We’ve reached the end of the regular season in college football. Conference championship weekend is in the books, bowl season is officially underway, and the College Football Playoff starts this week. Most of these prospects have finished putting out tape in their college careers, so it’s time for me to officially unveil my updated position rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Today I’m ranking my top 10 edge defenders, and this is a great class. I thought last year’s class was absurdly deep, and this year isn’t quite that good top to bottom. But there’s one elite, blue-chip prospect at the top, plenty of first-round talent behind him and some great options on Days 2 and 3 as well. It’s one of the stronger position groups in this draft class.

If you’d like to check out my other updated position rankings, you can do so below:

• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers

1: Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

A four-star recruit from Miami, Bain announced himself on the college football stage as a true freshman in emphatic fashion. In 2023, he earned ACC Rookie of the Year and third-team All-ACC honors behind 44 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass defensed. He suffered a significant calf injury in the season opener of his sophomore season, missing a chunk of the season as a result and hampering him even upon his return. But Bain had quite the comeback story as a junior, totaling 37 tackles, five sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a pass defensed. He earned first-team All-ACC honors and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Measuring at 6-3, 275 pounds, Bain can line up and rush the passer from the inside or the outside. His first step off the line is otherworldly for a man his size, immediately putting the tackle in recovery mode. He consistently makes first contact with the blocker, dictating the rep and establishing early positioning. Bain has elite bend and flexibility for his size, turning the corner in an instant and playing with impressive agility and quickness for such a large human being.

But power is Bain’s calling card, and he has it in spades. His hands jolt blockers on contact, ripping through them to apply pressure to the quarterback. He collapses pockets in fractions of a second, completely discarding the tackle within a step or two to break up a play. Bain combines his power and speed with the technical precision of a much more experienced player, with a wide variety of pass rush moves at his disposal and multiple counters available to him off his initial move. As a run defender, Bain is among the best in the class, playing with discipline and holding the edge with his blend of power and vision.

For all his strengths, the one small asterisk on Bain’s profile is his lack of elite arm length. He has good length, don’t get me wrong, but not the kind of game-changing arm length that will consistently beat out NFL tackles. That hasn’t been an issue to this point in his career, and he more than makes up for it with his technique, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Bain has been my top player in this class since the summer and that isn’t changing now. He’s a game-wrecker in the NFL, the kind of pass rusher a team can build around. Comparing players between classes can be somewhat difficult, but he’s one of the best edge defender prospects I’ve scouted in years — he’s in the same tier as guys like Myles Garrett and Chase Young. Bain is a no-brainer pick at the top of this draft and I’d argue in favor of passing on a quarterback to make sure you don’t miss out on his potential.

2: Joshua Josephs, Tennessee

A four-star recruit from Kennesaw, Georgia, Josephs played immediately as a true freshman but didn’t have his breakout year until his junior season in 2024. That year, he had 39 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles and three passes defensed. Despite his solid statline, he flew under the radar entering his senior season. Josephs followed it up by posting 33 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and two passes defensed, anchoring the Volunteers’ defense in 2025. 

At 6-3, 240 pounds, Josephs has the look of a modern undersized pass rush specialist. But that’s not how he plays. He has a massive wingspan and incredible power for his size, anchoring against the run and playing with exceptional eye discipline. He holds the edge and funnels action back inside, pursuing to make big plays in the backfield without giving up positioning or losing contain. Josephs’ success against the run means he can stay in the game in all situations — coaches don’t have to choose between sacrificing pass rush productivity for improved run support.

That said, Josephs will make his money as a pass rusher, because he’s really, really good at it. He uses his long arms to establish early contact and he has the leverage advantage against every tackle he faces. With freakish bend around the edge, Josephs plays with incredible hips and fluid movement, wasting no time turning the corner very quickly. His first step off the line is absurdly quick and he converts that speed to power well, exploding on contact to dent the line and create rush opportunities. And if all that wasn’t enough, Josephs plays with a veteran’s bag of pass rush moves, including a variety of counters to play off of.

Occasionally, Josephs’ lack of size can be a problem, particularly when an offensive tackle gets his hands on him to slow him down. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, Josephs has limited options available to him. In fact, he struggles more generally to free himself from blocks, something his coaches at the next level will invariably work with him on.

I’m genuinely not sure why Josephs isn’t talked about more as one of the elite pass rushers in this class. I have a first-round grade on him and he’s a top 10 player on my board. There just aren’t many human beings on the planet with his combination of length, burst, agility and strength. The fact that he’s so good against the run as well makes him such an elite prospect. Josephs is my favorite player in this class that no one is talking about.

3: David Bailey, Texas Tech

A four-star recruit from Irvine, Bailey committed to Stanford where he played for three seasons. He was named a freshman All-American in 2022 with 46 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles, following that up as a sophomore with 34 tackles and five sacks, making honorable mention All-Pac 12. As a junior, he posted 31 tackles, seven sacks and five forced fumbles, transferring to the Red Raiders after the season. As a senior in Lubbock, he led all power conference players in sacks and was named consensus first-team All-Big 12 with 42 tackles, 14 sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass defensed.

Measuring at 6-3, 250 pounds, Bailey fires off the snap so quickly it sometimes looks like he left early. He’s an athletic specimen, making Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List with incredible strength at his size that shocks blockers on contact. A violent pass rusher, Bailey has so many moves he uses to go after the quarterback, using his quick first step and powerful hands to win one-on-one. If he’s stymied initially, he’ll pivot to his deep bag of counters, always probing for an avenue to get by his man.

Bailey’s explosive quickness is worth mentioning again. He can stop and start on a time, adding extra layers to his pass rush moves other players simply can’t match. As a run defender, Bailey holds his own at the point of attack and maintains the edge well enough, pursuing to make big tackles for a loss. He can even drop into coverage with far more effectiveness than most edge rushers, though he’s still best deployed as a pass rusher.

One of Bailey’s biggest weaknesses is his overaggressiveness. He’s always chasing the big play, and frequently comes up with it — but he can get in trouble overpursuing, abandoning his rush lane and leaving scrambling windows wide open. Against the run, he’s particularly susceptible, and teams found success targeting him with the ground game. Bailey generally struggles against drive blockers and in short-yardage situations, and his bull rush is fairly hit or miss.

The most productive pass rusher in college football this season, Bailey is relentless to the ball with many ways of getting there. I have him with a first-round grade. If a team wanted to take him in the top 10, I wouldn’t bat an eye. His tape is that good, and players with his combination of athleticism and advanced technique have a high hit rate in the league.

4: Keldric Faulk, Auburn

A four-star recruit who stayed in his home state of Alabama, Faulk made a splash as a true freshman in 2023, earning freshman All-SEC honors with 36 tackles, a sack and a pass defensed. He had a massive breakout year as a sophomore, with 45 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defensed, garnering significant draft buzz entering his junior season. Faulk wasn’t as productive, but he did earn third-team All-SEC honors and had 29 tackles, two sacks and four passes defensed.

At 6-6, 285 pounds, Faulk is a positional chameleon. He can line up as a stand-up rusher, play with his hand in the dirt, or even reduce inside to moonlight at 3-technique. The power he has in his hands is staggering — often quite literally to the offensive linemen who have to stop him. He plays with devastating strength on contact, dislodging blockers and resetting the line of scrimmage. Faulk changes how teams run the football; he’s that good of an edge setter by himself.

As a pass rusher, Faulk has impressive agility for his size. He’s not as fast as some of these smaller players, but he makes up for it with quick feet and freakish bend. His hand usage is rapidly improving, as he’s learning how to use his strength to his advantage when hand fighting to create space and put the blocker off balance. Faulk’s natural length is a plus against most tackles, letting him dictate contact, and he’s disciplined in his rush lanes to hold containment.

Faulk is still developing as a pass rusher, and right now he only has one or two moves in his arsenal. Everything else he does is freestyling, which had limited effectiveness in college, let alone in the NFL. He needs to add an actual set of moves and counters to play off of, and until he does, his ability to get pressure on the quarterback will be minimal. Faulk will never have the get-off that smaller rushers do, so he needs to compensate by mastering his own strengths and playing to them when rushing the passer.

It’s easy to see why Faulk is so beloved by some evaluators. His athletic gifts are insane, especially at his size, and with some more refinement to his game he could be special. I see some red flags on his profile that worry me. Prospects like him tend to have a low hit rate in the NFL. Still, you can’t teach some of the stuff he can do, and for that reason, I still have a late first-round grade on him. I just wouldn’t take him with a top 10 pick, which is where his stock currently is.

5: Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

A three-star recruit from Kansas City, Howell spent three seasons at Bowling Green, taking a redshirt year in 2021 before racking up 12 sacks over his next two seasons. He transferred to Texas A&M in 2024, playing next to three NFL draft picks along the Aggies’ defensive line and still standing out with 40 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble, an interception and seven passes defensed. As a senior in 2025, Howell improved upon that production, putting up 29 tackles, 12 sacks, a forced fumble and six passes defensed, earning consensus first-team All-SEC recognition.

Checking in at 6-2, 248 pounds, Howell plays with burst off the snap. He’s moving before anyone else is, using his plus length to engage his blocker and set the tone for the rep. Few players in this class have as deep and as varied a bag of pass rush moves as Howell, and he keeps tackles guessing all game long with his approach to each snap. Howell deploys a devastating set of moves and counters that gives him an advantage in every matchup, and he’s constantly trying new things.

Howell can line up at multiple positions and he holds his own against the run, standing his ground and funneling the action back inside. He plays with good instincts in the backfield, with a knack for finishing plays and solid backfield production in each of his collegiate seasons. Howell has a nice blend of speed and power that he deploys in his pass rushes, with a lightning-quick first step and good, controlling hands throughout the rep that give him the ability to execute his moves.

Now, Howell can get washed out against the run occasionally, and he doesn’t set quite as hard an edge as others in this class. His athletic gifts aren’t as strong as others’, and he can struggle to disengage from blocks to make plays. Bigger tackles may have success against him at the next level, as Howell’s speed to power moves aren’t as strong as his pure speed moves and he can get hung up on contact.

While he’s an older prospect with some athletic limitations, Howell has multiple seasons of high-level production at the power conference level under his belt. He was the most productive pass rusher in 2024 on a defensive line that included Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart and Shemar Turner, all players selected in the first two rounds in the 2025 draft. Howell’s only gotten better since then, and he has a late first-round grade from me. He’ll make a team very happy in the middle to late part of the first round.

6: T.J. Parker, Clemson

A four-star high school recruit from Alabama, Parker made an impact on the field right away for the Tigers. He was named a freshman All-American behind 33 tackles, five sacks and a pass defensed, showcasing a high degree of technical skill for such a young player. As a sophomore, Parker was sensational, posting 57 tackles, 11 sacks, six forced fumbles and a pass defensed, making second-team All-ACC and entering 2025 with considerable hype. Parker wasn’t as productive as a junior, but he still had 37 tackles, five sacks and a pass defensed.

Standing at 6-3, 265 pounds, Parker is well-built even by NFL standards. He’s a masterful technician of a pass rusher, with many different moves he uses to create pressure. His hand usage in particular is exceptional, with strong initial contact to set the tone and great hand-fighting skills to free himself from blocks. Parker is great at using counters, too, setting up the opposing tackle over the course of the game to pay off other moves later on. You don’t have to worry about Parker being out of position or caught unaware, as he plays so fundamentally sound and diagnoses misdirection quickly.

As a run defender, Parker sets a hard edge and rallies to tackle the ball carrier. He doesn’t overpursue or lose contain often, and he’s disciplined in his rush lanes, not allowing the quarterback to scramble free through his side of the line. Once he gets into the backfield, he delivers consistent production, finishing sacks well with a relentless motor.

Parker isn’t a great athlete by NFL standards. He’s a step slow off the line and doesn’t have the short-area quickness to defeat blockers early. This is a problem against the more athletic tackles Parker faced, where he just didn’t have the movement skills to take advantage of the openings he created with his technical savvy. He also has too many missed tackles on his film — something he’ll want to clean up moving forward.

I have an early second-round grade on Parker, a notable fall from this summer when he was a top 10 player on my board. This season wasn’t good for Clemson at all, and it exposed some weaknesses in Parker’s game that become more of an issue when projecting to the next level. He just doesn’t have the athletic traits teams like to see from a first-round pick. But he can absolutely be a starter in the NFL, which is why he’s still a top 50 player for me.

7: Romello Height, Texas Tech

A four-star recruit who redshirted at Auburn in 2020, Height has been well-traveled in his collegiate career. He transferred to USC after the 2021 season and sat out a year under the transfer rules at the time, playing in 2023 and posting four sacks. Once again, he transferred after the season, this time heading to Georgia Tech and enjoying a breakout 2024 campaign with 34 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. Hitting the portal for his sixth and final season in college, Height landed with the Red Raiders and has been exceptional, racking up 33 tackles, nine sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defensed. He made first-team All-Big 12 for his efforts.

At 6-3, 240 pounds, Height is a pass-rushing specialist. His get-off is unmatched, firing off the ball to apply immediate pressure on the opposing tackle on every rep. Quarterbacks are constantly forced to step up in the pocket when Height is barreling toward them, even if he doesn’t win cleanly. He corners exceptionally well, flattening back to the quarterback without any wasted motion, increasing his sack production. Height is like a heat-seeking missile once he gets into the backfield, gunning for the passer or ball-carrier like he was shot out of a cannon and finishing plays with authority.

Height combines his freakish quickness and bend with advanced hand usage, befitting of someone who’s been in college as long as he has. He has a deep bag of pass rush moves and some well-crafted counters to play off them, chaining moves in dizzying sequences that keep tackles guessing on every play. He keeps his chest clean and doesn’t let blockers get consistent hands on him, staying low with active hands. In coverage, Height shows out quite well, capable of playing legitimate off-ball snaps as a coverage defender.

Height projects to be a pass rush specialist in the NFL largely because he’s a net negative against the run. He gets washed out by the blocking scheme far too often, lacking the anchor strength to hold the edge against dedicated blockers. Oftentimes, he gets so focused on chasing the big play that he gets exploited, overpursuing and leaving escape lanes wide open when he abandons his rush lane. Height has average length for an edge rusher at best, and when tackles get their hands on him, there sometimes isn’t anything he can do.

I have a second-round grade on Height. Despite his weaknesses, there are few players in this class who can get after quarterbacks the way he can, and that has tremendous value. He’ll be somewhat limited to a specific role early in his career, but if he can expand his game even a little and stay on the field all three downs, the sky’s the limit.

8: LT Overton, Alabama

A consensus five-star recruit from Georgia who originally committed to Texas A&M, Overton spent two underwhelming years with the Aggies before transferring to the Crimson Tide for his junior season in 2024. He had 42 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defensed that year, garnering some Day 2 draft buzz but ultimately choosing to return to school to try and improve his stock. Overton had 33 tackles, four sacks and a pass defensed as a senior, and will have a chance to add to those numbers during Bama’s College Football Playoff run.

Measuring at 6-5, 278 pounds, Overton moves incredibly well at his size. His change-of-direction skills are otherworldly, with the short-area quickness and bend of a man 30 pounds lighter. He has some ludicrous reps on film that other players simply can’t replicate, pulling off eye-popping moves with insane fluidity. Overton pairs that with great burst off the snap, exploding out of his stance to gain early advantages most players his size don’t have.

But Overton’s strength is his calling card, and boy can he use it. He plays with earth-shattering hands, detonating on contact with blockers and straight-up moving people where he wants them to go. He’s a phenomenal run defender, holding up against double teams and resetting the line of scrimmage backwards. Overton is a relentless pursuer and doesn’t give up on plays, and he can line up anywhere from a stand-up rusher all the way inside with effectiveness.

Overton’s production continues to lag significantly behind his physical gifts, and it’s because he doesn’t really have a pass-rush plan. He relies almost entirely on his natural athleticism. That’s good enough for a few sacks each year, but to actually make an impact at the NFL level, he needs more. Overton has game-wrecker potential but will need a lot of coaching to get there.

I’m not sure Overton really improved his stock at all coming back for his senior season, but he didn’t hurt it, either. He’s still going to be a second-round pick at worst because you just can’t teach the kind of athleticism he has, and coaches will be salivating at the chance to get him in the building and work with him. I have a second-round grade on Overton and would be much more comfortable taking him in that range — while I’m out on him as a first-round pick, his upside is worth chasing on Day 2.

9: R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

A four-star recruit from Fort Lauderdale, Thomas spent two injury-riddled seasons in Norman before breaking out as a junior with 23 tackles, nine sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defensed. That performance earned him second-team All-SEC recognition and he backed it up as a senior, posting 23 tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defensed in just eight games. Thomas was named first-team All-SEC after the season, though he’s been hampered by a quad injury and is questionable to play in the Playoff.

At 6-2, 249 pounds, Thomas is on the field to do one thing and one thing only: rush the passer. He’s good at it, too, with an impressive first step off the line of scrimmage that puts tackles in immediate scramble mode. When Thomas gets going, tackles have a tough time keeping up with him, and he has the bend and fluidity around the edge to apply instant pressure on the quarterback if he gets that first step. Thomas plays with great hands, keeping his chest clean and winning the leverage battle consistently.

Despite his size, Thomas is a decent run defender in college, with the strength to hold the point of attack and disciplined habits against the run. Once he gets into the backfield, he chases down the ball carrier like a bullet, with impressive backfield production each of the last two seasons. As a pass rusher, Thomas has a variety of moves he uses with effectiveness, and has built out a nice set of counters to come back with later in games.

I question how replicable Thomas’ run defense reps are against NFL-caliber tackles with the size and athleticism to really lock him up. He already gets moved off the ball sometimes and he just doesn’t play with enough power down-to-down to hold up at the next level. He also struggles when his speed moves aren’t working, and he could use a more varied approach to continue to create pressure when his initial move is stymied.

Overall, Thomas is a great Day 2 prospect. He can produce right away as a designated pass rusher and he’ll have the opportunity to grow into a larger role. The NFL is always looking for guys who can put the quarterback on the ground, and Thomas can absolutely do that. As a second- or third-round pick, I’d be very happy with what he could bring to my team.

10: Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan

A three-star recruit from New York, Tucker spent four years at Houston after redshirting in 2021. He barely played for the Cougars, with just 10 total tackles across three seasons before transferring to the Broncos for his fifth collegiate season. Tucker had a monster breakout in Kokomo, leading the nation in sacks and tackles for a loss with 55 tackles, 15 sacks, four forced fumbles and a pass defensed. He was named a second-team All-American after the season and is starting to generate some much-deserved draft buzz.

Checking in at 6-3, 250 pounds, Tucker is an elite pass rusher. He primarily lines up as a stand-up rusher and he is devastating from that alignment. Few tackles in the MAC could handle his size and speed, with a number of impressive quick wins on his tape. His first step off the line grants him the immediate upper hand, firing off the ball and dictating contact throughout the rep. Tucker isn’t a one-speed rusher, either, with legitimate counters and multiple ways to win.

Tucker won’t be setting any hard edges in the run game, but he’s a good team run defender. He knows how to knife into the backfield to make big plays — and he does so frequently — but he doesn’t leave his assignments to chase stats. As a pass rusher, he has a deep array of moves he uses and has the quick feet to dance past offensive tackles. I like his speed to power arsenal, as well, showcasing some nice versatility to his game.

The elephant in the room with Tucker is that he is a one-year breakout guy at a lower-level program. That inevitably raises eyebrows. He’s an older, undersized prospect with zero production outside of this one year, and he couldn’t break into the rotation at Houston. That’s not a good sign. Additionally, I think Tucker will be limited to the designated pass rusher role in even fronts, as he’s just too small to hold up on the edge as a traditional defensive end.

Truly one of the gems of this class, Tucker isn’t being talked about much right now but that could change quickly. More than for most prospects, the all-star circuit and Combine will be crucial for him. If he tests well and shows out at the Senior Bowl, for example, we could be looking at a top 50 player. For now, I have a third-round grade on him, but how he performs over the next several months could raise his stock.