The 2025 NFL Draft boasts a fantastic group of edge rushers. The position is widely regarded as the second most important position in the sport, with every team looking to increase their pass rush rate.
The 2025 class is special. It contains elite athletes, heavy-handed defensive ends, and outside linebackers who may transition more toward the edge at the next level.
2025 NFL Draft Edge Rusher Rankings
10) Bradyn Swinson, LSU
Bradyn Swinson elevates his play in 2024, having a career year. The LSU Tigers’ edge rusher had 58 tackles, 13 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks in his first year as a full-time starter to put himself firmly in the Day 2 discussion in the 2025 NFL Draft.
At 6’4” and 255 pounds, Swinson showcases a polished pass rush plan and the awareness presnap to activate his pass rush move deployment. As a stand-up rusher, the former three-star prospect possesses flashy, explosive athleticism, converts speed to power, and has natural flexibility to attack around the outside of offensive tackles.
9) Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss
A pure pass rusher, Princely Umanmielen displays shocking speed to power conversion and eruptive explosive movement. The Ole Miss Rebels’ pass rusher has sharp movement skills and incredible bend to turn the corner. He can instantly win with his speed and has the elusiveness to beat offensive tackles when working across their face.
With 14 TFLs and 10.5 sacks in 2024 in Oxford, the former Florida Gator is lightning in a bottle as a pass rusher but could be more physical to set the edge as a run defender.
8) Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Nic Scourton’s evaluation is complex. In 2023, with the Purdue Boilermakers, he looked like one of the top edge rushers in the class and a potential early-round selection. He led the Big Ten with 10 sacks before transferring to the Texas A&M Aggies.
However, Scourton was nowhere near as impactful in College Station and looked like a different player. He looked to be carrying too much weight at 6’4” and 280 pounds, which negated his explosive movement and limited his pass-rush plan.
However, the pass rusher measured in at 6’3” and 257 pounds at the 2025 NFL Combine. If that means Scourton can be back to his best, then he should be a high selection. But teams will be gambling that he can return to the player he was in 2023.
Overall, Scourton operates with a refined, developed technique and a deadly go-to spin move. He has a diverse pass rush skillset and some of the cleanest tape of any 2025 NFL Draft prospect.
7) Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Donovan Ezeiruaku was among college football’s most impactful pass rushers in 2024.
He finished second in the FBS with 16.5 sacks in 2024 and recorded 21 TFLs. The Boston College Eagles’ productive pass rusher showcased incredible flexibility and bend to contort his body around the edge while his pass rush plan let him take over games.
At 6’2” and 248 pounds, Ezeiruaku is a threat when in wide alignment, although he has the versatility to play from different angles. His high football IQ, overall length, and explosive initial movement are difficult for offensive tackles to mirror, allowing the former three-star recruit to exploit his mobility in short areas.
6) Mykel Williams, Georgia
At 6’5” and 260 pounds, Mykel Williams is built like a prototypical defensive end. The Georgia Bulldog possesses elite physical gifts to be a tone-setter in the run game but is yet to offer enough as a pass rusher.
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However, Williams is a fantastic run defender, allowing him to make an impact as a rookie. The Bulldog is physical at the point of attack and has the upper body strength to stack and shed blockers. Meanwhile, although he is raw as a pass rusher, he has overall agility and sudden pouncing movement, which means he can develop in this area if a team can coach it into him.
5) Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Shemar Stewart is an elite athlete and is built in a lab. Measuring in at 6’5” and 267 pounds, the Texas A&M defender cut weight from his over 280-pound playing weight in 2024.
Simply, players Stewart’s size shouldn’t move the way he does. His freakish athleticism, pounding power, and size are an overpowering combination. His lower body movement, arching bend, and length to extend the point of attack are impossible to deal with.
Yet, he has only recorded 1.5 sacks in each of his last three seasons in College Station. Some of the blame can be put on the defensive scheme, which also applies to Scourton. But there are sacks left on the field.
4) Mike Green, Marshall
With 17 sacks, Mike Green led the FBS in sacks in 2024 to propel himself up draft boards and into first-round discussion. The Marshall Thundering Herd defender converted over a quarter of his pressures into sacks this past year, showcasing an elite ability to finish plays.
At 6’3” and 251 pounds, Green has an explosive first step and impressive flexibility. His pass rush arsenal is diverse, and his speed-to-power conversion is developed from wide alignments. Meanwhile, Green is a firm run defender. His wrestling background shows up when needing to get off blocks while his strong base and high motor transition to productivity.
3) James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
James Pearce Jr. is an explosive athlete with elite production. The Tennessee Volunteer is extremely twitchy and sudden out of his stance. He overwhelms offensive tackles playing on an island by simply being quicker than them. However, Pearce’s pass-rush plan is also incredibly developed.
With 17.5 sacks in the last two seasons, the Volunteers’ edge rusher is tactical in his deployment of pass-rushing moves. His rotation of go-to moves keeps his opponent guessing, meaning he has a high ceiling at the next level if an NFL team can continue to unlock his natural pass-rushing talent.
2) Jalon Walker, Georgia
Jalon Walker is a hybrid linebacker/edge rusher, but his best plays come when rushing the passer. The Georgia versatile defender recorded 60 tackles, 11 TFLs, and 6.5 sacks in his first year as a starter and has a chess piece in Kirby Smart’s defense.
The 6’1”, 243-pound prospect is undersized but has rare agility, bend, and explosive movement. Walker’s pass rush plan is surprisingly developed and refined, considering his limited starts, while his versatility to also drop into coverage has the potential to unlock new aspects of NFL defense. The Bulldog has a high ceiling in the NFL if he is allowed to get after the passer from different alignments.
1) Abdul Carter, Penn State
There is a reason Abdul Carter is considered one of the top overall prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft and is drawing comparisons to Micah Parsons. It is more than the school he plays for and the number he wears.
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The Penn State Nittany Lion is a violent mover and displays elite physical gifts. In his first year as an exclusive pass rusher in 2024 after converting from linebacker, Carter recorded 12 sacks and an FBS-leading 24 TFLs.
Carter’s natural flexibility, volcanic acceleration, physicality, and pass-rushing tools can take over games. Plus, he is only scratching the surface of what he can become.
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