Who is the best edge rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft> The ability to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks is the second-most important skill in the NFL. That’s why the 2024 NFL Draft edge rusher rankings can showcase which difference-makers are heading into the league.
Let’s dive into our 2024 NFL Draft edge rusher rankings.
10. Gabriel Murphy, UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins didn’t have a lot go right last season offensively, but a defense led by Gabriel Murphy and Laiatu Latu often wreaked havoc for opponents. After a strong stint at North Texas, Murphy transferred to UCLA and blossomed. he provides above-average athleticism at 6-foot-2 and he knows how to win with hand-to-hand combat and technique in the trenches. Of course, his arms are on the shorter side (30.5 inches), but he can be an effective rotational pass rusher very quickly.
Gabriel Murphy stats (career): 37 tackles for loss, 21.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles in 47 games
Related: 2024 NFL Draft QB Rankings
9. Adisa Isaac, Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions have just as many pass rushers in our top 10 as the Alabama Crimson Tide. Adisa Isaac doesn’t have teammate Chop Robinson’s absurd athleticism, but he certainly beats him in terms of college production and more pro-ready technique. Isaac is also a standout athletically in his own right, 8.96 Relative Athletic Score, but it’s his ability to win with his hands that truly stands out. He doesn’t have Robinson’s ceiling, but Isaac will likely have a better rookie season.
Adisa Isaac stats (career): 31.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles in 40 games
Related: 2024 NFL Draft RB rankings
8. Bralen Trice, Washington Huskies
The pre-draft process wasn’t kind to Bralen Trice. After the national championship game, Trice was a projected first-round pick. A few months later, he’s dropped off plenty of 2024 NFL Draft edge rusher rankings. It’s true that Trice isn’t even average athletically and the 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame leaves a lot to be desired. What we can’t ignore, though, is a defensive lineman who recorded 23.5 tackles for loss with 16 sacks in his final 28 games. Trice’s motor, maturity and instincts are what can help him have a lengthy NFL career. That’s not something you can say about some of the other project edge rushers in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Bralen Trice stats (career): 28.5 tackles for loss, 18 sacks in 34 games
Related: NFL defense rankings 2024
7. Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan Broncos
Western Michigan Broncos edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland probably isn’t receiving as much buzz as he deserves. If production is important to you, he recorded 17.5 tackles for loss in the last two seasons despite being the one player at Western Michigan opponents focused their attention on. The 6-foot-3 edge defender is an excellent athlete – 9.54 Relative Athletic Score – and it’s also crucial to in mind that he converted to defense after arriving on campus. Kneeland’s playing style and athleticism are building blocks that a defensive line coach can mold into a starting-caliber edge rusher.
Marshawn Kneeland stats (career): 28 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles in 37 games
Related: 2024 NFL Draft WR Rankings
6. Darius Robinson, Missouri Tigers
Darius Robinson came out of high school as a three-star recruit with very little buzz as a future NFL player. Just a few years later, he became one of the best pass rushers in the SEC. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, Robinson’s size jumps out. Using both length and power, he was able to win a lot of one-on-one matchups against some of the best offensive linemen in the SEC. He won’t win with athleticism and his initial first step is far from great, but a defensive lineman with this amount of power, length and physicality can become a very solid starter in the NFL.
Darius Robinson stats: 21 tackles for loss, 13 sacks in 43 games
Related: Highest-paid NFL players 2024
5. Chris Braswell, Alabama Crimson Tide
Chris Braswell likely won’t become the next Alabama Crimson Tide pass rusher taken in the first round, but he can still have a strong career in the NFL. Braswell is a very good athlete – 8.68 Relative Athletic Score, which combined with his strength can make him an effective speed-to-power threat. With that said, he’s inexperienced and just became a regular for Alabama in 2023. Still, there’s more than enough talent and tools to warrant a top-40 pick.
Chris Braswell stats (career): 15.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles in 31 games
Related: Best NFL players of all time
4. Chop Robinson, Penn State Nittany Lions
Chop Robinson is a bet on traits. As highlighted by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Robinson’s athletic testing both in the pre-draft process and at Penn State was Micah Parsons. That speed is on display in everything he does and he has the ability to contort his body to get around the edge, while maintaining explosiveness. However, Robinson is far less developed as a pass rusher than even Parsons was coming out of college. Coaches will have to work with him on his technique, feet and pass-rush moves. There’s a risk here, but Robinson’s upside justifies a late first-round pick.
Chop Robinson stats (career): 20 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks in 43 games
Related: Best NFL Draft classes ever
3. Jared Verse, Florida State Seminoles
When you provide outstanding production, premium athleticism and violent hands, you belong near the top of the 2024 NFL Draft edge rusher rankings. Jared Verse was phenomenal last season, recording the fifth-most pressures (62) in the nation and recording the sixth-highest PFF pass-rush win rate (21.8 percent). Verse’s athleticism – – 9.56 Relative Athletic – is phenomenal and it’s on display both with his ability to close on the football quickly and in his speed-to-power success. Verse is undersized (254 pounds) and there will be some ups and downs as a rookie, but he could record a few double-digit sack seasons in his prime.
Jared Verse stats (career): 29.5 tackles for loss, 18 sacks in 25 games
Related: Best first-round picks ever
2. Laiatu Latu, UCLA Bruins
A neck injury ended Laiatu Latu’s college career with the Washington Huskies, but the 6-foot-5 edge rusher received medical clearance from the UCLA Bruins. After a strong performance in 2022, Latu broke out this past season and was a unanimous All-American. Latu is an elite athlete – 9.32 Relative Athletic Score – with an array of pass-rushing moves to make an immediate impact. In his final season at UCLA, Latu had the fifth-most pressures (62) among FBS edge rushers and the highest PFF pass-rush win rate (26.2 percent). If not for the long-term concern with the neck injury, he might be No. 1 in our 2024 NFL Draft edge rusher rankings.
Laiatu Latu stats (career): 35.5 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, 4 pass deflections in 33 games
1. Dallas Turner, Alabama Crimson Tide
Dallas Turner earned a strong first-round grade coming off an excellent season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. What solidified Turner as the best edge rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft class was an outstanding pre-draft process. Turner recorded an 8.82 Relative Athletic Score, which pairs with excellent length. He boasts tremendous explosiveness off the snap with a quick first step, though, he is less technically sound than elite edge rushers in previous draft classes. Still, Turner could develop into a multi-time Pro Bowl selection as a pass rusher.
Dallas Turner stats (career): 32.5 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles in 38 games
Related: Biggest NFL Draft busts ever