2024 NFL Draft: 5 Edge Rushers Who Impressed at the Combine and Could Fit With the Jaguars
The road to the 2024 NFL Draft is officially underway.
With the draft set to take place in 53 days, the NFL Scouting Combine is taking center stage as the draft starts to take shape.
So, which players have stood out the most during the athletic testing portion of the combine? We review below, next looking at the edge rushers.
Chop Robinson, Penn State
Outside of Alabama's Dallas Turner, who is likely the first defender drafted this year, no other edge rusher had a better performance at the combine than Penn State's Chop Robinson. Robinson came in light at 254 pounds and is under Trent Baalke's typical benchmark for length (33 inches), but he still had a terrific day.
Overall, Robinson had the second-best short shuttle, second-best forty, the best 10-yard dash, and the second-best broad jump. It was a successful day for the speedy pass-rusher, who shares a lot of traits to Josh Uche and could be an enticing pass-rush option.
Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
Another undersized edge rusher with arms under 33 inches, Mohamed Kamara is still an exciting edge prospect outside of the first round. Kamara ended his workout with the third-best 10-yard split and third-best 40-yard dash, showing off another gear as a pass-rusher.
While his size and length may knock him on the Jaguars' board, he is one of the most interesting pass-rushers in this class outside of the first round. With solid numbers all around in workouts, Kamara may have worked himself into the Day 2 conversation.
Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
Another undersized pass-rusher with less than ideal arm length -- which is clearly a trend in this year's edge class. Gabriel Murphy's arms are barely over 30 inches, which may take him off the Jaguars' board completely, but he has the athletic traits to potentially offset that flaw.
Murphy's explosiveness especially stood out at the combine, recording the second-best vertical and seventh-best broad jump. If the Jaguars want to roll the dice on an undersized speed rusher on Day 3 -- like they did last year with Yasir Abdullah -- then Murphy could be an option.
Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian University
One of the best athletes on the edge in the class, Jalyx Hunt also is the first pass-rusher on this list with the required arm length. A small-school prospect who is another edge who comes in under 260 pounds, Hunt could be an appealing Day 3 pick based on his athletic traits.
Hunt finished the combine with the best broad jump and fourth-best vertical jump among all defensive ends, along with the sixth-best 10-yard split and eighth-best 40-yard dash. Hunt has all of the traits one looks for in a Day 3 roll of the dice.
Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
A tweener who can likely bump inside at times if he needs to, Marshawn Kneeland was one of the biggest surprises of the defensive end group. He looks like a future five-technique on tape, but he could also be a big end in a 4-3 scheme, something Ryan Nielsen has prioritized in the past.
While many defensive ends didn't record a three-cone or shuttle time, Kneeland did finish with the best time among all defensive ends -- including a better shuttle time than Chop Robinson despite coming in at a heavier weight.
