The edge linebacker prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are reviewed below from the Ravens perspective.
The offensive tackle prospects were previously reviewed here.
The guard prospects were previously reviewed here.
If time permits there are a few additional lower-tier edge linebacker prospects who I will add here.
Ravens Current Situation and Need at Edge Linebacker
Currently, the Ravens have Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, Malik Harrison, and Malik Hamm. Oweh is a clear starter heading into 2024 and, I believe, on the verge of a complete breakthrough. You can read more about my Oweh thoughts here. But at this point, there is no obvious second starter. Harrison is a run defender only. Ojabo is a complete unknown. Van Noy, in a perfect world, is a situational pass rusher. Robinson has not shown any elite trait. And Hamm, who highlighted some talent in the 2023 exhibition season (including a nice spin move) has not played an NFL down.
The Ravens clearly need a talent infusion at the edge, given the disappointing loss of Jadeveon Clowney. Ideally, a three-down, edge setting player who can attack to the quarterback on a consistent basis. Of course, those are traits that are not easy to come by.
The Edge Linebacker Class
As you will see below, this is not a particularly deep, or unusually talented, edge linebacking class.
Dallas Turner
Turner is 21.25 years old, 6’2 and 247 pounds from Alabama. He had 27 college starts and recorded 23.5 sacks, 11 of which were last season (leading the SEC). Turner is an outstanding athlete who has all of the physical tools to be a dynamic pass rusher in the NFL. He still has more work to do as an edge defender in the running game but is starting at a solid point. It’s highly unlikely that there is any scenario where Turner is available to the Ravens, and I don’t see a situation where the Ravens can get up to get Turner. Round 1. Ravens: Unavailable.
Jared Verse
Verse is 23.5 years old, 6’3 and 254 pounds from Florida States. Verse logged 34 college starts (22 at Florida State) and logged 18 sacks at FSU. He is such an explosive player with tremendous power who has a full repertoire of moves. I could pen a great deal more about both he and Turner, but there’s little point as there’s also no scenario where Verse is available to Baltimore. If I’m wrong and he is, it would be hard not to turn in his card. Round 1. Ravens: Unavailable.
Laiatu Latu
Latu is 23.3 years old, 6’4 and 259 pounds from UCLA. We have to start with Latu’s injury history, having suffered a serious neck injury pre-season 2020 which forced him to medically retire in early 2021. He was subsequently medically cleared to play in 2022 and was immediately the comeback player of the year logging 10.5 sacks. He followed that up this past season with another 13 sacks to go with 21.5 tackles for loss.
Latu was nothing short of dominant at the Senior Bowl practices, displaying his very good speed and bend around the edge. Slide moves, spins, swims, and elite hand usage were highlighted. And although it was clear that his swim move was the centerpiece of his inventory, there’s almost no move that isn’t in his bag. He has an advanced ability to stitch them together. However, and more generally, I did not see that level of incredible initial explosiveness that I expected. I wouldn’t rate it elite. But he can slide past a guard very quickly.
Latu is very proficient getting disconnected from the tackle with his swipes. He’s also very good with push-pull moves. Latu most definitely has a rush plan on every play. He knows how to take advantage of angles and openings. He never quits on a play and will chase all the way around the tackle if he needs to.
Latu’s arms are a bit short for the edge. Time will tell how much a detriment that will be at the next level, but there were instances at the Senior Bowl practices where he was receiving a blow before he could deliver his own, leaving him locked out.
Latu is a good, but not great, run defender. He’s able to shed blocks, which is critically important in holding the edge. But he’s not a bring-the-wood type of tackler; he hasn’t show the type of wham that you like to see. There are a bit too many instances where he couldn’t disengage from blockers, and I wonder how stout he will be on the outside. He can be a bit too upright, but he is very well schooled.
Latu is a very instinctive player who brings a great motor. He’s nowhere near the athlete that a Dallas Turner is, which is why Turner will get drafted higher. Latu is at the top of this year’s edge linebacking class. But in a deeper year, I believe he’d be seen as a second round talent.
For Latu, the primary issue will be his medicals, as most everyone has noted. For those teams who are satisfied with them, he’s a first rounder, particularly in a year where there aren’t that many top end edge rushers. Latu could be available where (or near where) the Ravens are drafting. Round 1. Ravens: Yes (if they clear his medicals), but not a resounding round 1 “yes”.
Chop Robinson
Robinson is 21.3 years old, 6’2 and 254 pounds from Penn State. In some respects Robinson is the opposite of Latu. Robinson is an elite athlete who is incredibly explosive but needs a lot of technical work. His testing numbers at the Combine were not of this world, as he ran a 4.48 forty, a 4.25 20-yard shuttle, and had a 10’8” broad jump (all 90th+ percentile performances). There’s no better athlete in the class.
For Ravens fans, lets deal with the devil in the room. Yes, Robinson only had three sacks, so the sack production was not there, just as it wasn’t for Odafe Oweh (who notoriously had zero sacks in his final collegiate year). But I don’t measure one player (Robinson) by what happened with another player (Oweh); they have nothing to do with each other. Be clear that Robinson is an athlete that Oweh is not (which is no knock on Oweh). You see it on the tape. I’m in the camp that Robinson’s flaws are almost all coachable.
And, the sack numbers at Penn State don’t tell the whole story. Just like they never did with Jadeveon Clowney. Robinson’s pass-rush grade on true pass sets was 100%. That’s no typo. The ability is there. To date, he mostly wins with his elite explosion; he’s a heat-seeking missile on the snap with hands to match. Some of his critics rightly point out that his best production came against inferior tackles, and that is a bit of a warning signal. He has a lot of work to do understanding and attacking angles, putting together his moves, and setting up blockers. He has a current inventory (a good swipe and a stick move), with more to go.
Robinson plays with a natural leverage you can’t teach and has lower body power on the move that is hard to combine. But at Penn State he was regularly aligned in the “wide nine” technique (aligned wide outside of the tight end – which forces the tackle to kick out to get to him – and angled back toward the quarterback with more limited run responsibilities) which played to his strengths. Wide-nine has not been a staple of the Ravens defense.
Robinson has light feet and very good lateral quickness. He utilizes both hands and has a good ability to turn speed into power on almost any play. He’s not as gifted as a bull rusher, as he lacks the base power out of the snap. He can be knocked off balance. Robinson did a reasonably good job holding the edge as a run defender but I expect NFL tackles to give him more trouble in the run game once they latch onto him and with pure power. He doesn’t surrender easily and will fight back, and he brings physicality at the line of scrimmage.
Robinson is not as polished as he will have to be to become a premier rusher. He’s young and still learning with farther to go. Yes, right now he’s more traits than polished, just like Oweh. Dare you risk pick 30 on that? Round 1-2. Ravens: Yes.
Darius Robinson
Robinson is 22.5 years old, 6’5 and 285 pounds from Missouri. Robinson was an absolute stud at the Senior Bowl practices. He used speed from the outside to win, demonstrated a swim move to win on the inside, and wrecked mayhem throughout the practices. He was voted the best defender there by his peers. Robinson can attack from both the outside and the inside. He brings excellent positional versatility as a rusher, which is very attractive for a team like the Ravens. It’s easy to project him as a five-technique (lined up outside the shoulder of the offensive tackle) in the Ravens scheme.
Robinson is a very tough, hard working player with a burning hot motor. The strength of his game is his strength and tremendous raw power. He holds the point of attack. He is a bull rusher supreme, using his long arms, powerful hands and generally a good pad level to generate excellent extension and a relentless drive. Robinson consistently gets very low, and if he gets into the tackles pads, he wins. Robinson combines this with an explosive first step. He easily converts his speed into power. Robinson brings a nice push-pull move. He brings a nice club-over swim move to the table where he latches the defender’s outside should and rips his way in. And Robinson got better as the year wore on, adding further moves into his bag.
To be more complete as an edge rusher, Robinson needs to better attack the offensive tackle’s outside shoulder, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to. Robinson does not have elite bend, nor with his ankles, at this point, and he lacks the speed you need. So we really don’t see instances of him threatening, and winning, up the arc. Nor do we see many examples of Robinson countering when he stalls out; little change in direction. I suspect he won’t be able to regularly threaten as a speed rusher. Instead, he relies on his motor to wear down the blocker. Robinson struggles when the offensive tackle is able to strike him first; he needs to more rapidly transition into his counter. His close area footwork is not great, and his lateral burst is not notable.
Robinson has good closing speed, both in getting after the quarterback and in chasing down the backside as a run defender. As a run defender he gets his hands right into the pads of the blocker and is able to gain control quickly. Combined with his low pad level, he’s stout. He establishes a terrific anchor. He sheds and disengages very well. But he’s a bit limited with his lateral range and is not the player to this point who will slide down the line six or seven yards and eliminate the outside run.
In all, Robinson is an interesting prospect with obvious strengths and weaknesses who clearly took well to coaching at the Senior Bowl practices. He’s a two-time team captain and known as a leader. There are limitations to his game but also a lot to like about him. I think he’s a guy who will bust his butt to be the best player he can be. Round 2. Ravens: Yes.
Marshawn Kneeland
Kneeland will be 23 in July. He’s 6’3 and 267 pounds from Western Michigan. Kneeland had terrific athletic testing at the Combine (80th percentile or better in the 40-yard, the 20-yard shuttle, the vertical jump and broad jump, and a terrific 3-cone). Yet, his play doesn’t show that type of athlete. Kneeland produced a total of 13 sacks in his 38 games in college, and only 4.5 last season.
He’s a power rusher who will not bend around the arc, in a similar vein to Darius Robinson. Kneeland brings good explosion and leverage and powers through the blockers pads. He is relentless. He uses his long arms to full effect, and has powerful hands and gets them into the chest of the blocker quickly. Although he won’t, as noted, bend around the arc with speed, he can threaten the edge with an ability to flatten his angle to the quarterback.
Robinson is not as polished as Robinson with his moves, though he possesses a nice rip. But his bag of tricks is not near as deep, and he lacks a signature trait. Kneeland’s ability to counter as a pass rusher is lacking and he can stall out. He also lacks quickness in recovery. Kneeland didn’t show much more than a bull rush against higher levels of competition. And he lacks a high level change of direction.
Kneeland sets a hard edge against the run. He brings a strong anchor, combined with good extension and leverage at the line, with a strong ability to shed blockers. He locates the running back well. But he doesn’t finish as often as you’d like. He sometimes over-pursues, giving up the edge in the process.
Kneeland fared well at the Senior Bowl, but was not dominant.
Now Kneeland is a highly regarded prospect by many. But I just don’t see him warranting a first round grade, as many have projected. There’s a lot of work to be done in his game, and he needs some refinement in his pass rush skills. Kneeland is not necessarily a plug-and-play day one starter by any means. For me, he’s not elite at anything at this point, though he has improved. Round 2. Ravens: No.
Adisa Isaac
Isaac is 22.5 years old, 6’4 and 247 pounds from Penn State. He played with Chop Robinson. Isaac is an interesting prospect who doesn’t, to this point, have any signature approach to rushing the quarterback. What immediately stands out in his game is his hand usage. He uses them to great effect when ripping and swiping at offensive tackles. They are quick, strong and allow him to gain leverage quickly.
In the run game Isaac lacks strength and is unable to consistently anchor, making him a middling edge setter. He’s a light 247 pounds on the edge, and gets washed out too easily. He is willing, but lacks core strength. As a result, he can be knocked off balance. I have a real concern that Isaac could wind up as too one-dimensional. Isaac is a high motor guy.
Pass rushing is Isaac’s strength at this point, but he’s not yet elite. He swats beautifully with both hands and has a well-developed dip to get under and past the outside corner of a tackle, allowing him to win at the top. Isaac maintains his balance. He has good, but not great, explosiveness. I did not see much evidence of Isaac being able to counter back to the inside when he loses initially; it seems his target point remains the top of the arc no matter what transpires. Transitioning from speed to power is not always there and he is challenged when he stalls out.
Now Isaac did have some good reps at the Senior Bowl, particularly against Taliese Fuaga. But he won with what got him there in the first place, and I didn’t see evidence of his having incorporated anything new in his repertoire.
In all, I don’t believe Isaac is day-one ready to be out on the edge. I don’t see him playing on first down for the Ravens, and don’t see enough to warrant him getting reps in lieu of the unknown David Ojabo at this point. In a typical year I would grade him round three. Others could see him as a round 2 player. Round 3. Ravens: No.
Austin Booker
Booker is 21.3 years old, 6’4 and 253 pounds from Kansas. Booker essentially played one year in college, getting eight sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He is a raw, inexperienced, but gifted player whose excellent natural ability as a pass rusher suggests serious upside. He brings great athleticism and uses his almost 34” arms to create a wide tackling area.
Booker really knows how to use his long arms. He’s a twitchy, naturally bending pass rusher who has an awful lot of game to his pass rush for someone so inexperienced. Booker is an explosive long-strider out of the blocks. He threatens the arc with his speed, uses his long arms to get into the chest of blocks, and has the flexibility to bend around the edge. He can dip and flatten very well for such a raw player. Booker utilizes a nice club and swim move, and has a plan with his counters, including offering a spin counter. He has surprisingly powerful hands. He will chase the quarterback down.
In the run game, Booker can struggle to contain the edge as he can play too high and get out-leveraged. He needs to add ten pounds or so of muscle mass to his lean frame if he is to become a three down linebacker who can compete in the run game against NFL tackles. His body has room to pack that on, and he particularly needs added lower body mass to allow him to anchor at the edge and to disengage from blockers. Booker can be a bit wild and over-excited and needs to remain more contained within his frame. He will have a lot of work to do to play in space.
Booker is a high risk/reward prospect. I think he can make an immediate NFL impact as a pass rush specialist who, if he hits the weights and works his tail off, can become a full time starter in year two. Booker brings a great motor and instincts to the field. Round 2-3. Ravens: Yes.
Chris Braswell
Braswell is 22.5 years old, 6’3 and 251 pounds from Alabama out of Baltimore, where he went to St. Frances. He brings some outstanding pass rush talents but needs improvement in the run game to be a full-time backer in the NFL.
Braswell can win with speed. He blends a basketful of moves, including a nice rip and cross chop. He is able to attack at different angles. Braswell is a decent bull rusher who utilizes a good arm-over move. He converts speed to power well. He’s not particularly explosive from a down position (more so from standing position), and needs to add some upper body strength to be able to sustain at the point of attack. Braswell’s hands are not always accurate.
Braswell lacks the natural ankle flexibility to project him as a rusher who can consistently bend the arc. He doesn’t have the length that players like Booker can bring.
To this point, Braswell doesn’t bring a consistent anchor ability to the edge as a run defender. His smaller stature leads to him getting engulfed at times. His lateral movement is a bit suspect, almost to the point where you could label him stiff. He’s not the best at read-and-react player.
Braswell is still developing, given his light playing time at Alabama. He has reasonably good upside from here with improved fundamentals and adding some bulk in the weight room. He’s not a lock to put it all together, but he at least presents as a rotational rusher at this point. Round 3. Ravens: Maybe.
Jonah Elliss
Elliss is 21 years old, 6’2 and 248 pounds from Utah. He logged 12 sacks in ten games last year, though he missed the last three with a labrum problem. Elliss has very short arms, which is a bit concerning. He’s comparatively small for an edge player.
Elliss brings an explosive first step as a pass rusher. He challenges tackles with speed. But his bend is only average, and one wonders how he will win with speed in the NFL without a higher quality bend in his game. Ellis possesses an elite inside spin move, and he’s able to convert speed to power. He has a nice bag of moves, including some rips and dips, and knows how to swipe with his fast hands. His hands are very skillful. Ellis is relentless and does not quit even after he initially stalls. He has an element of bull rush as well, an area that could grow if he adds more power, and there’s the beginnings of a good push-and-pull move. But he must develop a better package of counter moves.
Ellis has his challenges at this point against the run. He lacks lower body strength and regularly struggled at the point of attack and in deconstructing run blocks. He needs to add some mass to his lower body; otherwise, he’ll have trouble establishing and holding a hard edge. His lateral agility is just average. He can come in too hot leading to missed tackles.
For such a young player (only 20), Elliss has some advanced development as a pass rusher, with more work to do especially with counters. His middling bend is an area of concern. His inability to currently set an edge, and to make an impact down the field, must improve. One has to be excited about what Elliss has achieved so far, but whether he can become a three-down player is somewhat problematic. I see him as a year one pass rush specialist who should be a good special teamer. Round 3. Ravens: Yes.
Bralen Trice
Trice is 23 years old, 6’3 and 245 pounds from Washington. Trice is very much a lunch-bucket effort player. He brings a thick build and good physicality but is not a twitchy athlete. He sets a firm edge and can stack and shed in the run game at a high level. But he lacks length and has challenges disengaging. He’s not going to stack and shed with the best of them, and his sub-par agility limits his effectiveness in space.
Trice is a limited pass rusher. He will win with speed to power, and brings a nice first step. He is a bull rusher and utilizes a good club move. But he is not going to bend the edge. He just doesn’t have the flexibility in his ankles and hips that you need in order to threaten up the field. In fact, he looks fairly stiff to me. Trice doesn’t have the juice and sizzle you like. He is not gifted with a basket of counter moves. He possesses very active and strong hands. He’s a violent, relentless, high motor player.
I don’t think Trice is a particularly good fit for the Ravens. He’ll do better in an even front than the mostly odd fronts the Ravens deploy. I think he is an over-rated prospect at this point and don’t see any single elite skill that he offers. I rate him lower than most. Round 4. Ravens: Pass.
Gabriel Murphy
Murphy is 23.5 years old, 6’2 and 247 pounds from UCLA. Murphy is clearly undersized and brings extraordinarily short arms to the table, so he starts with some real physical deficits. What he does possess is excellent hand speed and usage, and a good mix of pass rush moves. He’s explosive out of the blocks with sudden hands that are always in sync with his legs. Murphy has excellent agility, is quick, and has a very good change of direction ability. He brings a good bend.
Murphy is a relentless pass rusher, and has an excellent swim move. But he can struggle when he stalls out.
Murphy will likely struggle as a run defender. He lacks mass and is easily moved. It’s hard to see him setting and holding any type of hard edge in the NFL. He can get engulfed more easily than you’d like. Murphy has been penalized 19 times over the last three seasons.
I think Murphy’s future is as a situational pass rusher. His package in that regard is not yet complete. He has way too much work to do to get on the field on first and second down. Because he’s likely so limited at his age, I don’t think he’s a great fit for the Ravens. Round 4. Ravens: Pass.
Cedric Johnson
Johnson is 21.7 years old, 6’3 and 260 pounds from Mississippi. He brings a classic NFL frame. Johnson was not tremendously productive at Ole Miss. He brings a reasonably good get off but often times found himself so far up the arc that he was yards beyond the quarterback. Johnson has some core strengths but has a lot more to add to his game to become a starter in the NFL. He has strong hands, a good punch, and decent bend around the edge. However, his hips are a bit stiff, and I don’t think there’s much area for improvement in his bend. He is not the super twitchy athlete that everyone wants off the edge. When he wins, it’s almost always with a power move.
Johnson lacks a particular go to move. He does not have a reservoir of counter-moves at his disposal; tackles can get inside of him. And though his hands are strong and pack that punch, too often he doesn’t get them in the fray at the proper height.
Johnson possesses a powerful low base and has an average anchor in setting the edge. He’s strong at the point of attack, but I’d like to see him more readily shed than hang onto the blocks.
Johnson’s game is far from complete. There are limitations in my view as to what he can add. Now he’s only 21 so one would think there’s still an upward sloping growth curve to his game. But I have a hard time seeing where something special will come from. I see him as a depth piece in the NFL at best. Round 5-6. Ravens: Pass.
Jalyx Hunt
Hunt is 23 years old, 6’3 and 252 pounds from FCS school Houston Christian. Hunt got a chance to compete at the Senior Bowl practices but he didn’t show very well. He is a very good athlete who ran an excellent 4.64 forty at the Combine. He is clearly raw from an NFL perspective with an undeveloped rush package. Hunt has an excellent first step and has the natural ability to get up the arc. Right now, he comes in too upright but because he shows good flexibility, he should be able to get better bend and leverage. He will chase down backs. Hunt shows good feet and a burst to close. He gets very little out of his hands right now, with plenty of room to grow those skills.
Hunt’s run defense game also needs work. Although he has natural power his base needs to get stronger in order for him to drop a better anchor. He struggles disengaging from blocks.
Hunt is clearly a developmental project who shouldn’t be expected to contribute on defense in year one. But he’s well suited to be a contributor on special teams. He has some upside but you’ll have to invest a lot of time in him to get it out. Round 5-6. Ravens: For special teams only.
Nelson Ceaser III
Ceaser is almost 23 years old, 6’2 and 254 pounds from Houston. Ceaser is not the ideal candidate to set a hard edge in the NFL. He is not strong at the point of attack. He’s not physical enough and struggles to disengage. Although he possesses a very nice first step with good burst on passing plays, he doesn’t bring a high-end bend to his game, playing too upright and a bit stiff in the upper body. Ceaser has a good concept of how to use his hands. He will continue his pursuit all the way through and around the arc, showing a solid ability to convert his speed into power. From a counter perspective he flashes a reasonably good spin move in both directions.
Ceaser has some capability as a pass rusher; he is more than a one-trick pony in that regard. He had a beautiful move beating Tyler Guyton at the Senior Bowl practices. But from the Ravens perspective he would be a specialist at this point in his career, as it would be unwise to task him to hold the edge. He’s a project in the run game. Round 5. Ravens: Pass, but possible developmental project.
Eric Watts
Watts is 23.5 years old, 6’5 and 274 pounds from Connecticut. Watts looks the part, but the results aren’t there. The first thing that sticks out on the tape of Watts is his very slow snap anticipation and lack of get-off. His hands are lazy and there was no real punch. His power is all above the waste, and his bend is sub-par. Watts is stiff in the run game without great awareness. Now there were occasional (but too few) plays where he seemed focused, showed some pop into the chest, and some powerful drive, but he still didn’t finish and win as often as he should. He’s known to be a competitor, but I didn’t see him bring it on every play.
I obviously didn’t see much that I liked in his game. Round 6-7. Ravens: Pass.
Brennan Jackson
Jackson is 23.5 years old, 6’3 and 264 pounds from Washington State. Jackson is the consummate effort player. He is absolutely relentless and does whatever it takes to win on a play. As an edge rusher he has some tools but not the complete package. Jackson is a good athlete. He brings a good burst and very active hands. But Jackson lacks a good rushing plan. He doesn’t have a go-to move, is a bit stiff in the hips which impairs his ability to bend and turn the corner, and too often leaves his hands behind. Jackson shows limited counter ability. He relies more on pure physicality. He lacks the hard punch and power to consistently win as a bull rusher. But he plays with his eyes up, will locate the ball, and pursue.
I see Jackson as a piece, but not the piece, in a edge defender group. He should do well on special teams. After 44 games at the college level, he has not put it all together as a rusher. He’s just ok at the point of attack. Round 5-6. Ravens: Possible.
Mohamed Kamara
Kamara is almost 24 years old, 6’1 and 248 pounds from Colorado State. Kamara is very small for an edge defender. And he has very small arms and incredibly small hands. But he’s an outstanding athlete and ran a lightning fast 4.57 at the Combine. Kamara’s physical dimensions will limit his NFL ceiling.
Kamara is a power player. He has outstanding lower-body power with an excellent punch and drive. He’s explosive out of the blocks and is a frenetic pass rusher. The positive aspect of his more diminutive stature is that he brings outstanding leverage. Combined with his power and punch, he’s a very tough bull rusher.
Of course, at the NFL level a primary concern is that long-armed tackles will be able to keep him at bay, making it harder for him to get off of their blocks. But he offers good footwork, including a nice stutter step, that he can use to get tackles off balance. His hands are decent but inconsistent, as they can be late and inaccurate. Kamara has very good real-game speed, and he brings a pocketful of moves to his bull rush game, including a good rip move. He will counter when he stalls out, but needs more polish in this part of his game. And Kamara pursues, and is very competitive. In fact, he can and does play too hot, taking some bad tackling angles in his aggressiveness and missing out on tackles as a result.
The concern with Kamara is his ability to hold the edge as a run defender in the NFL. Now he has that natural leverage to his advantage, allowing him to get under a blocker’s pads. His problem will be his ability to shed blockers once they’ve engaged him.
Kamara received a lot of praise for his attitude and effort, and he was a team captain. I like what I see from Kamara as a player for day 3 of the draft. I’m not convinced he can become a three down player as a traditional edge defender. But he brings some interesting skills, a relentless style, and should do well on special teams. Round 5. Ravens: Yes.
