Editor's Note: In the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Phil Perry is identifying the best fits for the Patriots at each position based on the traits that Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf value as well as intel from coaches and scouts.
We've already hit on offensive tackles, interior offensive linemen, tight ends, running backs, quarterbacks, slot cornerbacks, safeties, linebackers, defensive tackles and wide receivers. Our final installment: edge defenders.
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HEREWhile in Tennessee, Mike Vrabel had a type on the edge. The players who saw the most time for him at that all-important spot included his 2018 second-round pick, Harold Landry (6-foot-2, 252 pounds) as well as Rashad Weaver (6-foot-4, 259 pounds), Bud Dupree (6-foot-4, 269 pounds) and Denico Autry (6-foot-5, 273 pounds).
While their skill sets varied, these were high-energy players with enough size to hold up in a variety of situations and athletic traits to give opposing offensive tackles fits.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox with our News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP They also possessed playing styles that might be deemed "violent," which is what we know Vrabel and his defensive coordinator Terrell Williams are looking for on the defensive side of the ball.
Which edge defenders fit that kind of well-rounded mold? Let's get to our list of "Best Fits" on the edge...
More Patriots coverage
Abdul Carter, Penn State
Elite burst. Elite explosiveness. Elite bend to turn the corner on pass-protecting tackles. Carter, according to multiple evaluators, is the best pass-rusher to enter into the draft in the last couple of years. For some, he's there with Will Anderson -- taken third overall in 2023 -- at the top of the heap.
He's not what Anderson was as a three-down player, though. He's "poor" against the run, said one defensive coach whose team is in the edge-rusher market. And not because Carter doesn't have the skill set to excel on early downs. It's more a combination of technique -- Carter is still new to the position after starting as an off-ball linebacker -- and want-to.
Those things shouldn't be enough to prevent the Patriots from taking him, though, if he somehow slips to No. 4 overall. He's one of two true blue-chip players in this year's draft class along with Colorado's Travis Hunter.
Mike Green, Marshall
Of all the edge defenders in this class, Green's playing style may be deemed most "violent." The energy he plays with is jarring, and there's urgency in the way in which he uses his hands in pass-rushing situations.
He dominated at Marshall, earning First-Team All-American honors after compiling 22.5 tackles for loss and 17.0 sacks. He went on to dominate against high-end competition at the Senior Bowl, only further solidifying his status as one of the most talented players in this class.
The 6-foot-3, 251-pounder had questions through the pre-draft process that needed to be answered as someone who was suspended at University of Virginia following a sexual assault allegation. (He was not charged and has denied wrongdoing). He was accused of sexual assault in high school (no charges) as well and was asked to sign a zero-tolerance policy prior to attending UVA.
Jalon Walker, Georgia
Walker is a polarizing player for NFL evaluators. His critics don't love his size -- 6-1, 243 pounds -- for full-time edge work. And they point to a relative lack of true off-the-edge experience he's compiled as an off-ball/on-ball prospect. Some have him as a second-round type.
But the reason he makes this list, and the reason he could come off the board early in the first, is because he's a versatile front-seven defender with eye-popping closing burst, and his length and relentless motor make him an ideal quarterback spy option.
Add to that mix that he has A+ intangibles, and he's a no-doubt fit.
Mykel Williams, Georgia
Some in the scouting community view Mykel Williams as a better edge-rushing option than his Georgia teammate. Williams has prototypical size at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds with 34-inch arms. He dealt with an ankle injury that hampered him throughout last season, but he still made Second Team All SEC with five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
He's also a high-end character option, serving as captain for four games last season, making him an easy-to-envision fit for any defense -- Vrabel's included.
Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Scourton's story is a Tale of Two Edge Defenders. There's the Scourton who weighed 285 pounds at Texas A&M last year and had five sacks as a thickly-built 3-4 end type. But then there's the prospect of two years ago, when Scourton weighed 260 pounds at Purdue and posted 10 sacks as a dogged rusher who refuses to give up.
Back down to 260 pounds and just 20 years old on draft weekend, he's one of the most promising young rushers in this year's draft class.
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Ezeiruaku is an easy inclusion on this list. For starters, he profiles similarly to one of Vrabel's first draft picks in Tennessee, also out of Boston College -- a player who was one of Vrabel's first free-agent signings in New England -- in Harold Landry. Ezeiruaku also played for one of Vrabel's best friends in coaching last season in Bill O'Brien.
He's a program fit from a personality standpoint, and his arsenal of pass-rush moves off the edge will make him an impactful rusher from Day 1.
JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Tuimoloau is a sturdy, hard-nosed edge defender who will give his next team a well-rounded option at the position. He's not going to overwhelm tackles with an array of finesse moves, but he will threaten them with his power and length (34-inch arms, 10.5-inch hands).
Tuimoloau racked up 6.5 sacks over four College Football Playoff games, which personnel departments will weigh heavily. If the Patriots want another power player on the edge on Day 2 to pair with Keion White, Tuimoloau is worthy of consideration.
Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
Tuimoloau's teammate isn't as long (32-inch arms) or quite as powerful. But the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder is going to bring a rugged playing style to the edge of someone's defense on Day 2.
He's widely considered to have high-end leadership traits. And he should be someone who can chip in as an early-down rotational option. But Sawyer, like Tuimoloau, showed up in a big way in the College Football Playoff (4.5 sacks in four games), and his motor will make him a coach's favorite at the next level.
Landon Jackson, Arkansas
A two-time team captain and an All-SEC selection each of the last two years, Jackson brings plenty of qualities to the table Mike Vrabel would appreciate. The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder has an almost 84-inch wingspan that allows him to be the aggressor in one-on-one matchups with tackles in both the run and pass games.
Jackson is deemed a little stiff by some evaluators, but he's a power player on the edge with an excellent athletic profile (9.88 Relative Athletic Score) who'll make some team very happy on Day 2.
Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA
Like Carter, Oladejo made the switch from off-the-ball 'backer to edge defender and showed enough in terms of promise to potentially work his way into the Day 2 conversation. The Cal transfer racked up 13.5 tackles for loss a season ago despite being relatively raw at his new spot.
His motor runs hot, and his frame (6-foot-3, 260 pounds, 34-inch arms) gives him real promise. Especially if he's paired with coaches like Vrabel and Williams.
Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
Gillotte isn't the longest edge defender in this class. But he is one of the most athletic. The Patriots may be willing to overlook his arm length (just under 32 inches) and hand size (8.5 inches) thanks to his next-level movement skills.
Gillotte ran a 4.65-second 40 at 6-foot-3, 264 pounds to go along with a 38.5-inch vertical and a 6.94-second three-cone time. With 25 sacks the last two seasons, he's a proven pass-rusher who plays with unrelenting effort.
Bradyn Swinson, LSU
Swinson has enough size (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) and production (8.5 sacks, Second-Team All-SEC) to be added to this lst. An Oregon transfer, he plays with the kind of suddenness that could make him an immediate contributor on third downs as a pro.
It may take some time before he's a true three-down guy, but at some point in the third round he'd be a logical fit.
Barryn Sorrell, Texas
Sorrell ended up being voted the American Team's top defensive lineman during the Senior Bowl week of practices, standing out as one of the best of the best in the offseason's premier college all-star showcase. At 6-foot-3, 256 pounds he has good size and he brings plenty of pop at the point of attack. He's also hard to keep off the field, which you would think Vrabel appreciates.
Sorrell started 30 straight games at Texas in the last three seasons, racking up 16 sacks in that span. He's not the quickest or the twitchiest edge defender on this list, but his strength and frenetic style could earn him a rotational role early.
Jordan Burch, Oregon
A jumbo edge defender at 6-foot-4, 279 pounds, Burch would fit for Vrabel in the Autry mold. He has almost 34-inch arms and he plays with enough power to consider him at a variety of techniques along the defensive line.
A South Carolina transfer, Burch has played in a whopping 58 games as a collegian, and he's missed time in each of the last two seasons with lower-body injuries. But his frame and violent pass-rush approach could land him in Foxboro at some point during Day 2 of the draft.
