Draft experts think 10 to 11 defensive linemen could be taken in Round 1, with ‘superstars’ at skill positions largely lacking.
This group of defensive linemen could rival the lauded group from the 2019 draft class, which included Nick Bosa, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffrey Simmons and Rashan Gary.
Eight of the top 20 players in USA TODAY Sports’ top 50 prospect rankings were defensive linemen.
INDIANAPOLIS – According to NFL Media draft guru extraordinaire Daniel Jeremiah, most positions in the 2025 draft class lack a superstar. The star power, period, is lacking compared to most years – two-way Heisman Trophy Travis Hunter providing a slight exception. But there won’t be six quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks like last year, for example.
“But we do have a boatload of starters,” Jeremiah said on a conference call with reporters last month, “particularly the defensive line. A bunch of really, really good players.”
It doesn’t take a draft expert to realize that the strength of the 2025 class is upfront along the defensive line, from guys who play on the interior to defensive end to players who rush off the edge.
And on the heels of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive front’s dominant performance that paved the way for a blowout victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 a month ago, teams will gladly take the opportunity to bolster their own forces.
“You can’t have enough good ones,” Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles said of pass rushers at the combine last month. “I think we all watched that last game of the season.”
In USA TODAY Sports’ top 50 prospect rankings ahead of the combine, eight of the top 20 players were defensive linemen (as were 16 of the top 50). Eleven of the first-round picks in the USA TODAY Sports pre-combine mock draft were defensive linemen.
“It’s a great edge-rusher draft,” said ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid, who could see six or seven pure pass rushers taken in Round 1 and 10 or 11 defensive linemen total.
“Defensive line definitely is loaded,” Reid added.
The other potential first-round talent along the d-line includes, but is not limited to:
Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Jalon Walker, Georgia
Mykel Williams, Georgia
Mike Green, Marshall
James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Walter Nolen, Mississippi
Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Mason Graham, Michigan
Kenneth Grant, Michigan
There’s also plenty of depth beyond the big games.
“I think defensive line is far and away, outside of running back, the deepest position in this year’s draft,” Reid said.
Outside of the top-tier edge rushers in this year’s class, Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer and Arkansas’ Landon Jackson fill out the group.
Among teams picking inside the top 10, the Jacksonville Jaguars (fifth) and Carolina Panthers (eighth) have obvious needs along the defensive line. And in what’s become a recurring theme over the years, Georgia Bulldogs are part of the crew of defensive linemen teams can’t wait to bring in. Jeremiah said the New Orleans Saints, picking ninth, shouldn’t hesitate to turn in a draft card with either Walker’s or Williams’ name on it should either (or both) still be available.
“I just think (Walker) makes all the sense in the world for them,” Jeremiah said. “He’s just so dynamic. Not only just with the talent that he brings, I think in year one with Kellen Moore, having someone like that who is going to take your message and spread it around. He’s that type of dude. That one to me would be a home run.
“Then I think Mykel Williams is the next one that would be a worthy candidate for where that slot is. I think he’s another one, maybe (be) a little patient with him, but it’s all in there, and the upside is tremendous. I think all those guys – or both those guys would be legit options and would provide some serious juice to a pass rush.”
The Eagles, with Nolan Smith on the edge and Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis in the middle, are the team that’s taken most advantage of the Bulldog invasion at the next level. Howie Roseman, the team’s general manager, drafted Georgia products at the other two levels of the defense in linebacker Nakobe Dean and cornerback Kelee Ringo.
“We’ve seen how these Georgia guys have been able to produce, whether it’s in Philadelphia or other teams, that if I was the GM, I would be running the card in, really trying to draft these guys, just because they’ve translated so well over the past few years,” Reid said.
Walker’s size (6-2, 245 pounds) means he likely won’t be a true edge rusher at the next level, but teams he spoke to in the pre-draft process liked his multiplicity, he said at the combine.
“I feel like I’m better at being that chess piece … that increases my value, increases the team’s value as well, just because you never know where I’ll be at in the game plan for that week,” Walker said.
Stewart, part of another d-line contingent in Texas A&M, tested rather well at the combine and weighed in at 267 pounds, demonstrating his potential to be an outside guy rather than a down lineman. He registered 1.5 sacks in each of his three seasons with the Aggies but downplayed the lack of production.
“I wasn’t a sack-chasing warrior,” Stewart said. “I just wanted to become the best player for my team. And sometimes the stats don’t show that.”
That being said, Stewart admitted his efforts to become more comfortable in pursuing the quarterback.
“We had a stacked d-line,” Stewart said. “Everybody knew better than just to sit and pass the ball against us.”
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Part of that “stacked” unit was Nic Scourton, a 6-4, 280-pounder who trained for the combine alongside other defensive linemen in Plano, Texas. Louisiana State’s Sai’vion Jones, Ahmed Hassanein of Boise State and Oluwafemi Oladejo (UCLA) also trained there and are members of the ‘depth’ group Jeremiah praised. Louisville edge rusher Ashton Gillote gained first-hand experience of the competition he was up against in that category.
“We just have a lot of good depth this year,” Gillote said. “It’s definitely more of a defensive draft, I feel like.”
Reid said the current class rivals the 2019 crop, which featured first-round picks Josh Hines-Allen (Jaguars), Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers), Quinnen Williams (New York Jets), Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants), Jeffrey Simmons (Tennessee Titans), Brian Burns (Carolina Panthers, now with the Giants), Rashan Gary (Green Bay Packers), Montez Sweat (Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears) and Ed Oliver (Buffalo Bills). Clelin Ferrell was taken by the Raiders fourth overall but turned out to be the least productive defensive linemen drafted in that first round.
But it wasn’t just the first round that produced future stars. The Denver Broncos’ Zach Allen (third), newly-paid Raiders star Maxx Crosby (fourth) and 2024 second-team All-Pro with the Minnesota Vikings Andrew Van Ginkel (fifth) were all mid-round picks.
For Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who could certainly be seeking a pass rusher at the end of the first round (29th overall), the versatility of the 2025 class is what stands out to him.
“The creativity part – I think that’s what I see most in this group,” Quinn said.
Big ends who usually have their hand in the ground can rush from the outside. Edge rushers are capable of playing on the inside.
“Those, to me, are the things you want in a league of matchups … that adds a lot of value,” he said.
All that matters is they get it done at the point of attack, Jeremiah said. Jeremiah came up with an acronym to describe those types of players: VET – violent, explosive and twitchy.
“Those are the guys that I think you want,” Jeremiah said, “because that’s what we just saw win the Super Bowl.”