Aidan Hutchinson
School: Michigan
Height: 6’6
Weight: 265
Position: Edge
40: 4.74
3-Cone 6.73
Arms: 32 1/8
Strengths
Hutchinson’s game is built around power and a relentless motor. He’s quick with his hands and has a strong upper body that will help him shed blockers at the NFL level. Additionally, Hutchinson has a quick first step that gives him an edge in pass rushing. He uses his strong upper frame to push linemen off balance for a highly effective bull rush.
Weaknesses
Because of Hutchinson’s height, it’s sometimes hard for him to maintain good leverage. As a result, he needs to develop a wider array of pass rush moves. Hutchinson will not be able to bully offensive tackles in the NFL like he did in college. Adjusting will take time if asked to play with his hand on the ground.
Hutchinson projects as a good 4-3 defensive end, but he could also work in a 3-4 edge with his ability to stand up. He lacks the athleticism to drop by in coverage, but with his quickness, he should be an outstanding player in the NFL.
Player Comp: Jared Allen
Kayvon Thibodeaux
School: Oregon
Height: 6’5
Weight: 258
Position: Edge
40: 4.58
Arms: 33 1/8
Hands: 9 3/4
Strengths
Thibodeaux is quick and athletic with long arms that help him fight off offensive tackles. He packs power in his punch when he uses his hands. With his athletic ability, Thibodeaux has shown the ability to drop back in coverage when called upon. The PAC12 standout is good at setting the edge and finishing plays against the run.
Weaknesses
Thibodeaux will need to work on his pass-rushing techniques as he won’t be able to beat offensive tackles using pure speed and athleticism all the time. When he faced better tackles, he sometimes had a tendency to get pushed around. Also, injuries could be a concern but hopefully, they don’t turn out to be long-term.
Thibodeaux has all the tools to be a successful edge rusher that could either fit in a 4-3 or a 3-4 system. However, if Thibodeaux fine-tunes his pass-rush ability, the sky is his limit.
Player Comp: Chase Young
Travon Walker
College: Georgia
Height: 6-5
Weight:275
Position: Edge
40: 4.51
3-Cone: 6.89
Arms: 35 1/2
Hands: 10 3/4
Strengths
Travon Walker has tremendous length and is strong while also being very athletic. Walker can run plays down from behind, and his length allows him to control the offensive lineman. He can fire out his stance and covers a lot of distance. In college Walker physically dominated many offensive linemen. Walker is versatile as he can play inside in certain passing rushing situations and drop back in coverage. He’s outstanding in the run game and can set a strong edge which is why he’s rocketing up draft boards.
Weaknesses
Walker is stiff in his lower body and needs to refine his pass-rushing moves. He also tends to get stuck on blocks more than he should for a player with his size and talent. Finally, awareness in the run game will need to improve to reach his full potential at the pro level.
Walker should be able to fit in any defensive system with his ability to play anywhere on the line, but a 3-4 end works well for him. Once he improves his pass-rushing skills, Walker could become unstoppable.
Player Comp: Cameron Jordan
David Ojabo
College: Michigan
Height 6-5
Weight: 250
Position: Edge
40: 4.55
Arms 33 1/2
Hands: 9
Strengths
David Ojabo is very athletic, fast, and flexible, coming off the edge. Ojabo also has some good pass-rushing moves and solid closing speed. He also has good length to keep blockers off him and has developed counter moves that will help him shed blocks and get sacks.
Weakness
Ojabo is not a very good run defender at the moment as he struggles at times setting the edge. He has the length to shed blocks but may need to get stronger for it to translate to the NFL level. At the Michigan Pro Day, Ojabo tore his Achilles tendon, and his draft stock is dropping. It will be a long recovery for Ojabo.
With the injury, many teams will pass on Ojabo, which means he could end up on a better squad that will have the time for Ojabo to rehab. Ojabo could fit as a 4-3 end and 3-4 outside linebacker. The question is, will he still be the same after the injury.
Player Comp: Leonard Floyd
George Karlaftis
College: Purdue
Height: 6’4
Wieght:275
Position: Edge
Arms: 32 5/8
Hands: 10 1/4
Strengths
Karlaftis wins his battles by being physical at the line of scrimmage. He has a great first step and is violent with his hands. With his quickness, Karlaftis shoots gaps well and makes plays in the backfield. He does a great job setting the edge and manhandles tight ends when they try to block him. Karlaftis has a non-stop motor and is always around the ball.
Weaknesses
Karlaftis relied on power in college; he will have to do more than that in the NFL. He’ll need to develop some pass-rushing moves because the offensive linemen in the NFL are bigger and stronger.
The former Purdue star should be able to move all across the line, making him capable of playing in a variety of defensive schemes. Strength is sometimes an issue with draft picks, but it shouldn’t be with Karlaftis.
Player Comp: Sam Hubbard
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83
Photo: Maize & Blue Nation. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.