{"id":23868,"date":"2023-04-20T15:50:56","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T19:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/?p=23868"},"modified":"2023-04-20T15:51:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T19:51:00","slug":"2023-nfl-draft-top-10-edge-rushers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/nfl\/2023-nfl-draft-top-10-edge-rushers\/","title":{"rendered":"2023 NFL DRAFT: TOP 10 EDGE RUSHERS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BY ADAM GREENE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a particularly strong year for edge rushers in the NFL draft. I could have easily picked 15 top guys to feature here and probably still had to pare that down. The No. 1 guy is head and shoulders above the rest, but after that, there\u2019s probably a lot of leeway in ranking each man, considering the style of defense the team selecting them employs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other seasons, guys pegged to go in the third round or even later like Byron Young out of Tennessee or Jalen Redmond from Oklahoma could have easily snuck into the bottom of the first. There\u2019s some real value here on Day Two and quite of few of the men in my Top 10 should hear their names called Thursday or Friday. If a team needs an edge rusher and has a pick in the first three rounds, there\u2019s no excuse not to grab one of these guys and expect at least a seven sack season at the NFL level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young and Redmond were cuts here and barely missed by Top 10, as was Will McDonald IV out of Iowa State and Andre Carter from Army (though drafting an Army player comes with its own issues. I would advise any player hoping for an NFL future to avoid the service academies altogether. If you want to enlist, you can always do it after you graduate from your regular school).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, after many debates with myself (a worthy opponent), here are my Top 10 edge rushers entering the 2023 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. WILL ANDERSON, ALABAMA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 253 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 51 tackles, 17 for a loss, 10 sacks, one interception, one defensive touchdown, one pass defended<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 83.8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be 1st<\/sup> defensive player selected:<\/strong> -300<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be the 2nd<\/sup> player selected overall: <\/strong>+150<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be 3rd<\/sup> player selected overall:<\/strong> +300<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be 4th<\/sup> player selected overall:<\/strong> +375<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be the 5th<\/sup> player selected overall:<\/strong> +200<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If NFL teams atop the draft weren\u2019t so quarterback needy, Will Anderson would easy go No. 1 overall. He\u2019s a two-time Nagurski award winner, given to the best defensive player in the FBS and has the second most sacks in Alabama history, behind only the legendary Derrick Thomas. His stats were elite, but down this past season simply because he wanted to stay healthy for the NFL Draft. Last year, he had 101 tackles, 31 for a loss and 17.5 sacks, which is still absolutely unbelievable. Those are video game numbers and not even from Madden, because EA has yet to figure out how to properly code a defensive lineman or edge rusher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Prediction:<\/strong> No. 3 overall to the Arizona Cardinals<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. TYREE WILSON, TEXAS TECH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 22<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-6, 271 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 61 tackles, 14 for a loss, seven sacks, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 75.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be the 1st<\/sup> defensive player selected: <\/strong>+225<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be 2nd<\/sup> player selected overall:<\/strong> +350<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be 3rd<\/sup> player selected overall:<\/strong> +500<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be the 4th<\/sup> player selected overall:<\/strong> +1600<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be the 5th<\/sup> player selected overall:<\/strong> +180<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a reason Tyree Wilson could be a danger (but not too realistically) to be the first defensive player taken. He\u2019s put up nearly identical numbers against Big 12 competition for the last two seasons as far as tackles for a loss and sacks. This past season, he nearly doubled his tackle output. He led the entire Big 12 in pressures in 2022 and had the fifth highest pressure rate in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Prediction:<\/strong> No. 12 overall to the Houston Texans<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-5, 272 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 37 tackles, 10.5 for a loss, six sacks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 80.2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lukas Van Ness has all the physical tools to become an elite pass rusher in the NFL. He was a second team All Big-Ten selection and finished his two years as a starter at Iowa tied for the second highest sack total in the conference. He\u2019s a strong kid with some solid, interior moves that can really cause trouble at the pro level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Prediction:<\/strong> No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-5, 258 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 40 tackles, 11 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 79.0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds to be the 1st<\/sup> defensive player selected: <\/strong>+12500<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myles Murphy ended his senior year having amassed the second most sacks in the ACC over the past three. He was a first team All-ACC selection this past season and a second team selection in 2021. His numbers for Clemson have been elite from the first moment he stepped on the field as a freshman and haven\u2019t dipped since. Back in 2020, the COVID-19 season, he had 37 tackles, 10.5 for a loss and four sacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Prediction:<\/strong> No. 20 overall to the Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 22<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-2, 238 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 18 tackles, seven for a loss, three sacks, one pass defended<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 83.8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nolan Smith is the kind of project that could turn into a real monster at the NFL level. He\u2019s officially the heaviest player to record a 40-inch plus vertical jump and a sub 4.40 second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in the last two decades. He appeared in just eight games before going down with an injury in November, but still put up solid numbers in basically half a year\u2019s work. From 2021-2022, he combined for 71 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Prediction:<\/strong> No. 19 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. DERICK HALL, AUBURN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 22<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 254 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 60 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery, two forced fumbles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 71.3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Derick Hall wrapped up his four-year college career with a first-team All-SEC selection and recorded the second most sacks in the conference over the past two seasons. He\u2019s officially listed as a defensive lineman on Auburn\u2019s depth chart, but from 2019-2021 was a stand-up edge rushing linebacker. The move didn\u2019t hurt his production and he set a career high in tackles in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. ISAIAH FOSKEY, NOTRE DAME<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 22<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-5, 264 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022: 44 tackles, 13.5 for a loss, 10.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade: 72.3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of being a consensus Top 15-20 edge rusher on pretty much every board, I feel Isaiah Foskey is being overlooked. The man has recorded back-to-back 10 sack seasons for Notre Dame against one of the tougher schedules in college football. He laid down his best tape in 2022, setting a career high in both sacks and tackles for a loss. He\u2019s a complete player that can get away from blocks and chase down plays. He was a second team Associated Press All-American in 2022 and has posted the most sacks in Notre Dame history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Prediction:<\/strong> No. 68 overall to the Denver Broncos<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. KEION WHITE, GEORGIA TECH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 24<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-5, 285 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022: 54 tackles, 14 for a loss, 7.5 sacks, one pass defended<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade: 72.6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A transfer from Old Dominion to Georgia Tech in 2021, White flourished in the Yellowjacket\u2019s defensive system his first full year as a starter in 2022. Against ACC competition, he put up pretty much the same numbers he did in Conference USA, raising his sack total by four. He ended as a third-team All-ACC selection and had the third best pressure rate in the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. BJ OJULARI, LSU<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-2, 248 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022: 58 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, 5.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade: 76.3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BJ OJulari has been a playmaker for LSU since he first took the field in 2020 as a purely pass rushing specialist. His role moved to an every down defender in 2021 and he delivered, recording the sixth most quarterback pressures in the FBS over those two seasons. He was a 2022 Coaches All-SEC selection. He has a great first step, but needs to work on his run game, but no one is drafting him as anything other than a pass rusher on Day Two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Prediction:<\/strong> No. No. 36 overall to the Los Angeles Rams<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. FELIX ANUDIKE-UZOMAH, KANSAS STATE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age:<\/strong> 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size:<\/strong> 6-3, 255 pounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022:<\/strong> 46 tackles, 11 for a loss, 8.5 sacks, one pass defended, two forced fumbles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFF Grade:<\/strong> 74.6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Felix Anudike-Uzomah put together back-to-back high level seasons as a defensive end for Kansas State, recording 20.5 sacks from 2021-2022 and 26.5 tackles for a loss. His sack total is tied for the fourth most in all of the FBS over the last two campaigns. He was a 2022 third team Associated Press All American and was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFL Mock Draft 2.0 Prediction:<\/strong> No. 47 overall to the Cleveland Browns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter <\/em>@TheFirstMan<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect with us our socials on <\/em>Twitter<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a> for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY ADAM GREENE This is a particularly strong year for edge rushers in the NFL draft. I could have easily…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":23869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129],"tags":[146],"class_list":["post-23868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-nfl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23868"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23870,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23868\/revisions\/23870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}