2026 Draft: EDGE

[manxman2601]

Here’s how I want our Edge depth chart to work out:
1. Landry - not explosive but a solid edge guy
2. Re-sign Chaisson or a free agent replacement
3. High draft pick (1st/2nd round) - Focus on Pass Rush ability
4. Ponder
5. Swinson/Murphy

Personally feel Chaisson is the best option from a familiarity and age standpoint. Also think he will be sought after. Phillips, Oweh, Mafe and Paye could be some options. Dont think they’ll go after Hendrickson, Mack or Bosa.

In the draft I want a pass rusher. David Bailey, Cashius Howell, Joshua Joseph’s and R Mason Thomas would fit that spot

Like Ponder and Swinson (hearing Coach speak that he’s progressing) as the #4/#5

I can't argue with any of that as I've been one to advocate for a pure pass rusher in this draft rather than a more balanced run/pass rush prospect. You just need to accept with three of those guys you're sacrificing some run support and with Josephs, who is better in run support, some pass rush compared to the other three. I still like him a lot though.

My guy is Mesidor who is an older prospect but has been as effective a pass rusher while offering plenty in run support too. His age may be a problem. I think he'll be 25 at draft time. I want to see how Ponder progresses for the rest of the year. 2 sacks and a hit in two consecutive weeks has me intrigued.

 

[p8ryts]

Here’s how I want our Edge depth chart to work out:
1. Landry - not explosive but a solid edge guy
2. Re-sign Chaisson or a free agent replacement
3. High draft pick (1st/2nd round) - Focus on Pass Rush ability
4. Ponder
5. Swinson/Murphy

Personally feel Chaisson is the best option from a familiarity and age standpoint. Also think he will be sought after. Phillips, Oweh, Mafe and Paye could be some options. Dont think they’ll go after Hendrickson, Mack or Bosa.

In the draft I want a pass rusher. David Bailey, Cashius Howell, Joshua Joseph’s and R Mason Thomas would fit that spot

Like Ponder and Swinson (hearing Coach speak that he’s progressing) as the #4/#5

Ponder improving. Not counting on Swinson.

 

[hornetfb85]

Ponder improving. Not counting on Swinson.

Agree. Thinks it’s too early to give up on him still. Just my opinion

 

[manxman2601]

Agree. Thinks it’s too early to give up on him still. Just my opinion

I wonder if the Swinson problem is just that he's not a special teams guy whereas Ponder is. They wouldn't promote Swinson to be EDGE 4/5 if he can't contribute to ST. It could be that simple.

 

[manxman2601]

 

[stelfans]

He’s eligible?

 

[manxman2601]

He’s eligible?

Yes. He's a redshirt sophomore apparently.

 

[BobDigital]

So did a dive on T.J. Parker. Probably won't be much not discussed before. FYI. After I did my dive i went through this thread to try to find numbers on him for tested marks and run grades to see if they were in line with that I saw. And they were. So i am glad I won't be influenced much by them.

Anyway. Parker is a good player. He has great violent hands. Very good power. Is very good in setting in the edge and run defense. Stays on his assignment and will make the sack. His straight line speed is really good, but his sell is the ability to bull rush which is where he makes most of his bones as a pass rusher. He doesn't have much bend, but can accelerate quickly from a stop. So he has the ability to get off a block and change direction fairly quickly.

While bending around the edge shows up more on a 3 cone time. I don't think the pass rushing then suddenly getting off your rush to change direction is exactly the same skill set. He does this rather quickly actually. And Causes pressure while doing it. I didn't see much from him in pass defense so can't speak to it.

I know his sacks are way down this year and that will cause teams to hesitate. This one gave me a lot of trouble to decide where I like him. He was either a top 48 or top 32. It comes down to do i believe he translates with a skill set that isn't as extensive as you'd like to see from a pass rush perspective. Personally I do. I think his quickness in traffic (which doesn't show up on test) is really good. He keeps great vision while pass rushing. His hands aren't just random and violent, they are fairly precise tools. And his bull rush has proven to be effective for tackles and guards. He is no Keion White. There is more to his game that just a simply bull rush without speed. He has hands, he has quickness in his burst and to change direction off a block. He gets pressure and he is always a threat to get home.

He is no probowler, but he will be good in this league. He may only get 7/8 sacks most years with the occasional double digit year but he will make a lot of QBs uncomfortable a lot of the time and stop the run doing it. So yes, he is a top 32 player. You don't need 10 tricks if the 5 you have are really good. And his are that good IMO.

 

[BobDigital]

So i decided to double dip today and look at Tyreak Sapp.

Sapp is a guy many consider to be a low 2nd to high 3rd player. It is fortunate I looked at Parker on the same day, as they are very similar players. And this goes to show how a little can make a lot of difference.

Sapp's best part of his game might be his run defense, but it's not THAT good. He's pretty good. He tends to hold his spot and sometimes get push, but he doesn't smoothly get off blocks and he doesn't use his hands as well as he could. He is pure power and aggression more than not. He would still be considered a plus run defender, but not that big plus run defender.

His pass rush is a power game. But the amount of variance it is small. Again his hands aren't as active as you like and the power while good doesn't pop as much is you'd hope it would for a guy whose pass rush game will be built around it. He has some quickness for sure, but if he were just a tiny bit faster it would be more useful.

He can slip blocks a bit, but he isn't as slippery as you'd hope he'd be getting off his blocks. When he does do a straight pass rush with speed. You'd wish he'd get there just a hair faster.

The way i would describe him is Parker but a little less... almost everything. And that bit less everything matters when your game is narrower. He can maybe bend a bit more, but he isn't bendy by any measure so it doesn't really matter. Right now he wins with power and pure grit. Fantastic, but i worry about how far that will get him and his even more limited tool bag (than Parker's).

There certainly is something to like about the player. But too often i watch him make a play and think 'if that player he's facing was just a tiny bit better, would that have worked out as well?' In the NFL when he will face better competition, I think we won't love the answer.

So i don't see him as a 2nd rounder. I see him as a back up player. Rotational all rounder. A guy who can spell either a good pass rusher or a good run defender. Jack of all trades master of none. He is IMO a 4th rounder.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Ponder improving. Not counting on Swinson.

Agree. Thinks it’s too early to give up on him still. Just my opinion

I wonder if the Swinson problem is just that he's not a special teams guy whereas Ponder is. They wouldn't promote Swinson to be EDGE 4/5 if he can't contribute to ST. It could be that simple.

Swinson was elevated to the 53. No game day elevations and then all of a sudden signed to the 53. Hopefully they were trying to hide Swinson with the previous lack of elevations. We will see if he can create a lot of pressure on passing downs.

 

[mayoclinic]

If he declares, Yhonzae Pierre could be that EDGE rusher we're looking for. He is violent, powerful and explosive. Fits the Vrabel profile .

 

[manxman2601]

I just did my occasional check on CFB sack leaders and there's a new name on the list with 11 sacks, trailing only Bailey, Howell and Anthony Smith. It's a name I haven't heard before.

Melkart Abou-Jaoude, UNC, 6'5", 260lbs

There's very little info on him, but that height and weight is perfect for an edge rusher. I don't know how long his arms are though. The reason I haven't heard of him before now is a) I don't watch UNC and b) he wasn't troubling the radar until 4 weeks ago when he went on a 9 sacks in three game tear at 3 per game. And it's not as though it was the weaker part of the schedule either, those nine sacks came against Virginia, Syracuse and Stanford.

He was a transfer from Delaware this year and had 9 sacks last year with the Blue Hens (silly name). I wonder if he's one of those late draft risers.

Of course, we don't get to scout him thanks to BB's bitterness.

 

[Clonamery]

I just did my occasional check on CFB sack leaders and there's a new name on the list with 11 sacks, trailing only Bailey, Howell and Anthony Smith. It's a name I haven't heard before.

Melkart Abou-Jaoude, UNC, 6'5", 260lbs

There's very little info on him, but that height and weight is perfect for an edge rusher. I don't know how long his arms are though. The reason I haven't heard of him before now is a) I don't watch UNC and b) he wasn't troubling the radar until 4 weeks ago when he went on a 9 sacks in three game tear at 3 per game. And it's not as though it was the weaker part of the schedule either, those nine sacks came against Virginia, Syracuse and Stanford.

He was a transfer from Delaware this year and had 9 sacks last year with the Blue Hens (silly name). I wonder if he's one of those late draft risers.

Of course, we don't get to scout him thanks to BB's bitterness.

 

[Clonamery]

 

[p8ryts]

I just did my occasional check on CFB sack leaders and there's a new name on the list with 11 sacks, trailing only Bailey, Howell and Anthony Smith. It's a name I haven't heard before.

Melkart Abou-Jaoude, UNC, 6'5", 260lbs

There's very little info on him, but that height and weight is perfect for an edge rusher. I don't know how long his arms are though. The reason I haven't heard of him before now is a) I don't watch UNC and b) he wasn't troubling the radar until 4 weeks ago when he went on a 9 sacks in three game tear at 3 per game. And it's not as though it was the weaker part of the schedule either, those nine sacks came against Virginia, Syracuse and Stanford.

He was a transfer from Delaware this year and had 9 sacks last year with the Blue Hens (silly name). I wonder if he's one of those late draft risers.

Of course, we don't get to scout him thanks to BB's bitterness.

Just watch the game films. I think he was ACC defensive player of the week two weeks ago. BB has been touting him.

 

[mayoclinic]

T.J. Parker, Edge Clemson: 2026 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Parker was a four-star recruit from Central High School in Phenix City, Ala. in the class of 2023

sportstalk.substack.com

I pretty much agree with this. Physically limited EDGE rusher with heavy hands. I would consider him late 2nd round, but probably not late 1st, unlike BobDigital. I do not see the explosiveness or violent disruptiveness that I've seen in (albeit limited) tape of Yhonzae Pierre.

 

[mayoclinic]

 

[manxman2601]

James Foster on USC Edge Anthony Lucas

 

[Clonamery]

James Foster on USC Edge Anthony Lucas

3 Sacks?

I don't know what his pressure numbers look like but that's a meager number for 1st Rd mention I guess. *shrugs*

 

[manxman2601]

3 Sacks?

I don't know what his pressure numbers look like but that's a meager number for 1st Rd mention I guess. *shrugs*

I've not been overly impressed on the few occasions I've watched him but Foster watches a lot more tape than I do so I'll bow to his knowledge on this one.