Apr 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles helmet during the Spring Showcase at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images Melina Myers-Imagn Images

FSU pass-rushing pipeline continues to shine in NFL preseason hype

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Jackson Bakich | Last updated May 31, 2025 7:30 PM ET

With the NFL season kicking off in a little over three months, trends and storylines are beginning to take shape for 2025.

Florida State football has produced a plethora of great players in the National Football League at nearly every position, but edge rusher has been a highlight as of late.

Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus would likely agree with this sentiment, as three of the top 32 edge rushers on his list came from FSU. These include Jared Verse (#8), Brian Burns (#16), and Josh Sweat (#25).

Smith sang the praises of Verse and his abilities in his article:

"Verse established himself as one of the NFL’s premier pass-rushers en route to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, finishing fourth in total pressures (77) and sixth in pass-rush win rate (19.6%). He also defended the run at a high level, earning an 81.0 PFF run-defense grade. Verse continued his strong play into the postseason, recording 12 pressures and two sacks across the Rams’ two playoff games."Ryan Smith, Pro Football Focus

Moreover, the PFF writer reminded viewers that Burns had one of his best years with the New York Giants after playing with the Carolina Panthers.

"Burns’ first season in New York was a success, as he posted a career-high 79.2 PFF grade, fueled by an 82.9 pass-rush grade and 61 total pressures — both the second-highest marks of his career."Ryan Smith, Pro Football Focus

Finally, Smith shared that Josh Sweat's seven-year stint with the Eagles ended successfully in the Super Bowl, but Sweat will look to maintain the production he had with the Arizona Cardinals.

"Sweat capped off a stellar seven-year run with the Eagles by recording 2.5 sacks in the Super Bowl, then signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent in March. He showed improvement against the run in 2024, earning a 67.8 grade after posting a career-low 54.2 in 2023."Ryan Smith, Pro Football Focus

With all three of these teams in the National Football Conference, you could see a couple of FSU alums duke it out in the playoffs this upcoming season.