1. Will Anderson, Alabama

HT: 6031
WT: 243
5-star (0.9913) Super Sophomore from Dutchtown (Hampton, GA)
Will Anderson is a ridiculously versatile defensive lineman prospect who played all over the Alabama defensive line. He’s been utilized as a 3-tech, 5-tech, RUSH EDGE, and been great in everything that he does. Steve Sarkisian nicknamed Anderson ‘The Terminator” as the offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2020 because of his big play ability and target acquisition skills. 

Pros:

• Incredibly quick and fast. Incredible athlete. Very quick laterally. 
• First step timing is impeccable. Incredible get-off. Ridiculously explosive. 
• Very strong upper body. Great pure leg drive to bull rush with. Awesome lower body strength. 
• Excellent bend that allows him to get where he wants to. 
• Very strong wrap up tackler. Clean technique and solid strength to make the tackle happen. 
• Very strong defender in space. 

Cons:

• Could be more balanced when attacking the other half after a move.
• Slightly undersized, needs to add weight to his frame.

2. Will McDonald, Iowa State

HT: 6026
WT: 236
3-star (0.8614) Super Redshirt Junior from North High (Waukesha, WI)
Will McDonald made The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list this year, mostly for his incredible explosive ability. “He’s an elite athlete who can do backflips standing still and has videos jumping over cars. All of that along with sacking the QB,” his head coach, Matt Campbell, said. Campbell expects him to leap over 40 inches in the vertical jump at the combine and broad jump 11 feet.

Pros:

• Solid speed, has an excellent speed rush. Strong athletic profile. Shows great length. 
• Very explosive. Athleticism is off of the charts. 
• Good hands get him underneath the block to make up for his lack of bend. 
• Good tackler.
•  Attempts to impact the play in any way possible. 

Cons:

• Fairly balanced as a prospect, does struggle if he has to overwork to get past a block. 
• Doesn’t have great bend, but isn’t stiff. Can work under the block. 
• Needs to add some bulk to his frame.

3. Ali Gaye, LSU

HT: 6055
WT: 268
3-star (0.8830) Super Redshirt Senior from Edmonds-Woodway (Lynnwood, WA)
Ali Gaye is a native of Gambia and moved to the United States at the age of 12. At LSU last season, Gaye played all across the defensive line and was effective in pretty much any tech. Gaye can get a little bit too aggressive and let that impact his decision-making – a character flaw that will need some ironing.

Pros:

• Excellent lateral quickness. Allows him to be very shifty while attacking the block. 
• Excellent body control. Keeps his balance and feet very well while attacking the blocker.
• Very quick first step. Terrifying. 
• Shows good hand usage from time to time. Gets his arms up quickly to disrupt passing lanes. 
• Pure brute at times. Will rely on his ability to win 1v1 with his strength. 

Cons:

• Doesn’t possess elite end speed. Appears average in that regard. Doesn’t run as well as you’d expect. Struggles to get up to speed and accelerate. 
• Shows some real explosion from the snap. Want to see it more consistently all the way through the rep. 
• Decent tackler when he can get hands on the player. Isn’t often in position to make a play. Almost strictly a pass rusher. Struggles to support off the edge. Has very little control of the tackle. Struggles sometimes to wrap up. Just doesn’t have a great form. 
• Missed the majority of the 2021 season with an injury. 

4. Jared Verse, Florida State

HT: 6032
WT: 248
Not Rated Super Redshirt Sophomore from Central Columbia (Dayton, OH)
A transfer from Albany. Absolute game wrecker. Albany was Verse’s only offer coming out of high school, where he was listed as a 6’4″ 247 lbs edge player from Central Columbia High. He enrolled in Albany on August 1st, 2019, and worked his way into catching the attention of Florida State, who found him while scouting for Syracuse. His performance against the Orange was so impressive that Florida State put everything they had into getting him when he entered the transfer portal. 

Pros:

• Very solid athlete, especially for the position. So quick laterally. Can do everything he’s asked to in a scheme. Excellent speed.
• Solid first step. Very difficult to contain. 
• Very good bend. 
• Strong tackler. 

Cons:

• Could use some more weight added to his frame.
• Not great with his hands, doesn’t look like he knows how to use them. 

5. Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

HT: 6052
WT: 275
3-star (0.8813) Super Redshirt Junior from West Rusk (New London, TX)
A transfer from Texas A&M, Tyree Wilson really stepped up as a pass rusher in 2021, generating 37 pressures and collecting 6 sacks. His efforts landed him on the Senior Bowl Watchlist, the Shrine Bowl 1000, and even named as a top 25 prospect by the NFS, according to a leaked list from Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer.

Pros:

• Very quick. Good athlete overall, should test fairly well in all categories. 
• Very sudden first step, dangerous when he can time it with the snap well. Very explosive athlete. 
• Has some serious leg drive to generate a powerful bull rush. 
• Strong tackler.
• Motor is good, not great. I’d like to see him work to the boundary better. 

Cons:

• Really needs to disengage with blocks better and faster. Likes to hold them in place. 
• Stiff athlete, don’t really see any bend from him. 
• Has no idea how to use his hands. Gets plugged routinely at the line of scrimmage. 
• Doesn’t typically place his hands very well. 
• Maybe too heavy and might help himself to lose some weight.

6. Derick Hall, Auburn

HT: 6021
WT: 256
4-star (0.9378) Super Junior from Gulfport (Gulfport, MS)
Last season, Derick Hall became a full-time starter for the Auburn Tigers, and he did not disappoint. He went from 4 sacks in 2020 to 10 sacks in 2021, including 3 against Alabama, and showed a bunch of exciting tools that could make him a very solid professional athlete.

Pros:

• Good, not great, athlete. 
• Excellent upper body strength. 
• Strong bend both inside and out. Plays with a very low center of gravity. 
• Good wrap up tackler. Would like to see him play with his head up a little bit more.

Cons:

• Good brute strength, not great, but enough to impact the play upon occasion.
• Hand usage is good, not great. Needs to try and keep his hands a little bit lower, tends to go up high with them and can draw unwanted penalties. 

7. Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

HT: 6015
WT: 265
3 star (0.8485) Super Junior from North Kansas City (Kansas City, MO)
Adetomiwa Adebawore’s length stands out immediately on tape. Despite not having an ideal size, standing a good two inches shorter than the average pass rusher, Adebawore has the length to make up for it, with very long arms and legs that he has built into powerful generators for his pass-rushing skillset.

Pros:

• Very good athlete for the position. Has a decent speed rush that can be a handful to work against. Very solid lateral quickness. 
• Explosive athlete. Plays with solid explosion. Very good first step. 
• Very strong upper body. Does a good job handling contact from any side. 
• Good balance to pull off a variety of moves. 
• Strong tackling ability. Wraps up well and brings down the ball carrier with his weight. 
• Good motor. Plays through the whistle with high intensity. Very consistent on a play-to-play basis. 

Cons:

• Hand usage still isn’t ideal. Get’s his hands to the right spot, just doesn’t know how to use them to get off of the block effectively. 
• A little bit small for the position – might be limited to a certain scheme/situation fit.

8. BJ Ojulari, LSU

HT: 6021
WT: 245
4-star (0.9634) Super Sophomore from Marietta (Marietta, GA)
BJ Ojulari was awarded the #18 jersey in 2022 with his motor and consistency. He was named a team captain in 2022 and lauded for his leadership ability from before the season started.

Pros:

• Solid speed. Excellent athlete.
• Has good body control to turn his body and move wherever he has to. 
• Flashes some excellent bend. 
• Very strong hands. Ojulari’s hand placement is good enough to continuously drive the blocker back with a solid stiff arm and patience through the rep. 
• Good pursuit angles to the perimeter.

Cons:

• Struggles in technique with hand fighting. Just doesn’t have a plan entering a rep. 
• Average tackler. Doesn’t show much of anything special, doesn’t wrap up as well as he needs to. 
• A good bit undersized, and would help himself to put on some weight.

9. Taylor Upshaw, Michigan

HT: 6032
WT: 262
3-star (0.8742) Super Redshirt Junior from Braden River (Bradenton, FL)
Courtney Upshaw is best comparable to Brian Orakpo in terms of how he is built and proportioned. The issue is that size has not traditionally worked well in the NFL, so Upshaw is viewed as a bit of a tweener and requires elite explosion (which Orakpo had). Upshaw doesn’t appear to have that going for him. 

Pros:

• Flashes some speed to track plays down from behind. Good, not great, athlete. 
• Takes good pursuit angles. 
• Decent upper body strength. 
• Flashes a good motor. Plays to the whistle. Good hustle and effort. 

Cons:

• Doesn’t have great lateral quickness. Can get caught up in traffic while trying to stunt and lose his momentum. 
• Lacks a lot of lower body strength to fight back against power. Doesn’t have a lot of suddenness or explosion. 
• Overall a very stiff athlete. 
• Doesn’t use his hands well. 
• Decent tackler. Struggles to wrap up effectively. 

10. Xavier Thomas, Clemson

HT: 6021
WT: 265
5-star (0.9988) Super Senior from IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Xavier Thomas is a guy who can step into a program and bring valuable depth. Plays both down in a three-point stance and upright as a 3-4 OLB. I don’t see much more to his game outside of being a long-term backup/rotational piece at the next level, but that is valuable in this modern NFL.

Pros:

• Very solid speed. 
• Solid run defender and tackler. Offers a good bit of value to a defense based on that.
• Very good pursuit defender. 
• Does not give up on the play, even when he misses the assignment first. Stays with the play. 

Cons:

• Struggles with balance at times. 
• Strength isn’t ideal, especially considering his size.
• Doesn’t show a lot of bend, but works through blocks well. 

11. Habakkuk Baldonado, Pittsburgh

HT: 6042
WT: 260
3-star (0.8573) Super Redshirt Junior from Clearwater (Rome, Italy)
Habakkuk Baldonado played three seasons of football in Rome, Italy, before moving to Clearwater, Florida, in 2017. In one season of high school football in America, Baldonado managed to gain major attention and was recruited heavily his senior year. His frame is very long and should measure very well. 

Pros:

• Very solid speed for his position. Very quick laterally. 
• Fairly explosive athlete. Shows a lot more explosion later in the rep than he starts with. 
•  Great balance, Keeps his body in good position. 
• Good hand usage. Got to watch where he places them from time to time, but shows a lot of promise using them. Works his hands extremely well when working off a block to make a play beside him. 
• Excellent space defender. 

Cons:

• Doesn’t have ideal upper body strength. Not a “brute” athlete by any stretch of the imagination. 
• Seems to struggle with wrapping up the ball carrier in the gap and securing the tackle. 
• Struggles in pursuit, especially from the backside. Much too aggressive, trying to make up for his size. 

12. Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska

HT: 6045
WT: 260
3-star (0.8635) Super Redshirt Junior from Manor (Manor, TX)
A transfer from TCU. Ochaun Mathis made both the Senior Bowl Watchlist and the Shrine Bowl 1000, and was highly coveted this offseason as a portal prospect. He was heavily pursued by both Nebraska and Texas but chose the Cornhuskers as they enter a season looking to make a statement.

Pros:

• Shows good body control. 
• Very balanced throughout his rush. 
• Good hand usage. 
• Good, not great, tackler. Throws his body around to make stops. Solid pursuit angles. 
• Long, lengthily presence who does not give up on plays. Stays with it furiously. Rangy, continuously chases plays to the perimeter. 

Cons:

• Average athlete.
• Doesn’t have a lot of first step quickness. Would like to see a little bit more explosion from him at times. 
• Doesn’t show a lot of bend. 

13. Zach Harrison, Ohio State

HT: 6051
WT: 271
5-star (0.9933) Super Junior from Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center, OH)
Zach Harrison came into Ohio State with huge expectations that just haven’t really been met yet. He struggles to get off of blocks and mostly makes his impact on play designs that leave him unblocked or in a favorable matchup. He offers some run defense ability, but Harrison will be limited to a rotational role at the next level.

Pros:

• Flashes some solid explosion.
• Very strong upper body. Does have a tendency to get locked into blocks, but that’s more of a hands issue than it is an upper body strength issue. 
• Good tackler, shows some decent ability as a run defender. Would like to see him work on developing a cleaner tackling form. 
• Solid defender in space in the flats. Has shown the ability to play the option as the read defender decently well.
• Solid pursuit defender. Can make plays on the boundary and up to the sideline.
• Motor is good. Chases play to the boundary, stays in position when the play is on his side of the field.

Cons:

• Doesn’t have great speed. Has reportedly been clocked in the forty-yard dash at 4.47 seconds, but I don’t see that at all on tape. Good athlete, not great. 
• First step is really average. 
• Flashes good bend, but tends to be too wide with his circle. 
• Hand usage is raw and underdeveloped. Needs to find a way to use his hands better and utilize that incredible length that he has. Even struggles to get off of tight ends. 
• Hand placement is bad from the get go. Has no real plan going into a rep. 

14. Jordan Domineck, Arkansas

HT: 6021
WT: 235
3-star (0.8431) Super Redshirt Junior from George W Jenkins (Lakeland, FL)
A transfer from Georgia Tech, Jordan Domineck enters Arkansas with 15 career starts. Domineck is a high-upside prospect with a huge ceiling but needs the patience and coaching to get him there.

Pros:

• Very quick. Good speed. Excellent athlete at the position. Very quick laterally. Excellent intensity. 
• So quick off his first step. Immediately an issue in the backfield. Very solid first step. 
• Good lower body strength to drive the blocker back. 
• Good hand strength, but could be stronger. 
• Strong tackler. Has excellent form to jar the ball loose too. Has the ability to be an effective run support player. 
• Very strong motor. Intense player through the whistle. 

Cons:

• Hand usage isn’t great, but Domineck instead focuses on playing intensely to attack the quarterback. Doesn’t show a plan when going into a rep, but has the ability to get off when he needs to so as to attack the run. Technical around the edge.
• Hand placement is initially good, but doesn’t consistently have a plan entering a rep. Want to see that develop. 
• Needs to wrap up more consistently – missed 17% of his tackles over his career at Georgia Tech. 

15. KJ Henry, Clemson

HT: 6036
WT: 260
5-star (0.9928) Super Redshirt Junior from West Forsyth (Clemmons, NC)
KJ Henry was super lauded coming out of high school but seemingly has not found his rhythm in college to be the player that people thought he’d be. This is the year where he needs to show everyone who he can be – the potential is there, now he just needs to put everything together.

Pros:

• Doesn’t look like he’s moving very fast but covers some ground quickly regardless. Excellent closing speed on the quarterback. 
• Good lateral quickness, moves well. 
• Good tackling ability despite the fact that he doesn’t tend to wrap up. 
• Henry generally takes good angles to the football. 
• Henry generally stays with the play and doesn’t give up. Works well down field to make tackles if needed. 

Cons:

• Doesn’t consistently show that first-step explosiveness throughout the game. Seems to get tired at times and slows down. Effort drops too. 
• Hand usage isn’t great except when moving extreme laterally. Doesn’t show a lot of ability to shed blocks. Doesn’t place his hands well to win 1v1 reps. 
• Doesn’t consistently play hard.