Last week, I discussed why Cade Klubnik is my early QB1 for the 2026 NFL Draft. This week, we’re beginning a series where I’ll discuss my top five for each position group in next April’s draft. This week, we’re getting off to a hot start with my 2026 EDGE rusher rankings!
2025 was an elite class for EDGE rushers, with names like Abdul Carter, Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker, Shemar Stewart, and James Pearce Jr. all hearing their name called in the first round.
The class also had incredible depth, with names like Donovan Ezeiruaku, Nic Scourton, Oluwafemi Oladejo, Princely Umanmielen, and others being great values in the next two rounds. While 2026 may not end up having the same depth as this past class, there are still plenty of names to be excited about!
2025 Edge Rankings
1. Rueben Bain Jr. - Miami (FL)
Miami Hurricanes EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. is my early EDGE1. Miami’s defense was rather poor last season, but that was no fault of Bain Jr.
Bain Jr. is a good athlete and gets off the ball in a hurry. His acceleration, along with his footspeed, allows him to get into offensive tackles’ chests in an instant.
Even with his athleticism, I wouldn’t consider him a finesse rusher. He does have some finesse elements to his game, flashing the occasional swim or spin move, but Bain Jr. is a power rusher first. He’d much rather run straight through you than try to bend the corner around you.
I would argue that Bain Jr. has the best bull rush in this class so far. It’s a fantastic calling card, and it was nearly unstoppable in Miami’s matchup against the Louisville Cardinals. He plays with heavy, violent hands, and his ability to fully lock out offensive tackles is eye-popping on tape.
Bain Jr. also boasts an effective rip move. Sometimes he uses this as an initial move, but it’s at its best as a counter to a stymied bull rush.
He also just flat-out plays really hard. Sometimes on twists and stunts, he looks like a bull in a china shop, but it’s with such power and violence that it is overwhelmingly effective.
There are a few areas that I would critique Bain Jr. in. He’s fairly inconsistent against the run.
He shows flashes of being able to peak and shed, and can make the occasional splash play in the backfield. However, it’s not consistent enough. There are times when he takes himself out of the play.
Another area I would critique him in is his bend. While he’s still a good athlete, he’s not someone who’s going to get parallel to the turf on his way to the quarterback.
I mentioned that he plays like “a bull in a china shop” at times, and while that works against college offensive tackles, he must learn to be more precise with his hands. When he lands a rush cleanly, it’s nearly unstoppable, but he just needs to be more consistent in doing so.
Still, Bain Jr.’s combination of explosiveness, power, and motor makes him my early EDGE1. It’ll be exciting to watch him this season, and hopefully, he can stay healthier than he did last season.
2. T.J. Parker - Clemson
Clemson Tigers EDGE T.J. Parker is my early EDGE2. On what is a stacked 2025 Clemson roster, Parker is going to be one of the key pieces in what should be a deep run in the College Football Playoff.
The first thing that popped out to me on Parker’s tape was how physical he was. He plays with heavy hands that never stop fighting, and he absolutely profiles as a power rusher. He boasts an effective bull rush, which is his go-to.
He’s also excellent against the run, mainly due to his ability to strongly anchor against blocks. He’s able to stack the offensive lineman and quickly shed to make a play.
Parker is also the best tackler among this EDGE group. A play that stuck out to me was him hustling downfield and lowering the boom on a South Carolina wide receiver. But it’s not just the highlight hit sticks; his technique as a tackler is refined and clean.
Parker is a good athlete. Like Bain Jr., he’s not the bendiest EDGE, but he’s still an explosive accelerator and closes the gap between himself and the offensive tackle quickly.
Something that Parker could improve on in 2026 is refining his secondary moves. Having a “deep” pass rush bag is overrated, and it’s better to have two or three effective moves than to have six average moves. However, it’s important for EDGE rushers to have a secondary move or two to counter with if their calling card isn’t effective in that game.
Parker’s bull rush is a great start, but I think refining his rip move and his two-handed swipe would take Parker’s game to another level. I think either would make plenty of sense, with the rip move being a smooth counter and a two-handed swipe when offensive tackles over-extend to try to stymie a bull rush early.
Parker has all the makings to be in consideration for my EDGE1, but there are a couple of things Bain Jr. does better, in my opinion. Still, Parker is a stud prospect that will come off the board very early in April of 2026.
"Clemson Edge rusher TJ Parker is an early favorite of mine for the 2026 draft. RELENTLESS hands with a white hot motor"
- FTR Draft Expert Drew Beatty
3. Cashius Howell - Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies EDGE Cashius Howell slides in at my EDGE3 spot. Howell was a rotational EDGE for Texas A&M in 2024, but the flashes were fantastic.
Howell is arguably the most athletic EDGE rusher in this entire class. His first step is lightning quick, and he explodes around the corner.
The most eye-popping showcase of his athleticism is when he breaks out his inside spin move. If you blink, you’ll miss it, it’s that fast.
It’s a very effective move as well. Howell does a great job of punching his outside elbow into the offensive tackle’s chest after his spin move to maximize separation. He consistently won against Baltimore Ravens third-round pick Emery Jones Jr. with this move, and even beat New England Patriots first-round pick Will Campbell with it.
Another area that Howell showcases elite athleticism is in coverage. He flips his hips like a defensive back. He even stayed step for step with New York Jets second-round pick Mason Taylor in man coverage on a wheel route to the end zone, and Howell broke the pass up.
His game does still need refinement, though. He gives good effort against the run, but gets washed down pretty consistently.
While the spin move is elite, he still needs an additional move to pair with it. He flashes an inside punch counter and some good bend around the corner, but none as consistent or effective as the spin move.
While he is a little raw as an overall player, I’m betting on the athletic traits of a guy who already has an elite pass rush move.
4. Keldric Faulk - Auburn
Auburn Tigers EDGE Keldric Faulk comes in at my EDGE4 spot. Faulk, a former high-level recruit, will look to build on a productive sophomore campaign.
Faulk is a long and fluid athlete. He’s listed at 6’6” 288 pounds, but I’d say he’s closer to 6’6” 260 pounds on tape.
The athletic tools are apparent. Explosive first step out of his stance, and really good closing speed at his size.
He’s a very engaged run defender and plays with a very high motor. His technique isn’t refined, but he does flash the ability to peak and shed when his hands land precisely.
He also shows versatility in his alignments. Auburn lined him up all over the line of scrimmage on pass rushing downs. The majority of the time, it was as a five technique, but sometimes he’d line up directly over the center, sometimes as a three technique, sometimes as a 1 technique, and sometimes as a wide nine technique.
He is extremely raw, though. He does have moments when he flashes a bull rush or a long arm, but a lot of his rushes consist of just running head-on into the lineman in front of him.
Still, the high-end flashes are why he comes in this high for me. If he develops any sort of plan as a pass rusher, he can be a very dangerous player.
5. Damon Wilson II - Missouri
Missouri Tigers EDGE Damon Wilson II just cracks my top five. Wilson II transferred in from Georgia in this past portal cycle, and he should be the cornerstone of Missouri’s defense.
Wilson II is long and athletic, and he was a bit of a physical outlier among typical Georgia EDGE rushers. Typically, full-time EDGE rushers at Georgia have the physical profile of guys like Mykel Williams or Travon Walker, that 6’4” ish range and around 270 pounds. Wilson II is more of your lighter college edge rusher, coming in at 6’4”, 250 pounds.
He profiles as a productive finesse rusher, able to bend and win the outside corner consistently while also having a nice two-handed swipe move. However, for a finesse rusher, he has a really good rip move that he used to counter, and even flashed a nice bull rush.
Wilson II also played well in coverage. He was able to flip his hips and move like an off-ball linebacker, which just further showcases his athleticism.
My biggest area of critique with Wilson II is in the run game. He makes the occasional splash play, but he gets moved around consistently and doesn’t diagnose runs consistently. Sometimes, he just needs to flat out be more physical in trying to shed blocks.
Even with the run game concerns, I’ll always bet on a long athlete that’s shown the ability to not just bend the corner, but also win with power from time to time.
Honorable Mentions
Now it’s time to mention a few honorable mentions that missed the cut, but are still fun prospects to watch for in 2025 that could end up making the final list in April.
Suntarine Perkins - Ole Miss
Matayo Uiagalelei - Oregon
Joshua Josephs - Tennessee
Dani Dennis-Sutton - Penn State
LT Overton - Alabama
Quintayvious Hutchins - Boston College
Gabe Jacas - Illinois
Tyreak Sapp - Florida
R Mason Thomas - Oklahoma
Final Thoughts
This is a really fun EDGE class with a lot of prospects that could hear their name called early in April of 2026. As always, rankings can change, but I’m confident in my top five EDGE rusher rankings in the summer scouting period.