Top 10 Edge Rusher Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft
Last Updated: July 13, 2026 | Source: Consensus rankings from 9 outletsThe 2026 edge rusher class is led by Colin Simmons, Dylan Stewart, Matayo Uiagalelei. Here's a breakdown of the top 10 prospects at the position, with scouting reports, measurables, and projected draft range.
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1. Colin Simmons — Texas
Consensus Rank: #3 overall | Projection: Top 15 pick | Measurables: 6'3", 240 lbsColin Simmons arrived in Austin as the consensus No. 1 edge rusher in his recruiting class out of Duncanville, Texas, and he wasted exactly zero time validating the hype. The 6'3", 240-pound sophomore became the first Longhorn ever to win the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year Award after racking up 9.
Strengths: Elite first-step explosion that beats tackles before they're out of their stance ... Freakish ankle and hip flexibility allows him to dip and rip around the arc without losing speed ... Violent, well-placed hands that defeat grip and shed even when blockers latch Concerns: Frame is on the lighter side at 240 lbs and will need to add functional mass to hold up vs NFL power ... Can get washed by maulers who land first into his chest at the point of attack NFL Comparison: Von Miller (bend, hand usage, sack instincts at a similar frame) Full scouting report for Colin Simmons →---
2. Dylan Stewart — South Carolina
Consensus Rank: #6 overall | Projection: Top 15 pick | Measurables: 6-5, 245 lbsDylan Stewart enters his sophomore year as one of the most coveted edge prospects in the 2027 class, a Washington, DC native who has emerged at South Carolina as a true blue-chip pass rusher with a rare combination of length, bend and burst. Listed at 6-5, 245 pounds, Stewart plays with the height and frame of a prototypical NFL strong-side defender, yet flashes the corner-flattening agility teams covet on third down. NFLDraftBuzz rates him at 86.
Strengths: Prototypical 6-5, 245 EDGE frame with length to set a hard edge against SEC tackles ... First-step explosion off the snap that translated to 4.5 sacks as a true freshman ... Knack for the strip, 3 forced fumbles shows finishing instincts at the point of attack Concerns: Sophomore-eligible with only one year of college tape, so the projection still carries freshman-year variance ... Listed weight at 245 is light for SEC run downs and he'll need to add functional mass NFL Comparison: Trevon Walker-style length and first-step burst from a tweener LB/EDGE frame Full scouting report for Dylan Stewart →---
3. Matayo Uiagalelei — Oregon
Consensus Rank: #17 overall | Projection: First round | Measurables: 6'5", 272 lbsMatayo Uiagalelei is a 6-foot-5, 272-pound edge with a rare blend of size, length, strength and explosiveness that has made him one of the headline prospects of the 2027 NFL Draft cycle. The younger brother of former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, Matayo was a 4-star recruit who emerged as Oregon's most disruptive lineman in 2024 even with three eventual 2025 draft picks alongside him on the line. Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball praises an excellent first step, speed-to-power and the flexible hips and ankles to corner and turn the edge, projecting him as a potential first-round talent.
Strengths: Rare size-length-strength blend at 6-foot-5, 272 with no bad weight and fluid movement ... explosive first step and excellent get-off to win penetration ... speed-to-power conversion that bull-rushes tackles backward Concerns: Lacks a single dominant, hang-your-hat trait, profiling as solid-to-good across the board rather than elite ... needs to play more physically at the point of attack NFL Comparison: Gregory Rousseau (Bleacher Report's direct comp Full scouting report for Matayo Uiagalelei →---
4. Damon Wilson II — Miami
Consensus Rank: #31 overall | Projection: First round | Measurables: 6'4", 250 lbsDamon Wilson II is a speed-and-finesse edge rusher who wins with one of the rarest get-offs in the 2027 class. He signed with Georgia as a five-star, consensus top-20 national prospect out of Venice High in Florida, where he set a school record with 14. 5 sacks as a junior and left with 31 career sacks.
Strengths: Rare, explosive get-off off the edge that forces tackles to vertical-set and opens counter lanes ... Elite bend and loose hips to corner tightly and flatten to the quarterback ... Proven SEC pass-rush production with 54 pressures, nine sacks, and 9.5 TFL in 2025 Concerns: Run-defense production is thin, with just twelve run stops on the season ... Gets washed when tackles get hands into his frame on early downs NFL Comparison: Nolan Smith (Georgia-bred bend-and-burst edge who wins with finesse over power) Full scouting report for Damon Wilson II →---
5. Quincy Rhodes Jr — Arkansas
Consensus Rank: #34 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6'6", 276 lbs, 4.9s 40Quincy Rhodes Jr is a long, powerful edge defender who wins with length, motor, and a developing hand plan rather than rare burst. He is built like a bull at 6'6" and roughly 276 pounds, with a thick frame and a massive wingspan that lets him land first and keep tackles off his chest. His signature trait is his reach, which he converts into a long-arm rush that stacks blockers and sheds, and into a nasty spin move that is clearly his go-to counter off the edge.
Strengths: Rare length and a massive wingspan that lands first and keeps tackles off his chest ... Converts reach into a punishing long-arm move that stacks blockers and sheds ... Nasty spin move that serves as a proven go-to counter off the edge Concerns: Average get-off and first-step quickness, so he wins with length not speed ... Not a bend-the-corner burner, projecting as a traditional defensive end NFL Comparison: Trey Flowers (Arkansas backfield-disruption production comp cited by NFLDraftBuzz) Full scouting report for Quincy Rhodes Jr →---
6. Rasheem Biles — Texas
Consensus Rank: #41 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6-1, 220 lbsRasheem Biles is a smaller, twitched-up, downhill off-ball linebacker who transferred from Pittsburgh to Texas after a breakout 2025, arriving in Austin as the No. 2-ranked linebacker in the portal and slotting into the Mike role in Will Muschamp's defense. A former do-it-all high school athlete who played running back, receiver and defensive back, he tied a Pitt record with three blocked kicks as a true freshman, then anchored the Sharks linebacker group in 2025, leading the ACC with 17 tackles for loss while adding 101 tackles, 4.
Strengths: Led the ACC with 17 tackles for loss in 2025 ... Sure, physical tackler who finishes sideline to sideline ... Twitchy, top-tier athlete with quick diagnose-and-trigger reactions Concerns: 1st-percentile weight profile, listed only 6-1, 220 ... Too small to play between the tackles full time, can get moved off the ball if he does not shoot gaps NFL Comparison: Kyle Louis (undersized, twitchy Pitt LB who plays bigger than his frame) Full scouting report for Rasheem Biles →---
7. John Henry Daley — Michigan
Consensus Rank: #42 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6'4", 247 lbsJohn Henry Daley exploded onto the 2027 radar as a first-year starter at Utah before a non-contact Achilles rupture ended his breakout season and he transferred to Michigan. Football runs in the family, his father Neal played linebacker at BYU and his uncle is former NFL standout Taysom Hill. A three-star recruit from Lone Peak High who served a two-year mission in Brazil, Daley waited behind Logan Fano and Van Fillinger before winning the edge job opposite Fano in 2025.
Strengths: Led FBS with 17.5 TFL and ranked second nationally with 11.5 sacks across just 11 starts ... Fourth-best FBS edge pressure rate at 19.6 percent per ESPN Research ... First in Pass Rush Total Points among all FBS defensive ends per PFF Concerns: Non-contact Achilles rupture in November 2025 is a major medical red flag affecting burst ... Lighter 247-pound frame can get washed out against in-line tight ends NFL Comparison: Boye Mafe (speed-to-power edge with motor and developing bend) Full scouting report for John Henry Daley →---
8. Anthony Smith — Minnesota
Consensus Rank: #50 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6-2, 189 lbs, 4.43s 40A six-year college receiver who took the long road, Smith spent four sparsely-used seasons at North Carolina State before transferring to East Carolina and breaking out as the Pirates' top vertical threat. Evaluators agree on the headline: this is a straight-line burner with elite, track-honed speed. He posted a 4.43-second average 40 at his Pro Day (with reports of a 4.
Strengths: Elite, track-grade vertical speed ... clocked a 4.43 average 40 at his Pro Day (4.40 reported) with a 41-inch vertical ... explosive acceleration and burst that quickly erases cornerback cushion Concerns: Inconsistent hands and too many drops over his last two seasons (six drops in 2025) ... unfinished, disjointed route tree that needs more separation craft at the top of routes NFL Comparison: Marquez Valdes-Scantling (linear, pure straight-line deep threat with hands questions and a defined field-stretcher role) Full scouting report for Anthony Smith →---
9. Yhonzae Pierre — Alabama
Consensus Rank: #54 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6'3", 248 lbsYhonzae Pierre exploded onto the scene for Alabama in 2025 and now profiles as the next in the program's pipeline of NFL edge rushers behind Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner. Listed at 6'3" and 248 pounds, the redshirt junior opened the year third on the depth chart but seized a starting job midway through the season after injuries and finished with 52 tackles, 14. 5 tackles for loss and eight sacks plus three forced fumbles.
Strengths: Breakout 2025 of 52 tackles, 14.5 TFL and eight sacks despite starting third on the depth chart ... Three forced fumbles in 2025, including a game-ending strip-sack against LSU ... Career-high three sacks and six tackles against Tennessee Concerns: High-hipped frame that limits his ability to consistently turn the corner ... Lacks top-shelf bend and is overly reliant on power rushes NFL Comparison: Dallas Turner (recent Alabama edge with speed-to-power and frame to fill out, same program lineage) Full scouting report for Yhonzae Pierre →---
10. Jordan Ross — LSU
Consensus Rank: #56 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6-5, 245 lbsJordan Ross arrived in college football as the consensus top edge rusher in the 2024 recruiting class, a five-star prospect per 247Sports and On3 out of Vestavia Hills (AL), and he is now a 2027 NFL Draft eligible prospect after transferring from Tennessee to LSU in January 2026. At a long-levered 6-5, 245 pounds, Ross is a twitchy, bendy speed rusher whose first step and ankle flexion give him a true edge-corner-winning trait. NFLDraftBuzz grades him at 87.
Strengths: Twitchy, sudden get-off that wins the corner before tackles can set hands ... Long-levered 6-5 frame keeps blockers off his chest and stacks the edge ... Elite bend and ankle flexion through the turn with loose, low hips Concerns: Thin lower half at 245 ... NFL tackles will walk him into the QB's lap until he adds anchor weight NFL Comparison: Will Anderson Jr. lite, similar bend/length but lighter anchor Full scouting report for Jordan Ross →---