The Eagles have had success this season with their 2023 NFL Draft pick, Edge Rusher Nolan Smith. His development and play in the postseason are a big reason they are heading to their second Super Bowl in three years. After the season, they will likely lose Josh Sweat to Free Agency and Brandon Graham to retirement. Edge Rusher will be a priority this offseason, and the draft is the most effective way to replenish, at least, those losses. I wrote about ten edge rushers who could interest the Eagles last month, here are ten more to learn about as we await Super Bowl week!
10 EDGE Rushers the Eagles should be keeping an eye on
Antwuan Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech
An effective and quick pass rusher with a lightning-fast first step, Powell-Ryland displays a non-stop motor and shows good bend around the edge. Antwuan has proven to be effective in dropping into coverage which is something Fangio asks of his edge rushers. While slightly undersized, he sheds block well, collapses the pockets, and creates turnovers. He has a beautiful spin move in his arsenal of pass-rushing tricks.
Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
Klye displays a string burst and twitch off the snap to win the downs! He never gives up on his pass rush or chasing down a ball carrier. He has violent, strong hands that he uses to chop and swipe effectively. Kennard is another high-motor edge who never stops his pursuit. His speed stands out!
Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
A Feldman freak who has been clocked at 19.9 mph on the GPS. He uses his unrelenting motor and burst to set up OLs. Ashton has elite instincts and a high understanding of how to use leverage. He punished opponents with violent, active hands in the trenches coupled with a strong upper body that he used to bully opponents into the QB regularly. Gillotte always plays to the whistle and is clutch on 3rd downs. He also is in the conversation for the best hair in college football!
David Walker, Central Arkansas
He’s been a sleeper much of the College season; he won’t stay one. Walker was built to be a pass rusher. He has excellent closing speed, is elusive and quick, and displays a high football IQ. He always has a game plan to set up OLs, and his approach is elite. Davis uses leverage well and has shown the ability to pressure QBs with a hand in the dirt or standing up. He is a punishing tackler who plays with an edge and causes havoc! A scout mentioned he reminds them of Eagles Edge, Brandon Graham. He is one for Eagles fans to know in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jah Joyner, Minnesota.
Jah was 3rd in college football with a pass rush win rate of 23.1% in 2023. He is held often, yet he still gets to the QB. He has shown improvement year after year versus the run. Joyner has excellent length, twitch, high effort, and linear explosiveness. While watching him play, he stands out for his dip, swim, & spin pass-rushing moves. Another Feldman freak who squats 615 lbs.
Josaiah Stewart Michigan
Josaiah is one of my favorite players for the Eagles who would maybe be available in the 2nd round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Stewart has excellent speed, agility, and an elite first step. He uses a plethora of pass-rush moves; a swim, chops, etc. He has displayed adequate bend and runs on a high motor while being able to process what the offense is doing, just as fast. He has shown the ability to win on downs with an outside or inside rush. His 16% pressure rate and 17% run-stop rate were tied for best-in-class.
Ahmed Hassnein, Boise State
I went to watch Ashton Jeanty and stayed to see Ahmed. He was born in the United States and grew up in Cairo. Ahmed attributes his toughness to being raised in Egypt. Through the first 11 weeks, PFF graded him with a score of 76.6, which was 9th best among edge rushers in college football. His high sack total has him rising draft boards.
Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina
Many project Rucker to be used in odd fronts in the NFL. His potential to be an above-average pass rusher is immense. He has generated high-pressure totals, including last year when he was eighth in the country with 60. Kaimon has a strong upper body that he uses to leverage and move bodies, even playing at a smaller size. He is sound in the run game, uses good technique, and has displayed elite awareness with his active eyes always surveying the field.
Bradyn Swinson, LSU
Swinson is a tough, combative, high-motor Edge rusher who excels at pass rushing by utilizing a blend of power and speed. He has the innate ability to convert power to speed instantly and is a master at hand warfare. Versus the run, Bradyn diagnoses the scheme quickly and uses that to his advantage to be in a position to counter. He is coming off his best season and has shown that as good as he has been there is a lot more to come!
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Donovan is uber-athletic and twitchy. His bend and flexibility in attacking off the Edge are the first things you will notice while watching his film. He has a big bag of pass-rushing tools and has showcased the art of setting OLs up with a powerful pass rush to force them to set up outside while he disguises his true intentions of bursting inside to pressure the Quarterback. He closed out his College stay impressively by totaling 19 pressures and six sacks in his last two games.
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