Eagles draft: Which edge rushers could the Eagles target early in the first round?

Maintaining a deep rotation of capable edge rushers has always been a priority for Howie Roseman.

The Eagles’ defensive front was one of the most productive groups in league history last season, but the team has room to add to the position this offseason either through the draft or free agency.

Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat are one of the league’s best tandems off the edge. Behind them, there’s an opening for a young rusher with some upside. The Eagles typically like to rotate four at edge rusher and Brandon Graham, turning 35 next week, is the only reserve left from last year’s team. Derek Barnett is under contract for next season, but he’s recovering from a torn ACL suffered last September and had an unclear role on the team even before the injury.

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If the Eagles do decide to use an early pick at edge rusher, they’ll have plenty of options. Here’s a breakdown of this year’s class of edges:

Will Anderson, Alabama

Anderson is the consensus No. 1 edge rusher in the class and one of the best players overall because of his combination of elite production, explosiveness off the ball, and “bend” around the edge. He was a three-year starter for Alabama, racking up 207 pressures and 34.5 sacks in his career against Southeastern Conference offensive tackles.

Some of the past consensus top edge rushers have been an inch or two taller, but Anderson was still 63rd percentile in arm length, which is the more important trait when evaluating a pass rusher’s size. It also helps that Anderson is solid against the run, meaning he won’t be limited to a designated pass rusher early in his career.

He will have to learn a wider variety of pass-rush moves at the next level, but Anderson’s evaluation is pretty straightforward. He should be a top-five pick and has a real chance to be an immediate impact player as a rookie.

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Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

Somewhat similar to Travon Walker last season, Wilson shot up draft boards midway through the evaluation process because of his rare measurables and explosiveness. At 6-foot-6, 271 pounds with ridiculously long arms, Wilson is a supersized edge who can win because of his length.

He’s a handful to block not only because of his arm length, but also because of his first step and ability to win with power. He’s sturdy against the run and has the versatility to bump inside to the five-technique or the 4i on the inside shoulder of the tackle.

Wilson transferred out of the SEC after his freshman year at Texas A&M and it’s important to remember his two seasons of double-digit sacks came in the Big 12 against less-talented linemen. It’s also important to note he’s a little over a year older than most of the other top prospects at his position.

Nolan Smith, Georgia

Eagles fans now familiar with Reddick’s game will see plenty of similarities with Smith during his time at Georgia. He’s an undersized rusher at 6-2, 238 pounds but has truly elite athleticism and strength that defies his frame, which helps him win off the edge. He played with an attitude and was considered a key leader on a vaunted Georgia defense because of his character as well.

Even though he’s on the smaller side for the position, Smith held up against the run in college and could be a three-down player for certain schemes in the NFL. For the Eagles, Smith would likely profile as a designated rusher who can come off the edge if Sweat or Reddick lines up in unconventional splits or need a play off.

His production wasn’t excellent on a loaded Georgia defense, but he is one of the most physically gifted players in the draft. The Eagles don’t have a pressing need at edge, but Smith could be one of the most talented players on the board when the team is on the clock at No. 10 overall.

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Lukas Van Ness, Iowa

Van Ness is a pocket-collapsing edge rusher with tantalizing upside. The 6-5, 270-pounder is pretty limited in terms of pass-rush repertoire and, strangely enough, never started a game for an Iowa defense that values seniority on the opening snap.

Still, Van Ness had 46 pressures and nine sacks last season and his athletic profile suggests he will be even better in the league. He wins by combining speed to power, getting off the ball quickly and then driving blockers backward with his signature bull rush. He doesn’t have many moves beyond that, which is part of what makes his potential so intriguing but hard to quantify.

Van Ness is stout against the run with heavy hands and a good motor. If drafted by the Eagles, he could be an ideal early-down sub for Reddick and Sweat and could have some value as a situational rusher from the 4i-technique as well as off the edge. If he can learn a few more rush moves and continue improving, he could be a difference-maker.

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Myles Murphy, Clemson

At 6-5, 270 pounds, Murphy has prototypical size for the position and certainly looks the part. He was productive at Clemson for three seasons but never put up sack numbers you’d expect from a player with his athletic profile. He had 6.5 sacks last season and eight the year before in the Atlantic Coastal Conference. His 34 pressures last season ranked 93rd in college football, according to Pro Football Focus.

That said, Murphy still possesses the size, strength, and athleticism to suggest he has real potential as an every-down edge rusher with some positional versatility. Whether he can reach that potential remains to be seen.

BJ Ojulari, LSU

Ojulari’s older brother, Azeez, was a second-round pick in 2021 and Eagles fans may be familiar with the current Giants edge rusher.

It’s not surprising that BJ Ojulari has plenty of similarities to his brother as a slightly undersized edge rusher who profiles as a designated pass rusher or 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level. He’s 6-2, 248 pounds with long arms and giant hands, but doesn’t showcase much power or stoutness against the run on tape. Still, he had 8.5 sacks last season and 12 the year prior, often utilizing a quick first step with a few rush moves that counter off each other.

Ojulari could be an ideal situational rusher for a team like the Eagles and his ability to drop into coverage with competence will be an asset for creative defensive coordinators. He figures to go somewhere in the second round, but his upside makes him a decent bet at that point.

Tuli Tuipulotu, USC

Tuipulotu is another draft prospect with an older brother in the NFL and, more specifically, the NFC East. Eagles defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu would be happy to see his brother headed to the NovaCare Complex, and the fit makes some sense.

Tuli Tuipulotu is a bit of a ‘tweener after starting his career as an interior rusher before bumping outside. He was listed at 290 pounds at USC but was all the way down to 266 pounds at the NFL scouting combine, signaling he’s more of an edge than a three-technique defensive tackle.

One team’s ‘tweener is another team’s “versatile,” and the Eagles would likely fall in the latter category because of new defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s track record of using exotic fronts to create confusion. Tuipulotu doesn’t have a lightning fast first step, but he has an ideal motor and wins with power often. He had 13.5 sacks and 22 tackles for losses last season, the most in all of college football.

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Will McDonald, Iowa Sate

McDonald is a difficult prospect to pin down.

He played in a 3-3-5 defense in college and lined up in spots along the interior that he won’t play in the NFL as a result. The 6-4, 240-pounder had plenty of impressive wins on tape and has two double-digit sack seasons under his belt, but McDonald will turn 24 in June and only produced five sacks last season as a 23-year-old redshirt senior in the Big 12. His play strength is the biggest knock against him; he’ll need to add weight at the next level to become an every-down player.

It’s easy to see why he’s projected as a late first-round pick. He’s freakishly explosive (98th percentile broad jump) and has 35-inch arms to go along with tantalizing film. But the lack of consistent production against Big 12 competition, especially as an older prospect, makes it harder to truly determine what his ceiling is as a pro.