Welcome back to our annual scouting report series.
This time around, we are doing things a little differently. I will be joined by fellow sports editor Chyler Lee. We will both be scouting different players to get through the positions not only quicker but also allow ourselves to cover more positions.
To see who scouted who, we will be putting our initials by the player in our rankings. For Chyler, it will be CL, and for me, it will be CB. We write scouting reports on the top three at the position and if you scouted the player, you write about them. For example, in this article, Chyler wrote about player one, and I wrote about players two and three.
This first position we will be breaking down is edge rushers or simply “EDGE.” EDGEs are an important part of the defense who rush the quarterbacks (QB), usually on the outside of the offensive line (OL). They line up on the outside shoulders of tackles (T) and tight ends (TE).
Now, just because that is where they primarily rush, that does not mean where they will only rush from that spot. That can change based on blitzes, schemes and a few other factors. Occasionally they will drop back into coverage as well and be asked to prevent a pass from being completed to a certain player or area of the field.
We have a grading scale for deciding our rankings, and to get to those rankings, we look for the following traits and how well a player performs at them:
- Strength
- Run defense
- Finesse rush
- Power rush
- First step
- Play recognition
- Pursuit
- Bend
- Coverage (if enough snaps are played there)
- Athleticism
- Hands
- Size
We then rank all of those factors on a scale of one to 10. We usually grade three games each for each player. Take the average of those grades for each trait and come up with an average score for each trait. We then add up all of the traits’ scores and divide by the number of traits factored in. Finally, we come to our final score. Without further ado, let us kick things off.
Rankings:
- Abdul Carter, Penn State | Grade: 7.73 | Round Projection: Top 5 | Scouted by: CL
- Mykel Williams, Georgia | Grade: 7.55 | Round Projection: Top 10 | Scouted by: CB
- James Pierce Jr., Tennessee | Grade: 7.17 | Round Projection: Early 1st | Scouted by: CB
- Nic Scourton, Texas A&M | Grade: 7.09 | Round Projection: Early 1st | Scouted by: CL
- Mike Green, Marshall | Grade: 6.91 | Round Projection: Mid 1st | Scouted by: CL
- Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M | Grade: 6.82 | Round Projection: Mid 1st | Scouted by: CB
- Jalon Walker, Georgia | Grade: 6.77 | Round Projection: Mid 1st | Scouted by: CB
- Jack Sawyer, Ohio State | Grade: 6.73 | Round Projection: Late 1st | Scouted by: CL
- Princely Unmanmielen, Ole Miss | Grade: 6.73 | Round Projection: Early 2nd | Scouted by: CL
- J.T. Tuimaloau, Ohio State | Grade: 6.18 | Round Projection: Late 2nd | Scouted by: CL
Guys who just missed out:
- Landon Jackson, Arkansas | Grade: 6.1 | Round Projection: Late 2nd | Scouted by: CL
- Brayden Swinson, LSU | Grade: 5.83 | Round Projection: Late 3rd | Scouted by: CL
Scouting Report: James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Pierce is an athletic freak who shows a lot of promise in finesse-style moves while offering the occasional power or bull/club move. His bend and amazing swim allow him to fly by tackles well, but sometimes, it can get the best of him if he bites too hard.
Speaking of that, while yes, his pursuit and play recognition were good, like I mentioned, he does have a tendency to bite on cuts too hard, sometimes leading to the offensive player easily getting around him. Adding to that, he struggles heavily with finishing sacks and tackling and that is an area where I could see teams worry for him.
One of his bigger issues I noticed on film consistently was that he is not very powerful, and in turn, this can lead to issues in the run game and power move sets. It is not too much of a worry, but I would imagine if a team wants him playing down on the line in three or four-point stances, such as an edge rusher in a 4-3 formation, they will ask him to put on some weight (he currently sits at 243).
In summary, Pierce’s finesse and athleticism make him an explosive pass rusher who needs some work in the power and run department, but overall, he should become an instant impact defender in the NFL.
Strengths: finesse moves | can drop into coverage if needed | freak athleticism | good hands | amazing first step | recognizes fake hand-offs and play action well
Weaknesses: power moves | struggles versus run | needs to work on finishing tackles and sacks | strength lacks at times | bites hard on cuts
Grade: 7.17
Round Projection: Early 1st
Team fits: Panthers, Bears and 49ers
Pro Comp: Giants, Brian Burns
Scouting Report: Georgia, Mykel Williams
Williams had an up-and-down season overall due to injury but showed promise to be an elite edge rusher when his time for the NFL comes. Many believe Williams could convert to a defensive tackle. I could see him playing a limited snap count from the inside but he is only 265 as it currently stands and would need to put on about 25 to 30 pounds to really be taken seriously there by NFL standards.
With that being said, to back up that claim, he was very good on inside snaps and dominant against most guards he played against, most notably being projected first-round Alabama guard Tyler Booker. To further back up that claim he plays one of the most important roles of a DT well, stuffing the run. His strength and size are best when it comes to stuffing gaps and bullying guards and centers alike. His first step to get the right footing and hand placement were a big part of his game here.
He is a smart, strategic player who takes angles well and thinks before biting on a handoff or play-action call. Where he struggles in this area is his lack of speed compared to other edge defenders in this class. If a running back or quarterback has the right angle or cut on him, you can just say goodbye for any chance of Williams catching them.
The good news is this does not happen often. His bull rush is arguably the best in this class, and that only adds to his scare power rush set and pure strength.
In summary, Williams will come out the gate as an elite run defender, in my opinion, but take a moment to get his pass rush set adjusted to the NFL.
Strengths: Powerful bull rush | monster in the run game | smart and strategic | great size (6’5 / 265 lbs) | can play well in finesse style moves if needed | strong first step | great use of hands
Weaknesses: Lack of speed | could still use some work on bend | lack of athleticism can catch him on angles sometimes
Grade: 7.55
Round Projection: Top 10
Team fits: Patriots, Raiders and Panthers
Pro Comp: Former Cowboys, Aldon Smith | Jaguars, Travon Walker
Scouting Report: Abdul Carter, Penn State
After a previous season as an off-ball linebacker and putting up decent numbers, Carter made the move to the edge. A combination of otherworldly speed and power, Carter possesses the best combination of already being a productive player in college and having unlimited potential to improve his already great skills. Do not get it twisted, though; Carter earns the number one spot in his production alone. Next-level speed off the line gives Carter an immediate advantage over offensive linemen and puts them at his mercy to dictate the play. Whether he wants to just run around them, mix them up with a spin move, or completely run through their face, Carter can do it all.
Some critiques I would have for Carter is that he plays reckless off the edge. So much so that he opens up running lanes by going too far upfield, or he can frequently get flagged for offsides or late hits. Against the run, Carter is going to have to get tougher to play against the bigger and stronger linemen of the NFL.
Carter’s best comparison is another Nittany Lion in Micah Parsons of the Cowboys. Both players switched from linebacker to pass rusher in their last year and made huge strides in their draft position by doing so. Parsons was a little bit better of a run-stopper coming out of college, comparatively, while Carter’s specialty resides in rushing the passer.
When it comes to team fit, Carter has the talent to mold himself and fit within any system. His ideal role would be as an outside backer in a 3-4 defense that would let him pin his ears back and get after the QB the most.
Carter’s chances of going outside the top five of the draft are probably equal to my chances of being drafted.
Strengths: Elite first step | Violent hands keep linemen off of him | Bends the corner with the best of them | Bull rush can collapse the pocket | Can win attacking inside and outside
Weaknesses: Strength against the run is average | Plays hero ball and can some time miss simple plays trying to make them bigger | gets flacked more frequently for late hits or false starts than you’d like
Grade: 7.73
Round projection: Top 5
Team fits: Jets, Ravens and Titans
Pro Comparison: Cowboys, Micah Parsons
