The Arizona Cardinals are still looking to improve their pass rush.

Despite the additions of Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson, Calais Campbell and the re-signing of Baron Browning to the roster, the team have still brought a number of interior defensive linemen and EDGE players to the valley on pre-draft “Top 30” visits.

It’s easy to see why given that Zaven Collins led the team with 5 sacks last season and as a collective, the Arizona Cardinals had a 33% pass-rush win rate in 2024, which ranked as 28th in the league.

While as a team they actually got to the quarterback more often than it felt in real time (41 team sacks, 13th in the NFL), they didn’t have that go-to man to rely on to consistently impact the game.

Those additions should go a long way to improving those areas of the defence, yet it’s clear that Monti Ossenfort is still evaluating the long-term future of the DT and EDGE position groups.

The main contenders on the roster right now to occupy the outside linebacker positions in the team’s 3-4 defence and shoulder a lot of the pass-rushing responsibility are Josh Sweat, Baron Browning, Zaven Collins, BJ Ojulari and Xavier Thomas.

Three of those players are out of contract in two years time (Browning, Collins, Ojulari) and Ojulari has dealt with multiple long-term injuries, though he’s still thought of highly within the organisation.

While drafting an additional EDGE defender may lead to some difficult decisions come final roster time or be less of a priority for some than supplementing the trenches or adding at other positions, it’s still an option the team are investigating.

At least seven of the 17 players who have completed or are reported to have a 30 visit with the team could be classified as EDGE defenders.

So, it’s time to have a good look through which of the pass-rushing class of 2025 could potentially join the Cardinals.

This list, as with the defensive tackle profiles that was recently published on the site focuses on my personal favourite fits for the Cardinals while taking into account some of the popular names among the fan base.

It isn’t an exhaustive list of EVERY player in the draft. If I’ve missed one of your favourite prospects out, let me know on X – @ErimusSports.

There are also 3 notable omissions – Abdul Carter, Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams. While Carter simply isn’t a realistic name for the Cardinals to be thinking about, both Walker and Williams are, but I want to focus on them in a separate piece that will be released next week.

Donovan Ezeiruaku – Boston College – 6’2 1/2″ – 248 lbs – 34″ arms – 21 years old

A savvy player who blends exciting physical attributes with an acute awareness of how to attack an offensive tackle, Donovan Ezeiruaku was virtually unstoppable for the Boston College Eagles over the past year. 

Boasting a bevy of pass-rush attacks, the Eagles team captain tied the school’s all-time record for single–season sacks of 16.5, held by Harold Landry, in 2024 which saw him earn the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s best defensive end as well as being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. 

Able to perform a variety of moves with precision, timing and speed, Ezeiruaku can leave an offensive tackle bewildered in the blink of an eye before utilising his natural athleticism to show good bend to get to the quarterback. He’d be a natural fit as one of the outside linebackers in the Cardinals 3-4 system.

A two-time team captain at BC, Ezeiruaku is a player who impacts the game. He finished top three in the FBS in 2024 for tackles for loss (20.5), had 8 forced fumbles in the last three seasons and 76 hurries in the same time period. He joined Mathias Kiwanuka as the only players in school history to reach 30 career sacks.

At the Combine, he recorded a 6.94 second three cone and 4.19 second shuttle score, which were a position group best for those players participating which shows his agility and fluidity.

One of the most promising signs for Ezeiruaku is that he consistently attacks “the half man” when facing a tackle, isolating and striking one side rather than getting caught up directly in his opposing man’s chest. 

One of the reasons that he does that plays into some of the concerns surrounding the 21-year-old. Ezeiruaku doesn’t produce the necessary speed-to-power to bash through opposing linemen. Anthony Belton was able to swallow him up at times during Senior Bowl drills

While a credible run defender at the college level – he scored an 83.6 run defence PFF grade with a 10.1% run stop rate – it remains to be seen whether he possesses the functional strength to contribute as much in that department in the pros. 

His Senior Bowl measurements of 248 lbs (some analysts were worried he was playing below the 240 mark) and over 34 inch arms may go some way to calming part of those concerns. He will have to get stronger overall to not be pigeonholed as a Designated Pass Rusher.

A durable player, Ezeiruaku started 36 straight games before opting out of the 2024 bowl game.

Mike Green – Marshall – 6’3″ – 251 lbs – 32″ arms – 22 years old

When discussing Mike Green as a prospect, there’s an obvious elephant in the room that has to be addressed and we will get there.

Mike Green the player might be the most coveted pass rusher in this class outside of Abdul Carter from a pure talent perspective. Who’d of thought we’d be discussing a Marshall player in that manner this time last year?

A former high school wrestler, Green shows great initial hand placement and connects well at the point of attack.

He combines that with incredible fluidity and loose hips to unlock a pass-rush arsenal that features an NFL-ready ghost move, euro step and an inside counter. Those loose hips also allow Green to change direction at will when in pursuit. 

Green led the FBS in 2024 in sacks (17.0), sack yardage (144), tackles for loss (22.5), TFL yardage (155) and tackles by a defensive lineman (84).

The 17 sacks set a Sun Belt Conference record and also tied the Marshall record, which was set by Cecil Fletcher in 1986. His 20.1% pass rush win rate for the year is amongst the best in the 2024 draft class.

At his Pro Day, Green recorded top-tier scores in the 3-cone (6.85) and shuttle (4.25). His three cone time would’ve been the best among all defensive linemen and linebackers at the Combine while his shuttle time would’ve ranked second best at both positions.

His official Senior Bowl measurements of 251 lbs are on the high end of expectations and while he’s still on the lighter side for an edge defender, he uses that wrestling background to good effect in the run game with assured hands and the required strength to deal with linemen. 

He put up 28 bench reps at his Pro Day which would’ve been the second best amongst DEs at the Combine.

Green used the Senior Bowl to prove that despite his limited exposure to high level competition in college that he could indeed cut it at the highest level, dominating practices and 1-on-1 drills to the point where he was able to pack up and go home after a few days.

Standing out at the Senior Bowl doesn’t automatically ensure that a player can make the jump to thriving in the NFL, though it’s a good indicator, there are some parts of Green’s game that he has to clean up.

There are times when his play can be wild to borderline ill-disciplined, as he can be guilty of grabbing at facemasks when throwing his various attacks, and it will be penalised at the NFL level.

He also has to cut down on his “head down, I’m just going to fuck you up” approach to some pass-rushing scenarios to allow himself to see the full picture which will also help him conserve some energy rather than being at 100mph unnecessarily.

Coaches will want to see an improvement in his decision making when choosing which foot to spring off to get the maximum out of that explosive first step.

Putting Mike Green the player to one side, Mike Green the person may have already ruled himself out of the Cardinals plans. There are multiple sexual assault allegations hanging over him, one while he was in high school and one during his time at Virginia. This was addressed at the Combine, where Green maintained his innocence, saying that “I’ve never been questioned” and “I’ve done nothing wrong”.

Neither incident has resulted in formal charges being filed against Mike Green and teams will be acquiring as much information as possible on the matters. For a Cardinals regime that has looked to be a “person first” type of team, those allegations may rule Green out of consideration completely.

Landon Jackson – Arkansas – 6’6″ – 264 lbs – 33 1/4″ arms – 22 years old

There are no size or weight concerns with Arkansas defender Landon Jackson who is one big hunk of pissed off pass rusher. Transferring to Arkansas after one year at LSU, Jackson transformed himself, adding over 40 pounds to his frame to make him a terrifying prospect for opposition linemen. 

Powerful, broad shouldered and tenacious, Jackson is capable of tearing through a tackle with his hands. There are snaps where he’s playing football like an actor in a cheesy movie, just ploughing through people with “dumb jock energy”.

That uber-aggressiveness and raw strength also makes him a destroyer of worlds in the run game, with top of the class ability to stack and shed blockers, earning Jackson a 88.7 run defence grade from PFF. 

It isn’t all power though for the Texas native. He added some nuance to his game at the line of scrimmage this year, batting down 3 pass attempts and he’s far more spry than a man of his size should be giving him some good cornering ability in the backfield.

His Euro step is more effective than it has any right to be. Jackson logged 7 sacks in 2024. 

The 22-year-old showed some agility and slickness at the Senior Bowl before putting in a Combine performance that shocked a lot of people. Jackson had the second best broad jump at 10′ 9″ and the best vertical at 40.50″ amongst his position.

There are two major issues for Jackson when projecting him to the next level. He’s suffered two ACL injuries, one in high school and one as a freshman in college, and that’s something that always threatens to rear its ugly head. He also had a broken ankle in 2020 and a neck injury at the end of the 2024 season.

Also, despite his destructive play, when Jackson doesn’t win with power he doesn’t win consistently enough. An 11.5% pass rush win rate is on the lower end amongst the players he is ranked alongside. There are moments where his imposing frame become a hindrance as he’s got long, stiff legs and is yet to refine his counter moves.

Due to his capabilities in the run game he will still be a viable 3 down player immediately while he works on that. 

He wouldn’t be a do-it-all superstar for the Cardinals but he would allow Nick Rallis to dial up a thunder and lightning combination between himself and BJ Ojulari/Baron Browning, potentially as the #2 and #3 options behind Sweat. 

Kyle Kennard – South Carolina – 6’4″ – 254 lbs – 34″ arms – 23 years old

Kyle Kennard is one of the more intriguing options in this EDGE group. Despite an obviously productive season which ended with 11.5 sacks, 6 QB hits, 23 hurries and one batted pass, he doesn’t jump off the page in the same way that others in this class do. 

Even when you look at some of the positives of his work – high football IQ, top drawer motor + effort, a swift inside move, a controlling long arm move and a frame that has room for addition which are all desirable attributes – he still leaves me wanting a bit more. 

To give him his credit, you don’t win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for just doing the basics and he does have a great knack for making finesse blockers pay.

Kennard gets off the line quickly, displays plenty of twitch and burst and during his senior season showed the ability to finish plays with good closing speed.

He was just shy of Jadeveon Clowney’s school single-season sack record (13). He’s aware of how to use his long levers to effect the quarterback (five forced fumbles over past two seasons) and to control tackles.

A transfer from Georgia Tech, the 23-year-old was voted a team captain in his sole-season on a star-studded South Carolina roster.

Something that will harm his future prospects in the NFL is that Kennard already has major issues in run defence at the college level, never mind at the professional level. Whether it’s simply a question of strength and size or something more, he was targeted by opposition offensive coordinators on the ground. 

His pad level is high too often which allows better linemen to get their hands on him quickly and he doesn’t yet have the violent streak or a concrete plan to disengage.

That bleeds into his overall pass-rush profile, as he struggles if his initial attack fails, which is a nod to his lower-than-expected 13.1% pass-rush win rate and 39 pressures (50th in FBS) that don’t match up with the sack numbers.

Kennard is a project who will be 24 by the end of his rookie season. He wouldn’t be a priority pick for the Cardinals but he could be available later on in the draft as a development piece.

Oluwafemi “Femi” Oladejo – UCLA – 6’3″ – 259 lbs – 33 3/8″ arms – 21 years old

An off-ball linebacker with limited EDGE experience. We’ve been here before haven’t we, Cards fans?

Femi Oladejo has received significant interest from the Arizona Cardinals, taking part in an informal interview and a “Top 30” visit during the draft process, after leading the Bruins in tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (4.5) in 2024.

Originally a Mike linebacker during his two seasons at Cal and first year at UCLA, Oladejo moved to a stand-up edge rusher role, mostly in a two-point stance, as defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe attempted to deal with the departure of Laiatu Latu and the Murphy twins for the NFL.

It’s easy to see why Oladejo made the switch with his size and frame, he looks ready made to play the position in the NFL and approaches the game with the type of violence that you wish some of the more experienced, refined pass rushers in this class had.

Being a quick, powerful athlete with long arms and a high motor are great keys to success at the position and Oladejo has those in abundance and most importantly, is able to utilise them.

He has powerful hands to knock blockers backwards and create leverage advantages by getting into their chests. He’s able to keep tackles at a comfortable distance with his long arms.

That is reflected in the run game where he enjoys getting stuck into the mix, with a physical and nasty edge to congest running lanes. He had a 78.6 run defence grade from PFF in 2024 and a 9.3% run-stop rate – that was better than Abdul Carter, Mykel Williams, Mike Green and both Ohio State edge defenders.

On his way to securing 7 sacks, 7 QB hits and 19 overall hurries in 2024, the 21-year-old showed glimpses of finesse with a spin move that was on display at the Senior Bowl and a cross-chop that got better with every outing.

A firm favourite among teammates, Oladejo was the winner of the “Kenny Clark Award”, UCLA’s award for most outstanding defensive lineman. He was the heart and soul of the Bruins defence, often sparking them into life with his never-say-die effort and exuberant personality.

That permanently amped up attitude did come with its issues though as he got carried away at points. There a number of ill-disciplined moments on tape for Oladejo both when tackling (missed 6 tackles in 2024) and conceding penalties. A taunting flag on fourth down against Nebraska gave the Cornhuskers a fresh set of downs which eventually led to a touchdown.

The big negative with Oladejo is that he has 10 career starts as a stand-up rusher and all of the issues that come with that are prevalent in his game.

He doesn’t have a variety of moves at his disposal or a nuanced pass-rush plan, which makes him predictable for tackles at this stage of his career (as evidenced by his 10.6% pass rush win rate in 2024) and when he can’t keep blockers off him, he can get stuck.

Femi Oladejo would be a draft and develop pick for the Cardinals but his versatility and impact in the run game would give him the ability to see the field even early on. He also logged nearly 300 ST snaps in college so would have a role on the team while working on his rushing.

In 2024, Oladejo could occupy the roster space that was left behind by Victor Dimukeje before looking to be Zaven Collins’ long-term replacement.

James Pearce Jr. – Tennessee – 6’5″ – 245 lbs – 32 3/4″ arms – 21 years old

A four-star recruit from Charlotte, James Pearce Jr. is a two-time All-SEC defender with 21 sacks and 71 hurries in his last two seasons in college football. Last year, he recorded a whopping 23% pass-rush win rate and a better run-stop rate (10.1%) than many of the players considered to be good run defenders at the position.

He has PFF grades of 90.4 (2023) and 87.1 (2024) in the past two years, with elite grades of 89.4 (pass rush) and 84.1 (run defence) this year.

An explosive, twitched-up to the brim athlete who flies off the ball and escapes blocks, Pearce ranked in the top 10 in Tennessee school history with 19.5 career sacks. Using his explosive first step and immediate acceleration, Pearce slices through offensive lines like a harsh desert wind, with that speed also translating to his hands. He is able to bat away linemen’s punches and showcases devastating rip and swipe moves to get around a tackles’ outside shoulder.

When he gets his eyes on the quarterback, the 21-year-old has terrifying closing speed, like a panther preparing to take down its prey. You can see him shift through the gears when the opportunity arises.

In the run game, he uses his tremendous burst to hit linemen with surprising speed-to-power than can rock them back and his downhill speed can be a nightmare for interior blockers.

He recorded a sizzling 4.47 40 time at the Combine which was the best amongst all front seven players by a tenth of a second.

So why isn’t James Pearce Jr. challenging for Top 10 consideration? He sounds awesome.

Well, there’s a couple of issues with Pearce, the most publicised are the number of character concerns surrounding him. These range from concerns around his temperament, maturity, love of the game and being a “team player”.

A former high school teammate described Pearce as having “the worst anger issues ever” in a now-deleted social media post and Bob McGinn recently reported that a source at Tennessee told him that Pearce was a “no go” and that he was “on his own program. The whole team’s working out and he’s in his apartment.”

Sports Illustrated’s Cory Kinnan also reported that Pearce was seen as “undeniably uncoachable”, as a “player with one foot out the door already this season” and that a scout had told him Pearce had the “worst character report of any player in this draft class”, prior to the news surrounding Mike Green hit mainstream media.

The only issue that we know to be fact is that JPJ was arrested on traffic charges in 2023 (speeding, driving on suspended licence, failure to present insurance) though all charges were later dismissed.

How he conducted himself during his recent “Top 30” visit with the Cardinals will have a major impact on the teams interest in him.

There are on the field concerns with Pearce too, that have been overshadowed by the discussions around his character.

At around 240ish pounds he can be thrown around when linemen do get their mitts on him and he can be too fast for his own good.

He’s guilty of whiffing on plays because he’s over-committed, his pad level is inconsistent because he comes out of his stance so quickly and he is always trying to time the snap which lead to 5 offside penalties in 2024. His hand usage isn’t as refined or consistent as his peers nor does he have the level of bend you’d expect from such a highly-tuned athlete.

If the Cardinals are convinced by their work on his background, he could be an exciting addition to their defence. If they are not, they won’t touch him with a 10 foot barge pole.

Jack Sawyer – Ohio State – 6’4″ – 260 lbs – 31 3/4″ arms – 22 years old

The closing moment of the 2025 National Championship game belonged to Jack Sawyer, as he scooped up the loose ball and raced the length of the field to the endzone to clinch the victory for the Ohio State Buckeyes as a number of his teammates performed their version of “The Last Dance” after returning to school for the 2024/25 season.

It was a movie moment for Sawyer, the hometown hero who captained the Buckeyes to glory, which was fitting because Jack Sawyer comes straight from central casting for the role of an American football player.

From sporting stock (father was an all-state wrestler, mother was a basketball standout at Bowling Green) with a hulking physique that threatens to tear through his jersey, tough, dedicated and a fabulous teammate, Sawyer ticks every box for the Hollywood football star.

A 2 x Second Team All-Big Ten defender (2023, 2024), he was credited with 10 sacks in 2024 (21 in last 3 seasons), 16 QB hits (27 in last 3 seasons) and 64 pressures (123 in last 3 seasons). In his final season, he had a 17.6% pass-rush win rate and PFF gave him a 90.7 grade against true pass sets.

The highest of high effort players, Sawyer has excellent fundamentals against the pass and the run. He uses his strength and intelligent hands to batter linemen, force open spaces in the line and also developed a game-changing knack for batting down passes – 6 in 2024 alone.

Against the run, he’s incredibly strong and confident at the point of attack to stack and shed and he makes mincemeat out of unfortunate tight ends that are foolishly asked to block him.

Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles described him as “cold-blooded” with “steely-eyed focus” while according to Dane Brugler NFL Scouts say he changed his diet to get in the best shape of his career as the team aimed to capture the Championship this year.

Despite his accolades and picture-perfect ending to his college career, Sawyer is not the full package as an EDGE defender. Life is full of give and take so while his imposing physique gives him one set of tools it withholds another.

He lacks the bend, agility and burst to trouble NFL-level tackles on the outside shoulder consistently and he’s going to give up a reach advantage to a lot of NFL tackles with shorter than desired arms.

The Pickerington North High alum is a one-dimensional pass-rusher. If he doesn’t win with his power as the base reason, he struggles and it’s going to become a harder task at the next level. He has the capabilities of being an every-down lineman in the NFL but coaches might prefer a bit more electricity on 3rd down pass-rushing scenarios.

The biggest issue for Cardinals fans, some who immediately attached themselves to “Captain Jack” after the Championship game, is that he’s going to be best suited as a defensive end in a 4-3, rather than as a stand-up OLB but he continues to be a popular name.

The same conversation surrounds his teammate JT Tuimoloau.

Nic Scourton – Texas A&M – 6’3″ – 257 lbs – 33″ arms – 20 years old

When Nic Scourton transferred to Texas A+M from Purdue, he did so with the intent to build on a fabulous spell with the Boilermakers which had him pegged as many draft analysts as the #1 EDGE coming into the 2024 season. 

A less than inspiring year with the Aggies that brought only 4 sacks and 4 QB hits has seen him slip down boards and out of first round consideration for certain media members. 

Everything that made Scourton such an exciting prospect at Purdue – the violent hands, the array of pass-rushing moves, his complete disdain for being touched by offensive linemen – came with less regularity this past year. 

The discourse around the system that the Aggies Dline employs is well known by now, with much of their play predicated on containing the opposition and in doing so limiting the outright output of their defensive stars but some of this falls on Scourton as well.

Whether as a young man, having turned 20 in August, Scourton didn’t truly find his feet from a social side in Texas, his NIL deal cooled his flame or if he wasn’t clicking with coaches, something wasn’t quite right. It was like Dr Evil had stolen his mojo, baby. 

He definitely struggled against the standout competition he faced, particularly Missouri’s Armand Membou, so that has to be a consideration. 

There were also technical issues that crept into his game that hadn’t been prominent at Purdue.

Scourton fell into a habit of elevating from his back foot which in turn raised his pads, making him an easier, more manageable proposition for linemen. He isn’t the calibre of athlete to get away with that.

This was also an issue for teammate Shemar Stewart so could point to a potential problem with the Aggies coaching staff. 

Even then, he still posted a 17.3% pass rush win rate, 38 overall pressures, had strong showings in the run game and flashed enough of the ability he showed at Purdue. In the past two seasons he has led a Big Ten team and an SEC team in sacks and he can’t drink alcohol yet.

I count it as good news that he came into the pre-draft process around the 260-pound mark after playing north of 280 in 2024, as some of the heavy-footedness he experienced over the past season might be linked to the increase in weight.

When he’s at his best, Scourton is an exhilarating watch, showing smarts to anticipate plays and use his powerful hands to swipe away linemen and remain clean.

It’ll be down to some good defensive minds to coax him back to his best in the NFL. It’s a good job the Arizona Cardinals have two of those in Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis.

Shemar Stewart – Texas A&M – 6’5″ – 267 lbs – 34 1/8″ arms – 21 years old

Arise, Shemar Stewart, King of the 2025 NFL Combine.

Recording a 4.59 40 (4th at the position) with a 1.58 split that only sat behind James Pearce Jr. and Collin Oliver (who are over 20 pounds lighter), a 40.00″ vertical jump (2nd) and a 10′ 11″ broad (1st) resulted in a 10.00 RAS for Stewart and “winning” the annual athletic testing event. His RAS ranked as #1 out of 2012 defensive ends from 1987 to 2025. A genuine history-making freak athlete.

It’s not hard to see why some analysts value Stewart so highly in this class – he’s Dane Brugler’s #3 EDGE – with his incredible mix of size, explosiveness, power and speed.

There are highlights where it’s like Davey Jones has unleashed the Kraken on offensive lines, as this thrashing mass obliterates everything in its wake, crashing down with devastating consequences.

Explosive off the ball, his long arms lash out as he drives through blockers, swatting at anything in his path, thumping into the tackles chest and when he gets free, displaying bend that shouldn’t be possible for someone who plays at around the 280-pound mark to flatten out his route and pressurise the QB.

He takes those physical gifts and shows commitment in the run game, setting a hard edge and competing throughout all four quarters.

It’s also not hard to see why the thought of drafting Shemar Stewart terrifies people, too. He didn’t record more than 1.5 sacks per season throughout his college career. He simply did not translate his traits into production.

One scout told Bob McGinn that Stewart is “the classic example of a guy who has no idea how to play football. Doesn’t know how to take on blocks, doesn’t know how to find the ball, doesn’t know how to work off things”.

That’s an overstatement yet it is rooted in truth. There are *times* when Stewart looks like he’s bought a new Xbox game and is mashing all of the buttons on his controller at the same time.

He regularly runs directly into a lineman’s chest instead of dictating contact, like a child racing for a hug from their parent, and it’s not always for a bull rush. There are instances where Stewart is running shoulder first into contact and trying to win side-on. His hand usage is beyond wild.

His biggest issue is the inability to finish. He led the Aggies in pressures in 2024 (39) but only turned that into 1.5 sacks. The 21-year-old had a 27.3% missed tackle rate in college, showing a complete lack of composure and control in crucial moments.

It will take a great deal of patience for whichever team drafts Shemar Stewart as coaches try to round his game out. Despite his inadequacies in production, he still causes panic. There is something to work with,

He visited the Cardinals last month which would indicate an interest and with Sweat, Browning and a recovering Ojulari, he wouldn’t be stuck in the deep end immediately.

Bradyn Swinson – LSU – 6’4″ – 255 lbs – 33 3/8″ arms – 22 years old

A riser amongst the draft community, Bradyn Swinson was a one-year starter at LSU, bursting onto the scene in 2024 with 9 sacks and earning Second Team All-SEC honours.

Swinson brings a savvy bag of pass-rush moves and long arms to the party, using his length to manipulate tackles, creating just enough space to burst into and impact the QB. He boasts incredibly effective swim and cross chop moves with his ability to control his body allowing him to get through the smallest of creases

He led the Tigers in tackles for loss (13), sacks (9) and pressures (59, fifth most in the FBS).

With a 22.1% pass-rush win rate in 2024 and eye-popping PFF grades of 90.3 (pass rush) and 91.4 versus true pass sets, Swinson displayed active hands that constantly move with purpose throughout the play, swiping away to allow him to dictate contact and grab hold of his target.

Breaking down his numbers, his win rate against true pass sets (plays excluding screens, play action or RPO) sits at 32.6%, #6 overall in the class, a smidge behind Abdul Carter (33.3%).

He also offers some versatility with LSU asking him to rush interior gaps at times.

On the downside for Swinson, he can get picked on in the run game where he doesn’t effectively set the edge and has average play strength, something that can also become a major obstacle when rushing given his go-to tactics of utilising his arm length. If he doesn’t execute it cleanly, he can be knocked off course or swallowed up by powerful tackles.

When he is engaged by those tackles, he doesn’t have the composure or strength to disengage and can end up becoming a non-factor while the play carries on.

There are some minor reports around Swinson’s character, with claims that he “butted heads” with coaches a few times and he was kept out of the first quarter of LSU’s game against Florida for “not meeting team standards”.

2024 was his first year of major production after three quiet years at Oregon (3 sacks and 5.5 TFLs in 3 seasons) and a middling first year as a rotational member of the LSU roster.

If he can improve in the run game and continue to show out as a pass rusher, Swinson could be Josh Sweat’s alternate for the Cardinals.

Princely Umanmielen – EDGE/OLB – Ole Miss – 6’4” – 244lbs – 33” ⅞ arms – 22 years old

Princely Umanmielen is a human highlight reel. 

When the Ole Miss rusher is at his best, he’s a joy to watch. Able to win with electric burst and length, Umanmielen has left a trail of embarrassed young men wishing they’d never put on a football helmet. 

The Florida transfer posted a staggering 22.8% pass rush win rate, with a 91.4 PFF pass rush grade, using his first step and lateral quickness to ease past his opposing number. This resulted in 11 sacks and 58 pressures in 2024.

When he was able to isolate a linemen out in space, it was goodnight and God bless. 

Despite being a player who wins via that quickness and finesse, Umanmielen isn’t a pushover. He weighed in at 264 lbs upon arrival at the Senior Bowl, has contributed in the run game while at Ole Miss and has even shown glimpses of being able to convert his speed to power. He then dropped to 244 lbs for the Combine, showing discipline and a competitive streak that not everyone has. 

That weightcut, along with his natural burst and explosiveness, resulted in tying 6th amongst defensive ends on the split time for the 40 (1.62) and being fourth best at the position for the vertical (38) and broad jumps (10’6”). 

Unfortunately for Princely, football isn’t (or at least it shouldn’t be) judged purely on highlight reel moments. When the 22-year-old doesn’t win with his explosiveness in the first instance, he can be halted and often flounders in the arms of a tackle, so he’s going to have to expand his pass-rush weaponry at the next level. 

That need for consistency paired with his development as a run defender, primarily in becoming stronger and knowing how to best use that strength at the point of attack, is what knocks him down a tier or two when you rank the 2024 EDGE class. 

If a coaching staff can help Princely Umanmielen pull all of those things together, they would have a very valuable weapon on their roster.

I would back Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis to make a good attempt at that, if the opportunity arose. He might be too similar to Browning and Ojulari when all is said and done, but the team has met multiple times with Umanmielen throughout the process.

Image Credits: Marshall Athletics, Boston College Athletics, Ole Miss Athletics, Boston Herald, Texas A&M Athletics, Yahoo Sports, LSU Tigers, UCLA Athletics Dept, Arkansas Athletics,