Early, Middle, Late: Nine Packers Draft Prospects at Edge

Day 2

JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State

If you just watched JT Tuimoloau play against Penn State in 2022, you’d be convinced he was set to be the next Reggie White. He was a star in the Buckeyes’ 44-31 win with two sacks, two interceptions – including a pick-six – and a forced fumble.

In 2024, Tuimoloau racked up a Big Ten-leading 12.5 sacks and went home with a national championship.

Tuimoloau is Dane Brugler’s No. 43 player at The Athletic but unranked in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest Top 50 at NFL.com. Given the depth of the edge class, he could be available when the Packers are on the clock at No. 54.

Tuimoloau’s a more advanced technician at this stage of his career than most college rushers and a quality run defender. The Packers typically have preferred their pass rushers to have higher ceilings than Tuimoloau, but those are hard to find outside of Round 1. If Tuimoloau falls into Day 2, his limited ceiling should not be as much of a concern.  

Jordan Burch, Oregon

From a media perspective, most of the Oregon-centric attention has gone to Burch’s teammate, defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. Burch, however, had 8.5 sacks and 11 tackles for losses in just 10 games in 2024.

At 6-foot-4 and 279 pounds, he fits the Packers’ mold and could have some positional versatility to kick inside in obvious passing downs.

Burch still could have some untapped potential, as he was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school and one of the captains of the 2020 All-American game. NFL general managers typically believe in talent and pedigree; Burch certainly has some of that to spare.

From an investment standpoint, Burch could be available at Green Bay’s spot in the second round; he is Dane Brugler’s No. 52 player at The Athletic. As a solid run defender and improving pass rusher, he’d be a good fit.

Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College

The former pupil of Jeff Hafley is polarizing from the standpoint that there is some buzz he could sneak his way into the first day of the draft. That’s certainly possible, as he is Dane Brugler’s No. 22 prospect at The Athletic and Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 25 prospect at NFL.com.

What do we know about the Packers’ preferences on the edge? They like those players to be big. Ezeiruaku is only 6-foot-2 1/2 and 248 pounds. Would the Packers be willing to overlook that? The answer has typically been yes, but only if it was outside of the first round. In the first round, the trends have been pretty clear. Bigger, stronger and faster.

Ezeiruaku would likely fit their plans a little better if he fell out of the first round. If the Packers were able to trade back into the early portion of the second round to draft him, they’d likely feel even better.

On the field? He was one of the most productive players in college football with 16.5 sacks in 2024.

He needs some polish as a pass rusher and may not have the upside as some of the prospects that will likely go before him, but he should be a productive NFL player, even if he never becomes more than a pass rusher in subpackages.

Day 3

Josaiah Stewart, Michigan

Sticking with the idea the Packers could be looking for a potential change-up, Josaiah Stewart certainly would apply.

With all the big, burly men that occupy the Packers’ defensive ends room, Stewart would stand out because of how much smaller he is than the rest of them. Stewart is 6-foot-1 and 249 pounds. His film is filled with bending the edge and beating opposing offensive tackles with speed.

He transferred to Michigan for his final two seasons, and led the team with 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for losses and two forced fumbles in his lone year as a starter.

He’s ranked 16th in Dane Brugler’s edge-rusher rankings and outside of the top-100. That means the Packers could look at Stewart as someone to just be able to scream off the edge as a situational rusher early in Day 3.

Would Gutekunst forego his typical preference on the edge for a smaller player? On Day 1, the answer is probably not, but the possibilities rise on Day 3.

Femi Oladejo, UCLA

Femi Oladejo is an interesting prospect. He spent most of his college career as an off-the-ball linebacker, but injuries and personnel forced him to the edge in 2024. He excelled with 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for losses.

While an under-developed rusher, he has great balance and body control to stick to his track and force blockers to stay in front of him. At 6-foot-3 1/4 and 259 pounds, he’s right up to the edge of their preferences. Could the Packers look to grab a player like him if he falls through Day 2? It’s more possible as the level of investment goes lower.

Fadil Diggs, Syracuse

Fadil Diggs is an athletic rusher that has the desired frame, length and density to be scheme-diverse across teams. He is a little lighter than what the Packers have preferred on the edge, but that may not matter as much if they are able to take him in the later rounds. He had a virtual meeting with the Packers according to The Draft Network.

In 2024, he had 7.5 sacks, 14 tackles for losses and one forced fumble. He has an explosive first step that eats up ground on a speed rush, something the Packers don’t really have in their edge room.

He’s ranked 24th in Dane Brugler’s draft guide for pass rushers, which likely makes him someone the Packers could grab in the fifth round or later. If they think he can develop and push players like Brenton Cox or Arron Mosby, he could be someone Green Bay targets in the middle of Day 3.