Todd McShay breaks down his top 10 EDGE rushers with NFL Draft combine approaching
The NFL draft combine is right around the corner, and EDGE rushers are projected to go toward the top of the draft. ESPN analyst Todd McShay broke down his top 10 rushers ahead of next month’s combine.
It’s been pretty much a consensus that former Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson and former Oregon standout Kayvon Thibodeaux would go No. 1 and No. 2. Hutchinson isn’t the only Big Ten EDGE in McShay’s top 10, though. Two of his former conference counterparts also appear, giving the Big Ten three of McShay’s 10 best EDGE rushers this year.
Some G5 prospects also made McShay’s list, including Cincinnati’s Myjai Sanders and Houston’s Logan Hall.
Here are McShay’s full rankings.
Todd McShay’s top 10 EDGE rushers
1. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
Hutchinson led the Big Ten and ranked No. 3 in the nation with 14.0 sacks this season. He saw his stock rise throughout the season as he set Michigan’s single-season sacks record.
2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
Earlier in the season, Thibodeaux was a projected No. 1 pick before Hutchinson leap-frogged him. He tied for third in the Pac-12 with 7.0 sacks for Oregon this season.
3. Travon Walker, Georgia
Travon Walker had a big year for Georgia, finishing tied for 15th in the SEC with 6.0 sacks. He had three tackles and a sack in the Bulldogs’ national championship win over Alabama.
4. Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State
Jermaine Johnson led the ACC with 11.5 sacks and his 71 sack yards ranked second, just behind Louisville’s Yasir Abdullah. He also had 70 tackles this year, including 17.5 tackles for loss.
George Karlaftis was a force at Purdue during his three years in West Lafayette. In that time, he had 97 tackles and 14 sacks to anchor the Boilermakers defense.
6. Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
The third Big Ten EDGE rusher on this list, Arnold Ebiketie ranked second in the Big Ten with 18.0 tackles for loss this season. He also ranked third with 9.5 sacks behind Hutchinson and David Ojabo.
7. Logan Hall, Houston
Houston had the best defense in the American Athletic Conference this year, and Hall was a big reason why. Hall and teammate D’Anthony Jones tied for third in the AAC with 6.0 sacks this season while also ranking No. 4 with 13.0 tackles for loss.
8. Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
During Sanders’ four years at Cincinnati, he totaled 119 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks for the Bearcats. His best year came as a junior in 2020 when he had 7.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.
DeMarvin Leal was a staple of the Texas A&M defense this year. He had 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss for the Aggies this season as they became the No. 3 defense in the SEC.
10. Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
Cameron Thomas had a monster year for San Diego State. He led the Mountain West with 11.5 sacks and finished second with 20.5 tackles for loss.