The 2020 NFL Draft is over and teams are getting comfortable with their new draft picks. The next class of players is getting prepared now for another year of college football. Each position will be analyzed in the coming days. Here are the best 2021 NFL Draft prospects: edge rushers.
Note: Players will not be ranked in the article. This is best used as a watch list for the 2020 season.
Carlos Basham, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Basham has consistently improved every season he has played at Wake Forest. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound edge rusher has a good chance to play well again in 2020. If he is able to improve again, there is no doubt he will be one of the first edge rushers selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.
He had just two tackles for loss as a freshman. In his second year on campus, Basham improved to have 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The Demon Deacons won seven games and beat Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl to end the season. As a junior, Basham had a great year with 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Wake Forest won eight games in 2019. If Basham can put up good numbers again, he’ll be picked in the early rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jonathan Garvin, Miami Hurricanes
Garvin has had back to back outstanding years for Miami to set himself up well for 2020. He is 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds, which is solid for an NFL edge rushing prospect. This season, Garvin will be on a great defensive line, so he’ll need to try and stick out.
As a freshman, Garvin had three tackles for loss and two sacks in seven games as a reserve. He had a more prominent role as a sophomore with 5.5 sacks and a staggering 17 tackles for loss. Miami went 7-6, losing in the Pinstripe Bowl to end the season. In 2019, Garvin played solidly again with nine tackles for loss and five sacks. The Hurricanes went 6-7, but with the talent they have on the defensive line, things should improve this year. Garvin will need to have a good year to solidify his status as one of the best edge rushers in the class.
Quincy Roche, Miami Hurricanes
After starting his career at Temple, Roche has decided to play his final season of eligibility at Miami. He is 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, which is a little light, but he is productive despite this. At Miami, he has a chance to really stand out against good competition.
He had 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a freshman for the Owls. Temple won seven games including the Gasparilla Bowl that year. His production dipped a bit in 2018 with nine tackles for loss and six sacks. The Owls won eight games even with Roche not producing as much. Roche’s 2019 season was great, as he had 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. Temple won eight games, but now he will be helping “The U” try to win. The 2020 Miami defensive line will have a lot of talent and Roche could stand out.
Gregory Rousseau, Miami Hurricanes
The frontrunner to be the first edge rusher selected in the 2021 NFL Draft is Gregory Rousseau. He is a 6-foot-6, 251-pound edge rusher who put up huge numbers for Miami last season. Another productive season and Rousseau will lock up his first-round status for the draft.
Rousseau played in two games in his first year on campus and registered five tackles before hurting his ankle and missing the rest of the season. In his redshirt freshman season of 2019, Rousseau had an elite-level season. He finished the year with 19.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. His play helped Miami make a bowl game, but the Hurricanes will be searching for more this season. Rousseau could be a huge x-factor and could lock up his status as the best edge rusher in the class.
Joe Tyron, Washington Huskies
After taking a huge step forward last season, Tyron is on the NFL’s radar. The star edge rusher is 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds and will look right in place in the NFL. If Tyron can improve again this season, he will prove he is worthy of an early draft pick in 2021.
In his freshman season, Tyron had two tackles for loss and one sack. He successfully developed before his sophomore season and totaled 12.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. His play led the Huskies to eight wins in 2019. Tyron has to improve this season, but he looks well on his way to doing so.
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