After ranking the quarterbacks, we rank edge rushers in this class which happens to be a position that might interest the Denver Broncos.
The 2022 NFL Draft is loaded with edge rusher talent from top to bottom. If the Denver Broncos wanted to turn their attention to another younger generation of sack artists, this is the draft to do it. When the Broncos decided to move Von Miller it began the conversations of life after the franchise star.
Miller now is set to become an NFL free agent for the first time in his career. There is a potential door open for a return; however, there are zero guarantees he comes home. This means Denver must focus their attention on the draft and address their depth at this position.
Bradley Chubb is more than qualified to be the next star after Miller. The injury history has raised questions about his availability and reliability in the starting lineup. This alone makes the debate of adding edge rushers with their top pick an intriguing option.
Malik Reed is a good player. Unfortunately, he has too many weaknesses at times that seem glaring on film. He has the skill set, but it remains to be seen on a more consistent basis. Reed has a relentless motor but gets too flat-footed in his discipline causing him to be late getting home.
Seventh-round draft Jonathon Cooper is a fascinating project. For being drafted late in the 2021 NFL Draft, Cooper seemed to have fewer flaws in his game. He has more relentless moves and skill set than Reed bringing the better potential of Cooper into the conversation between both players.
The most important point rings true with this edge-rushing class in 2022. The edge rusher position is well regarded as one of the top groups to target in any NFL draft. It just happens the 2022 NFL Draft is loaded with talent all across the board at edge rusher.
Simply put, draft the best player at any position of value. It just so happens one of the best position groups is edge rusher. If Denver Broncos are serious about addressing the depth here, then it makes 100 percent sense to double-up at edge rusher.
Let’s rank the edge rusher position in this class.
Denver Broncos could target Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
Aidan Hutchinson is Michigan royalty. His father, Chris played with the university back from 1989-1992 wearing number 97. Aidan chose to honor his dad’s number by wearing it during his time with the Wolverines.
There’s one thing for sure with Hutchinson and it is that he has the goods to become an elite NFL pass rusher. He displays the charisma, passion, and talent to be great every snap. A person needs to look no further than a play which includes smack talk to a left tackle and then proceeds to take his soul once the play happens.
There’s sheer explosiveness with Hutchinson and an array of moves that make him truly a nightmare for offensive linemen. Hutchinson may have come from Michigan, but he flashes like a certain number 97 from the Wolverines’ greatest rival, Ohio State.
He appropriately understands how to transfer from speed to power with his “get off.” Hutchinson’s balance between the two is devastating. Arguably his best skill set is hand usage. Once he releases off the line and creates contact, Hutchinson uses hands at the right time to make for a free run at the quarterback.
The length of Hutchinson offers every opportunity for him to win any play. This means either run defense or creating relentless pressure on a quarterback. His run defense is a tad sketchy; however, there’s so much to like with the set of moves at his disposal it makes him a complete player when chasing a ball carrier.
His high football acumen helps Hutchinson think one step ahead of his opponent. If Hutchinson mixes the awareness, intelligence, speed, power, and hand usage, then he has the player right where he wants him.
Along with Hutchinson’s length brings his flexibility to the forefront. It is not the rare breed of Von Miller’s dip and bends. No one from this class offers that type of ability. However, Hutchinson does have the type of flexibility that makes him successful in reps. There’s a nice blend for him where he can recover quite nicely if he gets pushed back.
Hutchinson is the best of this edge class.
Denver Broncos could target Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
Oregon has a lot of playmakers on their defense that catch your eye. Kayvon Thibodeaux is no exception. The top three of these rankings are a lot closer it seems earlier in this process.
Thibodeaux, like Hutchinson, brings extraordinary athleticism and explosiveness to the table. Thibodeaux has an elite first step or quickness that puts too much responsibility on a tackle to react quicker. When this typically happens it causes the tackle to move before snap, resulting in multiple false start penalties.
Thibodeaux does an amazing job of converting speed to power with an array of pass rush moves. As a result of this speed to power, it effectively shows his hand usage is elite like Hutchinson. Thibodeaux does offer more athletic ability than Hutchinson, but it is splitting hairs, to be honest.
Both are tremendous prospects who fit multiple systems. One area where Thibodeaux is a little better than Hutchinson is lateral mobility. He shows a fantastic ability to get up and down the line of scrimmage with relative ease.
Functional strength from Thibodeaux is also a tremendous trait in his toolbox. That strength allows him to disengage from blocks and set the edge in the run defense area. Thibodeaux’s run defense is exceptional. His strength to shed blocks and fill run lanes allows him to be a more complete prospect like Hutchinson.
Thibodeaux fits either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme as an edge rusher. This brings back the importance of his athleticism. He is a very gifted player who can rush the passer. I
n a 3-4 he might have to be an outside linebacker, but with the weight displacement and explosiveness, there’s more opportunity to bring versatility to the table. As a player in a 3-4, Thibodeaux would be able to play both defensive end and outside linebacker.
Denver Broncos could target David Ojabo, Michigan
Aidan Hutchinson is not the only prospect from the University of Michigan who ranks in the top five as an edge rusher. There is a possibility this player may turn out to be the better of the bunch when it comes to Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Here comes David Ojabo, entering the chat. If there is a player to zero in on as the Denver Broncos selection at pick nine right now, it seems like Ojabo is the ideal candidate.
First things first, Ojabo has raw ability that, if it is harnessed, has the making of a special and elite player. He has explosiveness that makes him a complete nightmare for offenses. Von Miller is a rare breed of athlete to where he can easily bend and dip better than anyone. Ojabo is the only one who brings the possibility of that in his repertoire.
This flexibility allows Ojabo to bring so much more to the table. It gives him a better opportunity to fill responsibilities in both run and pass games. There’s enough weight displacement to his flexibility where it creates so many chances at the quarterback.
He knows how to use his hands appropriately and he knows how to convert speed to power. With his flexibility comes freakishly gifted length. Like Thibodeaux, the excitement of Ojabo brings his hand usage or hand counters. The overall athletic talent of Ojabo is undeniable. Once he blows up a tackle and creates contact, he can use the hand placement appropriately for free lanes at the quarterback. There are so many hand counters that also help seal the edge in run defense.
Since Ojabo is raw, it is worth bringing up he is a little inconsistent at times with his play. This happens more with effort. However, in 2021 Ojabo very quickly moved into the top five edge prospects based on that season. There may be effort conversations with some plays, but for him to truly become a top-10 prospect it was not for lack of effort.
Denver Broncos could target Jermaine Johnson, Florida State
This particular player might be one of the most fascinating in the list of top five edge rushers for 2022.
Both David Ojabo and this player have exceptional raw athleticism at the top of this class. Jermaine Johnson from Florida State is a gifted hand user and very quick with his first step. Between Ojabo and Johnson, you might be talking about the best in this class. Along with Johnson’s explosive hand placement, he brings a lot of intrigue.
Johnson has high intelligence to rightly place his hands where they need to be. Mix the hand usage with really good power and Johnson is a multi-faceted edge rusher like the rest of them. We’ve talked a lot about length with a lot of these prospects, and Johnson is also no exception. He has long arms to help with his furious hand movements. The length is a nice draw for his ability in the run defense.
Johnson shows exceptional quickness to run sideline to sideline filling the appropriate running lanes. Run defense is an exceptional trait that separates the complete players and prospects to be special talents.
Denver Broncos star rusher Bradley Chubb, despite some injuries, is very special in terms of run defense. Factor in the pure strength along with speed to power (sound familiar?), and Chubb is a good player.
We mentioned Thibodeaux and his flexibility in both 4-3 and 3-4. Jermaine Johnson offers the same type of ability. Johnson can be solely an edge rusher in a 4-3 strictly at defensive end. The only difference between Thibodeaux and Johnson is Johnson only capable to be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
Yet, versatility is still an intriguing trait for Johnson. With his athleticism, it does beg the question of his fit at outside linebacker in 3-4. There’s enough there with his skill set to make it work.
The Florida State Seminole prospect previously spent time at Georgia before transferring to FSU. Johnson showed in his 2021 season he was the best player on the field for the team. In some ways like Jaelan Phillips, Johnson has risen to high ranks putting him in the conversation as one of the best in his class.
Denver Broncos could target Travon Walker, Georgia
This particular player is fascinating to break down. Also, make no bones about it, the entire Georgia defensive line is filled with elite playmakers ready for the National Football League. In the case of Travon Walker, he offers a phenomenal twist none of the others present.
Walker is capable of playing anywhere on the defensive front. He was a five-star recruit and high school basketball player. It’s easy to see why Walker jumps off the page as an athlete.
Walker has the ideal size to play strictly as a defensive end in the NFL. However, the athleticism at 275 pounds allowed Walker to play different roles on the defensive line. When the moment presented itself Walker showed he is willing to be a defensive tackle.
It may not be the most ideal role for Walker in the NFL, but showing a versatility trait in the SEC against the likes of Alabama and others means a lot. Walker is not afraid to use any stance pre-snap. It does not matter if it is a 3-point stance or 4-point stance, Walker still brings the same strength, athleticism, and power.
Hand counters are an area where he needs to work on. Linemen were shown to easily get the right placement keeping him upright. That said, hand power is an impressive trait. When the lights turn on he is relentless and presents a violent power punch.
Denver Broncos defensive linemen Shelby Harris is known for chasing down wide receiver Tyreek Hill, one of the fastest players in the NFL. Travon Walker showed a relentless display of effort tracking down a player from Alabama. The Alabama player had a huge play in makings for a touchdown, but Walker had other plans.
These types of plays do not go unnoticed at the next level. It is quite an impressive feat for a defensive end or defensive tackle to track down a wide receiver, running back, or tight end.
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Walker’s versatility to play both end and tackle requires incredible strength. This is also why he is fine using 3-tech or 1-tech. He is comfortable in using any form of tactic to create success. The brute strength from Walker is really impressive. If there’s one thing I would ask for people who have not watched Travon Walker is his point of attack. It’s amazing to watch.