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2021's Top 3 Edge Rushing Pass Rushers.


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After Carl Lawson's injury one of these three will 100% become drafted as a Jet. 

EDGE KAYVON THIBODEAUX, OREGON

"Thibodeaux’s 2020 campaign started slowly, but he turned on the jets down the stretch and looked like an elite edge defender over his final four games (out of seven on the year). Thibodeaux was one of the highest-graded players at his position over that span, boasting an 87.2 PFF grade that included a 12-pressure performance against USC and Alijah Vera-Tucker — a first-round pick in 2021 — in the Pac-12 championship game.

If you were to build a perfect college pass-rusher among those playing next year, Thibodeaux’s get-off and bend would be precisely what you'd want. He is an elite talent who is bound for a monstrous 2021. Be sure to circle the calendar for Week 2 when he goes up against the best tackle duo in college football — Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere — as the Ducks take on the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio".

 

EDGE NIK BONITTO, OKLAHOMA

"Bonitto might be the most underrated player in all of college football. The rush-end led all FBS edge defenders in pass-rush grade (93.6), pass-rush win rate (28%) and pressure rate generated (25.7%) in 2020. Among all Power Five edge defenders since we began grading college seven years ago, Bonitto ranks in the top five in all three metrics.

Bonitto’s explosiveness and athleticism caused headaches for every offensive tackle he faced, and no lineman succeeded in shutting him down in 2020. His lowest win rate in a single game this past year sat at 17.6% — a pretty solid day for most FBS edge rushers". 

 

 

EDGE DEMARVIN LEAL, TEXAS A&M

"Leal has a lot of power with his 6-foot-4, 290-pound frame, and it showed routinely this past season. He notched an 80.0-plus grade as both a run defender and a pass-rusher in 2020, something only four other Power Five edge defenders accomplished this past year. Leal displayed improved hand usage and a deadly push-pull. He flashed exactly that in his performance against Florida — which earned him a career-high PFF grade.

He was a consistent performer in 2020 with a single-game PFF grade north of 70.0 in nine of his 10 outings, which led him to an 88.3 PFF grade for the season. Leal may be 290 pounds, but he sure doesn’t play like it with his athleticism and twitch. Needless to say, he is clearly living up to his five-star recruiting status". 

With two 1st round picks one of these 3 pass rushers will line up @ 4-3 DE for us come 2022. 

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This draft has 5-7 potential first round edge rushers which is a great fit for what we will need and how JD wants to build the team.  This is also including that Thibideaux is a top 3 pick (barring serious injury) and I dont think we will be picking high enough to get him.

Drake Jackson USC

Myjai Sanders Cincinnati

Zach Harrison Ohio State

George Karlafitis Purdue

Kingsley Enagbare South Carolina

Really matches up well with what we need going forward.

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On 8/21/2021 at 8:31 AM, BCJet said:

This draft has 5-7 potential first round edge rushers which is a great fit for what we will need and how JD wants to build the team.  This is also including that Thibideaux is a top 3 pick (barring serious injury) and I dont think we will be picking high enough to get him.

 

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On 8/21/2021 at 8:31 AM, BCJet said:

This draft has 5-7 potential first round edge rushers which is a great fit for what we will need and how JD wants to build the team.  This is also including that Thibideaux is a top 3 pick (barring serious injury) and I dont think we will be picking high enough to get him.

Drake Jackson USC

Myjai Sanders Cincinnati

Zach Harrison Ohio State

George Karlafitis Purdue

Kingsley Enagbare South Carolina

Really matches up well with what we need going forward.

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I mean Jax might be the only team worse than us again, we could very well have top 3 pick

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15 hours ago, kdels62 said:

Probably not Nik Bonitto. Most likely George Karlaftis, he seems right. 

I want DeMarvin Leal, he’s just so impressive but he’s probably gonna end up in the interior and be the next Aaron Donald.

I love Leal too. 

If he's got Aaron Donald potential then he's a must pick if still available.  

Both of Quinnen Williams and DeMarvin Leal feasting on the same D-Line together?

Playing alongside of one another @ 4-3 DT? 

The interior pass rush would become so fierce where kids like Huff could become an impact pass rusher from the edge. 

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There’s gonna be a lot of people sleeping on this guy. 
 

Boye Mafe - Minnesota

 

For reference, I’m looking for guys who can win one-on-one, defend the POA and seal an edge, good eyes to see beyond his assignment on the OL, and good athletic traits. This is a guy who can rush opposite Lawson, win a one-on-one if presented, or contain the edge. Shows he can disengage from his defender if necessary, has a couple recovery moves and is a very quick for a guy listed 6’4 265. All that said, he’s still raw. Known as a very high effort and character player. Most of his issues are technique things, which his high character and improvement from a 2-3 star recruit suggest he can fix with some good coaching and veteran presence (Carl Lawson). He’s going to improve after he gets in the league and I’d want him shadowing Lawson to start opposite him, and later take over for him.

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  • 2 weeks later...

@Lith - thoughts on Adam Anderson? Looks like he's got a little more juice than some of the Georgia edge guys who have come before him - sack in every game so far too. Why'd it take until his senior year for him to get legitimate snaps? Is he actually the 230 he's listed at or bigger than that?

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3 hours ago, derp said:

@Lith - thoughts on Adam Anderson? Looks like he's got a little more juice than some of the Georgia edge guys who have come before him - sack in every game so far too. Why'd it take until his senior year for him to get legitimate snaps? Is he actually the 230 he's listed at or bigger than that?

Big fan of Anderson.  5 star recruit that commited to us and I have been waiting for him to breakout ever since.  Athletic freak -- woudl not be surprised if he runs near 4.4.  He has some good pass rushing moves so it is not all about speed with him.  Last two seasons, he was used as a situational pass rusher, so while he has played a lot of games, he has not had a lot of snaps.  Still had 5.5 sacks last year in a limited role. 

I really just think he was behind some other guys on the depth chart.  Ojulari and Nolan Smith (another edge coming out this year) were ahead of him.  Smith is better against the run, imo and got more snaps opposite Ojulari last year.  I really like this tandem.  Smith probably goes day 2, and I would expect Anderson will be a first rounder and he could be pretty high on the first when all is said and done.

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  • 1 month later...
On 8/30/2021 at 10:52 AM, TouchyFeely said:

There’s gonna be a lot of people sleeping on this guy. 
 

Boye Mafe - Minnesota

 

For reference, I’m looking for guys who can win one-on-one, defend the POA and seal an edge, good eyes to see beyond his assignment on the OL, and good athletic traits. This is a guy who can rush opposite Lawson, win a one-on-one if presented, or contain the edge. Shows he can disengage from his defender if necessary, has a couple recovery moves and is a very quick for a guy listed 6’4 265. All that said, he’s still raw. Known as a very high effort and character player. Most of his issues are technique things, which his high character and improvement from a 2-3 star recruit suggest he can fix with some good coaching and veteran presence (Carl Lawson). He’s going to improve after he gets in the league and I’d want him shadowing Lawson to start opposite him, and later take over for him.

This is the kind of guy who can really raise his stock if he shows out at the combine. 

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10 hours ago, PepPep said:

This is the kind of guy who can really raise his stock if he shows out at the combine. 

I watched some of his games recently. Dude is all effort and a bit stiff. He pops on screen tho. I wouldn’t want to be the team that overdrafts him but I can see the hype.

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  • 3 weeks later...
2 hours ago, LAD_Brooklyn said:

@Lith What do you know about Jermaine Johnson?

I've only seen him this season and he's a flat out beast. He can very well jump into the discussion as the 2nd pass rusher off the board. Has the prototypical size for a 4-3 DE

 

He was buried on our depth chart behind guys like Azeez Ojulari, Nolan Smith, Adam Anderson.  I know he is having a huge year at FSU, but I have not watched any of their games this season outside of their opener against ND.  Honestly do not know what to think of him right now.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 11/23/2021 at 5:57 PM, Rhg1084 said:

Some whispers out there now that Aidan Hutchinson could be the 1st pick of the draft. If Jets can walk away with either Hutchinson Or Thibodeaux that’s a success 

If we are picking like 2 or 3 that is fine, but otherwise we have far greater needs than Edge

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1 hour ago, UntouchableCrew said:

I've been beginning to think that Ojabo with the Seahawks pick makes some sense.

I think he's going to test extremely well and while watching Hutchinson I often found myself wondering who was the better of the two.

My thinking as well. If we can manage to stay at #8 or so with the Seahawks then I think that could make a lot of sense. Of I could script #4 and #8 it would be Hamilton and Ojabo. If we inch up higher than I'm hoping Hutch/Thib and then Hamilton/Linderbaum

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10 minutes ago, bla bla bla said:

My thinking as well. If we can manage to stay at #8 or so with the Seahawks then I think that could make a lot of sense. Of I could script #4 and #8 it would be Hamilton and Ojabo. If we inch up higher than I'm hoping Hutch/Thib and then Hamilton/Linderbaum

What do you think of Leal? 

If we were double dipping on defense my "dream" scenario has been Hutchinson and Leal.

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3 hours ago, UntouchableCrew said:

What do you think of Leal? 

If we were double dipping on defense my "dream" scenario has been Hutchinson and Leal.

He has a really elusive way of getting around the OL. From the very little I've seen, I think I'd say I prefer a few other guys but it really depends where that Seattle pick ends up. I think for me if we can get one of the Edges with our pick then it would eliminate the need for an additional DL with the Seattle pick. I'd be looking at Hamilton, Linderbaum, Williams, or Stingley if we are still within the top 10. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/22/2021 at 4:48 PM, UntouchableCrew said:

I've been beginning to think that Ojabo with the Seahawks pick makes some sense.

I think he's going to test extremely well and while watching Hutchinson I often found myself wondering who was the better of the two.

I couldn’t agree more. When you watch Michigan games, Ojabo isn’t some throw away JAG. He’s winning 1 on 1 battles and getting to the QB as well. He’s not as refined as Hutchinson but he’s got the talent.

Personally I’d pass on Leal. He’s a good player but we don’t need another DT. He doesn’t have the explosiveness to play end. At best he’d basically be Leonard Williams 2.0 and rack up tons of “almost sacks”

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33 minutes ago, Sammybighead said:

I couldn’t agree more. When you watch Michigan games, Ojabo isn’t some throw away JAG. He’s winning 1 on 1 battles and getting to the QB as well. He’s not as refined as Hutchinson but he’s got the talent.

Personally I’d pass on Leal. He’s a good player but we don’t need another DT. He doesn’t have the explosiveness to play end. At best he’d basically be Leonard Williams 2.0 and rack up tons of “almost sacks”

See how Leal measures. They’re going to need to address DT in FA or the draft. Fatukasi is a starter and a UFA and Shepherd is a big rotation piece and a UFA.

Absolutely doesn’t need to be another high first round pick and my preferences would go FA > day 2 of draft (Wyatt, Winfrey day 2 would be solid) >> day 1 of draft. But GM and HC value the front, they rotate heavily, and they will need bodies there.

This place will burn to the ground if they do it but I think it’s not off the table till they address it in FA. I’d hope Marshall has earned his way into the rotation and maybe they just re-sign Fatukasi and take another guy day three but it’s a spot that quietly needs depth this offseason.

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