The Broncos need edge rushers in an NFL Draft that has a lot of talent

The draft season is my favorite time of year. Now that April is here, I am going over my final rankings for this entire 2023 draft class. I’ve personally scouted over 400 players as I prepare to cover every day of the draft for Denver Sports.

Next up, I will examine the EDGE position. This is a good group, and there are certainly some players with tremendous upside at the top of the draft. Getting after the quarterback is top priority for teams out there, and if you need an EDGE this is the year to add one (or two!).

The Broncos need help in the pass-rushing department. Randy Gregory is great when healthy, but he’s never healthy for a full season. Baron Browning has potential, but he’s yet to play up to his ceiling in the pros. Adding more pass-rushers just makes sense for Denver.

Here are my thoughts on the 2023 EDGE class.

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Sinister Six

The first round is going to be jam-packed with EDGE talent, and there could be at least four or five go off the board on Day 1. In fact, there are six players from this group that I’ve given first-round grades to.

Will Anderson (Alabama) is the best player in this class regardless of position. Pressuring the quarterback is the name of his game. Over the last three seasons, Anderson has led college football in quarterback pressures (207). That’s an incredible number which towers over the other defenders in college football during that time. Not only can Anderson pressure the quarterback with bend and burst, but Anderson can also win with power, and he’s a plus-player against the run. I don’t grade many players like Anderson. Only Calvin Johnson was a perfect prospect, but Anderson is kind of close to that level entering the league.

Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech) took some time to get going during his college career, but when he did in 2022 he was dominant. Wilson has length, measuring in at 6-feet, 6-inches, 275 pounds and that large wingspan helps him engulf opponents regularly. He plays with a ton of aggression, which can be a good and bad thing. At times, Wilson will just initiate contact and doesn’t seem to progress through various pass-rushing moves or set his man up properly. This can be coached into his game, and that makes his upside even greater. Wilson is also one of the most versatile EDGE players because he also played outside linebacker and inside linebacker at times during two stops in college (Texas A&M, Texas Tech).

Lukas Van Ness (Iowa) loves to win with the bull rush…and not much else. However, it didn’t take an array of moves for him to showcase his talent from the edge. Van Ness wins with power regularly, and he will increase his bag of tricks in the NFL. At this time, Van Ness is a player who commands double teams and can set the edge against the run. Teams will covet this consistency to his game, and that makes him a first-round pick. Van Ness is more athletic than some realize, and his testing at the NFL Combine revealed those athletic traits which were overshadowed by his power game. Van Ness is smart and understands leverage. He’s a high-floor player who should step into a starting role as a rookie.

Nolan Smith (Georgia) was a top high school player when he showed up to play for the Bulldogs, but injuries and inconsistencies kept him from playing up to his potential. That potential is sky high, and if he’s healthy and takes to the NFL, then some team is going to have a superstar on their hands. He tore his pec in late December, so Smith is entering the league with injury concerns. When healthy, Smith wins with speed and closing burst. Even though he’s a smaller prospect (235 pounds), Smith has no problem taking on – and winning – against the run. I don’t quite see Von Miller in his future, but Smith’s athletic traits and upside make him a consideration on Day 1 of the draft.

Myles Murphy (Clemson) can plant offensive tackles in the ground. His game is all about power, and he has no problem going to that well early and often. Murphy has a power-to-speed combination that few have – not just in the rookie class but in the league as a whole. He has different moves to get after the passer (with a wicked spin move), but mostly Murphy wins with power. He’s got incredible desire and devotion to his craft, but scouts will wonder why his tape at Clemson is mostly the same from every year he played college football. I’d like to see better hand-fighting from Murphy, which he should learn in the pros.

Will McDonald IV (Iowa State) lacks the size of others in this class, but he makes up for that with speed, athleticism and versatility. I like that he has a plan of attack every time he lines up on the football field. McDonald has no problem taking on offensive tackles who are much larger than him. He’s certainly not a power player, but he can get low to the ground and is difficult to reach. I like the violent, striking hands he plays with and again – his speed is phenomenal to watch. He’s not going to collapse the pocket, and he can get run out of plays by taking bad angles.

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Talent Pushed Down

With the talent at the top of the class, players are going to get pushed down into the second and third rounds.

B.J. Ojulari (LSU) is the younger brother of New York Giants’ LB Azeez Ojulari, and they both have similar games as pro prospects. He’s a smart and instinctive player who is technically sound as a pass rusher. Ojulari gets off the line quickly, and he knows how to set up defenders to catch them off balance and off guard. I like the way he bends around the edge, and he’s got good burst and speed on his way to the ball-carrier. Ojulari is seen by some as a pass-rushing specialist only – but I’m okay with that. The way he can rush the passer is special.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Kansas State) should be in my ‘favorites’ section too. I love the player they call “King Felix” because he’s dangerous. Simply put; he never gives up. Anudike-Uzomah is never out of the play, and he’s relentless on his way to the quarterback or the ball-carrier. I like the way he understands the speed game, but speed-to-power is part of his arsenal as well. Anudike-Uzomah has great feet, and this helps him change direction without losing much speed or explosiveness. I like the way he tackles, and he’s solid in that department although I wouldn’t call him a “thumper.”

Tuli Tuipulotu (USC) is not a flawless player, but I love the nuance he has to his game. While most college players win with their main attributes (like speed or power), Tuipulotu wins with a vast array of moves. This is uncommon for college players. Not only does Tuipulotu have multiple moves to get after the passer, but he also knows how to stack those moves on top of moves on his way to the passer. I’d like to see him get better as a wrap tackler, and that should improve with pro coaching.

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My Favorites

This group was one of my favorites to scout and write up this draft season. I can’t say it enough; this is a great class and there is talent from the top to the bottom of the draft.

Andre Carter II (Army) might be my favorite player in any position. He’s not the best player in this class, but he’s fun to watch and coming from the Army he’s the type of player you want to root for. The first thing you notice with Carter is his length. He’s 6-feet, 6-inches tall but he’s got the wingspan of a near 7-footer. His long arms and pure athleticism make him tough for blockers to handle. That length also comes in handy when it comes to closing on the ball-carrier, something Carter can do with ease. I like the way he uses his hands to keep blockers from his frame, and Carter can make plays from sideline to sideline. In addition to rushing the passer (his forte) and closing on the run, I like Carter’s instincts in coverage – a rarity for most EDGE players who solely want to get after the passer.

Keion White (Georgia Tech) is likely to come off the board in the second or third round. He only has two full seasons of experience at the college football level, and his game is somewhat raw, but the potential is there for him to be great in the NFL. White is a bendy/bursty player (at almost 290 pounds) who hunts the quarterbacks with great desire and a motor that just doesn’t quit. He’s quick off the line of scrimmage, and White has tremendous burst to get to the quarterback. In addition, White has multiple moves to get after the passer including a spin move that would make DeMarcus Ware proud.

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Overall Grade

As aforementioned, this is the year to be in the market for an EDGE player. I don’t want to fall all over myself about this class, but with so much talent available throughout the process it’s difficult to avoid that. I will conservatively give this EDGE class a strong “A” grade with the potential to easily be an “A+” class when all is said and done.

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