As we at Pewter Report continue to give you as much 2025 NFL Draft coverage as possible, I am going to put out my own rankings periodically by position group, primarily focusing on the Bucs’ needs. Since edge rusher is one of the most discussed position groups for the Bucs, even after the addition of Haason Reddick, I thought I would start there.
2025 NFL Draft Edge Rushers
Tier One
Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku – Photo by: USA Today
Three players highlight the class but really, it’s a 1A and 1B group. The top of my board is like many other analysts, with Abdul Carter out of Penn State leading the way. He posted 23 sacks for the Nittany Lions in three seasons, including 12 last year.
In the 1B group you will find I am higher than almost everyone else on Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College. His ability to bend plus his long arms plus a variety of moves he uses to win, combined with his production, level of competition and football IQ have me betting Ezeiruaku, who had 16.5 of his 30 career sacks last year, will out-perform the consensus opinion on him.
The final player in this group is Marshall’s Mike Green. With 17 sacks last year, he has the production to match Ezeiruaku, albeit against a lower level of competition. His ability to win high side with elite agility and bend plus a fantastic get-off and a similarly advanced pass rush plan help make up for the shorter arms. Although I think Green’s upside as a run defender is lower than Ezeiruaku’s.
Tier Two
Only one player makes this tier for me. It’s Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M. The RAS score was phenomenal as Stewart tested out of the building in Indianapolis. And the physical traits show up on tape as he can make good offensive linemen look silly with his burst, strength, speed and hand fighting.
There is perhaps no higher upside player in this draft at this position. But with just 4.5 career sacks, including three straight years of only 1.5 sacks, Stewart had little college production and that is concerning to me. Especially after watching four years of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in Tampa Bay.
Shemar Stewart is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.99 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 3 out of 1802 DE from 1987 to 2025.
Splits projected, Times unofficial. pic.twitter.com/V2jH2WF8EJ
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 27, 2025
There is some context to consider as A&M’s system put him in a 4i alignment often where it is difficult to win the edge and make plays. Still, he didn’t have many run stops either. Those red flags have him in a lower tier than his pure athleticism and best reps originally led me.
Tier Three
Georgia LB Jalon Walker and Texas QB Quinn Ewers – Photo by: USA Today
Ole Miss’ Princely Umanmielen, who has 25.5 career sacks, leads off the third tier. I love his burst and flexibility in his ankles and hips to win around the arc. He posted a career-high 10.5 sacks last season with the Rebels.
Jalon Walker of Georgia is EDGE6 on my board. I have him listed as an edge, but he may end up as an off-ball linebacker. At both positions he is still raw, evidenced by just 6.5 sacks last year as a part-time edge rusher. But he is the smoothest mover in the group and all of his best reps come at edge. He can be quite the chess piece for a team that can both develop and harness his rare traits.
Tier Four
Olafemi Oladejo is a late comer to the edge position, having played off-ball linebacker throughout his UCLA career before switching to edge in 2025. To me, he’s a Yaya Diaby-light, with a rocked-up, strong frame and a linear path to the quarterback. He’s got a great first step and juice to run through tackles. He will need to learn the position more and develop a more advanced pass rush arsenal, but I love a guy who is always dialed up to 10. Oladejo had 4.5 sacks in just 10 starts at edge rusher for the Bruins, then had a pair of sacks in the Senior Bowl.
James Pearce Jr. is EDGE8 on my list. The length and bend are there from the Tennessee speed rusher, but he lacks consistency, and I worry about his functional strength – especially in the run game. I can see a world where he ends up as a high-end designated pass rusher, but someone teams keep off the field on early downs. Pearce had 19.5 sacks in three seasons with the Volunteers, including 7.5 last year.
Tier Five
Another Georgia pass rusher shows up as EDGE9 for me. Mykel Williams has fantastic speed and strength, but similarly to Shemar Stewart, can he harness it all into the full package? It’s possible but I still have my doubts. Unlike Stewart, Williams was given more opportunities to rush from the outside, so five sacks are a disappointment from my perspective. And I understand he was playing through an injury for most of last season.
Arkansas’ Landon Jackson, who had 16 sacks in three seasons with the Razorbacks finishes off my list. His measurables went a little under-discussed next to Stewart, but his testing was almost as impressive. He’s a linear athlete who is going to have to translate a nifty hip twist at the next level in lieu of bend. And for all of his explosiveness, I didn’t think Jackson rushed with a ton of power. It’s as if his body and mind are playing in two different ways. He had back-to-back seasons with 6.5 sacks and he may never be a double-digit sacker in the pros.
Landon Jackson is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.95 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 10 out of 1829 DE from 1987 to 2025.
Pro day pending for remaining tests. pic.twitter.com/FfRJRf0PQV
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 12, 2025
You can catch the video on my top 10, complete with clips of each player by clicking here.
