NFL Draft: Breaking Down The Top EDGE Rushers

Best senior defensive edge rushers in the upcoming draft

Author:
Alec Pulido
Publish date:
Aug 14, 2021 12:00 AM EDT

Dane Vandernat, Director of Personnel for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, recently joined ‘The State of Football’ to talk about some of his favorite Senior edge rushers for the 2021 season.

Chauncey Manac, Louisiana

Chauncey Manac of Louisiana caught his eye as a former Georgia commit that decided to go the junior college route before committing to Louisiana. The talented defender has great length to play the outside linebacker position. Manac showed a high motor to pair with great play strength. Making him an obvious candidate for a potential NFLPA Bowl roster spot.

Dane Vandernat: He’s a twitchy athlete and plays physical against the run and he has really good play strength. That's something that's under-appreciated for a guy that's kind of that tweener build.”

Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State

Arnold Ebiketie, who recently transferred from Temple University to Penn State, intrigued Dane on film. Ebiketie displays big hands and long arms for the position. These traits are paired with a highly productive season at Temple where he led the Owls in major statistical categories for edge rushers. The excitement for his first season in the Big Ten is clear and he could be one of the more exciting options for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Dane Vandernat: “He’s a little bit higher cut physically which means he’s got long legs which leads to him sometimes playing with higher pad level but he compensates with a wide variety of pass rush moves.”

Christopher Allen, Alabama

Read More: Scouting Report

Dane Vandernat, Director of Personnel for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, recently joined ‘The State of Football’ to talk about some of his favorite Senior edge rushers for the 2021 season. Christopher Allen fits the mold of an Alabama edge rusher. Allen is thickly built and a power player. He finished second-team All-SEC last season and led the conference in numerous statistics. Allen showed the ability to play inside and add versatility to a defense. He has the length, athleticism and smarts to play the pass as a 3-4 outside backer.

Dane Vandernat: “A lot of guys that are more of the finesse edge rushers, they're not gonna want to go inside and play dirty with guards. Christopher Allen has no problem doing that.”

Adam Anderson, Georgia

Read More: Scouting Report

Anderson will not have to wait his turn this year after waiting behind impressive Georgia edge rushers the past couple of years. Anderson has a lankier build but large hands and arms to play with extension. In a rotational role, he still managed to get an impressive 46 quarterback pressures. His ability to corner and bend is excellent and can potentially take off this season.

Dane Vandernat: “He reminds me a little bit of former 49er and Bill Manny Lawson with his combination of length and athleticism.”

Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati

Myjai Sanders has been a cornerstone of making that Cincinnati defense dominant. He is on the slighter side and doesn’t have ideal arm length, however, his production was excellent for the Bearcats. He has an insanely quick first step get off that forces offensive tackles to play off-balance and in catch-up mode.

Dane Vandernat: “I think he has elite first step quicks, elite bend, physical traits are there to factor towards the run.”

Follow Dane on Twitter @DVandernat and continue to tune into ‘The State of Football’, weekday mornings at 9 am EST to see more of Dane and the NFLPA Bowl watch list. Host Ric Serritella keeps the fire coming with tons of guests each week from all-around football. Stay locked on ‘Your new home for real football talks in the morning’.