NFL Draft 2020 - Edge Rushers and Defensive Ends

NFL Draft Preview - Defensive Ends/Edge Rushers

Despite the talent at other positions, this year's defensive end class is very top-heavy. Ohio State's Chase Young is the obvious top prospect after leading the country in sacks last season with 16 and a half. He's expected to be one of the first players taken off the board once the draft rolls around. LSU's K'Lavon Chaisson is drawing a ton of attention as well and could potentially be a late first-round selection. He's coming off a six and a half sack season with 60 tackles as well.

Yetur Gross-Matos from Penn State is another potential late first-rounder. He's been dubbed as the most underrated defensive end in the draft and he's an absolute menace on the field. He put up eight sacks in 2018 before topping that last season with nine and a half sacks, and Gross-Matos seems to be in the backfield every play. The fourth and final potential first-round/early second-round selection is Iowa's A.J. Epenesa. He has been solid the previous two years with ten and a half sacks and four forced fumbles in 2018 followed by 11 and a half sacks and another four forced fumbles last season.

Outside of these top four, the class sees somewhat of a drop. Alabama's Terrell Lewis, Michigan's Josh Uche, Boise State's Curtis Weaver and Notre Dame's Julian Okwara should all be taken off the board between the late second round and the fourth round. Two more names that stick out to me that should come from the later rounds are Anfernee Jennings from Alabama and Chauncey Rivers from Mississippi State. Jennings is a linebacker by trade, but he has the size and speed to see success as an edge rusher. Rivers didn't have the best of campaigns, but he was in the backfield quite a bit and has a ton of upside for a late round pick.