EDGE Talk

[BetterCallSaul]

15 minutes ago, MSURacerDT55 said:

That is a product of the scheme they played, similar to MyJai Sanders playing in the odd front at UC.  You play everything from 5,4,4i,and 3 (on occasion)

100%. I feel like every single one of these Big 12 schools runs a wonky 3-man front to combat spreads. McDonald is a strange fit in a 3-man front. These teams are typically running 3-3-5 schemes, not 3-4 schemes.

There is pretty much a 0% chance McDonald will be playing in a similar role in the NFL.

[Ozzy]

26 minutes ago, Daniel said:

I get it.  After Anderson and Tyree, the dropoff is pretty significant.  Even Myles Murphy is more traits than ready results, and he's who I have next.  Dylan Horton, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and Nolan Smith could make me feel a lot better about them with really good combines though, but right now, they're like fringe guys that I see more as second rounders.

Will McDonald too, maybe, and Isaiah Foskey could get into that conversation if they blow up the combine.  But otherwise, unless some dudes show elite measurables, it's hard to see them as worth the investment when there are so many other great players at other positions.

All these guys could end up being better pros than college players and just because an edge guy might be a mid round draft pick does not mean he is a bad prospect.  Garrett Nelson for example could be a standout pro if put in the right situation, same with a few other guys and Andre Carter has wild athletic ability but sure disappointed a bit at the Senior bowl.  Carter is probably not the 1st round pick I thought he would be but as a late 2nd or 3rd rounder he could be a steal.  BJ Ojulari did not get huge stats in college but guy lived in the backfield at times and has great quickness and some of these guys will be more of a ILB potentially in a 3/4 but still it is not an awful class.

 

Andre Carter II Army
Isaiah Foskey Notre Dame RS JR
BJ Ojulari LSU JR
Mike Morris Michigan RS JR
Byron Young Tennessee
Felix Anudike-Uzomah Kansas State JR
Drew Sanders Arkansas JR
Garrett Nelson Nebraska RS JR
Derick Hall Auburn SR
Trenton Simpson Clemson JR
Will McDonald IV Iowa State RS
Brenton Cox Jr Florida RS
Yasir Abdullah Louisville RS
Jordan Wright Kentucky RS
Robert Beal Jr Georgia RS
Noah Taylor UNC
Caleb Tannor Nebraska

 

 

Then all of these guys could be put in edge rushing situations and do very well or could be put into DT positions and do great also.

Tuli Tuipuloutu USC JR
Lukas Van Ness Iowa RS SOPH
Zach Harrison Ohio State
Colby Wooden Auburn RS JR

 

 

Or these guys who could be put into a 3/4 OLB situation depending on the team or be put as more of a DE pass rusher type, not bad and some have some big time potential.

Keion White Georgia Tech RS
YaYa Diaby Louisville
Brenton Cox Jr Florida RS
Habakkuk Baldonado Pitt RS
Dylan Horton TCU RS
Reggie Grimes Oklahoma JR
Ali Gaye LSU RS
Adetomiwa Adebawore Northwestern
Byron Young Alabama
KJ Henry Clemson RS
Brennan Jackson Washington State RS
Eku Leota Auburn RS
Tavius Robinson Ole Miss
Ochaun Mathis Nebraska

 

 

 

 

Outside of Verse and Dallas Turner next years class is potentially far weaker than this year, this year is super deep compared to next year no doubt about it.  

Edited February 10, 2023 by Ozzy

[MSURacerDT55]

8 minutes ago, BetterCallSaul said:

100%. I feel like every single one of these Big 12 schools runs a wonky 3-man front to combat spreads. McDonald is a strange fit in a 3-man front. These teams are typically running 3-3-5 schemes, not 3-4 schemes.

There is pretty much a 0% chance McDonald will be playing in a similar role in the NFL.

It makes zero sense, these guys love to put square pegs into round holes 

[BetterCallSaul]

5 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

Man, this edge class is such a flop. Really struggling to find guys I like. 

There's a few dudes I think have a chance on Day 2/3, but I don't think I would bet on any of them aside from Mathis, who methinks will be the steal of this entire draft.

 

Ochaun Mathis
-Love him. Has great physical traits and some "wow" tools. Meh production, but will be a starter.
NFL COMPARISON: Aldon Smith

 

Isaiah McGuire
-Tons of tools. Long and athletic. Can bend the edge, but has the frame to be a power rusher. Inconsistent hand usage.
NFL COMPARISON: Vinny Curry

 

Isaiah Land
-Freaky athlete, but let's be real. He's 220 pounds and is going to be a linebacker or DPR. If he were 255, day 1 pick.
NFL COMPARISON: Manny Lawson

 

Nick Hampton
-Similar to Land, a very undersized freak athlete. But unlike Land, he's also short in addition to being small.
NFL COMPARISON: Nik Bonitto

 

Nick Figueroa
-Powerful base rusher who uses his hands very well. He has a multitude of pass rush moves, but is stiff.
NFL COMPARISON: Anthony Chickillo

 

Tyrus Wheat
-Physically, very impressive. Has turn the corner speed. Built like an ox. Hasn't made a lot of plays despite the talent.
NFL COMPARISON: Preston Smith

 

Randy Charlton
-Another body-beautiful prospect. Has some amazing reps and then some 'wtf' reps. Can become a great player.
NFL COMPARISON: Sam Montgomery

Edited February 10, 2023 by BetterCallSaul

[Daniel]

Personally, I think Day 2 is the strength of this class, if you assume the fringe dudes don't break into Round 1 at least.  Horton came on strong late in the season, FAU and Keion White have great height/weight/speed combos, Ojulari and McDonald are bendy and have some traits, and Foskey, Nolan Smith, Harrison, and Byron Young are all stalwart blue collar type Edges who will be good rotational contributors.  And that's not mentioning tweeners like Tuli, Van Ness, and Kancey.

Carter and Hall are probably in that late third round range too.

[BetterCallSaul]

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

All these guys could end up being better pros than college players and just because an edge guy might be a mid round draft pick does not mean he is a bad prospect.  Garrett Nelson for example could be a standout pro if put in the right situation, same with a few other guys and Andre Carter has wild athletic ability but sure disappointed a bit at the Senior bowl.  Carter is probably not the 1st round pick I thought he would be but as a late 2nd or 3rd rounder he could be a steal.  BJ Ojulari did not get huge stats in college but guy lived in the backfield at times and has great quickness and some of these guys will be more of a ILB potentially in a 3/4 but still it is not an awful class.

 

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Andre Carter II Army

Meh. The more I watch the more I dislike him. He gets manhandled far too often and is a bit stiff as a rusher.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Isaiah Foskey Notre Dame RS JR

He's got a very nice skill set. Made impact plays routinely and has the prerequisite physical traits. 1st round grade.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

BJ Ojulari LSU JR

Love this kid. 1st round grade. Was unblockable in pass pro, but is not nearly as good against the run as his brother was.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Mike Morris Michigan RS JR

Not sure how I feel about him. I think he plays way too high to be successful right now, even tho he looks great converting speed to power in wide rush sets.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Byron Young Tennessee

Need to watch more of, to be completely honest.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Felix Anudike-Uzomah Kansas State JR

Big fan. I think he goes in the 20's and will end up exceeding that. He's physically built for the game & has all kinds of finesse rush moves.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Drew Sanders Arkansas JR

Pretty much a guaranteed linebacker. Could really only win with speed rushes, IMO.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Garrett Nelson Nebraska RS JR

Watched him play 0 snaps.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Derick Hall Auburn SR

Fast, but stiff. Strong and understands how to leverage himself against bigger OT's. Overall a good player with meh physical traits.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Trenton Simpson Clemson JR

Definitely 100% a linebacker. He has zero pass rush moves.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Will McDonald IV Iowa State RS

The size scares the crap out of me. He looks anorexic, but he knows how to speed rush. Boom or bust.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Brenton Cox Jr Florida RS

Pretty much Isaiah Foskey, except he's a piece of crap human being & lacks the awareness/energy against the run.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Yasir Abdullah Louisville RS

Have seen zero from him.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Jordan Wright Kentucky RS

Never heard of him.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Robert Beal Jr Georgia RS

Didn't he return to school? I like him as a situational edge rusher.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Noah Taylor UNC

No clue.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Caleb Tannor Nebraska

No clue.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Tuli Tuipuloutu USC JR

I actually hate his tape. He doesn't win by beating OT's. He wins on stunts and by hustling down the line. No pass rush tools.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Lukas Van Ness Iowa RS SOPH

Speed to power, he's unmatched in this class. Fastest first step and is built like a house. He's gonna be very good.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Zach Harrison Ohio State

Will destroy the combine. Big and fast. Has very little in terms of polish or pass rush plan, but will be great in a wide-9 rush scheme.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Colby Wooden Auburn RS JS

Rock solid prospect that does a bit of everything. A little stiff, but nothing damning to his stock.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Keion White Georgia Tech RS

Probably going to be gone in the first 50 picks. Strong like bull. Tape is great against good competition. Will test well and is athletic enough to play literally anywhere from a wide-9 to a 3-tech.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

YaYa Diaby Louisville

He's got a lot of skills and plays really hard in all facets of the game. I don't like his age and he struggles to bend.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Habakkuk Baldonado Pitt RS

A man with a pass rush plan. Has every move you could want. Too bad I think his physical gifts are sub NFL level.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Dylan Horton TCU RS

Lots of talent as a pass rusher/linebacker hybrid. Can rip around the edge with ease. Was consistently dreadful against the run.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Reggie Grimes Oklahoma JR

Haven't watched.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Ali Gaye LSU RS

Tools to be a very good player, but a bit stiff and lumbering for a guy that size. He moves like a 5-tech at 260.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Adetomiwa Adebawore Northwestern

Strong like bull. Will be a factor in the run game and has a hardcore bull rush.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Byron Young Alabama

Doubt he can survive out on the edge. Pure interior IMO.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

KJ Henry Clemson RS

Has every tool, but hasn't put it together yet. Good gamble late in the draft.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Brennan Jackson Washington State RS

No clue.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Eku Leota Auburn RS

No clue.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Tavius Robinson Ole Miss

No clue.

46 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Ochaun Mathis Nebraska

My favorite pass rusher in the class. I have to check my rankings, but I believe Mathis is in my top 4. Crazy tools.

[BetterCallSaul]

16 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Nolan Smith

This is a guy that I don't think gets enough credit. He's got a weird body and I don't think he's a great athlete. That said, he's somehow elite against the run, plays with his hands better than any edge in this class, and has an intensity/effort/leadership intangible that will carry him to success. I know he's horribly undersized, but I feel like he could play the 6i alignment in the NFL due to his hand usage and understanding of his limitations. He's found a way to win regardless of his limitations. Ideally, he's a 3-4 OLB, but his instincts and technique make him a fit in any scheme.

Doubt he makes it past the beginning of R2, but if he does, someone is getting a steal.

[Ozzy]

7 minutes ago, BetterCallSaul said:

 

Meh. The more I watch the more I dislike him. He gets manhandled far too often and is a bit stiff as a rusher.

He's got a very nice skill set. Made impact plays routinely and has the prerequisite physical traits. 1st round grade.

Love this kid. 1st round grade. Was unblockable in pass pro, but is not nearly as good against the run as his brother was.

Not sure how I feel about him. I think he plays way too high to be successful right now, even tho he looks great converting speed to power in wide rush sets.

Need to watch more of, to be completely honest.

Big fan. I think he goes in the 20's and will end up exceeding that. He's physically built for the game & has all kinds of finesse rush moves.

Pretty much a guaranteed linebacker. Could really only win with speed rushes, IMO.

Watched him play 0 snaps.

Fast, but stiff. Strong and understands how to leverage himself against bigger OT's. Overall a good player with meh physical traits.

Definitely 100% a linebacker. He has zero pass rush moves.

The size scares the crap out of me. He looks anorexic, but he knows how to speed rush. Boom or bust.

Pretty much Isaiah Foskey, except he's a piece of crap human being & lacks the awareness/energy against the run.

Have seen zero from him.

Never heard of him.

Didn't he return to school? I like him as a situational edge rusher.

No clue.

No clue.

I actually hate his tape. He doesn't win by beating OT's. He wins on stunts and by hustling down the line. No pass rush tools.

Speed to power, he's unmatched in this class. Fastest first step and is built like a house. He's gonna be very good.

Will destroy the combine. Big and fast. Has very little in terms of polish or pass rush plan, but will be great in a wide-9 rush scheme.

Rock solid prospect that does a bit of everything. A little stiff, but nothing damning to his stock.

Probably going to be gone in the first 50 picks. Strong like bull. Tape is great against good competition. Will test well and is athletic enough to play literally anywhere from a wide-9 to a 3-tech.

He's got a lot of skills and plays really hard in all facets of the game. I don't like his age and he struggles to bend.

A man with a pass rush plan. Has every move you could want. Too bad I think his physical gifts are sub NFL level.

Lots of talent as a pass rusher/linebacker hybrid. Can rip around the edge with ease. Was consistently dreadful against the run.

Haven't watched.

Tools to be a very good player, but a bit stiff and lumbering for a guy that size. He moves like a 5-tech at 260.

Strong like bull. Will be a factor in the run game and has a hardcore bull rush.

Doubt he can survive out on the edge. Pure interior IMO.

Has every tool, but hasn't put it together yet. Good gamble late in the draft.

No clue.

No clue.

No clue.

My favorite pass rusher in the class. I have to check my rankings, but I believe Mathis is in my top 4. Crazy tools.

Ochaun Mathis?  How have you watched him and not his teammate Garrett Nelson?  Mathis sucked this past year and barely did anything the times I watched Nebraska, he was a massive disappointment.  Nelson out played him and so did Tannor at times.  

 

If Andre Carter works out well which he should, a team will take him and develop him, dude is super athletic for his size and with proper coaching he could be a lot better.  Obviously Army does not have top of the line DL coaches and Army has not had a player drafted 1st round since 1947, highest draft pick recently was a 7th rounder in 2008.

 

Byron Young had an amazing year for Tennessee and was a huge reason for that defense putting up a fight because he was so hard to handle on the edge.  He should be a awesome 2nd round pick.

Tuli, sure he is still a bit raw but really hard to not like his motor at that massive size and he can really get after it.  I think he will athletically time out pretty well and worst case he could be a terror DT in pass rush situation but might be athletic enough to be on the edge potentially, times he totally dominated even though that D on USC sucked.  

 

How could Robert Beal return again, I thought he already did that this past season for his fifth year, he is going back again?

 

 

Either way this class is not nearly as bad as some above say and again next year will not be anywhere close to this deep.  

[BetterCallSaul]

4 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Ochaun Mathis?  How have you watched him and not his teammate Garrett Nelson? 

He was a monster at TCU. I watched a ton of his tape last year...not so much this season. I've seen some highlights from Nebraska, but am going off of his previous tape.

[nicfre2011]

If you are a team picking in the 25-32 range and (1) are looking to add athleticism, bend, and explosiveness to your outside pass rush and (2) are comfortable with giving a rookie EDGE more snaps in a DPR role (letting them work their way onto the field based on situation and opponent) rather than expecting them to fill a base end role (starter) in year 1...would you feel more comfortable selecting BJ Ojulari or Felix Anudike-Uzomah?

I think both prospects could really help the Chiefs and am curious to hear short term and long term projections for both. I love what I have heard about Ojulari's intangibles (team captain and leadership)...to be honest, I don't know much about Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

[BetterCallSaul]

9 minutes ago, nicfre2011 said:

would you feel more comfortable selecting BJ Ojulari or Felix Anudike-Uzomah?

Both. 100%

Ojulari is a better pure pass rusher. Probably only 2nd to Anderson in this entire class. With that said, FAU has a better chance to be an every-down DE that can stuff the run at a high level. 

[jrry32]

7 hours ago, nicfre2011 said:

If you are a team picking in the 25-32 range and (1) are looking to add athleticism, bend, and explosiveness to your outside pass rush and (2) are comfortable with giving a rookie EDGE more snaps in a DPR role (letting them work their way onto the field based on situation and opponent) rather than expecting them to fill a base end role (starter) in year 1...would you feel more comfortable selecting BJ Ojulari or Felix Anudike-Uzomah?

I think both prospects could really help the Chiefs and am curious to hear short term and long term projections for both. I love what I have heard about Ojulari's intangibles (team captain and leadership)...to be honest, I don't know much about Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

Ojulari is my dude. He's a terror as an edge rusher. Not a good run defender, but he at least plays hard on run downs and can make plays as a backside pursuit defender.

[goldfishwars]

I don’t really get what some of the supposed top edge players get you, that you couldn’t get from a Zach Harrison or KJ Henry on day two. Want an inflexible tough guy with some stiffness? Wait it out. At least I know how Ojulari’s skill-set translates as an NFL pass rusher.

[goldfishwars]

Keion White getting more love than my Zach Harrison? The man will come into the league as a raw, stiff 24 year old rookie who will turn 25 in his first season. No thank you. 

[jrry32]

1 hour ago, goldfishwars said:

I don’t really get what some of the supposed top edge players get you, that you couldn’t get from a Zach Harrison or KJ Henry on day two. Want an inflexible tough guy with some stiffness? Wait it out. At least I know how Ojulari’s skill-set translates as an NFL pass rusher.

There are still a lot of dudes I need to watch, but the guys who excite me the most in that late first to mid second range are Nolan Smith (assuming he doesn't go higher than late first), B.J. Ojulari, and Will McDonald. The Rams need a finesse rusher who can win the edge. When we had Von Miller in that role with Donald collapsing pockets from the inside and Floyd collapsing it from opposite EDGE spot, we feasted. We were sorely lacking in that department last year. Ojulari might be the ideal guy if he's there because of how NFL ready he is as a pass rusher.