RELATED: See our staff's top players at the IDP positions.
Defensive Lineman | Edge Rusher | Linebacker | Cornerback | Safety
Recently, we asked the Footballguys staff for their top rookies at each position. Over the next several weeks, we'll get deeper into the 2025 draft class and release our massive 2025 Footballguys Rookie Guide (for offense) after the Super Bowl. For now, here's a quick look at how our staff sees the edge rusher position.
Remember that it is early in the process. Showcase events like the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl will allow us to better compare these players, and the NFL Combine will add even more clarity.
Key
- Rank: the player's rank at the position.
- Pts: the number of points the player gained in the voting; the max changes based on how many staff members participated and how deep the voting was, but bigger numbers are always better.
- Firsts: the number of first-place votes the player received from a staff member.
| Rank | Edge Rusher | School | Pts | Firsts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdul Carter | Penn State | 40 | 4 |
| 2 | James Pearce Jr.. | Tennessee | 34 | 0 |
| 3 | Mykel Williams | Georgia | 32 | 0 |
| 4 | Jack Sawyer | Ohio State | 25 | 0 |
| 5 | Nic Scourton | Texas A&M | 18 | 0 |
| 6 | Princely Umanmielen | Ole Miss | 17 | 0 |
| 7 | Landon Jackson | Arkansas | 13 | 0 |
| 8 | Shemar Stewart | Texas A&M | 12 | 0 |
| 9t | Mike Green | Marshall | 10 | 0 |
| 9t | J.T. Tuimoloau | Ohio State | 10 | 0 |
| 11 | Kyle Kennard | South Carolina | 4 | 0 |
| 12 | Josaiah Stewart | Michigan | 2 | 0 |
| 13 | Bradyn Swinson | LSU | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Donovan Ezeiruaku | Boston College | 1 | 0 |
Photos provided by Imagn Images