Top 10 Edge Rusher Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft
Last Updated: August 31, 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: #4 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: #4 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. He grades as a top-ten edge in the class, and the scouting consensus places him among the top 30 prospects overall, signaling clear agreement that he projects as a first-round talent.
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: #29 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. Scouts praise 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 (long, versatile, multi-alignment edge who wins with length and bend over pure bend-speed) Full scouting report for Matayo Uiagalelei →---
4. Quincy Rhodes Jr — Arkansas
Consensus Rank: #43 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) Full scouting report for Quincy Rhodes Jr →---
5. Damon Wilson Jr —
Miami
Consensus Rank: #46 overall | Projection: Round 2 Full scouting report for Damon Wilson Jr →---
6. Kenyatta Jackson Jr — Ohio State
Consensus Rank: #50 overall | Projection: Round 2 Full scouting report for Kenyatta Jackson Jr →---
7. Boubacar Traore — Notre Dame
Consensus Rank: #64 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 6-4, 247 lbs, 4.68s 40Traore is one of the highest-upside, lowest-snap edge prospects in the class, a former consensus four-star from Catholic Memorial (Roxbury, Mass. ) and 2023 All-American Bowl invitee who flipped from Boston College to Notre Dame. He flashed early in South Bend with a sack of Heisman winner Caleb Williams as a freshman and a pick-six against Purdue, then tore his left ACL five games into 2024 and missed the Irish national-title run.
Strengths: Explosive first step that beats tackles off the snap and times the count like a veteran ... roughly 80-inch arm length used to control rush width and create separation ... bend and dip to flatten his angle at the top of the arc Concerns: Fewer than 200 career defensive snaps before 2025, an incomplete evaluation ... recovering from a torn left ACL, medical checks will be critical NFL Comparison: Boston/Travon Walker type developmental power-speed edge with rare length and burst but a thin resume Full scouting report for Boubacar Traore →---
8. Yhonzae Pierre — Alabama
Consensus Rank: #64 overall | Projection: Day 2 | 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 →---
9. Will Heldt — Clemson
Consensus Rank: #66 overall | Projection: Day 2 | Measurables: 6'6", 260 lbsWill Heldt is a long and lean edge defender out of Clemson who entered the 2027 draft cycle as one of the more intriguing developmental prospects in the class after a two-school career spanning Purdue and Death Valley. At listed 6'6" and 260 pounds, Heldt carries an alluring frame with developmental room to add functional mass, and scouts have noted early that his build looks more like a 3-4 defensive end than the stand-up OLB role he occupied at Purdue. The transfer to Clemson proved transformative.
Strengths: Rare length and frame for edge position at 6'6", 260 pounds with room to add functional weight ... plays with outstanding motor and effort as a run defender in pursuit and at the point of attack ... good first step with solid closing speed to threaten the outside track Concerns: High-cut frame limits ability to bend and flatten the corner consistently ... plays too upright at times, undermining leverage and edge-setting against the run NFL Comparison: Brady Smith (long, run-oriented EDGE with a developmental pass-rush ceiling) Full scouting report for Will Heldt →---
10. Teitum Tuioti — Oregon
Consensus Rank: #67 overall | Projection: Day 2 | Measurables: 6'3", 263 lbsTeitum Tuioti is a high-motor edge prospect on Oregon's loaded defensive front who has steadily climbed 2027 boards after a productive third season. Listed at 6'3" and 263 pounds, he is primarily a stand-up outside linebacker but wears multiple hats along the Ducks' line, the kind of front-seven versatility NFL scouts covet. Scouts grade him as a top-100 prospect and note that if the draft were held today they could not imagine Tuioti getting out of the second round, while his 47 defensive stops in 2024 were the most among Power Four edge defenders.
Strengths: Relentless, elite motor that generates second-chance pressures late in plays ... Led all Power Four edge defenders with 47 defensive stops in 2024 ... Production riser with 13.5 TFL and 7 sacks in 2025 plus 2 forced fumbles Concerns: No defined go-to pass-rush move ... still cycling through a broad but unrefined toolbox NFL Comparison: Boye Mafe (Oregon-area edge with motor and bend that needed a defined plan) Full scouting report for Teitum Tuioti →---