Ranking the Best Edge Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft
- Zak Drapeau
- 5 days ago
- 9 min read
by Zak Drapeau
Sportz Nation - 4/2/2026
1. David Bailey
6'4" - 251 lbs
Texas Tech
Big Board Rank: 3
Pro Comparison: Souped-Up Jared Verse
Bailey checks off all of my boxes for an NFL rusher and is the most ready prospect for the next level at current day. Bailey doesn't have elite strength but his twitch, explosiveness, hands and agility are already at an NFL-level.
Bailey has fallen out with some teams in the NFL and may go as low as 12 in the draft and could be one of the best steals we see come April. Bailey can play 4-3 End in a pinch but should line up as a 3-4 rusher where he can use his bend and elite speed and rack up double digit sacks from Year 1.
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2. Arvell Reese
6'4" - 241 lbs
Ohio State
Big Board Rank: 4
Pro Comparison: Jihaad Campbell
Reese is a very interesting prospect in this class and has one of the highest ceilings because of his athleticism and size combination. A fluid and solid weak side linebacker with the motor and strength to project as a real threat on the edge, Reese has big shoes to fill.
It all comes down to how long you believe it will take him to become the edge rusher everyone projects him as. I don't see him becoming a double-digit sack guy for a few years but will be a multiple-sack guy with an elite run edge and an instant knack of an outside, off-ball linebacker. His versatility will be special at the next level even if he never becomes an elite pass rusher.
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3. Rueben Bain Jr.
6'2" - 261 lbs
Miami
Big Board Rank: 8
Pro Comparison: Nick Bosa
Bain has one of the best tapes of any defensive player in this draft and would've been higher on my board than #8 if he had only measured better. Before the Combine he was a "tweener" at somewhere around 6'4" and 275 pounds but now you can make the argument that he's undersized and only good as a7-tech or 5i rusher..
Either way, this man can win in so many different ways he won't drop too far down. Speed, power, bull rush, swim or spin, Bain is refined and sharp on the edge. He might need to add some weight to his frame to hold up against the best Tackles in the league but if he is used in the right scheme, this guy should be among the best rushers in the league in a few short years.
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4. Cashius Howell
6'3" - 253 lbs
Texas A&M
Big Board Rank: 14
Pro Comparison: Harold Landry
Howell falls in the middle of the top tiers of rushers in this class and because of that isn't getting enough hype around his ability to get to the Quarterback. Howell's main move is a hesi and dip that fools Tackles like clockwork and shows off his elite speed.
Howell has also has quality zone coverage in college showing his versatility as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He should add some weight to his frame and try to add at least 1 more strong rush move to his repertoire but his speed and dip move give him a pretty high floor.
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5. Keldric Faulk
6'6" - 276 lbs
Auburn
Big Board Rank: 19
Pro Comparison: Mykel Williams
Faulk is the terrific edge setter in this class that specializes in run defense over pass rush. At 6'6" and 276 pounds, he has the size, strength and length to push most Tackles to the backfield and sniff out any outside run.
Faulk could really become a good pass rusher in the league after having a 10-sack year in 2024 at Auburn but will really need to work on his hand usage and develop some consistent moves.
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6. T.J. Parker
6'4" - 263 lbs
Clemson
Big Board Rank: 21
Pro Comparison: Bradley Chubb
Parker is a solid, all-around edge rusher who was at the top of his class before the season started but had a down year at Clemson, (as did everyone from Clemson.)
Parker has an elite frame at 260 pounds and over 33" arms with a very high motor and has shown an ability to be a double digit sack getter. His 2025 season showed a lack of focus and aggression which could be a problem at first. Parker should still be a First Rounder and a great athlete off the edge no matter where he goes.
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7. Derrick Moore
6'4" - 255 lbs
Michigan
Big Board Rank: 27
Pro Comparison: Boye Mafe
I am higher on Moore than most experts and it's because of what I saw at the Senior Bowl. Against some of the best O-lineman in the Nation, Moore showed speed, power and explosion that you just can't teach.
Moore has shown an inability to escape once stronger O-lineman get their hands on him but that should be able to be coached in a second effort. His tackling fundamentals will also need to be refined which will make his run defense more reliable and really complete Moore as a prospect.
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8. Romello Height
6'3" - 239 lbs
Texas Tech
Big Board Rank: 29
Pro Comparison: Jonah Elliss
Height has a LOT to love as an Edge prospect but with a few red flags that push him to a Second Round prospect for me. Height is legitimately the best finesse rusher of the class with elite speed, spin and dip moves that could make him a great 3-4 OLB in the league from Day 1.
Here's the thing, Height will be 25-years old at the time of the draft and while that means he could be a stud from Day 1, it also means he could be earning his first big contract at the age of 30. He is also under 240 pounds and while his finesse moves are elite, bigger Tackles may be able to catch him off guard.
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9. Dani Dennis-Sutton
6'6" - 256 lbs
Penn State
Big Board Rank: 42
Pro Comparison: Upside of Brian Burns
Dennis-Sutton is the most overlooked player in this draft in my opinion and has a very similar base as T.J. Parker from Clemson only with a lower floor but higher ceiling.
Dennis-Sutton had one of the best Combines of the class and is as much of an athlete as anyone in the class. His lateral quickness and start and stop ability give him as much advantage inside the Tackles numbers as his speed gives him outside.
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10. Zion Young
6'6" - 262 lbs
Missouri
Big Board Rank: 44
Pro Comparison: Za'Darius Smith
Young is a powerhouse through and through and could become a bully in the legaue in a few years. He'll have to improve his hand usage and learn a little more about blocking schemes but the potential is there for him to become a Diet Coke version of Aidan Hutchinson.
Young was another Senior Bowl standout who would literally bulldoze the other Tackles. Once he gets locked up he doesn't have many counter moves and isn't great on a bend either. If he can add some bend and agility to his frame, he will become a complete Edge but for now he is bull rush-dependent.
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11. Akheem Mesidor
6'3" - 259 lbs
Miami
Big Board Rank: 49
Pro Comparison: Jonathan Greenard
As much as I am lower on Romello Height than most, I am MUCH lower on Mesidor and I am an admitted Hurricanes fan. Mesidor is one of those guys who was dominant in College, (especially since he was 25) but will have to really focus if he wants that to translate to the next level.
Mesidor measured at the Combine about 20 pounds less than advertised and with shorter arms. He was a bully in College but will need to add serious weight to keep that up in the pros. That being said, his drive and strength will be solid in the NFL and could become a real force in the league but likely after a few years time.
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12. LT Overton
6'3" - 274 lbs
Alabama
Big Board Rank: 67
Pro Comparison: Zach Harrison
Overton is a weird prospect in this class and is closer to Arvell Reese's prototype of a Linebacker that can be used as an Edge if in the right scheme.
Overton was a guy that was supposed to be a top Edge over the last 2 years but never rose to that potential. He is a toolsy guy with a great frame but never put it together and never had more than 6 sacks in a season. He could still be a dependable edge against the run, in a zone scheme or after a few years as a rusher but will need some coaching.
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13. Gabe Jacas
6'4" - 260 lbs
Illinois
Big Board Rank: 75
Pro Comparison: Upside of Matthew Judon
Jacas had 27 sacks in his collegiate career mostly from his violent power moves from the 7-gap. He remains a liability against bigger runners with weaker tackle fundamentals so he is a bit of a one-dimensional pass rusher.
His motor and play IQ are also above average and will consistently challenge Tackles inside and out every play. His tackling and sometimes getting too high will need to be worked on a lot but has a lot of upside at the next level as a pure rusher.
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14. Joshua Josephs
6'3" - 242 lbs
Tennessee
Big Board Rank: 80
Pro Comparison: Nolan Smith
Vicious, long and smart are a unique trio of skills for a pass rusher as young as Josephs. Josephs has a lot of potential that NFL scouts believe can be coached to an elite status at the next level.
Josephs is a very low-floor, high-ceiling guy who never had more than 4 sacks in a season at Tennessee. A team drafting him will be drafting him for his ability to adapt to an NFL, 3-4 Edge rusher but should take 2 or 3 years to get there if ever.
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15. Jaishawn Barham
6'4" - 240 lbs
Michigan
Big Board Rank: 95
Pro Comparison: Barryn Sorrell
Barham is a guy that I think should be listed as a Linebacker more than an Edge prospect even if that is a 3-4 Off-ball backer or even a 4-3 Will. His claim to being a future edge rusher is being the best athlete in the second level at Michigan in 2025.
Barham has a great build for a 3-4 OLB for a multiple scheme in the NFL but will really need to work on his man coverage which is severely behind. In a scheme where he doesn't have to do too much and can be free to be versatile, Barham could thrive and improve the skills he doesn't have at the same time.
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16. R Mason Thomas
6'2" - 241 lbs
Oklahoma
Big Board Rank: 96
Pro Comparison: Shades of Josiah Stewart
So here's the biggest discrepancy between my rankings and everyone else's. R Mason Thomas was a great rusher in college and racked up 22 sacks over the past two seasons but I have a problem in which he got them.
Thomas can rush the Quarterback, I'm not denying that. But a bulk of his best games came against average or lackluster Tackles and got exposed at the Senior Bowl. He also came into the Combine undersize and with shorter arms than expected. Thomas will be pigeon-holed to a 3-4 rusher for his career and I believe he will still need to add size to his frame and learn how to work against better Tackles before he'll amke a dent in the NFL.
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Make sure to stay tuned as we continue coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft Prospects.
-Z.D. (@DrapeauZak)