Top 10 DL/Edge Units in the NFL

[MKnight82]

25 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

So if I had the Bills 2nd or 3rd on my list you would not lose your mind then?

I don't think they should be in the top 10 at all. 

[Forge]

On 8/14/2023 at 6:00 AM, Ozzy said:

Armstead always gets hurt it seems

Last year was the first games armstead had missed since 2017.  Though at 30 years old, I wouldn't be surprised if injuries became more common for him

[SmittyBacall]

13 hours ago, scar988 said:

Dark horse to join this group is Atlanta. If AK47 and DeAngelo Malone develop into competent edge rushers, this rotation would be very good:

EDGE - Arnold Ebiketie / Lorenzo Carter

DE - Calais Campbell / Zach Harrison

NT - David Onyemata / Ta'Quon Graham

UT - Grady Jarrett / Ta'Quon Graham / Zach Harrison

EDGE - DeAngelo Malone / Bud Dupree

Falcon are just top 10 everywhere, huh?

[Soko]

10 hours ago, Ozzy said:

So the Eagles will just break a record again that was standing for over 30 years almost and do it instantly the next year?  Maybe but I seriously doubt it

 

10 hours ago, Ozzy said:

Just to me the likelihood of them getting that many sacks again is not very likely but we will see.  

 

9 hours ago, Ozzy said:

But yes for the Eagles to have a historic sack season again and get 70 plus, good luck with that one.

Dude, this is what I was trying to help you wish in the other thread, lol. You’re creating a complete strawman. @MKnight82 didn’t say they’d repeat a 70 sack season. He said that the Eagles vastly outperformed the Bills last season (30 sack difference) and there’s really only been one significant change (Hargrave). 

No one said they’d break the sack record or get to 70 again. Nobody. 

[scar988]

1 hour ago, SmittyBacall said:

Falcon are just top 10 everywhere, huh?

Notice I said the Falcons could be a dark horse to join this group if certain players take a big leap. That's not crazy to think that a unit highlighted by Grady Jarrett and Calais Campbell wouldn't be able to hit the top 10 if the 2nd tier starts playing well (I'm talking 8-10 sacks each kind of well).

[scar988]

11 hours ago, Ozzy said:

Possibly but Ebiketie and Malone will have to both greatly improve.  They are solid but not sure they have a super high ceiling as players or 3/4 OLBs.  Dupree if he can stay healthy will help a ton and make them far more legit on the edge.  Zach Harrison could do great in that defense and Calais Campbell is a huge pickup for his leadership and ability.  Onyemata is really solid as well along with Jarrett, their DL are very promising just need some edge guys to standout.  Kaden Elliss had what 7 sacks for the Saints last year so they might use him in rush situations or at least bring him up the middle so that will help the rush overall.  

 

I think they have a shot. FWIW, I'm expecting an average unit for them here. Like 15-18 range. Which would be a massive upgrade from last in the league.

[Danger]

14 hours ago, MKnight82 said:

The Eagles had 30 more sacks than Buffalo last year. 

They lost hargrave tho

[Danger]

11 hours ago, MKnight82 said:

I was just pointing out how silly it is to rank the Bills Dline over the Eagles when the Eagles had 30 more sacks last year. The Bills were tied for 14th in the NFL with 40 last year, very pedestrian. 

Lol.  This is a completely ridiculous take. I don't understand why you're pushing this "potential" angle for the Bills but have ignored it for all other teams. The Bills best dlineman is currently on the PUP list and is 34 years old. Ed Oliver has 14.5 career sacks and has never had more than 5 in a single season, I don't see a lot of potential there. Daquon Jones has 12 sacks in 9 seasons, and is on his 3rd team in 3 years. Their backup DTs are a bunch of Jags. Does Shaq Lawson who's never had more than 6.5 sacks in a season and had 3.5 last year have oozing potential? Even if Rousseau were to have a breakout year its hard to believe he will play better than Haason Reddick will. 

I would take Haason Reddick and Jalen Carter over literally anyone on the Bills dline, and I'd take Jordan Davis over any of the Bills DTs. I don't know if you're a Bills fan or what but listing them as the top Dline in the league is just ridiculous. 

Stop making him defend philly

[SmittyBacall]

42 minutes ago, scar988 said:

Notice I said the Falcons could be a dark horse to join this group if certain players take a big leap. That's not crazy to think that a unit highlighted by Grady Jarrett and Calais Campbell wouldn't be able to hit the top 10 if the 2nd tier starts playing well (I'm talking 8-10 sacks each kind of well).

From worst to top 10 on the backs of Bud Dupree, David Onyemata, and Calais Campbell. I admire your optimism.

[scar988]

2 minutes ago, SmittyBacall said:

From worst to top 10 on the backs of Bud Dupree, David Onyemata, and Calais Campbell. I admire your optimism.

Grady Jarrett has help for the first time in his career. I think Ta'Quon Graham takes another step in his development and the EDGEs Malone and Ebiketie could end up shocking a lot of people in the new scheme. Having Dupree as a rotational 3rd EDGE is the goal by the end of hte year. 

[Daniel]

14 minutes ago, SmittyBacall said:

From worst to top 10 on the backs of Bud Dupree, David Onyemata, and Calais Campbell. I admire your optimism.

To be fair, I don't think @scar988 is wrong.  The Falcons could easily get into the top 10 if they get bigtime leaps from guys like Ebikeite and great years from their new free agents.

Could you say this about literally every single team in the NFL?  Sure, but still technically not incorrect.

[scar988]

13 minutes ago, Daniel said:

To be fair, I don't think @scar988 is wrong.  The Falcons could easily get into the top 10 if they get bigtime leaps from guys like Ebikeite and great years from their new free agents.

Could you say this about literally every single team in the NFL?  Sure, but still technically not incorrect.

Even just average play from Campbell and Onyemata would be a massive leap from what they got last year with Abdullah Anderson, Timmy Horne and Jalen Dalton seeing a ton of snaps. 

Dupree is a big upgrade from Adetokunbo Ogundeji and with guys like Malone and Ebiketie, they could have two really good starters. It's not like 2nd-3rd round guys don't develop at edge in the league either. They had solid rookie years and could be in line for above average performances this year.

That's the thing though, even if everyone in this group is league average to slightly above league average outside of Grady Jarrett, I think that is enough to put it into a top 10 ranking based off of combined performance. I think Grady could be a top 3 DT in the league this year production wise with actual help.

One of those things where the sum of all parts is greater than the individuals outside of Grady Jarrett.

Edited August 18, 2023 by scar988

[Daniel]

It's not.  I loved Ebiketie coming out of college, but unless he makes a jump to being like a top 10 Edge, and the Falcons also get jumps from a bunch of others, they aren't in the conversation.

[Ozzy]

12 hours ago, Forge said:

Last year was the first games armstead had missed since 2017.  Though at 30 years old, I wouldn't be surprised if injuries became more common for him

True but didn't he miss a lot of time two years in a row, 2016 and 2017, so it is not out of the question.  And to me to just blankly say they are the 49ers they are top 3 in the league on the DL every year is a bit odd which some seem to be doing.  

 

I said it before but that 2019 DL group was the insane group with Bosa, Buckner, Armstead, Ford, DJ Jones, Blair, S. Thomas, K. Street and A. Zettel.  This current DL group is nothing compared to that.  They need Ferrell to be a hell of a lot better than he ever was on the Raiders or need Jackson to really step up or guys like Davidson or McGill to take steps to become productive backups.  Losing Omenihu, Ebukam and Rideway is not small thing and not sure they have replaced them with awesome depth in terms of young prospects.  

 

Maybe Speaks could be a sleeper for them, but he has a long ways to go though.  Or maybe a guy like Austin Bryant will surprise some, or best case Robert Beal who could be pretty solid but I think would have been a better fit in a 3/4.  

 

[Ozzy]

4 hours ago, Soko said:

 

 

Dude, this is what I was trying to help you wish in the other thread, lol. You’re creating a complete strawman. @MKnight82 didn’t say they’d repeat a 70 sack season. He said that the Eagles vastly outperformed the Bills last season (30 sack difference) and there’s really only been one significant change (Hargrave). 

No one said they’d break the sack record or get to 70 again. Nobody. 

Is that not the expectation?  You think they only get 40-45 sacks this year people will not freak out and be super disappointed and or potentially someone would get fired?  

 

I do not try and pretend teams will not play their best potentially against them each time out and be more prepared than usual.  I also know that expectations can be a stress on teams at times especially if they do not reach them early on.  Say they play like they did in the Super Bowl and no one is getting home on the QB, yeah that will become a problem and guys will either lose confidence, start getting on each other or start to take liberties they normally would not take to get pressure and get home on the QB.  

 

Now sure maybe that will not happen, and maybe a young guy like Tarron Jackson will take up the much needed issue of youthful depth on the edge and a solid rusher. It is a take that maybe guys they brought in like Jalen Carter will not be as dominating and productive as they think.  And maybe guys like Cox and Graham will really start to show their age more.  That could change the entire DL but lucky for them the depth they have is nuts but they need that depth to step up then.  Again I love what I saw out of Jackson in the preseason last year along with Ellis who looks like a great depth NT type.

  

But yeah I am not going to just blanketly say this team was great last year so they will be equally great this year and completely ignore rookies because they have never played a NFL game yet in the regular season.  

 

 

PS Ronald Darby is washed up but it is a body and a cheap one with experience so they have that.  Sweet they got Clowney hopefully he plays well for them and that gives them much needed experience and upside on the so so edge spot, especially if he is super motivated this year to prove himself.