Redskins 2019 NFL Draft top twenty edge rusher big board
By Ian Cummings
No. 15-11
15. TCU EDGE Ben Banogu
Ben Banogu has very good explosion as an athlete, and he brings a raw skill set to the NFL level worth developing. At 6-foot-4, 250, Banogu offers a somewhat rare combination of length and burst in the middle rounds, and while he’s not very flexible, in terms of torso mobility, his rawness indicates considerable upside, if he can develop a pass rushing plan at the next level. Coaching is key for Banogu, but if he gets it, he can put together a solid career.
14. Iowa EDGE Anthony Nelson
An outlier with his 6-foot-7, 271-pound frame, Iowa’s Anthony Nelson is an intriguing prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft. He offers 35-inch arms and an attacker’s mentality in the trenches, but he’s a bit limited with his burst and the potential energy his lower body can store. Nelson’s big enough where a team could get creative with him and move him to the inside on occasion, but if he can work on refining the work with his hands, he might be able to tap into more upside on the edge.
13. Old Dominion EDGE Oshane Ximines
The upside isn’t quite there with Oshane Ximines, but a lot of other traits are present. He’s an experienced edge rusher who provides reliability and durability, and while he doesn’t bring any explosive athletic traits, he flashes bend on occasion, and he’s able to mentally change his rush plan on the fly, with a number of moves at his disposal. With his lacking upside and slightly undersized frame, he’s far from a lock to go on Day 2, but for teams looking for depth, Ximines presents utility and a certain safeness.
12. Boston College EDGE Wyatt Ray
Wyatt Ray is an edge rusher who flashes a lot of the requisite qualities to produce at the next level. While his length isn’t particularly looming, he offers a compact frame and solid speed with that frame. He’s a bit underdeveloped with his technique, but he has adequate burst and good torso flexibility, suggesting he could develop into a greater role at the next level. A motor that runs hot is one of Ray’s key traits, and on Day 2 or early Day 3, he could be a good get for the Redskins, or any team in need of edge depth.
11. Eastern Michigan EDGE Maxx Crosby
The middle rounds are particularly confusing in this year’s edge rusher crop, but one player who offers a particularly exciting skill set is Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby. Crosby flashes the necessary athletic traits, with good burst and ankle flexion around the edge. At 6-foot-5, 255, his frame is long, but relatively lanky, and if he can add more muscle at the next level, he has the work ethic and motor to maximize his traits and potentially find a role as a rotational pass rusher.