2026 Draft: EDGE

[mayoclinic]

Yhonzae Pierre, EDGE, Alabama
What sources are telling us: “One of the better rushers to come out of there. Could be a first-rounder by the end of the process, but might go back to school.”

https://atozsports.com/nfl-draft/2026-nfl-draft-intel-fernando-mendoza-ty-simpson-kenyon-sadiq-kadyn-proctor/

Interesting that James Foster tagged Pierre as a potential top-50 pick 3 weeks ago, now has him at 97 on his board.

 

[manxman2601]

Hello Monroe Freeling

 

[mayoclinic]

Has been posted before.

Not Freeling's best moment, but (1) early in season, (2) Freeling on bad ankle, and (3) Joseph is good.

 

[manxman2601]

Has been posted before.

Not Freeling's best moment, but (1) early in season, (2) Freeling on bad ankle, and (3) Joseph is good.

It was meant as a Joseph post, hence this thread. The Freeling thing was meant as a joke.

 

[mayoclinic]

All good, no one wins them all.

Joseph's long arms made that sack into a FF.

 

[manxman2601]

The top 10 pass rushers by true pass set win rate. No 10 on this list is interesting. Usual disclaimer - I'm only focusing on those currently considered draftable.

1. David Bailey - 40.2
2. Clev Lubin - 38.8
3. Malachi Lawrence - 37.3 (value alert!!!)
4. Derrick Moore - 36.0
5. Joshua Josephs - 34.3
6. Rueben Bain Jr - 33.3
7. Akheem Mesidor - 31.3
8. R Mason Thomas - 30.4
9. Cashius Howell - 29.7
10. TJ Parker - 28.3 (climbed the list late).

By the way, Bailey and Lubin led this list last year too.

Compared to last year, this years group is similarly productive. The 10th highest last year was Mike Green with a win rate percentage of 29.8. Abdul Carter was at 36.2. James Pearce Jr - 29.8.

 

[manxman2601]

Tony Pauline ranks his top 40 edge rushers. Has Kentatta Jackson of Ohio State as his 5th highest with a 2nd round grade. Grades Malachi Lawrence as UDFA.

2026 NFL Draft Edge/Pass Rusher Rankings: Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. Narrowly Tops Texas Tech’s David Bailey at No. 1

As we come close to the 2026 NFL Draft, here is our ranking for pass rushers, including Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. and Texas Tech’s David Bailey.

www.essentiallysports.com

 

[stelfans]

Looks good to me. Kenyatta Jackson has a lot of upside but given the team he was playing for i would expect more productio.

Never heard of Nyjalik Kelly but he fits the profile.

 

[manxman2601]

Looks good to me. Kenyatta Jackson has a lot of upside but given the team he was playing for i would expect more productio.

Never heard of Nyjalik Kelly but he fits the profile.

Neither had I. Only 3 sacks and 27 pressures on the year might be the reason. I wonder what Pauline sees in him.

 

[mayoclinic]

Yhonzae Pierre not included.

And where is that other guy from Miami, I somehow can't seem to recall his name?

 

[manxman2601]

Gabe Jacas (#11) displaying real effort.

 

[manxman2601]

I might have found my ultimate day 3 Vrabel pick. Now bear in mind I'm talking late day 3 or UDFA here.

Ethan Burke, EDGE, Texas, 6-6, 259lbs

I knew the name but the reason I found him was because I was being the ultimate nerd and checking PFF's special teams grades.

He's the 3rd highest graded special teamer in CFB.

Not a great pass rusher - only 3 sacks and 27 pressures

82.1 run defense grade. Only 1 missed tackle

20 run stops on the season. That's on a par with Keldric Faulk and Caden Curry. More than Bain and most other leading edge rushers.

He's not super athletic or productive, but he looks to be exactly the guy you want at the back of your roster: Maximum effort, excellent on special teams, reliable and a hard worker.

It's hard for me to identify why I think he's such a Vrabel guy, but Texas fans seem to love him on X. A taste:

 

[manxman2601]

 

[mayoclinic]

I don't get it.

David Bailey and Jeffrey Simmons are both very good defensive players and both disruptive, but the similarity ends there.

 

[manxman2601]

Here it is everybody. The definitive officially official best edge prospect list compiled by yours truly.

Well, aside from the last bit, I did compile it, that's obviously guff. However I have tried to use PFF to come up with the best all-round edge prospects based upon stats rather than scouting. It is meant as a guide to scouting and nothing more.

What I have done is taken a prospects run defense grade and then added a simple pass rush formula (pressures +2 x sacks) to prioritise successful pass rushes. The two scores combined hopefully provides a list of edge prospects who are good against the run but are also successful pass rushers.

Here are the top 25

1. David Bailey
2. Rueben Bain
3. Keyshawn James-Newby (New Mexico)
4. Clev Lubin
5. Akheem Mesidor (all roads...)
6. Zion Young
7. Caden Curry
8. Melkart Abou-Jaoude (UNC)
9. Dani Dennis-Sutton
10. Isaiah Smith (SMU)
11. Derrick Moore
12. Cashius Howell
13. Will Heldt (Clemson)
14. TJ Parker
15. Romello Height
16. Damon Wilson II
17. Gabe Jacas
18. Mikail Kamara
19. Keyron Crawford
20. Teitum Tuioti (Oregon)
21. Stephen Daley (Indiana)
22. Kenyatta Jackson
23. Princewill Umanmielen
24. Malachi Lawrence
25. Matayo Uiagelelei

Interestingly, no Joshua Josephs, Keldric Faulk, R Mason Thomas or Anto Saka.

Take it FWIW.

Also, Isaiah Smith (6'4", 248) is new to me. He finished on 43 pressures and 9 sacks. He might be worth checking out.

 

[manxman2601]

Here it is everybody. The definitive officially official best edge prospect list compiled by yours truly.

Well, aside from the last bit, I did compile it, that's obviously guff. However I have tried to use PFF to come up with the best all-round edge prospects based upon stats rather than scouting. It is meant as a guide to scouting and nothing more.

What I have done is taken a prospects run defense grade and then added a simple pass rush formula (pressures +2 x sacks) to prioritise successful pass rushes. The two scores combined hopefully provides a list of edge prospects who are good against the run but are also successful pass rushers.

Here are the top 25

1. David Bailey
2. Rueben Bain
3. Keyshawn James-Newby (New Mexico)
4. Clev Lubin
5. Akheem Mesidor (all roads...)
6. Zion Young
7. Caden Curry
8. Melkart Abou-Jaoude (UNC)
9. Dani Dennis-Sutton
10. Isaiah Smith (SMU)
11. Derrick Moore
12. Cashius Howell
13. Will Heldt (Clemson)
14. TJ Parker
15. Romello Height
16. Damon Wilson II
17. Gabe Jacas
18. Mikail Kamara
19. Keyron Crawford
20. Teitum Tuioti (Oregon)
21. Stephen Daley (Indiana)
22. Kenyatta Jackson
23. Princewill Umanmielen
24. Malachi Lawrence
25. Matayo Uiagelelei

Interestingly, no Joshua Josephs, Keldric Faulk, R Mason Thomas or Anto Saka.

Take it FWIW.

I decided to fold in the top 15 edge prospects drafted last year and they don't have any real advantage to this year. Mike Green would have been top, Donovan Ezeiruaku 3rd but only 9 of the top 20 would have been from last year.

 

[stelfans]

Great job Manx!
Very interesting. Abou-Jaoude is definitely a name to keep tabs on.

 

[manxman2601]

Great job Manx!
Very interesting. Abou-Jaoude is definitely a name to keep tabs on.

He's boosted by having a 3 game stretch where he got 3 sacks in each of those games. He only got sacks in 5 games total but his pressure game was pretty strong with 44 across the season.

 

[manxman2601]

 

[manxman2601]

It starts! The”I’ve just got a few months before I ink the biggest contract of my life so far so I’ll do something dumb” tweets start.