John Owning: Defensive Edge Prospects Rankings

[Saca312]

A guy you may or may not know, John Owning is arguably one of the better defensive line evaluators out there. He has a structured system in which he maximizes his scouting efforts to ensure the most accurate projection of potential of prospects out there. He's pretty good at what he does.

Anyway, he recently came out with a ranking system of edge prospects from this draft class.

Take a look for yourself:

https://www.fanragsports.com/nfl/owning-final-look-edge-defender-class-2017-nfl-draft/

The 2017 NFL Draft is almost here, which means it is time to take a final look at this year’s edge defender class. The draft is sure to be littered with edge defenders throughout as teams look to bolster their respective pass rushes.

Myles Garrett is obviously the No. 1 edge defender in this draft class, but there are a number of players in the discussion to be No. 2.

Carl Lawson, Derek Rivers and Solomon Thomas were separated by minuscule amounts, and with a little bit of seasoning, each has the ability to put up double-digit sacks per year. There isn’t much of a fall off after that, however, as there are a number of edge defenders who can satiate the appetite of pass rush hungry teams.

With that in mind, let’s rank this special class of edge defenders.

Disclaimer: If a player is not ranked it is because a sufficient amount of film has not been watched on him. Off-field and medical concerns are not considered in these evaluations. Players are stacked in accordance with their rank within their tier. The description after the tier is what the player is projected to become in the NFL.

Tier 2: Potential Pro Bowler, highly productive starter (First round)

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Carl Lawson, Auburn

If you’ve been paying attention to the earlier iterations of these rankings, then you shouldn’t be surprised with Lawson finishing as the No. 2 edge defender.

Lawson is a masters level pass rusher who uses a varied approach and violent hand technique to soften edges. The Auburn product has a diverse set of pass rush moves, leaving it difficult for an offensive tackle to get into a rhythm. Lawson has fantastic ankle flexion that allows him to sharpen the edge incredibly well when his chest is clean.

As a run defender, Lawson does a great job of establishing inside hand positioning with good pad level. He dominates tight ends at the point of attack and despite his short arms (31.5 inches), he can hold his own against offensive tackles as well.

 

Lawson’s hip flexion leaves much to be desired, however. He struggles to sharpen the corner when he is tasked with creating steep angles with his lower body through contact. Furthermore, he needs to improve his eye level against the run. He initiated contact with his head down on too many occasions, causing him to shed blocks a tick too late.

Altogether, Lawson is the most advanced pass rusher in this class and should be able to immediately make an impact as a pass rusher on the edge. He is best suited as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he can also be a weak-side defensive end for an even front.

 

He has Lawson highly graded, and it's pretty interesting. He's a top tier pass rusher who's only dropping due to worries concerning his health and injuries. He could fall to the 2nd or 3rd round due to so.

Don't sleep on his production.

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Derek Rivers, Youngstown State

Don’t let his school fool you, Rivers is a big-time talent who deserves first-round consideration from any team in need of an edge defender.

Rivers has dominated the pre-draft process, as he put together excellent showings at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine. He tested into the 80th percentile among NFL edge defenders, per 3 Sigma Athlete. He is a smooth athlete who is extremely pliable in his lower half.

Rivers does need to develop his hand-fighting techniques (rip, swipe, swim) a bit, but he has shown an excellent ability to play through his opponents pads (snatch, sling shot, bull rush).

Against the run, Rivers has a unique grasp of the fundamentals. He plays with great pad level, body positioning and hand placement. Similar to Lawson, Rivers’ eye level is poor at times, but that should be fixable.

One of the most well-rounded edge defenders in this class, Rivers has a bright NFL future ahead of him. He has the potential to put up double-digit sacks in the future.

 

A surprise name I only recently started becoming acquainted with. He seems like he could be a big deal, and a must take if he falls to the top part of the second round. He has the traits to be a dominant force in the NFL, and I'd love him.

A nice extra video for your enjoyment:

 

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Solomon Thomas, Stanford

Many have Thomas ranked among the top-5 prospects in this class, but his lack of experience as a true pass rusher off the edge hurts his projection a bit in these rankings. At Stanford, Thomas’ best work came from the inside, as his quickness and compact hands were too much for interior offensive linemen.

At 6-foot-3 and 273 pounds, however, he’s going to make a living in the NFL on the edge. Thomas is an elite athlete, testing into the 74th percentile in every on-field drill at the combine. He still has a long way to go in his development as a pass rusher off the edge, but he possesses all the requisite traits to be a very good run defender on Day 1.

Thomas is a base defensive end in an even front who can reduce down to the under tackle position on passing downs.

 

A very fair and blunt assessment. Thomas is a project, but he could be real good down the road. He has the measurables to dominate, but he will be a raw guy coming in. There's a reason he used to be a 2nd round prospect before.

Nevertheless, still a good prospect.

A good list with good assessment to boot. Go click the link to enjoy more and learn about these prospects.

[Cary Kollins]

a dude with potential from a school called Youngstown State?

 

poo go ahead and get him a Panthers jersey

[Cary Kollins]

From what I'm reading on the edge rushers in this draft, it seems like their floor is all Kony Ealy.

Gettlemagic

[LinvilleGorge]

Kind of goes along with what Dave has said, that there isn't a big drop off at DE behind the top two guys.

Honestly, I don't see us going DE at #8, but I do think we take one in the 2nd.

[nctarheel0619]

Lawson got destroyed by Orlando Brown Jr. in the Sugar Bowl.  It was the best O-Line that Auburn front faced all year, but boy did they suck.  Didn't get one sack on Mayfield.  NOT ONE.  

[LinvilleGorge]

I think Garrett and Thomas are going top 5. When I said we won't go DE, I meant we won't take the #3 guy. I agree we'd pick Thomas if he was there and Founette was gone, I just don't see that scenario playing out.

[Shadow]

I wonder how many D line we would be willing to keep?  We already have 8 at least but it would be interesting if we were to get a pair of pass rushers to see if we could get the best 9 and practice squad one.  It's nice to have a draft with this many options!

[tiger7_88]

21 minutes ago, nctarheel0619 said:

Mixon got destroyed by Texas in the Red River Shootout.  It was one of the WORST defenses that Oklahoma faced all year, but boy did he suck.  Didn't get one TD.  NOT ONE.  And only 48 yards on 16 carries.

Hmmmmmm...

Sounds to me like Mixon is terrible.

[nctarheel0619]

2 minutes ago, tiger7_88 said:

Hmmmmmm...

Sounds to me like Mixon is terrible.

 

I would be mad too if he torched my teams defense in the Sugar Bowl.  Which he did.  :)

[tiger7_88]

2 minutes ago, nctarheel0619 said:

I would be mad too if he torched my teams defense in the Sugar Bowl.  Which he did.  :)

I see the point went right over your pointy lil head.

[nctarheel0619]

1 minute ago, tiger7_88 said:

I see the point went right over your pointy lil head.

I saw your point, and decided to deflect your point.  :)

[tiger7_88]

15 minutes ago, nctarheel0619 said:

I saw your point

I so admire the capacity to learn in a youngster.  :)

[nctarheel0619]

51 minutes ago, tiger7_88 said:

I so admire the capacity to learn in a youngster.  :)

Thanks man.  I'm trying.  ;)