2023. He logged 10 sacks and 14.5 TFLs through the season. Turner is still developing as a pass-rush technician, but a physical foundation like this simply doesn’t come around often.
Honorable Mentions
- Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
- Austin Booker, Kansas
- Jonah Elliss, Utah
- Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
- Javon Solomon, Troy
- Cedric Johnson, Ole Miss
- Brennan Jackson, Washington State
- Xavier Thomas, Clemson
- Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
- Anthony Goodlow, Oklahoma State
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