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PFF:Top-5 non-Power 5 edge rushers

According to our partners at Pro Football Focus (PFF), here are the non-Power-5 prospects worthy of consideration come draft time. READ MORE ON THE NFL DRAFT at  ProFootballFocus.com

Non-Power-5 edge class

I can’t think of a better non-Power-5 edge class in recent memory. It may not have a Khalil Mack, but there are more than a handful of prospects that will be off the board before Day 2 of the draft comes to a close. We didn’t include non-FBS guys in our first rankings because of a lack of data, but here are some of my notes so far on non-Power-5 guys who could go early:

Haason Reddick, Temple

  • Swiss Army knife. Can line up anywhere in the box.
  • Could thrive in an off-ball role where he’d be a terrifying blitz threat.
  • Ridiculous closing ability in space.
  • Deadly counter inside. Has the explosiveness to force oversets from tackles.
  • Very slippery. Does a great job of making himself skinny and ducking through O-linemen’s arms.
  • Very undersized for full-time edge.

Derek Rivers, Youngstown State (below)

  • Ideal build and frame.
  • Elite explosion off line of scrimmage. Can go speed-to-power all day if he wants.
  • Extremely raw. So many pass rushes with no plan of attack.
  • Inconsistent reaction to the snap. Freezes a lot reading run/pass.

Derek Rivers

Trey Hendrickson, Florida Atlantic

  • Feasted on some awful tackles. Highest pass-rushing productivity in the country.
  • Great burst off line of scrimmage. Consistent get-off at snap.
  • Inconsistent with his hands. Has some beautiful reps, then won’t even use them.
  • Kicked inside at times and showed the ability to beat guards as pass-rusher.
  • High swipe is go-to move.
  • Plays high far too often.

Tyus Bowser, Houston (below)

  • Freak athleticism that shows up in space.
  • May be best in an off-ball role.
  • Barely rushed the passer at Houston. Played true 3-4 OLB role.
  • Doesn’t relish contact, plays around blocks instead of through.
  • Slow to react run/pass.
  • Fantastic flashes of agility on inside moves.

Tyus Bowser

Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova

  • Put up some unbelievable testing numbers at the NFL Combine.
  • Physically looks like he’s built in a lab.
  • Enough juice to get to the corner on tackles and rip through.
  • Has some interesting bend for a big man.
  • Agility is non-existent. Struggles mightily to cross an offensive lineman’s face.
  • Complete lack of pass-rushing moves.