2017 NFL draft edge rankings: Myles Garrett stars at a deep position

Instead of splitting up 3-4 outside linebackers and 4-3 defensive ends, this year’s NFL draft rankings lump them together as edge players. This was done because so often we see 3-4 linebackers with their hand down and 4-3 ends playing standing up in space. The position designation is a mere formality.

The top player in this group should be no surprise: presumptive No. 1 pick Myles Garrett of Texas A&M. You can pick at Garrett if you want, but he’s as complete as can be.

At least four more players from this class should join Garrett in the first round. First among them is monstrous rusher Solomon Thomas of Stanford. He’s a powerhouse player who may not slide out of the top five picks. Tennessee’s Derek Barnett, who also is successful in large part due to his strength, is a potential top 10 choice.

The one curveball you might find here is Malik McDowell of Michigan State. Most will have him lumped in with the 3-4 ends or 4-3 tackles, but I see his future as a 4-3 end.

Small school name to know: The second act of Bo Pelini is going just fine at Youngstown State thanks largely to the play of pass rusher Derek Rivers. He had an incredible 56.5 tackles for loss and 41 sacks at YSU, helped himself at the Senior Bowl, and is now flirting with being a first-round pick.

When you’re talking about the draft’s best player, it can be easy to poke holes in his game. Garrett at times struggles to get off blocks, and he’ll probably never be an ace run stopper at the edge. Sometimes he’ll overrun the play. His best production came against bad competition.

But when you look at Garrett as a whole, he’s a marvelous talent. A three-year player at Texas A&M, Garrett finished his career with 145 tackles, 48.5 tackles for loss, 32.5 sacks, and seven forced fumbles. At 6’4, 272 pounds and with 35-inch arms, Garrett has the NFL prototypical size. His athleticism has never been more obvious than it was when he ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

He’s not Von Miller quick, but no one ever will be, and Garrett is close. He possesses that first-step burst you want out of an edge rusher. How Garrett moves after that first step is what puts him over the top. He builds on speed with more speed. When he wants to mix up his pass rush, instead of bending the edge he employs a nasty spin move. If the Cleveland Browns — who will draft Garrett No. 1 overall — are creative, they’ll know how to use him with his hand in the dirt and standing up. Garrett also excels at the little things: He gets his hands up to bat down passes, forces fumbles, and knows how to finish his tackles. He rarely came off the field at A&M. He was slowed by a leg injury in 2016 but attempted to play through it.

Garrett is the best player — not just the best edge player — to be in the draft since Jadeveon Clowney in 2014.

Thomas is kind of a strange player to evaluate. He’s not a true edge player, but he’s also not a true interior defensive lineman. Thomas’ best fit in the NFL will be as a base end who can move inside on pass rush plays. He fits that profile because he has the ability to overpower opponents. Unlike some power ends, though, he has good quickness to win on the edge. Thomas can get off blocks in a hurry and violently. He can dominate against the run and has nice pursuit speed if he’s away from the play.

However, he doesn’t have the speed and length combination you often seek in a true end, and Stanford didn’t rush him from the edge a lot.

Good luck finding a pass rusher as successful on the college level as Barnett. In three seasons over 36 starts, he set a new Tennessee record for sacks with 33 to go along with 52 tackles for loss and 197 tackles. Barnett is so good at getting after the passer because of his expert hand use. He knows how to jolt blockers and shed to get into the backfield. He also knows how to anticipate the snap. Those two things help him make up for quickness that isn’t exactly elite. Barnett isn’t a pure speed player on the edge. Instead, he relies on hand technique, power, smarts and then athleticism to get home. He has some experience standing up, and some 3-4 teams will view him as a linebacker.

Speed and chop rips. Over and over and over. McKinley may rely on that pass rush move, but in 2016 he showed its effectiveness, finishing the season with 61 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. McKinley is a high-effort player, and teams will love his motor. He fits both as a 4-3 end and 3-4 outside linebacker.

Before last season, UCLA ran a 3-4 and used McKinley at the four-technique spot and had him go against guards. It didn’t work. Switching to a 4-3 last season allowed McKinley to take advantage of his athleticism and skills to bend around the corner. He had surgery for a torn labrum after the combine, though.

It’s hard to make a determination on McDowell. Michigan State used him as an interior player until last season when he moved to the edge. He was more successful playing inside, but his body type (6’6 and 295 pounds) fits the profile of an edge player better. That’s especially true if you buy into the Carlos Dunlap comparisons that are out there.

McDowell’s play style, which relies on flexibility and arm length, indicates that he might be better on the outside in the NFL. He’s good at bull rushing, but he has the athleticism to use speed to rush the quarterback. A player his size shouldn’t have the change-of-direction ability McDowell possesses. Since he’s so tall, McDowell has a tendency to get high in his stance and blockers can get underneath him. Because of his size and athleticism, the notion is that McDowell has this deep well of talent waiting to be opened up. Whether that will happen is up to McDowell and the coordinator who gets to work with him. The parts are there.

Charlton is another edge player who didn’t blossom until a scheme change took place in college. When Michigan ran a 3-4, Charlton struggled against stronger blockers. In a 4-3, he could use his leverage and hand use to get below blockers, which is surprising considering he’s just under 6’6. He likes to use a spin move to varying degrees of success. He’s not going to be a pass rusher who wins with his speed and burst.

Not everyone is going to like or know how to use Williams. However, those who do know how to use Williams will love him. He was a situational pass rusher who technically started just two games at Alabama. He still managed to total 21 sacks and 31 tackles for loss in his career. He was able to put together sacks from the Jack position thanks to his speed, quickness and agility.

There’s not a lot to pontificate on about Williams. He’s as pure of a speed rusher as you’ll find. The problem is, he’s not much else right now. He just wasn’t used much against the run, and when he was he relied on his athleticism instead of instincts. Williams is like the special move in Street Fighter. He can’t always be used, but when it’s time, look out.

With Shane Ray, Kony Ealy, and Sheldon Richardson all in the last five years, Missouri is now known as a school that pumps out defensive linemen. Harris, obviously, is the latest one. He finished his three-year Missouri career with more tackles and tackles for loss than Ray, and more sacks than Ealy. Harris was productive thanks to a good first step and he can get low and underneath blockers. He’s not an elite athlete — which is what has him at No. 8 in these rankings — but he plays with a good motor and good hand usage.

For teams looking for a wide-nine end, Lawson is a good choice. He was used at the Buck position at Auburn and that allowed him to rely on his ability to turn speed to power. Lawson has good strength and can knock finesse blockers around. He has good short-area quickness that helps him get to the corner before the blocker does. He’s not the most agile edge player and is somewhat clunky in his movement. An injury history that includes a torn ACL and a cracked hip could push him down some in the draft.

Being the brother of an All-Pro means you can’t fly under the radar, but the younger Watt didn’t really make a name for himself until the 2016 season when he had 63 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks. He played outside linebacker in Wisconsin’s 3-4 defense, but he has the size to move down and play 4-3 end if needed. Watt knows how to use his length to keep blockers out of his pads, and he has athleticism to be used on twists to the inside.

Rivers almost exclusively lined up at left defensive end for Youngstown State, and utilized a good burst and leverage to get off blockers. Rivers has a great rip move and is good using counters if his initial move doesn’t work. He may start his career as a pass rush specialist, but as he gets stronger he should get better against the run.

Willis is a pure 4-3 end prospect who was rarely used at Kansas State to drop in coverage. Instead, he was asked to play a lot of snaps and rely on his length and quickness to get up field. He can extend his arms against blockers and drive them backward and also has the ability to quickly read a play and make a move. Willis really plays with a high motor, too.

Both 4-3 and 3-4 teams will like Basham as a prospect thanks to his big frame — 6’4 and 269 pounds with 34-inch arms. He’s more than just a size prospect, though. Basham plays with good strength and can overpower blockers.

Bowser is a great athlete who just happens to be playing linebacker. There he relies on that athletic ability to rush the edge and close in a hurried and violent fashion. Houston was also able to use Bowser to drop in coverage and play the run at the edge.

Best of the rest:

15. DeMarcus Walker, Edge, Florida State

16. Tanoh Kpassagnon, Edge, Villanova

17. Ejuan Price, Edge, Pittsburgh

18. Vince Biegel, Edge, Wisconsin

19. Daeshon Hall, Edge, Texas A&M

20. Dawuane Smoot, Edge, Illinois

21. Trey Hendrickson, Edge, Florida Atlantic

22. Joe Mathis, Edge, Washington

23. Avery Moss, Edge, Youngstown State

24. Garrett Sickels, Edge, Penn State

25. Carroll Phillips, Edge, Illinois

26. Devonte Fields, Edge, Louisville

27. Bryan Cox, Edge, Florida