Defensive EndS | edges
I classify DEs as guys that primarily play with their hand in the dirt, are rarely called upon to drop into space and take on a LB duty. Schematically, they are DEs in a 3-4 or 4-3 front. An EDGE would not be on the LOS in either instance.
The were 20 DEs selected in the 2023 draft, as follows:
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Round 1 - Tyree Wilson, Lukas Van Ness, Myles Murphy, Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Round 2 - Isaiah Foskey, Keion White, Tuli Tuipulotu
Round 3 - Zack Harrison, DJ Johnson, Yaya Diaby
Round 4 - Dylan Horton, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Travis Robinson, Isaiah McGuire, Viliami Fehoko
Round 5 - K.J. Henry, Mike Morris
Round 6 - Jose Ramirez
Round 7 - Derek Parish, Desjuan Johnson
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The were 12 EDGEs selected in the 2023 draft, as follows:
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Round 1 - Will Anderson, Will McDonald, Nolan Smith
Round 2 - Derick Hall, B.J. Ojulari,
Round 3 - Byron Young
Round 4 - Nick Herbig
Round 5 - Nick Hampton, BJ Thompson, Robert Beal
Round 6 - Ochaun Mathis
Round 7 - Andre Jones
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1) Dallas Turner | 6'4 | 240 | EDGE | Alabama
9/9 - Texas - Texas wisely game-planned around him, didn't give him many opportunities to make a true impact,
10/7 - Texas A&M - Was very impressive, flashed several times in this game. He was slippery off the edge as a rusher, while showing some grit attempting to set the edge. He had 1 sack, 1.5 TFLs.
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2) Laiatu Latu | 6'4 | 265 | DE/EDGE | UCLA
10/14 - Oregon State - Had a very uneven game. While he displayed a very quick first step and the ability to turn speed to power, he did nothing when facing RT Fuaga. He was able to do a bit more vs. LT Gray, but did not produce like a Round-1 talent. He assisted on 4 tackles, had .5 TFLs.
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3) Chop Robinson | 6'3 | 248 | DE/EDGE | Penn State
9/2 - West Virginia - Robinson showed a good get-off at the LOS, operated well with his hand in the dirt and out of a 2-point stance. He displayed a very strong inside rip move a few times, bettering each of WVU's OTs. There were times where he didn't hold a tight gap assignment well enough, knifing inside or outside too far. He also looked confused a couple times vs. the RPO. Coaching points aside, he flashed athleticism as a pass rusher.
10/21 - Ohio State - Chop was celebrating a good campaign early on, but suffered an injury that knocked him out of the game. He was certainly missed out there.
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4) Jared Verse | 6'4 | 253 | DE | Florida State
9/3 - LSU - Verse displayed a wicked good arc rush against the pass, coupled with some good edge strength vs. the run.
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5) Landon Jackson | 6'7 | 281 | DE/EDGE | Arkansas
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6) Princely Umanmielen | 6'5 | 245 | EDGE | Florida
8/31 - Utah - Showed off very good versatility in hanging with TE's when they came off the LOS on delayed pass routes. He also flashed with bend running the arc, showed speed to power capability.
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7) Darius Robinson | 6'5 | 295 | DE/DT | Missouri
9/16 - Kansas State - Robinson did most of his work from the base DE spot, and he was a menace in spurts throughout this game. He exploded off the ball, used great leg drive to compromise blockers.
10/7 - LSU - Operated mostly as DE, showed good edge strength coupled with an active motor, hustled throughout. He had 5 tackles, 1.5 TFLs.
10/14 - Kentucky - Had a very strong showing, seeing his best success when using a bull rush technique. He had 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 2.5 TFLs.
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8) J.T. Tuimoloau | 6'4 | 270 | DE | Ohio State
9/2 - Indiana - Had a flat game overall. He showed solid power off the edge, but was neutralized long enough for the ball to get off when going head up against OTs.
9/23 - Notre Dame - Showed some burst at times, but was largely held in check no matter who he drew. He did make his presence felt and was around the ball often, however, was by no means an easy block.
10/21 - Penn State - Was solid overall, but really came on like a wrecking ball last in the game, was too much for Olu, PSU's LT, who'll be an early selection next year.
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9) Bralen Trice | 6'4 | 267 | DE/EDGE | Washington
10/14 - Oregon - Had a fairly quiet game. Oregon has some solid bookend play, but I expected more out of Trice. He was stout at the point of attack and did turn the ball inside at times when setting the edge, but his pass rush was much maligned at times, lacking nuance beyond a bull rush.
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10) Chris Braswell | 6'3 | 240 | EDGE | Alabama
9/9 - Texas - Displayed some burst off the LOS, coupled with the ability to win with speed or power. He was only in on 2 stops, but the talent was there.
10/7 - Texas A&M - Had a strong game, was in on 5 stops, 1 sack. He showed plus strength against the run, set the edge quite well.
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11) Ashton Gillotte | 6'3 | 270 | DE | Louisville
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12) Jordan Burch | 6'6 | 270 | DE | Oregon
9/9 - Texas Tech - Burch looked very average in this contest, didn't play as physical as he should given his size. He was rotated out often, didn't contribute much.
10/14 - Washington - Had a very nice rebound vs. the last time I watched him. While he was neutralized, especially when going against Fautanu, he fought hard and didn't make life easy on the perimeter.
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13) Adisa Isaac | 6'4 | 254 | DE/EDGE | Penn State
9/2 - West Virginia - Isaac had a very solid game. He was strong at the point of attack against the run, while using a nice bull rush to deflate his edge. He worked out of a 2-point stance often, did well in coverage when called upon to do so.
10/21 - Ohio State - Had a very solid game, was a formidable force up front, flashed at times. He had 2 TFLs.
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14) Jonah Elliss | 6'2 | 246 | EDGE | Utah
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15) Jack Sawyer | 6'4 | 265 | DE/EDGE | Ohio State
9/2 - Indiana - Looked very average today as a pass rusher, but was stout holding the edge against the run.
9/23 - Notre Dame - Had another average game, showing some edge abilities but nothing special against a great OT tandem.
10/21 - Penn State - Had decent edge play vs. the run a few times, but he was very meh overall.
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16) Jasheen Davis | 6'3 | 260 | DE | Wake Forest
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17) Tyler Baron | 6'5 | 260 | DE | Tennessee
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18) Ron Stone | 6'3 | 246 | EDGE | Washington State
9/9 - Wisconsin - Ron Stone had an amazing game. LT Jack Nelson is a draft-worthy talent on many boards, yet Stone toyed with him all night. He displayed a wicked first step and arc quickness, while boasting some bull strength. He was around the ball often, notched 2 sacks.
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19) Javon Solomon | 6'2 | 249 | EDGE | Troy
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20) Zion Tupola-Fetui | 6'4 | 251 | DE/EDGE | Washington
10/14 - Oregon - Like his teammate Trice, but to a greater degree, I saw very little from him. While Oregon was smart with quick passes and inside run play, he made little impact, looked quite average too often.
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21) Patrick Payton | 6'5 | 240 | DE | Florida State
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22) Gabriel Murphy | 6'3 | 262 | DE | UCLA
10/14 - Oregon State - Had a down game, was neutralized far too often regardless of which OT he faced. He moved well and showed some burst, just not impactful overall. He assisted on 2 tackles, had .5 TFLs.
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23) Kaimon Rucker | 6'1 | 265 | EDGE | North Carolina
11/11 - Duke - Rucker was neutralized by Barton when they went head up, but he showed off a good bull rush and kept the gifted LT honest throughout the game.
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24) Brennan Jackson | 6'4 | 264 | DE | Washington State
9/9 - Wisconsin - Jackson had a very solid game, flashing a number of times as a pass rusher. He also stood well against the run, showed some nice edge-contain capabilities.
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25) Kydran Jenkins | 6'1 | 260 | EDGE | Purdue
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26) J.J. Weaver | 6'5 | 245 | EDGE | Kentucky
10/14 - Missouri - Was somewhat quiet earl on, but he started to flash as the game progressed, showing a decent blend of speed and strength. He notched 5 stops, 1.5 TFLs.
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27) Barryn Sorrell | 6'4 | 262 | DE/EDGE | Texas
9/9 - Alabama - While showing some athleticism in spurts, he was largely held in check.
10/7 - Oklahoma - Was in on 5 tackles, with 4 solo stops, but was maligned today overall. He looked very average.
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28) Reggie Grimes | 6'4 | 274 | DE | Oklahoma
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29) Antwaun Powell-Ryland | 6'3 | 242 | EDGE | Virginia Tech
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