Leinweber’s Top 1-12 Edge Defenders in the 2021 NFL Draft

Our Senior Scout ranks his top edge defenders in the 2021 NFL Draft.

While the 2021 class of 4-3 defensive ends and 3-4 outside linebackers lacks the top-end talent that draft classes of the past have had, it offers some intriguing options in the middle rounds from immediate contributors to developmental prospects. NFL teams can never have enough players to get after quarterbacks as the last Super Bowl showed.

12. Payton Turner, Houston

A three-year starter on the defensive line, Turner offers exciting length with 35-inch arms at defensive end. He is an impressive athlete at his size with a quick get-off and lateral agility. Turner plays hard, making plays thanks to his effort alone. From the inside, he is a strong power rusher, managing to keep his pads low and outreaching guards. His hands are quick and active, throwing multiple counters at times. Turner could improve his primary moves and rush with more of a plan. On an outside track, he stresses tackles with his get-off and has enough play strength and ankle flexibility to flatten his path to the quarterback when his rip move hits. As a run defender, Turner struggles with high pads. He gets moved out of gaps easily from the interior and has to use his length to play at extension more consistently. Slow processing further limits his run defense. Turner projects as a high-effort rotational pass rusher who can align anywhere, but is best along the interior. To grow into a bigger role he has to drop his pad level and learn how to use his length. He possesses intriguing traits with his athleticism, length and power.

Value: 3rd/4th Round

11. Rashad Weaver, Pittsburgh

Coming back from a torn ACL, Weaver had a productive year in 2020, registering 7.5 sacks. He has great size and length with the ability to potentially carry more weight. Weaver uses his long arms and the pop in his hands to attack the chest of the blocker and walk him to the quarterback’s lap. When tackles have their hands low, he does well to knock them away quickly and decisively. His get-off is not explosive, but he does well to use his length and hands to stay clean on his speed tracks. Weaver can bend the corner, but does not carry a lot of speed around the tackle. In the run game, he uses his length to disengage with multiple moves. Flashing the ability to control gaps, this was not something he was asked to do, but has the skills required to learn if necessary. Weaver projects as a four-technique, but he could move all the way outside or even gain weight and line up over guards. Due to his lack of explosiveness, he is not going to be a dominant player, but with his length and hands, he will contribute in a key role along the defensive line.

Value: 3rd/4th Round

10. Elerson Smith, Northern Iowa

A Senior Bowl standout, Smith is an older small-school prospect who is really long and possesses good athleticism. On tape, he flashes some power which is not consistent as he is still filling out his frame. His hands are quick although not yet decisive and he flashes the ability to get off the ball explosively. Smith is unable to bend at steeper angles as he lacks flexibility in his lower body. He needs to develop and anchor in the run game as he is a liability there at the moment, although he has some good reps from time to time thanks to his length. Smith projects as a developmental pass rusher who needs to have his traits developed into a more complete player. His best bet is to learn how to convert speed to power effectively as he could take advantage of his get-off, length and power. Two years into his NFL career, he could be a quality defensive end if his development goes as planned because his physical tools are that good. At the Senior Bowl, he showed a bigger frame and more decisive hands as well as improved flexibility. Smith is on the right track to be an impact player at the next level.

Value: 3rd Round

9. Cameron Sample, Tulane

The former two-star recruit has seen action as a starter since his freshman season. Sample is violent at the point of attack, offering some serious pop and low pad level to stand up and get under the pads of blockers. His leg drive is strong to finish power rushes. From the inside, he possesses the flexibility needed to threaten linemen laterally and generate pressure with his decisive hands. Sample is stout in the run game and even resets the line of scrimmage with his violence. He can play at extension consistently thanks to his core strength. The Georgia native lacks burst and get-off on the outside and can take too long reading the mesh point. Some of his moves are still developing leading to their timing being off. Sample projects as a five-technique or even a three-technique who wins with power and pop at the point of attack. He can contribute early on and produce as a pass rusher and run defender. A lack of high-end athleticism puts a ceiling on his potential, but he should find himself in a starting role by his second season.

Value: 3rd Round

8. Joseph Ossai, Texas

Playing his first two seasons at off-ball linebacker, Ossai transitioned to a rush linebacker role in 2020. He has long arms and legs in what makes up a lanky body composition. Ossai gets off the ball well and stresses blockers with his burst. His athleticism makes him dangerous on stunts where he gets through the inside in a hurry. Ossai uses his length to stab tackles, keeping them at bay before defeating their hands. Against unbalanced blockers, he converts speed to power violently, but has to lower his pads and improve lower body strength. He does not show counter moves and struggles to disengage once blockers land their hands on him. In the run game, he plays with tremendous effort in pursuit. With his length, he can control blocks. Setting the edge more consistently and improving his anchor would make him a quality run defender. Ossai is unable to dip his shoulder and bend the corner as he has stiffness in his lower half. Pulling blockers often take him by surprise as he struggles to anticipate and find them. Ossai projects as a developmental 3-4 outside linebacker who has intriguing traits such as length and athleticism. With more seasoning and technical improvement, he should develop into a starter down the road.

Value: 2nd/3rd Round

7. Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt

A three-year starter at defensive end for the Commodores, Odeyingbo has great length as a five-technique, allowing him to get his hands inside and walk smaller blockers into the pocket. The senior possesses solid athleticism with a quick get-off to put stress on blockers and get penetration. His hands are quick and violent, but he needs to work on timing and placement. Rushing with great effort, he can get wins late in reps. In the run game, Odeyingbo is able to get quick penetration with his hands or stack blockers with his length. To be trusted with two-gapping responsibilities, he has to become more consistent reading the mesh point. Odeyingbo projects as a five-technique, but could also put on 20 pounds and kick to three-technique permanently to give shorter blockers issues with his length. He already carries 275 pounds very well. He is difficult to block one-on-one and has all the tools to become a contributor along the defensive line. The Texas native is scheme-proof as he could play in a penetration style or gap control front and his versatility should make him even more intriguing. A torn Achilles suffered in preparation for the draft will hurt his stock.

Value: 2nd/3rd Round

6. Jaelan Phillips, Miami

The former No. 1 recruit in the country dealt with injury issues at UCLA, briefly retiring due to concussions before transferring to Miami where he redshirted in 2019. Putting his talent on display, he sacked opposing quarterbacks eight times in 2020. Phillips has the size and length as he certainly looks like an NFL defensive end. His get-off is average, but he is able to threaten tackles at time outside with his burst. He bends the corner without carrying too much speed as he struggles to stay clean up the arc due to his inconsistent hands. A good run defender, he can get greedy and occasionally be too aggressive. Phillips lacks strength which is apparent as he is unable to extend consistently; adding this aspect to his game would help him immensely. He is currently best in wider alignments as a standup rusher as he can take advantage of better angles and arrives at extension when he engages the blocker. Phillips projects as a future starting outside linebacker in a 3-4 who has the length to be a defensive end in a 4-3 if he can get stronger. His pass-rush technique in terms of hand usage can also be improved. If he can commit to making strides in both areas, he possesses the talent to be a quality starter, provided he can stay healthy.

Value: 2nd/3rd Round

5. Jayson Oweh, Penn State

The former four-star recruit did not play football until his junior year of high school and only started eight games, racking up seven sacks in college. Oweh possesses rare athleticism that is apparent in space; his first step and speed are excellent. He has the length required to keep his frame clean as a pass rusher and stack blockers in the run game. Flashing the ability to convert speed to power, Oweh has to work on making this his bread and butter. A double-hand swipe to either side works well for him, displaying decisive hands. In the run game, he wins with length, being able to disengage to either side and with athleticism as he blows up lateral runs by penetrating gaps. Oweh can get driven off of the ball by combo blocks as his anchor could be improved upon. He has to develop more pass-rush moves to defeat the hands of blockers on a more consistent basis. While his knees and ankles are not the most flexible, preventing him from bending the corner, he does have the fluid hips required to flip around the outside shoulder and point his feet toward the quarterback on an outside track. Oweh projects as a developmental defensive end in a 4-3 who can also play as an outside linebacker in a 3-4. His special athleticism and length could make him a quality starter by his second or third year in the league. He can contribute in a rotation and on special teams early.

Value: 2nd Round

4. Gregory Rousseau, Miami

Opting out and declaring for the draft after a stellar redshirt freshman season, Rousseau is an extremely long edge defender who wins through blockers at extension with his hands rather than with speed and bend. He is a solid run defender and a solid athlete. As a player that is young, new to the position and still filling out his frame, he is very raw and will need a multi-year development plan before he can reach his very high ceiling. Rousseau projects as a developmental pass rusher who could possibly be dominant by his second or third year in the league as he has unblockable written all over him due to his power and length if he can learn how to convert speed to power. He is a risky pick who will not be a contributor out of the gate, but could pay off massively for the team that drafts him down the line. Expect rebuilding teams to be very interested in him.

Value: 1st/2nd Round

3. Azeez Ojulari, Georgia

During his career at Georgia, Ojulari showed that he is a 3-4 outside linebacker who can win on an outside track. He has great hands to keep his frame clean from punches while attacking and bending around the tackle's outside shoulder. His first step is explosive, but he leaves some speed on the table with his next ones. When he establishes a half-man relationship, he can chop the outside hand and bend a tight corner to sack the quarterback. Ojulari plays hard and is a decent run defender for his size. He needs to set a harder edge and can get washed by combo blocks or strong blockers. In space he is serviceable. but teams will want him going after the passer given his skillet. While he has some length, Ojulari lacks power which makes him a bit of a one-trick pony. He could be dominant if he incorporates a power aspect into his game. Ojulari projects as a starting standup rusher who can pressure the quarterback and get quick pass-rush wins around the outside of tardy tackles thanks to his hands and bend. The young prospect will have to diversify his arsenal of pass-rush moves to reach his potential.

Value: 1st/2nd Round

2. Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma

Despite being handed a suspension, causing him to miss the start of the 2020 season, Perkins racked up 16.5 sacks in three years of starting for the Sooners. His power-rush profile is very exciting as he uses his length and violence to get into the chest of blockers at extension and convert speed to power, driving them into the passer's lap. Perkins possesses a dominant long arm that obliterates short-armed blockers as they get no access to his frame. While his hands are violent on chop moves and rips, he has to improve his timing and placement on pass-rush moves. His get-off is solid with a quick first step allowing him to beat blockers to the apex. He can dip his shoulder and bend the edge, but fails to keep his frame clean, letting tackles land their punch. Perkins plays with tremendous effort in the run game, reading concepts quickly and always being around the football. At extension he has two-gapping ability, using a swim move to disengage. Perkins has to improve his anchor as he can get driven off the ball when he is unable to extend. He does not create as much power from standstill being reliant on his momentum when uprooting blocker. His quick playing style in the run game causes him to be out of position at times. Perkins projects as a starting 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end. His power will translate to the next level and he has plenty of potential to improve upon coachable skills such as hand placement and counter moves. Perkins possesses the traits to be a double-digit sack threat and have an impact early on.

Value: 1st Round

1. Kwity Paye, Michigan

A two-and-a-half-year starter, Paye aligned in many different spots for the Wolverines front, ranging from three-technique to wide-nine. He is a special athlete with tremendous get-off and straight-line explosiveness for his size. This helps him to stress the outside shoulder of tackles from a wide alignment. Paye can convert speed to power, which could turn into a dominant move if he can get more experienced at it given his speed and strength. While he does not dip and bend, he has very flexible hips that allow him to turn tight corners. In the run game, he is fantastic, being stout and controlling gaps, Paye also disengages quickly with his violent hands. He plays hard, trying to make the play on every down. Improving his ability to read blockers to speed up his decision-making as a pass rusher could make him a dominant force in the passing game. He does not play at extension consistently. Paye projects as a starting defensive end who will be a great run defender and capable pass rusher with plenty of untapped potential in that area. His athleticism at that size is raw and if he can overcome some mental hurdles and be more confident in his pass-rush ability, he has all the tools to be dominant at it.

Value: 1st Round

*Go All Access and reserve your copy of the official 2021 NFL Draft Bible publication, plus unlock our scouting report database featuring prospects for 2022 & beyond!

QB | RB | FB | WR | iWR | TE | LT | RT | OG | OC | DT | NG | 3-4 DE | 4-3 DE | 3-4 OLB | 4-3 OLB | ILB | CB | iCB | FS | SS

*Get more scouting reports just like this one at AllAccessFootball.com. Over 500 reports are being updated and will be available before the NFL Draft

*The Official 2021 NFL Draft Bible publication is now available for pre-order! Reserve your copy today or go ‘All Access’ and gain instant access to our scouting report database, featuring 500+ profiles and updated daily. Nobody brings you the names you need to know like NFL Draft Bible, become a disciple today and order here!

*CLICK HERE for more in-depth scouting reports, be sure to reserve your copy of the 2021 NFL Draft Bible Publication!

*View our updated dynasty fantasy football rookie ADP

*Listen to us on TWITCH. Follow and subscribe.