This upcoming edge class is BIG. Not only in terms of talent, but quite literally in terms of size. I wouldn’t be surprised if come draft day, we see five first-round defensive ends who tip the scales at more than 270 pounds. Compared to the zero we saw last spring and one in 2024 (Darius Robinson Jr.), it will feel like we’ve turned back the clock 30 years!
If you want some more oomph from your edge rush, the 2026 draft class should have what you’re looking for. Here are my top 10 edge rusher prospects (ordered from No. 1 to No. 10) ahead of the college football season.
- Player type: Jumbo End
- Room for improvement: Consistent technique
- Early grade: Top-10
Keldric Faulk was far from the most impressive edge rusher in this class from a pure performance standpoint last season. Scouting is not about what you’ve done, though, but rather what you’ll do. And when you have the kind of length, explosiveness and strength that Faulk has, evaluators will be lining up to see what your future holds.
Faulk reminds me a bit of former top-10 pick Tyree Wilson, although the kind of things it took Wilson until his redshirt senior season to do, Faulk was doing as a true sophomore last year. There’s still an undeniable looseness to his game that needs to be refined, but once it does look out.
- Player type: Versatile power player
- Room for improvement: Playing under control
- Early grade: Top-20
If simply hearing the Miami defensive end’s last name elicits images of a DC comic book villain — you’ve got a good starting point of what his tape looks like. The rising junior possesses a defensive tackle body type playing out on the edge that looks out of place until the ball is snapped — then it looks like a weapon. Rueben Bain Jr. barrels through outstretched arms of offensive linemen with ease because of his bowling ball frame combined with his ferocious play style. The reps where tight ends are tasked with blocking him look like a high school highlight film.
Bain has been doing this since day one in college. While splitting time fairly evenly between inside and outside as a freshman, Bain racked up 45 pressures in 2023. Although he was hampered by injury last year, his tape still had those high-end flashes. It’s hard to see Bain’s physical ability and positional versatility dropping out of the first round next April.
- Player type: Well-rounded 4-3 defensive end
- Room for improvement: Shedding Blocks
- Early grade: Top-20
T.J. Parker is the cleanest prospect on this list already. He’s got an ideal frame for the position that’s already filled out like an NFL veteran. He’s the kind of every-down edge defender who can provide plus play against both run and pass. The sophomore already displays strong hands and the wherewithal to use them to his advantage consistently. Really the only thing keeping him from being higher on this list is that he’s more of a Bradley Chubb-type athlete than a Myles Garrett-type. That’s fine obviously — Chubb was a top 5 pick — but it speaks to his potential ceiling at the next level. Rest assured, he’ll end up somewhere in the first round next April.
- Player type: Speed-rushing 3-4 outside linebacker
- Room for improvement: Setting the edge
- Early grade: Late day 1/early day 2
Ask any scout and they’ll say that tape against elite competition at the collegiate level carries more weight than pretty much any other part of the evaluation process. Even though it was only a handful of reps, what Cashius Howell did to No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell last fall was enough to open my eyes.
Obviously, it wasn’t only those plays that earned him this ranking. He’s been one of the most effective pass-rushers in college football on a snap-for-snap basis the past two seasons across Bowling Green and Texas A&M. He’s a twitchy edge rusher who knows how to get opposing offensive linemen off balance. He’s got outstanding body control to make his strike zone small and avoid contact.
The reason he’s still in college is because he played third fiddle to two defensive ends who went in the top two rounds last spring in Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton. Once both left and Howell got the start against USC in the bowl game, he had a dominant seven-pressure performance. With a clear runway to a full-time role this fall, Howell should put up gaudy numbers in the SEC.
- Player type: Stack-shed 3-4 defensive end
- Room for improvement: Pass-rush plan
- Early grade: Early second round
LT Overton could have declared after a breakout season for the Tide in 2024 after two seasons as a backup for Texas A&M. Overton likely made the smart decision, as he would have been the youngest player in the entire draft class. Watching his tape, however, you’d swear he’s a fifth- or sixth-year player with the way he uses his hands in the run game. Overton is outstanding at controlling interactions with the man across from him. While that hasn’t quite translated to high-end pass-rushing production, it does mean he’s almost never out of place in the run game.
The question I want to see answered this fall is simply where does he play? He was too small to play inside full-time last year, but doesn’t have the pass-rushing chops or burst of a true edge. I think he ultimately bulks up into a Zach Allen-esque role at the next level that sees him taking on tackles head up and creating havoc more inside than outside.
High Tide: Alabama roster features close to a dozen 2026 NFL Draft prospects, pro scouts say
Matt Zenitz
- Player type: Designated pass rusher
- Room for improvement: Physicality
- Early grade: Early second round
If you haven’t heard about David Bailey, don’t feel bad. Stanford fans — where Bailey used to play — may not even know the name well (half joking). That’s because Bailey wasn’t even a starter and played fewer than 400 snaps for them each of the past two seasons in a pass-rushing specialist role. So, how did he crack the top 10? Well, you see Bailey is really darn good at that role. His first step is arguably the best in the entire draft class, and he ran circles around college offensive tackles last season.
While he gives up ground in the run game, that carries a lot less weight for NFL evaluators than his electric first step and quick-win ability as a pass-rusher will. He’ll get a chance at a bigger role on some bigger stages after transferring to Texas Tech this offseason.
- Player type: Reliable every-down edge player
- Room for improvement: Muscle mass
- Early grade: Day 2
Joshua Josephs is a bit of an enigma on tape. He’s noticeably trim for an edge defender yet one of the best run defenders in the country. The rising senior not only punches above his weight class when setting the edge, but he also sheds with such ease and regularity. He’s reminiscent of former Georgia edge Nolan Smith in that you can’t judge their game by simply looking at their listed weights.
Joseph has very broad shoulders, long arms and easy body control. While his burst was noticeably lacking compared to teammate James Pearce Jr., Joseph’s technique is the more consistent of the two. He’ll have a great opportunity to boost his stock with a larger role this upcoming fall after playing only 365 snaps in 2024.
- Player type: Jumbo defensive end
- Room for improvement: Block recognition
- Early grade: Day 2
There is really not much to dislike about Matayo Uiagalelei’s physical profile. He’s massive, quick, fluid, strong and bendy. The building blocks are all there to be a superstar at the next level. However, his youth showed a lot on tape last fall. The former five-star recruit who only just turned 20 years old in July is still more athlete than impact. You saw that most obviously in the playoff loss to Ohio State where he was almost nowhere to be found. Of all the players ranked in this range on the list, Uiagalelei easily has the most potential for a rise into a high first-round draft selection.
- Player type: Brawler
- Room for Improvement: Avoiding contact
- Early grade: Late Day 2
Tyreak Sapp’s projection is pretty easy. You’re getting a high-floor run defender who’s going to set the tone every snap he’s out there. With a limited ability to win as an athlete, Sapp prefers a more physical approach. It’s why he led all edge-rushers in college football last season with a 12.1 run stop percentage. It’s also why you see him reduced inside of the tackles a bunch on tape. With his physical skillset, Sapp’s future in the NFL is likely an early-down edge who’s kicking to the interior in any semblance of a pass-rushing situation.
- Player type: Speed rusher
- Room for Improvement: Staying clean vs. the run
- Early grade: Late Day 2
You may have to dig a bit to find the gold in R Mason Thomas’ tape, but trust me it’s worth it. It was when Thomas could pin his ears back he was like a rabid dog attacking quarterbacks. His shorter frame gives him natural leverage to get underneath offensive tackles and then bend back to quarterbacks at the top of the pocket. At his size, Thomas will have an uphill climb to an every down role in the NFL. What he can do on third downs, though, will guarantee him a role.