Top 10 Edge Defenders for Broncos in 2026 NFL Draft

The Denver Broncos have a logjam in their outside linebacker room after extending Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, drafting Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson, and finding Dondrea Tillman. The Broncos weren’t able to use all five on their gameday active roster, but Elliss, Robinson, and Tillman had some great flashes when on the field.

With the depth of the room, Denver could trade one of the pieces and clear up the logjam a little bit, with Cooper and Elliss being the two common names being thrown out there. Cooper fell off after Week 10, and while he stepped back up in the playoffs, he was a liability in the AFC championship game.

This draft class has options, but the Broncos will want to be wary of exacerbating the logjam at rush linebacker. Let's get to the top 10 edge defenders in the 2026 draft class.

David Bailey | Texas Tech

Bailey is projected to be the first pure edge player selected in this class, though he has close competition behind him. The issue with Bailey is that he struggles to disengage from blocks and work through them, but he is an explosive athlete who can work around them.

Teams will need to develop Bailey's ability to disengage and even counter pass-rush moves, but his explosion off the snap makes it hard for blockers to get in front of him. He isn’t expected to fall to the Broncos or within range and is pushing for being a top-five pick.

Rueben Bain Jr. | Miami (FL)

Bain has a chance to overtake Bailey, and they are two different types of players, so preference is going to matter here. The arm length from Bain is a concern, but he is thick and powerful, and he knows how to drive through leverage, which the shorter arms can actually help with.

Bain's heavy hands and use of leverage allow him to last on the edge as a pass rusher and run defender. He should be a top 10 pick at the very least, and could push Bailey for the first edge selected in the draft.

Akheem Mesidor | Miami (FL)

Playing on the opposite side of Bain, Mesidor didn’t quite get the attention from opposing teams that a player of his caliber normally would. He is also a testament to turning flashes and splash plays into consistency, as he leaped forward during the 2025 season.

Now, Mesidor is older and has an injury history, which are two factors that will push some teams away. He may not have the level of athletic ability to have a high ceiling as a premier pass rusher in the NFL, but he has the traits to be a great second option.

Keldrick Faulk | Auburn

There are so many traits to work with when it comes to Faulk, including the fact that he is only 20 years old. He has a 6-foot-6 and 270-plus-pound frame, with room to add more. The athleticism and power consistently flash, but the football technique is lacking, leading to some production concerns.

Because of his youth and the need for football development, there is a significant risk with Faulk, and not every team may be willing to take it. The Combine will provide some good insight into Faulk through the drills and may narrow his range for the draft, which currently is top 15 to second round.

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Cashius Howell | Texas A&M

Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) lines up during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes. — Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) lines up during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Right now, Howell is a pass-rush specialist with a lot of work to do not to be a liability as a run defender. He should test well at the combine as a juiced-up athlete and could push for the quickest 10-yard split in the position group.

While he does have good hand technique, he doesn’t quite have the power to take full advantage of it. His height and weight will also need to be checked, as he may not have the frame to add more mass without losing the athleticism that makes him such an enticing prospect.

R Mason Thomas | Oklahoma

Another pass-rush specialist, R Mason Thomas, gives good effort against the run but clearly lacks strength, power, and technique. There are also concerns about his length, which shows up as a run defender and pass rusher, limiting his ability to convert his explosive get-off into driving power.

Without significant improvement, Thomas may be limited to third rusher status at the NFL level, coming in only on certain downs and in certain situations, which will raise concerns about his value. The tools and traits are there as a pass rusher, but they are missing as a run defender.

TJ Parker | Clemson

There are going to be a lot of questions about Parker and his issues in college, of failing to live up to expectations, but he can also answer some questions on the field. Parker has a good technical foundation, but he is lacking counters and secondary moves in his pass-rush arsenal, which hurts because his go-to move is predictable.

Parker plays with good pad level and leverage, and he has good lower-body power to drive tackles back, but he may not be the smoothest mover in change of direction. Parker's ability to develop his pass-rush arsenal will determine what caliber of rusher he is, as he could be a top guy or a rotational depth piece, underscoring his ceiling and floor.

Gabe Jacas | Illinois

Jacas is a very enticing edge defender who shows flashes as a pass rusher and run defender. He has powerful hands and a powerful frame, and he understands leverage better than most players in this class, stemming from his wrestling background.

There is a lot of power in his hands, and they hit like a sledgehammer and can stun tackles to buy Jacas a moment. The issue is, Jacas has a lot of trouble dealing with length, as it can take away the threat of his hands. He also has a lot of trouble reading blocking concepts, and he gets caught up in the trash.

Zion Young | Missouri

Young needs to show well with his change of direction at the combine, as there are many concerns about his tightness in his hips. He won't challenge the arch of tackles, but he has the power and speed to bull through them and set an edge as a run defender.

There will also be some questions in the interview room to test the football IQ and play recognition, as both flash consistently as issues when you turn on the college tape. His versatility may be questioned, and he may not fit on multiple fronts, potentially limiting him to a traditional 4-3 end role as a 7-technique.

Derrick Moore | Michigan

There is work to be done in the run game with Moore, but he flashes the potential to be a quality run defender off the edge. He also has good power in his pass rush, which is enhanced by his get-off and ability to convert his explosiveness into power.

Moore has good power as a pass rusher, but he stresses tackles by eliminating space quickly. He gets into their frame and gains control of the play, eliminating many of their tackle strengths by taking length out of the equation.