Top 10 Edge Rushers in the 2022 NFL Draft

With the 2022 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, teams are putting final touches on their draft big board while fans and analysts are involved in heavy debate.

The scouting combine and pro days are complete and many big free agency moves having already taken place — it's now important to shift our focus to the top edge rusher prospects and how they are currently ranked.

With his latest NFL mock draft, expert mock-drafter Ryan McCrystal has six edge rushers being drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft — with Aidan Hutchinson and Travon Walker going back-to-back as the first two overall picks.

Ahead of the draft on April 18th, let's take a look at the top 10 edge rushers from Sports Info Solution's NFL Draft hub:

1. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan

Aidan Hutchinson is a standup edge in Michigan's 2-4-5 defensive scheme who played both to the field and boundary, a stark contrast from his first 3 seasons where he played exclusively with his hand down.

His 2020 season was limited to just 3 games due to a fractured lower right leg which also required surgery.

Hutchinson is an excellent athlete who has excellent height, very good weight, and a very athletic frame with a strong lower half. He has very good competitive toughness and a very high motor that runs hot all the time.

2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

Kayvon Thibodeaux is an edge defender who mainly stands up to the boundary in Oregon’s 3-5-5/2-4-5 defense.

In 2020, he mainly put his hand in the ground in a 5-tech and out. He missed 2 games due to a sprained left ankle early in 2021.

He has a strong, stocky frame with good strength and athleticism. He plays hard and competes with a high motor on most plays, though it and the pursuit can be questioned on others. He’s not an overly-consistent pursuit player, but if the ball is on his half of the field, he’s trying to get there.

3. Travon Walker, Georgia

Travon Walker is a versatile defensive lineman in Georgia’s multiple-front scheme.

He will typically start as a strong-side defensive end on early downs vs. the run, but has been utilized in a variety of alignments in pass rush situations.

Walker is a young but experienced player who will only be 21 years old when the 2022 NFL season begins. He played in 36 games in his collegiate career with all 15 of his starts coming in 2021.

He suffered a fractured left wrist that kept him out of 2 games during the 2019 season. Walker has a lean but big frame with a long wingspan to match. He also has fluid mobility and shows very good body control and movement skills at his size.

He plays with a consistently high motor, competing to the whistle and always rallying to the ball to try and make a play.

4. George Karlaftis, Purdue

George Karlaftis is an edge rusher in Purdue’s defense that underwent a transition from more nickel packages to heavy base looks in 2021.

He has mostly played with his hand down in his career but split his two- and three-point stance alignments fairly evenly this season. He has started all 27 games he’s played since arriving at Purdue and made an immediate impact as a true freshman.

Karlaftis did not start playing football until he was in eighth grade when his family moved to West Lafayette from Athens, Greece.

He’s very well built with a stout, pro-ready frame and better natural athleticism than his muscular profile would suggest. He’s strong, explosive and coordinated with impressive cardio for a man of his size.

His motor is somewhat inconsistent, possibly due to the high snap counts he played, but he shows good toughness and physicality in the trenches.

5. Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State

Jermaine Johnson II is an edge rusher in Florida State’s hybrid 3-3-5 defense. He predominantly lined up in a wide-9, but played a lot between 5- and 7-tech while also standing up as an outside backer.

His college career started at Independence Community College (2017-18) before transferring to Georgia. After 2 years at Georgia he transferred to Florida State for the 2021 season.

Johnson is a long-limbed athlete with a solid frame. He always seems to be attacking, but there are occurrences where his motor and pursuit to the ball can cool off. However, some of it seems to be his stamina, as he wears down rather quickly.

6. Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati

Myjai Sanders is a field-side edge defender in Cincinnati’s primary 3-3-5 scheme, where he puts his hand in the ground in 5 through 9 techniques and stands up when they reduce the front.

He has a long frame with good size and strength for the edge position. A good athlete with a motor that always runs hot, he plays hard and competes on each and every play.

7. Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina

Kingsley Enagbare is a defensive end in South Carolina’s hybrid 2-4-5/3-3-5 front who normally plays to the boundary.

He has experience playing both standing up and with his hand in the ground, but the majority of his snaps come from a 2-point stance on the edge. He missed the final 2 games of the 2020 season with a hip injury that required surgery and forced him out of spring ball.

Enagbare has prototypical size and toughness for the position along with a hot motor that runs consistently throughout the game.

8. David Ojabo, Michigan

David Ojabo is a standup outside linebacker in Michigan’s 2-4-5 defense where he mainly plays to the boundary.

He was born in Nigeria and then moved to Scotland when he was 7 years old. When he was 17, he moved to the U.S. to attend prep school. While there, he participated in basketball, soccer, and ran track before playing his first season of organized football his junior year, thus only having 5 years of experience playing the game to this point.

Ojabo tore his Achilles during his pro day in mid-March.

He’s an excellent athlete with a long, somewhat slim frame. He plays with a high motor and competes, playing hard and tough on every snap.

9. Boye Mafe, Minnesota

Boye Mafe is an edge rusher in Minnesota’s base five-DB defense, playing most of his snaps standing up on the ball but occasionally in a three-point stance.

He has played in 42 career games with 13 starts. Mafe is an excellent athlete who posted top vertical and 40 time numbers in the pre-draft process, and has also squatted over 650 pounds in the weight room.

He has a quick burst and is physically cut with good length and strength throughout. Mafe proved to be an impact player despite not always starting for the Gophers.

He’s a tough competitor and has a knack for stepping up in important situations.

10. Josh Paschal

Josh Paschal is a defensive lineman who moves all along the defensive line in Kentucky’s 3-3-5 defense.

He started his career as more of a predominant stand-up edge rusher, but has transitioned to a down lineman the past two seasons. Even though they are mostly in an odd-front, he takes most of his snaps while lined up in a 3-technique.

Depending on the front and look, he’ll kick out to 5- and 7-tech or even reduce down to a 0 over the center. Paschal overcame a yearlong battle with cancer when he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in his foot in July of 2018 that required surgery.

He was voted as team captain for 3 straight seasons at Kentucky, the only player ever to do so.

Paschal has requisite height and weight for the position, but has a strong, thick frame, strong hands, and a sturdy lower half. He has a good motor and is very competitive in the trenches.

Prospect scouting reports provided by Sports Info Solution.

1st Overall Pick Odds, 2022 NFL Draft

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• NFL Mock Draft from Ryan McCrystal
• NFL Mock Draft from Brendan Donahue
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• 2022 NFL Draft Big Board
• Fantasy Football Fallout from NFL Free Agency
• Historical NFL Draft Capital Value, Ranked by Team