Northwestern Edge Rushers Earn NFL Draft Rankings Before Season

The Wildcats project to have two dominant defensive forces up front in 2025.

Nov 25, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive lineman Anto Saka (42) takes down Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback John Paddock (4) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Northwestern has not had a player selected in the NFL Draft since 2023, when offensive lineman Peter Skoronski, defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore, cornerback Cameron Mitchell and running back Evan Hull were all picked. However, a pair of edge rushers could look to break the Wildcats' short drought next April.

NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler has been releasing his preseason positional rankings throughout the summer for The Athletic, and two promising defenders landed on his early edge rusher list. Among Brugler's top 30 seniors, Northwestern fifth-year Aidan Hubbard came in 24th after leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss last season.

Hubbard, a redshirt senior from Cleveland, Ohio, has combined for 12 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. In 2024, Hubbard posted six sacks, 33 tackles and seven tackles for loss, as well as a fumble returned for a touchdown against Maryland. At 6-foot-4 and 259 pounds, Hubbard's size and consistent production could be enticing for NFL Scouts.

Northwestern's defensive star, though, projects to be junior Anto Saka. The former four-star recruit has drawn attention for his explosiveness off the edge and has logged nine sacks and 10 tackles for loss since 2023, despite limited playing time. In Brugler's way-too-early 2026 mock draft in April, Saka was listed as a potential first-round pick due to his traits and "flashes" that he's shown on tape.

Saka was ranked as the No. 6 draft-eligible underclassman edge rusher by Brugler, who also included the redshirt junior as an honorable mention in his overall "Top 15 defensive underclassman prospects" article a week ago.

Between Hubbard, Saka and offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern has a very good chance to be well-represented in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Wildcats will need big years from all three in order to improve upon last season's 4-8 record and return to the program's winning ways.