Ranking the defensive ends in the 2025 NFL Draft

Categorizing the top edge prospects in this year’s NFL Draft.

Over the next two weeks, as I finish watching prospects for this draft, I’ll release some of my position tiers for this draft. Next week, I’ll post my full horizontal big board.

The tiers

To start, I’ll release my defensive ends tiers for this draft. I watched 18 defensive ends in this class. Here is how I tier players — and with an example of each:

• Top-10: Day 1 star, one of the best players at his position, resets the market when signing a second contract. Consistent All-Pro player. Example: Myles Garrett
• First round: Blue-Chip player, foundational part of your team. Makes Pro Bowl teams, doesn’t necessarily reset the market when signing an extension, but consistently in the upper-tier of contracts/rankings. Example: Josh Hines-Allen
• Second round: An above-average starter that you reward with a good second contract. Maybe makes one or two Pro Bowls. Not a star or building block, but rounds out your team. Example: George Karlaftis
• Third round: Average starter — a quality player for whom you won’t necessarily pay a big second contract. Example: Dorance Armstrong
• Fourth round: A fringe starter or rotational player. Has a narrower role compared to your better players. Example: Mike Danna
• Day 3: A fringe roster or practice squad player. I don’t have any Day 3 grades in this group from the list I watched.

Let’s get started.

Top-10

• Abdul Carter, Penn State

First round

• Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
• Mykel Williams, Georgia

Player Spotlight: Shemar Stewart

Stewart is one of the most polarizing players in this draft. In three seasons, he finished with 4.5 sacks despite being one of the better athletes we’ve ever seen at defensive end.

I’m on the positive end of Stewart’s projection. There’s no doubt the floor could fall out with him, and he’s very raw. However, I think his lack of productivity needs context. First, despite his lack of sacks, Stewart finished first on his team in pressures with 39. For context, Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner — two defensive line counterparts in this draft — finished with 36 and 21.

What I find relevant is that Stewart couldn’t truly pin his ears back and rush the passer. Texas A&M runs most slants and stunts in their defenses, and Stewart was often slanting outside to contain a quarterback scramble rather than rush the passer. Scourton was the designated pass rusher while everyone else slanted. Stewart didn’t get many opportunities to rush the passer often.

Now, Stewart has almost no pass rush bag and has to do a better job finishing plays, but his rare combination of speed, explosiveness, strength and agility is worth betting on. In modern college football, there are fewer developed pass rushers, so you have to take gambles on traits, and Stewart has every trait you want.

Second round

• Mike Green, Marshall
• Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss...