2020 NFL Draft prospect rankings: Edge rushers

theScore's Mike Alessandrini and Dan Wilkins break down the top edge prospects in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft as part of a position-by-position series.

Top 50
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL
DL | EDGE | LB | CB | S

1. Chase Young

School: Ohio State
Height: 6-5
Weight: 264 lbs

Positives

• Excellent frame, build, and length for the position
• Explosive first step off the line to get upfield and press the edge
• Wins to the outside with speed and bend to flatten to the QB
• Advanced hand usage to beat punch and keep himself clean
• Good change of direction and moves to counter back inside
• Converts speed to power for effective bull rush
• Great finisher who attacks the ball when he gets to the QB
• Great hand usage vs. run to get inside opponent's frame
• Keeps outside shoulder clean to set good edge
• Recorded 27 sacks over last two years

Negatives

• Inconsistent pad level off the ball can lead him to play too high
• Will need stronger base to hold his ground against run in NFL
• Not a fit for schemes that will have him dropping into coverage

Bottom line

Young's an elite pass-rushing prospect. He showed off a wide assortment of NFL-ready traits at Ohio State and shouldn't have issues transitioning to the next level. He's already an advanced pass-rusher with the tools to beat opposing offensive tackles in a variety of ways, and he's no slouch against the run, either. Young's the best defensive player in this draft, and one of the most complete prospects in the past several years.

Grade: Top 5

2. K'Lavon Chaisson

School: LSU
Height: 6-3
Weight: 254 lbs

Positives

• Incredible quickness and explosiveness off the ball
• Speed and bend to win around the edge in a flash
• Good use of hands for deep arsenal of rush moves - swipe, rip, long arm
• Impressive spin to counter upfield rush inside
• Converts speed to power for effective bull rush
• Nightmare to block working inside on stunts
• Slips blocks in run game with quickness
• Works through traffic well to find the ball
• Added value with ability to drop into coverage

Negatives

• Below-average size for every-down edge role
• Lacks strength in base to hold up on drive blocks
• Needs to develop better plan for when initial rush is stalled
• Doesn't have production of an elite edge prospect

Bottom line

Chaisson is an explosive front-seven talent who likely hasn't been getting enough hype due to underwhelming sack production. But sack numbers don't do justice to the impact he had on LSU's championship defense. Chaisson doesn't yet have the size and power for an every-down role as a 4-3 defensive end, but that's not the best way to take advantage of his do-it-all skill set. Stand him up on the edge of an odd front and let him do what he does best - everything.

Grade: Top 20

3. Yetur Gross-Matos

School: Penn State
Height: 6-5
Weight: 266 lbs

Positives

• Good size with outstanding length
• Quick first step off the line to gain ground on opponent
• Powerful hands to beat punch and disengage from blocks
• Runs the arc with speed and bend around edge
• Excellent change-of-direction skill to challenge offensive tackles laterally
• Sets good edge against the run
• Demonstrates effort through rep and refuses to stay blocked
• Has necessary athleticism in space for 3-4 OLB role
• Great tackle-for-loss and sack production over last two years

Negatives

• Still developing hand usage to unlock full rush arsenal
• Better hand placement required to consistently make most of length
• Must maintain better gap discipline in run game

Bottom line

Gross-Matos should have little trouble making an instant impact at the next level thanks to his explosiveness. But what's most exciting about his NFL future is the potential for growth in his game - his frame leaves plenty of room for added mass. And after beginning to show signs of an expanded pass-rush arsenal, NFL coaching may be all he needs to push his game over the top. Gross-Matos is going to be a nightmare to block if he can develop the more technical aspects of his pass rush to complement his rare athletic abilities.

Grade: 1st round

4. A.J. Epenesa

School: Iowa
Height: 6-5
Weight: 275 lbs

Positives

• Outstanding size, strength, and length
• Excellent run defender with strong, heavy hands
• Good hand placement to get inside, control rep
• Stacks, sheds, locates and makes play on the ball
• Anchor to not give up ground against the run
• Technically sound pass-rusher with a good plan of attack
• Refined hand usage for a deep arsenal of rush moves
• Already wins with a rip, swipe, bull, push-pull, and long arm
• Added value as inside pass-rusher

Negatives

• Disappointing athletic profile
• Lacks explosiveness to get upfield, threaten edge
• Doesn't have speed or bend to run the arc
• Does best work inside but doesn't have size for every-down role there

Bottom line

Epenesa should have a productive NFL career ahead of him - don't let the athletic numbers fool you. While he may not have the traits necessary to consistently threaten the edge, there are many other ways he wins, including inside. He's a polished pass-rusher, and his best role at the next level will be as a base defensive end, either at a 7- or 5-technique, who can transition inside to match up with guards at the 3-technique in passing situations. Epenesa is an every-down defender who should make an immediate impact.

Grade: 2nd round

5. Zack Baun

School: Wisconsin
Height: 6-2
Weight: 238 lbs

Positives

• Explosive first step off the line
• Excellent speed and ability to bend the edge
• Change of direction to counter inside on oversetting tackles
• Outside rush sets up a nasty inside spin move
• Good effort and discipline to set edge in run game
• Great range as backside pursuit run defender
• Comfortable and effective dropping into coverage

Negatives

• Lacks size for an every-down edge role
• Not ready to hold up on downhill run blocks
• Poor length can see him get swallowed up by linemen
• Still developing effective hand usage in pass rush
• Only one year of meaningful pass-rush production

Bottom line

Baun isn't your prototypical edge defender because of his size and the fact there's only so much room for him to get bigger, but that doesn't mean he can't have a significant role. He has the ability to line up off the ball on early downs, and can rotate down to the edge in more obvious passing situations and give offensive lines fits with his outside speed and inside counter moves. He's an edge defender in our books because that's where he'll make his most significant impact, but he can move all over the front seven, and defensive coaches will love that versatility.

Grade: 2nd round

6. Terrell Lewis

School: Alabama
Height: 6-5
Weight: 262 lbs

Positives

• Solid frame with good length
• Incredible explosiveness off the ball
• Heavy, powerful hands when engaging in contact
• Effective long arm to get inside chest of OT
• Sets up spin move with speed upfield to the outside
• Poses a challenge laterally due to change-of-direction skills
• Some extremely strong reps stacking, shedding, locating in run game

Negatives

• Underdeveloped use of hands limits pass-rush arsenal
• Won't bend the edge at top of rush
• Still developing effective use of counter moves
• Doesn't use length consistently in run game
• Injuries (elbow in 2017, ACL in 2018) limited him to only 14 games

Bottom line

Lewis is a low-floor, high-ceiling prospect with a range of potential outcomes. He's had far less time to develop than most other top defensive prospects, thanks to injuries that kept him from playing extensively until 2019, but he showed enough in his small sample to still be considered among the valuable pass-rushers in this class. He's got explosive traits that are tough to find, giving him a path to develop into a stud. Lewis could end up one of the draft's steals.

Grade: 2nd round

7. Julian Okwara

School: Notre Dame
Height: 6-4
Weight: 252 lbs

Positives

• Long frame with impressive overall athleticism
• Good first step with speed to get upfield and press the edge
• Dips and rips around outside and bends to flatten to QB
• Quick swipe on inside move to clear hands of OT
• Converts speed to power with good long-arm move
• Great closing speed, finishing ability and effort to attack ball
• Shoots gaps to make plays in backfield vs. run
• Capable dropping back into coverage

Negatives

• Needs to develop reliable counters to edge speed
• Lacks bulk and strength for every-down edge role
• Not able to hold ground vs. downhill run blocks
• Struggles to disengage when blocked early in the down
• Recovering from broken leg suffered in November

Bottom line

Okwara's your classic speed-rusher who should pose a significant threat to the outside in his pro career, but unlocking his ceiling as a pass-rusher will be a matter of developing reliable counter moves working off what he does best. Okwara will need to get stronger before he can handle offensive tackles in the run game, so he's best suited either aligned out wide as a 3-4 outside linebacker or sticking to situational pass-rush duties early on.

Grade: Rounds 2-3

Other notable prospects

Marlon Davidson (Auburn)
Curtis Weaver (Boise State)
Bradlee Anae (Utah)
Jabari Zuniga (Florida)
Jonathan Greenard (Florida)
Anfernee Jennings (Alabama)
Josh Uche (Michigan)