Defensive Ends
There were fifteen DEs taken in the 2020 draft. Just as we see with O-Linemen with regard to interiors and OTs, some "edge" players get counted as EDGE/OLBs, while others are true DEs. The count of fifteen is clean, however. That said, this was a kind of a ho-hum draft with respect to DEs. There were only five DEs drafted within the first 100 selections, with a sharp drop-off after Chase Young. This draft should have more distribution early on, with a good offering of talent within every round.
1) Gregory Rousseau | 6'5 | 260 | DE/EDGE | Miami - (Opting Out)
Rousseau has excellent size with a resume to match, albeit not real deep at this point. He blew up last year and posted an amazing 15.5 sacks. His stats aren't manufactured, as he was a terror in almost every contest. The Canes moved him around, as he logged snaps at NT, DT, DE and EDGE. He looked the part in each. He plays with leveled quickness and hand usage. He has a nose for the ball, always seems to be in on the play or close by. He can use power to drive the blocker back, or beat him with dip/rip moves. He's a beast on loop stunts, as he's way too quick for OGs to handle him.
2) Kwity Paye | 6'3 | 277 | DE | Michigan -
10/24 - Minnesota - Paye had a great game. Once Minnesota moved away from tight formations, especially removing tight ends late in the game, Paye had a field day. He showed off a great first step and excellent upfield burst. He showed plus power against the run, used great arm extension. He had 4 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 sacks.
10/31 - Michigan State - Like Hutchinson, Pays really looked the part today as well. He displayed an insanely fast first step off the snap, but upfield quickly and caused disruption. He stacked well against the run, held outside contain with good arm extension. He posted just 3 tackles but was certainly active and in the mix.
Paye is one of my favorite players to watch, irrespective of position. He offers up great size and is a straight dawg at the LOS, not backing down to anyone. While good-sized, he fires off the ball and plays with nice quickness. That said, he has plenty of strength, able to stack the LOS and hold the edge in contain. Last season, he faced some very good OTs at Iowa and Alabama and he more than handled his own against them.
3) Aidan Hutchinson | 6'5 | 278 | DE | Michigan -
10/24 - Minnesota - Hutchinson had an impressive game. He lined up at SDE and drew double team blocks often, which freed up others to make plays. Had his teammates stuck to their assignments, the Gophers would have rushed for much less. Hutchison stacked well and held edge contain when assigned to do so. When his stack was to fire inside, he did so with quickness and power. He played with an active motor, continuously fought blocks. He wasn't rotated out, thus showing great conditioning. He was a menace often, had 6 tackles.
10/31 - Michigan State - Hutchinson was an absolute machine today, certainly looked like a 1st-Round talent. He fired off the ball with great burst, yet didn't overrun plays. He showed great edge for a big man, was violent with his hands to beat blocks. He was very strong at the point of attack, also showed great hustle and functional speed when in pursuit. He gave the Spartan O-line fits all night. He had 7 tackles on the day.
Hutchinson has great size and is a beast against the run. He takes on OTs quite well, is able to string plays out until the cavalry comes. While he's certainly more of a stout rock than a finesse edge rusher, he can create pressure. He uses his plus strength and size well to grind through blockers on his way into the backfield.
4) Jayson Oweh | 6'5 | 252 | DE | Penn State
10/24 - Indiana - Oweh had a very impressive game. While only credited with 2 tackles, he was an edge menace all game. He showed off an excellent first step and great bend around the edge. He was the consummate hand-fighter, often didn't allow the O-lineman to get a latch on him. He also showed strength vs. the run, didn't give up much ground in contain.
10/31 - Ohio State - Oweh had a decent game, showed good bend ass an edge rusher, landed some good counter moves to the inside. He was able to work off blocks and make tackles, posting 6 on the night.
11/14 - Nebraska - Oweh had a couple hiccups early on defending the outside option/runs, but he adjusted well and had a solid 2nd half. When pining his ears back and going full steam he did well. He paced his team with 9 stops, 1.5 TFLs.
5) Jaelan Phillips | 6'5 | 258 | DE | Miami -
9/12 - UAB - Phillips operated opposite of Roche and looked better than his teammate. While long, he converted speed to power and was dangerous when pinning his ears back and going after the QB. He wasn't as stellar against the run, but did use good arm extension to keep blockers off his frame.
9/19 - Louisville - Phillips had an excellent game. Against the run, he showed great arm extension to keep blockers off his frame. He also was very disciplined in keeping his outside arm free in edge contain, not getting hemmed up inside. Against the pass, he supplied very good pressure with a blend of speed and power. He kept his motor going, always hustling. He also showed versatility in dropping in space and covering the flat.
10/17 - Pittsburgh - Phillips had a very good game. He excelled as a pass rusher, used a myriad of moves to beat the OT. While only credited with 3 tackles, .5 TFLs, he was very disruptive. He was also stout against the run.
10/24 - Virginia - Phillips had a decent outing, but didn't flash like he had in games leading up to this contest. He got too wide on some of his arc rushes, left the inside lane up. On other snaps, he showed a myriad of pass rush talents and was active in pursuit. He did pace his team with 7 tackles.
11/14 - VA Tech - Phillips continues to shine. While some of his stats were manufactured due to not being blocked, he still had 8 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks. He showed quickness off the edge and was nuanced in his pass-rush techniques, clearly showing that he knows how to set an OT up. While he showed good bend, he was also stout on the edge, took on blocks well with his inside shoulder to hold edge contain.
6) Carlos Basham | 6'4 | 275 | DE | Wake Forest -
9/12 - Clemson - Basham had a solid game, but didn't offer up anymore insight than what we already know or have seen from him. He played with decent strength at the LOS, his best attributing being that of his ability to knife and/or grind through blocks. While not overly quick, he played fast and got a got a good up field surge at times. Aside form his one sack very early on, he was neutralized often. Carmen Jackson certainly kept him at bay, pushed him around at times.
10/24 - VA Tech - Basham had a good stat line, posted 9 tackles, 1 sack. He showed good speed off the line and hustled when in pursuit. He did get washed out a few times on the edge. Many of his tackles came as the result of him going unblocked by design. He was solid, but not as disruptive as his tackle count would lead one to believe.
Basham was very solid in 2018, then turned the corner in 2019 with 11 sacks. He has great size and is equally adept at playing the run as he is creating pressure vs. the pass. Boogie, as referred to by his teammates and friends alike, plays with an active motor and gets a lot of production through sheer effort and will power.
7) Patrick Jones II | 6'5 | 260 | DE | Pittsburgh -
9/12 - Austin Peay - Jones had a good game, as expected. He didn't have a full game of snaps, but still mustered up 5 tackles, .5 sacks. He showed very good explosion off the snap, was quick to get into and work off blocks. He showed the ability to cleanly run the arc, as well as execute inside counter moves off of over-setting blockers.
9/19 - Syracuse - Jones looked the part in this one, showing physicality at the LOS when setting the edge, and using hands to disengage from blocks when going after the passer. He consistently played with a motor, accounted for 3 tackles.
10/3 - NC State - Jones was quick off the snap and challenged the edge well. However, the QB got the ball off cleanly far too often, Jones not able to get there fast enough to make an impact.
10/10 - Boston College - Jones blew up the stat line, posting 3 sacks on the day. He showed off a good first step with natural edge bend, was also strong in his pass rush and against the run.
10/17 - Miami - Jones showed off a good first step and gave the OT fits most of the game. He had 5 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, played at a frenetic pace.
10/24 - Notre Dame - Jones had a down game, was outplayed by his teammate Weaver. While he showed quickness, each of Notre Dame's OTs kept him at bay. Aside of a couple wins, he didn't produce. He had 4 tackles, 1 TFL, done mostly when not blocked or plays broke down.
11/7 - Florida State - Jones played like a person possessed in this one. He fired off the ball and played at a frenetic pace in both the pass and run game. He had 5 tackles, 1 sack, was in the backfield half the night.
Jones has the physical attributes you want from a DE. He fires off the ball well and creates a good up field surge as a pass rusher. His dip and rip move around the edge is one of the best you'll see in this draft. He does a good job of making OTs over set, compromising their inside for counter moves. He's solid against the run, shows good arm extension while keeping his outside free to secure edge containment. Most of his 8.5-sack production was all his doing.
8) Ronnie Perkins | 6'3 | 251 | DE | Oklahoma
10/31 - Texas Tech - Perkins had a good first game back. He showed off a good upfield burst, was strong vs. the run and pass. He looked adept playing with his hand in the dirt as well as out of a 2-point stance. He was frenetic, played with a hot motor all game. He had 3 tackles, 2 TFLs.
11/21 - Oklahoma State - Perkins played intense football in this one, often chopping it up with Hubbard. He psoted 5 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 sacks, showed just how productive and dangerous he can be.
9) Rashad Weaver | 6'4 | 270 | DE | Pittsburgh
9/19 - Syracuse - Weaver looked like he's back. He showed good strength along the edge, was able to get a push on his blocker often times. While he wasn't really flashy as a pass rusher, he was able to grind through blocks and get into the backfield with regularity. He finished with 7 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 sacks.
10/3 - NC State - Weaver gave good effort and did keep his blocker honest, but he was often neutralized and couldn't produce much.
10/10 - Boston College - Weaver posted just 1 tackle which was a sack, but he played with good strength in his pass rush and against the run. He had some nice battles with Vrabel.
10/17 - Miami - Weaver had 4 tackles, 1.5 TFLs. He showed off a good blend of pass-rush abilities coupled with run-defense capabilities.
10/24 - Notre Dame - Weaver had a very solid game. He kept both OTs busy and challenged, each of which should make an NFL roster. He displayed strength along the edge in both run support and pass rushing. He logged himself wins on both sides of the line. He posted 3 tackles, 1 TFL.
11/7 - Florida State - Weaver had a great game. He was strong setting the edge and was a terror running the arc against would-be OTs. He had 4 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack.
10) Dayo Odeyingbo | 6'5 | 275 | DE | Vanderbilt
11/14 - Kentucky - Odeyingbo drew a lot of attention in this game, as he was constantly having to fight off blocks from multiple guys. When left in 1:1 situations, he showed off good arm extension and an effective bull rush to match. He played with an active motor and was accounted for, evidencing how much havoc he can wreak when given space and a bit of time.
11/21 - Florida - Odeyingbo had an impressive game. He often went up against Forsythe who is a respectable LT, and beat the blocker multiple times. He was stout in setting the edge and showed a powerful edge rush.
11) Joshua Kaindoh | 6'6 | 260 | DE | Florida State
9/12 - Georgia Tech - Kaindoh was knocked out of the game early thanks to a cheap shot block he took.
10/10 - Notre Dame - Kaindoh did nothing against a stout ND O-line. I saw him flash just once that I took note of, an inside counter move.
10/24 - Louisville - Kaindoh failed to register anything on the stat line, but that shouldn't serve as an indictment on his play. Overall, he did a good job stacking at the LOS, using good arm extension through blocks. Poor play from his LB corps did him no favors, as he often put his guys in a position to make plays. He also showed some bend as a pass rusher.
11/7 - Pittsburgh - Kaindoh had a solid night. While only credited with 2 tackles, he set the edge well and showed off his pass rush skills quite a few times.
12) Tyreke Smith | 6'3 | 267 | DE | Ohio State
10/31 - Penn State - Amongst a see of talent, Smith did nothing to set himself apart. He was adequate, but did nothing to really take notice of.
11/21 - Indiana - Smith got banged up early and didn't see the field much overall, but when in he showed a good first step and a motor running the arc.
13) Daelin Hayes | 6'3 | 270 | DE | Notre Dame
9/12 - Duke - Hayes each showed some good edge ability. He showed decent quickness, wasn't stout nor sift vs. the run. He finished with 2 tackles.
10/10 - Florida State - Hayes had himself a nice game, even though the stat line won't show as much. He showed off a good first step with bend around the edge. He played with a solid blend of speed and power, was resolute in working through blocks. He forced a lot of plays to other defenders.
10/24 - Pittsburgh - Hayes had himself a nice game. He was very balanced in strong run play and being able to create pressure off the edge. He didn't make the stat line, but as much belies how well he did. He was very solid overall.
11/7 - Clemson - Hayes quietly had a good night. He only posted 2 tackles, but was good off the edge, sported a nice combo of strength and quickness.
14) Payton Turner | 6'6 | 270 | DE | Houston
10/10 - Tulane - Turner had an impressive game. He was strong at the LOS, used good arm extension to contain the edge and keep blockers off his frame. He fought aggressively through blocks, caused disruption vs. the pass and run. He posted 7 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2 sacks.
10/17 - BYU - Turner flashed again in this game. He had 6 tackles, 1 sack. He was a challenge for blockers throughout this game. He displayed violent hands and an active motor.
15) William Bradley-King | 6'3 | 250 | DE | Baylor
10/3 - West Virginia- Bradley-King really got my attention in this one. He held edge contain quite well, used good arm extension to push blockers off his frame. As a pass rusher, he showed off a good inside dip, coupled with an active motor to grind and power through blocks on the outside.
10/24 - Texas - WBK flashed several times in this contest. He showed off a very commanding bull rush, used good arm extension to keep himself able to work off of blocks. He also showed speed in pursuit and was generally stout setting the edge vs. the run.
10/31 - TCU - Bradley-King had a much maligned game. He tried to play the power game against TCU's OTs, and it was met with little success. He was stout and showed toughness fighting blocks, but he was hemmed up throughout the game.
16) LaBryan Ray | 6'3 | 285 | DE | Alabama
9/26 - Missouri - Ray quietly had a solid game. He notched 4 tackles, 1 sack, but his value doesn't show up on the stat sheet. He was strong on the edge and consistently put up a fight at the LOS, making run plays toward him a challenge. He did provide pressure as a rusher at times as well. From a base 3-4 DE standpoint, he looked the part.
10/3 - Texas A&M- Ray didn't stand out in any regard, but the Aggies didn't find much success running it toward him when he was in the game.
11/21 - Kentucky - Ray saw limited snaps, didn't do anything to stand out, good nor bad.
17) Joshua Paschal | 6'3 | 280 | DE | Kentucky
9/26 - Auburn - Pascal was a great surprise in this one. I was very impressed with how well he stacked at the LOS against the run, wasn't moved off his base unless he was doubled up on. As a pass rusher, he wasn't real quick or flashy, but used commanding strength to grind through blocks with an outside-in approach, creating fits for OTs.
10/3 - Ole Miss - Pascal had another real good game. He posted 7 tackles, displayed stout play on the edge. His blocker couldn't get a push on him, showed very good play strength and a motor to match at times.
10/17 - Tennessee - Pascal had a meh game, was held in check the majority of the game, saw reduced reps.
10/24 - Missouri - Limited snap count, but was stout on the edge when in.
11/21 - Kentucky - Paschal had a solid game. He played with good strength and grit along the edge, wasn't an easy or sure block by any means. He was in on 4 stops.
18) Jonathan Cooper | 6'4 | 257 | DE | Ohio State
10/24 - Nebraska - Cooper was rather meh in his play. He didn't stand out as a pass rusher, and was caught out of position a few times vs. the run, as he crashed the end hard and didn't hold outside contain.
10/31 - Penn State - Cooper was in on 5 tackles, most of which came as a result of him being the unblocked option read. He didn't flash overall.
11/21 - Indiana - Cooper was average throughout this game, that was until Indiana's last drive. He kicked it into gear and provided pressure each and every down in that series.
19) Ali Gaye | 6'6 | 262 | DE | LSU
9/26 - Miss. State - Gaye was a welcomed surprise in this game. He provided pressure in spurts throughout the game, consistently gave the OT across from him fits. He was able to use strength and counter moves to keep blockers off base. He use good arm extension to gain leverage. He posted 2 TFLs, looks like a player to keep an eye on.
10/10 - Missouri - Gaye posted 4 tackles, 2 TFLs. His play was a bit up and down, as he looked very solid one play, meh on another. Ass a whole, he showed decent edge play against the run, but was hemmed up as a pass rusher often.
10/24 - South Carolina - This was another inconsistent game for Gaye. While it was easy to see his athletic traits and abilities, he too often got hemmed up and did hold edge contain. When allowed to pin his ears back and go, he looked much better.
10/31 - Auburn - Gaye looked the part when knifing inside of OTs, but he failed to hold edge contain several times, allowed big runs to his side. He didn't play with consistency or discipline. He did have 4 tackles, 1.5 TFLs.
20) Tarron Jackson | 6'2 | 270 | DE | Coastal Carolina
9/12 - Kansas - Jackson had an up and down game. He was solid against the run going head up, but lost edge contain a few times. As a pass rusher, he showed off a very active motor, never quit. He got up field quickly and was disruptive at times.
11/21 - Appalachian State - Jackson popped out a few times, showing his ability to be a pest around the edge. While he wasn't overly stout in the run game, he showed some rotational value.
21) Adetokunbo Ogundeji | 6'4 | 253 | DE | Notre Dame
9/12 - Duke - Ogundeji showed some good edge ability. He lacked quickness, but did play with strength at the LOS and wasn't easily moved. He finished with 2 tackles.
10/10 - Florida State - Ogundeji had a solid outing. He posted 4 tackles, 2 sacks. He wasn't easily moved off of his outside contain post, and showed enough athleticism to get into the backfield and cause disruption.
10/24 - Pittsburgh - Ogundeji saw a reduced snap count, wasn't afforded much opportunity to do much. He didn't look bad in any way, just didn't make an impact either.
11/7 - Clemson - Quiet night, but he held his edge responsibilities pretty damn well.
22) Malik Herring | 6'3 | 280 | DE | Georgia
10/3 - Auburn - Herring was decent on the edge, but his play was easily lost among all of the other great performances on the day.
23) Xavier Thomas | 6'2 | 265 | DE/EDGE | Clemson -
Thomas lacks ideal height for the DE spot, but it doesn't seem to be an issue. He's lightning quick and plays with enough strength to set the edge along the outside. He can play in space quite well, is a backside menace as he's able to chase plays down in pursuit. His production has been limited thus far due to a reduced snap count, but when 100% in the mix he's one to be accounted for every play. His ability to slip blocks and run the arc is impressive. He has yet to live up to his advance billing, simply hasn't looked like the Round-1 player many though he'd be.
24) Victor Dimukeje | 6'2 | 265 | DE | Duke
9/12 - Notre Dame - Dimukeje was adequate, but didn't stand out as a whole. He showed the ability to grind against OTs and use brute strength, but only won on a few snaps.
9/19 - Boston College - Dimukeje posted 3.5 sacks on the day, but this is one of those times where the stat line can be misleading. On the plus side, he ran the arc explosively and kept his legs turning through the bend. With a full head of steam, he wasn't an easy block. However, he did get really wide and Jurkovec just sat back there, didn't step up into the pocket. Against the run, he showed some strength at times, was washed ot on others.
25) Big Kat Bryant | 6'4 | 247 | DE | Auburn
9/26 - Kentucky - Bryant was a non-factor today, posted just 1 tackle and was easy to forget about.
10/3 - Georgia - See above, no impact made.
10/17 - South Carolina - Helped out with 3 tackles, but didn't make any real noise.
10/31 - LSU - It was like the light came on for Bryant in this game. He showed off a commanding bull rush, as well as enough bend to compromise the edge. He fought blocks in run support, was stout in his play. This was the best I've seen him play in quite a while.
26) Isaiahh Loudermilk | 6'7 | 296 | DE | Wisconsin
10/24 - Illinois - Loudermilk played with strength from his base DE spot, but was pretty one-dimensional for the balance of the game.
27) Boye Mafe | 6'4 | 260 | DE | Minnesota
10/24 - Michigan - Mafe failed to stand out in any way today, was eaten up too often. He posted just 1 tackle.
11/13 - Iowa - Mafe showed some effectiveness off the edge, showing a decent blend of strength and quickness. He didn't shine overall, but there's something to him. He posted 4 tackles.
28) Eli Howard | 6'3 | 280 | DE | Texas Tech
9/26 - Texas - Howard didn't blow up the stat line with his play early on, but he did finish with 4 tackles, 1 sack. He played with very good power and wasn't easily moved off of his edge when in containment. He showed a good upfield burst as a pass rusher, not nuanced, but his motor ran hot.
10/3 - Kansas State - Howard was again a base DE in an odd front. He had 4 tackles on the day and did his part holding down one side, exhibiting good functional strength. He didn't do much as a pass rusher.
10/24 - West Virginia - Howard stacked at the edge well, but wasn't a stand out doing so. He did manage a sack, but was relatively quiet otherwise.
29) Micheal Clemons | 6'5 | 270 | DE | Texas A&M
9/26 - Vanderbilt - Clemmons did post 4 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, showing his ability to grind out blocks. While he did show off decent strength and ability, there were several snaps where he was just another body out there.
10/3 - Alabama - Clemmons had 3 tackles, 1 sack. His play was up and down, disappeared at times, made his presence felt on others.
30) Janarius Robinson | 6'4 | 258 | DE | Florida State
9/12 - Georgia Tech - Robinson gave effort but was nothing to take note of. His play didn't stand out good or bad, just didn't look like a draft-worthy player, too often just another body in the fold.
10/10 - Notre Dame - Robinson did nothing against a stout ND O-line.
10/24 - Louisville - Robinson looked much improved compared to the last time I watched him play. He showed more strength against the run, more pass rush presence off the edge.
11/7 - Pittsburgh - Robinson flashed a good inside counter move, but it was feast or famine with it. He didn't hold edge contain several times, left the outside exposed.
31) Sam Williams | 6'2 | 250 | DE | Ole Miss
9/26 - Florida - Williams flashed a couple of times, but his play didn't stand out in any regard. He didn't appear to have a strong suit, never looked real quick and strong. He did post 1 sack on the day, did play with a constant motor.
10/3 - Kentucky - Another average game for Williams, not much to report.
32) Chris Turner | 6'3 | 255 | DE | Missouri
9/26 - Alabama - Turner looked real good off the hoof and showed a nice blend of quickness of the snap and athleticism. However, he couldn't get any of that to translate into production.
10/24 - Kentucky - Quiet game, didn't make an impact.
10/31 - Florida- No change.
33) Tyler Johnson | 6'4 | 285 | DE | Arizona State
11/7 - USC - Johnson looked rather meh coming off the edge, as hemmed up rather easily.
34) Justin Foster | 6'2 | 265 | DE | Clemson
35) LaRon Stokes | 6'4 | 270 | DE | Oklahoma
10/3 - Iowa State - Stokes had just 1 QBH and was neutralized pretty much throughout the game. He didn't look like a draft-worthy prospect.
10/24 - TCU - Stokes continues to look like PFA value, not worthy of a draft pick.
36) Keion White | 6'3 | 251 | DE | Old Dominion
37) James Head | 6'4 | 260 | DE | Indiana
10/24 - Penn State - Head quietly had a decent game. He chipped in with 5 tackles and was adequately stout vs. the run.
11/21 - Ohio State - Head was neutralized if not washed out on several plays.