Sorting through the grittiest edge rushers in the 2025 NFL Draft and looking for Detroit Lions-type guys.
The Grit Index series rollout continues with the grittiest edge rushers in the 2025 NFL Draft. If you missed any of our previous articles in this series, make sure you check out:
It’s important to remember that this entire system is based on collecting data from draft analysts’ opinions of prospects, making it an imperfect system. However, we’ve tried to counter those flaws by adding volume and giving weight to analysts who have proven trustworthy. Every analyst has a different set of values in their assessments and our formula is our best attempt at aggregating imperfect and incomplete information.
Tier 1
Only a handful of players make it to the top tier of the Grit Index, and so far (amongst the articles published), we’ve seen eight prospects make the cut:
- Tyler Booker, LG, Alabama: 97.3
- Tate Ratledge, RG, Georgia: 86.3
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State : 85.83
- Will Campbell, LT, LSU : 85.3
- Grey Zabel, IOL, North Dakota State: 83.4
- Mason Graham, DT, Michigan 80.9
- Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State: 80.9
- Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State: 80.5
As we start digging into the edge rushers in the 2025 class, we can add another two players to the Tier 1 mix:
Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State: 83.39
At 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, Sawyer’s game is drenched in power and relentless effort. His focus and drive are elite, and he not only holds his teammates to high expectation levels, but he expects them to hold him accountable as well. He’s a natural leader and helps keep his defensive teammates rowing in the same direction.
Quote from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein :
“He’s a force-based rusher using strong hands, a relentless motor and a pocket-caving charge to run up pressure totals… his demeanor, toughness and activity level provide a higher floor.”
Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia: 81.59
At 6-foot-1, 243 pounds, Walker shows surprising power. While he possesses elite range and athleticism of other edge rushers his size, what separates him is the violence he brings on every snap.
“Walker is a compact, powerful defender with length and explosiveness… He’s a firm edge-setter against the run… Overall, Walker is a tone-setter on defense and UGA coaches rave about his makeup and leadership.”
Walker is the son of a coach, and his natural leadership shows up both on and off the football field.
From Georgia head coach Kirby Smart via The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s The Beast
“You’re not going to find a higher quality kid in any organization. … He is unbelievable in what he stands for and what he represents and how he works.”
Edge Rushers
Landon Jackson sits atop the Tier 2 prospects, and at 6-foot-6, 264 pounds, he is an intimidating force. A two-time captain at Arkansas, Jackson cares more about the team than personal accolades, and runs with a non-stop motor.
Tier 2 has no shortage of terrific pass rushers in this class, including Mykel Williams, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Nic Scourton, and Josaiah Stewart, who should all hear their names called in the top 100 picks.
Sawyer’s teammate J.T. Tuimoloau sits atop Tier 3 and arguably hold the title as the best edge setter in this class. Tier 4’s David Walker lacks height (under 6-foot-1) and length (under 32-inches) but he a natural leader and the reigning FCS defensive player of the year.