2025 NFL Draft Prospect Watchlist: Edge Rushers

The 2024 NFL Draft is over and teams are getting comfortable with their new draft picks. The next class of players is getting prepared now for another year of college football. Each position will be analyzed in the coming days. Here is the 2025 NFL Draft prospect watchlist: Edge Rushers.

Abdul Carter, Penn State Nittany Lions

As a four-star prospect in the class of 2022, Carter signed with his home-state Nittany Lions. He had 56 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in his freshman season. His production dipped a little in 2023, to 48 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. His play has helped the Nittany Lions notch two straight 10-win seasons.

At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Carter needs to add a little strength to his frame. He can struggle to shed and have an impact against the run. Although he has played off-ball, Carter has great athleticism and a quick first step as an edge rusher. He has the ability to bend around the edge and get to the quarterback.

Ashton Gillotte, Louisville Cardinals

Gillotte was a three-star prospect out of Florida, who signed with Louisville in the class of 2021. He played sparingly in his freshman season, but still registered four sacks. In 2022, he was an All-ACC Honorable Mention with seven sacks. For the 2023 season, Gillotte took a huge step forward with 14.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.

He has a filled-out frame at 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, but evaluators will want to make sure his arms are long to be selected highly. Gillotte has a few good pass rush moves, including a long arm and a rip. He can also get to quarterbacks with a nice secondary rush. His athleticism and burst may fall closer to average.

James Pearce, Tennessee Volunteers

Pearce was a four-star recruit out of North Carolina, who decided to leave the state to play for the Volunteers. He only played a small amount in 2022 and registered two sacks. In 2023, he had a great season with 28 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

At 6-foot-5 and 248 pounds, Pearce has a nice frame for the NFL level, but needs to fill it out. He has good athleticism and a quick first step. Pearce also has a good secondary rush. He will need to work on his pass rush moves and counters, but he already is projected to be selected early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Jack Sawyer, Ohio State Buckeyes

As the best prospect in the state of Ohio, Sawyer signed with the Buckeyes in the class of 2021. He saw the field a little bit as a true freshman, registering three tackles for loss and three sacks on the season. His role increased in 2022, as he totaled 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, as he helped the Buckeyes make the College Football Playoff. In 2023, Sawyer tallied 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

While he has solid size at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, Sawyer doesn’t appear to have great length for an edge rusher. He gets a good jump at the snap of the ball and is able to convert that speed to power. Sawyer needs to read plays better, especially the read option, and he’ll have to add more pass-rush moves to his arsenal.

J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State Buckeyes

Tuimoloau was a highly-recruited prospect in the 2021 class. He had 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as a true freshman. In 2022, Tuimoloau improved with 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. For the 2023 season, he totaled seven tackles for loss and five sacks.

At 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, Tuimoloau is a bigger edge rusher. He is advanced against the run and shows good pursuit of ball carriers. Tuimoloau will need to add more pass-rush moves to his game and show he can achieve better production as a pass-rusher.

Mykel Williams, Georgia Bulldogs

As a five-star prospect from the state of Georgia, Williams took the chance to play for the Bulldogs for his college career. He only started two games as a freshman, but tallied 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. In 2023, he was more of a full-time starter, but still racked up 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

He stands 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, which is solid for an NFL edge rusher. With his size comes solid strength and power. Williams has a few nice pass rush moves, including a swim, long arm and bull rush. He will not be the most athletic player in the class, but does have a solid first step to each play.

Other Draft Prospects to Watch

R.J. Oben, Notre Dame Fighting Irish- Oben played at Duke since 2019, but made the jump to Notre Dame this offseason. He has at least four sacks in each of the last three seasons.

Patrick Payton, Florida State Seminoles- After notching five sacks for the Seminoles in 2022, Payton improved to seven sacks last year. He’ll look to make another step forward this season.

Nic Scourton, Texas A&M Aggies- At Purdue last season, Scourton racked up 10 sacks. He is now at Texas A&M as one of the bigger edge rushers in the 2025 class.

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• Source: https://thegamehaus.com/nfl-draft/2025-nfl-draft-prospect-watchlist-edge-rushers/2024/05/09/