Browns reportedly interested in receivers Dwayne Bowe and Stevie Johnson
March 13, 2015The Browns, Hartline, McCown, and the World of Soap Opera Football
March 13, 2015The 2015 NFL Draft is just under two months away. Last week I started my top five positional rankings for the NFL Draft, and this Tuesday I continued the series by looking at the inside linebackers. Today, we take a look at my top edge rushers in the draft. Because teams play different schemes, I combined the outside linebackers and defensive ends into one group.1 Edge rusher is among the most coveted positions in the NFL, so this year’s group will be a welcome sight for the teams looking to fill that spot. This year’s edge rusher class is loaded with top tier talent that could develop into Pro Bowl-caliber players. It’s definitely one of the stronger positions, talent-wise, in the entire draft. So, let’s take a look at my top five edge rushers in the 2015 NFL Draft.
1. Shane Ray, Missouri
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Missouri’s Shane Ray has great explosion along with a never-ending motor. In his junior season last year, he had 65 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and 14.5 sacks. He was one of the most productive players in all of college football, winning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Ray is one of the more explosive players in the draft. He has a great first step that allows him to gain advantage against the offensive lineman. He has the speed to continue to blow past the blocker. He can rush inside and outside, using either strength or speed to gain an advantage. His hands are violent, allowing him to push or rip away from blocks (As you can see in the video below). He has multiple pass moves including a swim move to the inside and a speed rush on the edge. His motor is always running, which helps him pursue from sideline to sideline. His versatility makes him even more valuable. He can play solidly against the run, shedding blocks to get to the ball carrier. He can also can stand up and play in coverage because of his ability to move in space. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. says, “An explosive pass-rusher who can point to both his production and the workout numbers, Ray is simply a menace in terms of his ability to disrupt, as he can move around the line and will find ways into the backfield wherever he is.”
Ray’s biggest question mark is his strength versus bigger offensive linemen. He is pretty good at shedding blocks, but he can sometime get stuck on them and not have the strength to rip away. This could hamper him a little against the run game when he is engaged with an offensive lineman and he is trying to get to the ball carrier. But this is just a slight question mark, because overall he is an explosive pass rusher with a motor that never gives up.
2. Dante Fowler Jr., Florida
Florida’s Donte Fowler Jr. is one of the most versatile players in the entire draft. As a junior last season, he had 60 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 8.5 sacks. He is one of the most athletic and fluid players in the entire 2015 NFL Draft.
Fowler Jr.’s athleticism gives him the ability to do almost anything on the football field. He has a solid first step with the ability to quickly get around the edge. He is very quick and can slip through blocks. With his speed, comes very good strength to push blockers back. He has the ability to convert speed into power to rush the passer (as you can see below). He can play sideline to sideline and track down ball carriers with his speed. He is good against the run with the ability to set the edge with his strength and discipline. He moves very well in space and can cover running backs and tight ends in coverage. CBSSports.com’s Rob Rang says, “A talented pass rusher with experience at outside linebacker and all over the defensive line, Fowler is an intriguing athlete with range, strength and flexibility.”
Fowler Jr. is not an elite pass rusher right now. He does not get off the line that quickly, so he does not get an initial advantage versus the offensive line. He needs to keep improving his pass rushing moves and learn how to react when he is stuck on a block. But even with these question marks, he has the potential to be a very good pass rusher to go along with the versatility he has already.
3. Vic Beasley, Clemson
Vic Beasley of Clemson is one of the freakiest athletes in the draft. In his senior season last year, he had 34 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, two forced fumbles and a touchdown. He was very productive in getting to the backfield in his college career.
Beasley gets off the line extremely well because of his exceptional first step. He gets an advantage on almost every snap because of his burst off the ball. He has speed and athleticism to bend on the edge and turn the corner toward the quarterback (As you can see in the video below). Offensive linemen have a hard time getting contact with him because of his quickness. He can play sideline to sideline and chase down ball carriers using his great athleticism. He has the ability to move in space and has shown the ability to help out in coverage. ESPN’s Todd McShay says, “He explodes off the line of scrimmage with elite first-step quickness, and he is an outstanding overall athlete. He has the potential to develop into a sideline-to-sideline defender in the NFL, and has the movement skills to fare very well when dropping into coverage. He also possesses elite playmaking instincts.”
Beasley’s biggest question marks are his size and strength. He bulked up quite a bit at the NFL Combine, but when he was in college, he was very slight for the edge rushing position. He lacks great strength to be tough against the run. He will need to improve his strength and his ability to be stouter at the line of scrimmage. He needs to improve his ability to get out of blocks. But still, his speed makes him a very enticing pass rusher at the next level.
4. Randy Gregory, Nebraska
Randy Gregory of Nebraska has the size and fluidity that NFL teams covet. As a junior last season, he had 54 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. He is very athletic for a player his size.
Gregory has great size and length at 6-foot-5 and 34-inch arms. He has very fluid hips that allow him to bend on the edge and cut the corner sharply on rushes. His hands are very good, helping him separate from blockers and push them out of the way (As you can see in the video). Although he is not overly powerful, his hands are very strong, allowing him to give a good punch into the blocker. He moves very well in space and can change direction to chase down ball carriers. He has shown the ability to play in coverage using his fluid athleticism. He plays sideline to sideline and can make tackles from behind. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein says, “[Gregory is] a 3-4 outside linebacker with the length, toughness and closing burst to immediately help a run defense.”
Gregory’s biggest weaknesses are his slow ability to get off the line and his strength. He does not have a great burst off the line, nor a great reaction to the snap of the ball. He can allow blockers to get an advantage on him and help them set up for his rush. He also must gain more strength to be able to get away from bigger offensive linemen. He could struggle in run defense because of his lean size and lack of strength. Still, he has the athleticism and fluidity to do a lot of things for a defense.
5. Alvin “Bud” Dupree, Kentucky
Alvin Dupree of Kentucky has the potential to be a really good pass rusher in the NFL. As a senior last season, he had 74 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles. He could be one of the most underrated players in the class because of the stars ahead of him.
Dupree is an explosive athlete with the ability to get off the line very quickly. He can fire off at the snap and get a quick advantage against offensive linemen (As you can see below). He also has good hands to fight off blockers and gain separation. He has the athleticism to play sideline to sideline and chase down ball carriers from the backside. He is able to move in space, so he can be a quality linebacker in coverage. Draftbreakdown.com’s Bryan Perez says, “Bud Dupree is one of the most athletic and potentially game changing defensive prospects available in the 2015 class. He has the necessary strength and athletic ability to be a three-down player in the NFL.”
Dupree must improve his pass rush moves and just develop his overall game. He is a little raw in pass rushing and relies heavily on his athleticism. He needs to add more moves to his repertoire in order to become a more dangerous pass rusher. One of the biggest things for his career will be the coaching he gets. If he gets the right coaching to help refine his ability, he could be one of the best players to come out of this draft.
- Here were my top five linebackers and defensive linemen in last year’s draft. [↩]
9 Comments
hi Joe … these are some talented young men. they will all be chosen in the 1st round & 3 or 4 of them may go in the top 10.
My late rounders for Bode’s review…
Max Valles – UVA
Nate Orchard – Utah
Martell Spaight – Arkansas
No Stanford guys this time.
it is possible that all 5 of these guys are selected before the Browns pick at 12. not likely, but possible. I disagree with the ordering some (love Fowler), but these are the definitive top-5 guys and Joe did his usual great job breaking them down.
you beat me to it again 🙂 okay, we can share, but no Cardinals?
OWAMAGBE ODIGHIZUWA (that’s right, all caps) – will drop because of hip issues, but if he’s clear of them, then he’s an absolute monster.
Ha’oli Kikaha – love the name, love the relentless motor even more. another guy that will drop due to injuries rather than skill (2 ACL injuries). Also, he’s a wrestler as well, and getting guys with some form of MMA background worked with Bitonio.
Davis Tull – Tenn-Chatt in the house! He’s blazing fast, he’s really strong, he put up huge numbers, he was 3-time defensive player of the year in his conference (southern conf, but still). Good mid-round guy to nab.
Orchard – pure pass rusher. could develop into what Kruger is now though.
Kyle Emanuel – gotta love someone from North Dakota State that might be a day-2 draftee. He’s very similar to Orchard, but played against lesser opponents.
Valles – I wasn’t impressed but didn’t see him much. Didn’t seem to have the same drive as these other guys.
Spaight – he’s too short and slow to be a 3-4 OLB. I think if we drafted him it would be as Dansby’s backup.
late round to UDFA to keep an eye on: Zach Wagenmann, Montana
I’m going to throw Frank Clark – Michigan, in there.
When his head is right, he’s a handful.
I think that is the tagline on all Brady Hoke coached prospects.
I just don’t know where he goes because of the NFL’s sensitivity on domestic violence right now.
And Jake Ryan reminds me of AJ Hawk.
Don’t hold Hoke against him. lol
not holding it against him, just observing a trend 🙂
Hey now.
I don’t like all the Michigan prospects.
I’m looking at you Mr. Funchess…