2017 NFL Draft: Top 5 Edge Rushers

The top five pass rushers in the NFL Draft, which may be a position the Oakland Raiders target.

The NFL draft is officially one day away. With the 24th overall pick and seven additional picks on top of that, the Oakland Raiders have a chance to greatly improve their defense.

The Raiders finished dead last in the NFL in sacks, so adding a top pass rusher isn’t out of the question. Here are the top five in the class.

Myles Garrett – 6’4″ 272 lbs. – Texas A&M

Everyone knows Myles Garrett by now, the projected first overall pick. He’s easily the top pass rusher in the class.

Myles Garrett was the no. 1 rated DE in his recruiting class and no. 2 prospect overall coming into college.

Strengths:

Garrett has elite explosiveness, which is easy to see with his first step and when he gets a free run off the line. He also has the needed speed to catch the ball carrier as the backside defender.

He’s a finisher as well — once he has his hands on the ball carrier, it’s over. Garrett also times snaps well, and with a mixture of his first step and snap anticipation, he can be unstoppable at times.

Garrett has leg drive on bull rushes, and in college, he often won with straight athleticism. He still has a lot of room to grow. But he is already quite disciplined, and one area that shows that is he will stick to his run assignment. He plays sound, fundamental football, staying in his gaps and redirecting the ball carrier.

Myles has enough functional strength to hold the edge. He is put together like a created player on Madden — tall, long frame with muscle, with long strides.

Weaknesses:

It was apparent that his effort lacked in his final season at Texas A&M, which is a concern for some. Garrett has some pass rushing moves but he lacks the nuances of them. He also needs to develop a strong counter.

Garrett’s production came against lesser competition, which is a bit of a worry. Almost half of his sacks in his final season came against a low level team.

While athletic, he’ll need to better learn how to use his athleticism in the NFL.

Overall:

While the team picking no. 1 overall might need a quarterback, Myles Garrett could be a once in a lifetime pass rusher, so he would be my pick.

NFL Comparison: Mario Williams

Film Score: 84.2

Athleticism Score: 8.1 (Elite)

Final Score: 82 (Round 1)