2023 NFL Draft - Edge Rankings
The 2023 Edge class is absolutely stacked. It has high-end prospects as well as great depth heading into the later rounds. With so many prospects getting first round hype, it is time to dive deep and see which of the bunch really are going to be studs at the next level.
Below are my pre-combine/senior bowl edge rankings. These are all rather in-depth scouting reports of each player, so feel free to click each link for strengths, weaknesses, attributes, pro comparisons, etc. Also, there is a link at the top of each for a more navigable format if you are not a fan of spreadsheets.
First Round Grades
2. Tyree Wilson
4. Myles Murphy
5. Nolan Smith
6. B.J. Ojulari
I will address the two prospects that deviate the most from consensus.
First, Myles Murphy getting a grade of a mid-late first. I get that this is wild,
but saying his tape is unpolished would be a compliment. He really has
absolutely no pass rush moves whatsoever. I am unsure what they are teaching
over at Clemson because Bryan Bresee has a similar issue.
Murphy is an incredibly rare specimen with unbelievable movement
skills at over 275lbs who can play across multiple defensive fronts. His pro comparison
is former first overall pick Travon Walker because he really is that freaky of
an athlete. Just understand that any team drafting him will not get a pro-ready
edge prospect. He may take some time to develop, and there is obviously no guarantee
that he ever lives up to his potential. Murphy could easily end up as the number
one player in this entire draft class by the time it is all said and done, so I
have no issue with him going top 10. I personally just value pro readiness more
than most, and Murphy is far from it.
Second, Felix Anudike-Uzomah is my dude. He does not have the
burst or athleticism coveted by NFL teams, but seemingly wins more one-on-one
matchups than anyone else in class. He is constantly doubled due to the Kansas
State 3-3-5, and admittedly does not gain pressure when doubled as often as
someone like Tyree Wilson. After watching the first couple of games, all I wanted
was to see was him lined up as a 4-3 defensive end. He is excellent with his
hands, drive, and collapsing the pocket, as well as strong run defender. If he can
gain 10-15lbs or so, which I believe is possible with his frame, I genuinely think
that he could be one of the best 4-3 defensive ends in the league despite his
lack of twitch. I think he is at worst a pro ready end who will be adequate on
all three downs right off the bat, so I would feel comfortable taking him in the
first if I ran a 4-3 defense.
Finally, I have one notable exclusion who is a borderline first rounder and may easily end up in the top 32 on my final draft board:
Van Ness is the most ferocious bull rusher in this class. As
only a sophomore, his size and playstyle will surely be appealing to the NFL. He
may be worthy of a first round pick as it is with his position and current
skill level. As a power rusher only who is weaker in the run game, there are
just other guys who I believe should go before him. He will likely improve and
has high potential, but he did not win often enough, even on his more technical
reps, while playing limited snaps to elicit a first round grade.
Those are my top prospects to this point, but there are three other prospects getting some first round hype that I do not think will return value before the third round or so. This may be harsh, but then again, I personally value the current ability to win one-on-one against a tackle more strongly than raw athleticism in the first couple of rounds. Here are the three I do not believe live up to the hype:
10. Isaiah Foskey
There are a couple of prospects I have not gotten to yet who
may surpass these guys, and I have Derick Hall in the mix as well, but these three are the ones who have gotten some first round
buzz in my circles over the last couple of months. Andre Carter is one heck of
an athlete, but has absolutely zero play strength. He tries to finesse his way around
running backs at times instead of going through them, and can get locked up by
tight ends. His movement skills are incredible for his size, but clearly has received
poor coaching and had very questionable usage at Army. I would rather have him
than the other two on this list because of his raw athleticism and apparent
ability to be coached and molded nearly from scratch, but he may not be able to
earn much playing time for a couple of years.
Zach Harrison is a beast, but has not displayed such on the field.
I have checked these stats often because I simply cannot fathom that this is
true, but apparently the 6’6” 271 behemoth has 35.5” arms and runs a 4.41
40-yard-dash. The former 5 star recruit had rankings on 247 Sports coming out
with a 10/10 in Pursuit, Closing Speed, Athleticism, and Frame. His report includes
“Generational testing numbers at his size,” and reads unlike any other high
school report I have seen.
Unfortunately, he seems to have never been able to translate
that to the field. Harrison has lower production numbers all around, and really
looks awkward out there at times. I even gave him a lower athleticism grade
because he does not have the fluidity or agility to compensate for his lack of
play strength. There are reps where it starts coming together and he bull rushes
offensive tackles into the quarterback. He even has success at times with poor technique
due to his unique build. If he has ample coaching, then his traits may help him
become one of the better power edge rushers in the game. He has early buzz
because of his insane measurables, but will likely not earn playing time off the
bat.
Foskey is the most confusing member of this tier to me. He has
strong reps sprinkled throughout his tape, but is still unpolished. He is not the
athlete of the other mid day two prospects, and has many of the same issues. He
has decent production, but he also seemed to go against dreadful competition in
a couple of his games. With his issues regarding pad level, release, and overall
athleticism, the first round buzz is odd. I have him firmly as a third round
pick who has room to improve, and could be a solid rotational pass rusher from the
edge. He just is not the kind of player I would seek in the first couple of rounds.
Upshot
At this point, some of my rankings differ from consensus. I do believe Myles Murphy will go inside the top 10-15 because of his athleticism, and I do think Felix Anudike-Uzomah falls to round two for the same reason. I also am still trying to reconcile grades of immediate impact verses project players. I think some teams should take a swing at Murphy in the early first or Andre Carter a round ahead of where I have him graded if they have the luxury of not thrusting them into a starting role. I would take Ojulari over Anudike-Uzomah if I ran primarily a 3-4, and Van Ness over Ojulari if I ran a 4-3. Rankings are not stagnant across every team, and my grades will probably fluctuate over the course of the off-season.
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