With several young pass rushers already flashing on Saturdays, the upcoming class is shaping up to be an intriguing group of ballplayers for the Washington Commanders to keep a close eye on.
From explosive first steps to the kind of length and power that wreck game plans, the following prospects embody the traits teams crave in a core contributor on the defensive side of the ball.
2026 NFL Draft edge rushers to know for the Commanders
LT Overton, Alabama
A player that could have been drafted had he declared following last fall, LT Overton is a physically impressive prospect with the versatility to make an impact on all three downs early in his career.
At 6-foot-5 and 283 pounds, Overton carries the kind of mass that allows him to win with power easily. He’s not built like a speed-only edge rusher; he looks like an old-school defensive lineman with the movement skills of a modern one.
He's comfortable lining up outside the tackle, shaded over the tight end, or even reduced inside against guards. His size makes him difficult to displace, and his quick first step allows him to generate push from multiple alignments.
For Washington, Joe Whitt Jr.’s defensive approach emphasizes one thing first: stopping the run. Yes, size, toughness, and versatility across the front are great traits to possess, which allow him to disguise pressures and rotate personnel without tipping coverages. Overton fits the archetype perfectly.
His mass would give Washington a defender who can stay on the field all three downs without being schemed off in the run game. Unlike lighter edge players who need sub-package deployment, Overton provides a sturdy base edge defender who can both set the tone physically and kick inside on passing downs to create mismatches against interior linemen.
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
I'll be the first one to say that I'm happy Dani Dennis-Sutton returned to school this fall. Why? Well, I wanted to see more from him as a pass-rusher, and scouts across football mentioned the same things.
A massive man that operates with violent intentions for the Nittany Lions, Dennis-Sutton enters the 2026 cycle as one of the more intriguing edge prospects. This is largely due to his game already being NFL-ready against the run.
His size and functional strength allow him to consistently win leverage battles at the line of scrimmage, giving him an early-down profile NFL teams can trust. At Penn State, he's aligned primarily outside the tackle and often fires off in a four-point stance, maximizing his get-off and initial pop into contact. Against the run, Dennis-Sutton shows strong instincts and discipline, particularly when tasked with staying home on the backside of plays or cutting off cutback lanes.
He stacks and sheds blockers well, retraces effectively, and is relentless in pursuit — traits that reflect his high motor and willingness to do the dirty work. While he’s not overpowering enough to consistently move linemen with stronger anchors, his ability to maintain leverage and clog lanes makes him a dependable edge presence.
As a pass rusher, Dennis-Sutton’s profile is more of a work in progress. He doesn’t have elite burst or flexibility, and his athleticism sits closer to average, which prevents him from winning cleanly around the edge. Instead, he relies on a power-based approach, mixing in a bull rush and the occasional inside spin to keep tackles honest. His hands are advanced for a young pass rusher, allowing him to generate pressure even without explosive traits, but his repertoire still needs refinement.
Against more athletic and technically sound tackles, he can be neutralized, particularly when he plays too high and exposes his frame to counter punches. For Dennis-Sutton to become more than just an early-down defender, he’ll need to continue developing as a technician and find a more consistent way to win in true pass-rush situations.
For the Commanders, Dennis-Sutton’s archetype is appealing — particularly under Whitt’s vision for a tougher, fundamentally sound front. His ability to set a firm edge against the run gives the Commanders something they’ve lacked in recent years: a reliable base defender who won’t get washed out by physical offensive lines.
While he may never be the sack artist they currently lack, his motor, instincts, and alignment versatility could make him a valuable rotational piece who grows into a starter over time.
Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Cashius Howell is quickly emerging as one of the most disruptive edge defenders in the country, and his Week 2 performance against Utah State only reinforced that trajectory.
Howell strung together three consecutive sacks in a series in the first half, showcasing the one trait that consistently jumps off the screen — his outstanding get-off. Few edge rushers in college football fire off the ball with his kind of suddenness. That quick first step immediately stresses offensive tackles, forcing them into recovery mode before they’ve even set their anchor.
That explosion is paired with natural twitch and acceleration, giving him the ability to bend the edge and close in a hurry once he gains the slightest of steps.
Beyond his pure speed, Howell plays with urgency and violence in his rush. He combines his burst with clean and technical hand usage to keep tackles from getting engagement, and he has shown a knack for chaining moves together rather than relying on one trick. While his frame is still filling out compared to bigger edge defenders, the Texas A&M prospect compensates with relentless pursuit and the kind of energy that wears down opponents over four quarters.
Against Utah State, his sacks came in different forms — one off the edge on pure speed, another with inside counter quickness, and a third where his motor simply outlasted the blocker. Performances like that underscore his ability to impact games in stretches, flipping momentum all by himself.
For Washington, Howell’s archetype offers something different than players like Overton or Dennis-Sutton. He’s not a size/strength hybrid meant to set the edge as much as he is a pure disruptor whose quickness can tilt passing downs in his defense’s favor. Whitt has shown a preference for linemen who can win fast and force quarterbacks off their spots, and his get-off fits that mold perfectly.
Even if he enters the NFL as more of a pass-rush specialist before rounding out his run defense, Howell’s explosiveness and sack production are the kind of traits that Washington desires on the edge. In a league built on pressuring quarterbacks, his ability to consistently create havoc makes him a potential game-changer for the Commanders’ future front.