2026 NFL Draft Profiles: 10 Edge Rushers the New England Patriots Could Target

Our 2026 NFL Draft Profiles series continues today with one of the most important areas of focus for the New England Patriots: edge rusher.

After finishing 24th in pressure rate and tied for 22nd in sacks in 2025, New England made some tough but necessary moves at edge in free agency. The departures of K’Lavon Chaisson and Anfernee Jennings create opportunities for new talent, while Dre’Mont Jones’ arrival helps maintain production up front.

With Harold Landry III having battled through injury last season, the Patriots now turn to a very promising 2026 edge class to build long-term sustainability and youth along the defensive line.

The edge class in 2026 runs deep with potential starters on Day 1 and Day 2 of the draft, with prospects that come in every shape and size.

Looking for a smaller speed rusher that gives consistent effort to get to the quarterback? You’ll find one here. How about a larger body that can set the edge in the run game and plow through offensive tackles with an effective bull rush? Those will be available as well.

With an assortment of edge options available, let’s break down 10 of the best edge fits for the Patriots in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #27 Overall (#5 EDGE)

Heading into the 2025 season, T.J. Parker was widely regarded as the top edge rusher in this year’s draft class. A less productive season for Parker was paired with woes for the Clemson Tigers; as a result, Parker slipped down boards... and right into range for New England.

Parker’s 2024 season showed promise of an elite pass rusher and effective run defender. He registered 12 of his 24 career sacks, 29 of 74 career pressures, and forced six fumbles with a pass rush win rate of 15.4% that season. He brings violent hands, functional strength and a relentless motor to the edge, consistently driving offensive tackles backward with his get-off and power.

That motor showed in the numbers on the field and at the NFL Scouting Combine, where Parker ran a 4.68 second 40-yard dash that included a 1.61 second 10-yard split, jumped 34” in the vertical jump and 10’0” in the broad jump, and earned a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.35 out of 10.00.

At 6’4”, 263 lbs., with 33 ⅛” arms, he shows the versatility to align inside or outside and the play strength to set a firm edge against the run, while generating consistent pressure with the NFL’s patented speed-to-power conversion. His first move often wins, but making strides in refining his pass-rush plan with more counters and maintaining pad level will help him take the next step as an NFL pass rusher.

Parker fits perfectly into Mike Vrabel’s physical, aggressive defensive front, giving the Patriots a tough, high-motor edge who can disrupt opposing quarterbacks and shift around the defensive line to create advantages inside and out.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #35 Overall (#6 EDGE)

Cashius Howell is an explosive pass-rush specialist whose first-step quickness and twitch regularly stress offensive tackles and create negative plays in the backfield.

He showcased that speed and explosiveness at the NFL Scouting Combine, clocking in at 4.58 seconds with a 1.58 second 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash and earning an RAS of 8.16. And his production at Texas A&M matched the profile.

In 2025, Howell was named First-Team All-American by the Associated Press and SEC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 12 sacks, 27 hurries, and 41 total pressures with a pass rush win rate of 19.9%, and earned a pass rush grade of 90.3.

A five-year collegiate athlete, Howell started his career at Bowling Green (2021-23) before transferring to Texas A&M in 2024. In his lone season with 200+ defensive snaps taken with the Falcons (2023), Howell recorded 10 sacks, 27 hurries, and 44 total pressures, earning the same grade of 90.3 in pass rush.

Much like New England’s first round pick one year ago — Will Campbell — concerns about Howell are mainly due to his size (6’2 ½”, 253 lbs.); in particular, his almost anomalously short arms (30 ¼”). Despite shorter arms, he plays with outstanding tenacity, bend and a non-stop motor that makes him dangerous on every snap.

His arm length and shorter stature does show up in run defense, where he can improve consistency and use his hands more effectively against bigger tackles.

Howell’s explosive traits and production make him an exciting building block for Vrabel’s defense, embodying the “effort and finish” mentality and adding quick pressure ability to the pass rush.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #38 Overall (#7 EDGE)

Zion Young is a powerful, high-motor edge rusher with ideal length and a frame that allows him to dominate at the point of attack in the run game and collapse pockets with sustained effort.

A Michigan State transfer, Young led Missouri in 2025 as a First-Team All-SEC selection with eight sacks, 17 hurries, and 57 total pressures with a pass rush win rate of 17.4%, forcing two fumbles and earning a defensive grade of 85.0. Even with his pass rush production, Young earned higher marks in run defense (86.6) than he did in pass rush (82.7) after registering 31 run stops.

And that’s where he’ll make his money to begin his NFL career. Over his four-year collegiate tenure, Young consistently earned higher marks in run defense, showcasing a great ability to set the edge and move the point of attack into the backfield.

He plays with excellent leverage, strong hands and the competitiveness to wear down blockers over the course of a drive. Smoothing out some stiffness in his pass-rush approach and adding more variety to his move set will unlock even higher production.

Young’s size (6’6”, 262 lbs., with 33" arms), power and relentless style align perfectly with Mike Vrabel’s vision for a tough, physical defensive line that can anchor the run defense and create opportunities for the Patriots’ pass rush.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #41 Overall (#8 EDGE)

Malachi Lawrence has been climbing draft boards since his athletic showcase turned heads at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The UCF product ran a blazing 4.52 second 40-yard dash that included a 1.59 second 10-yard split, and jumped out of the gym with a 40” vertical jump and 10’10” broad jump. He graded out with an overall athleticism score of 88 (2nd of all edge players at the combine) and an RAS of 9.94 (13th of 2,085 edge players from 1987-2026).

Lawrence combines impressive size (6’4”, 253 lbs.) and length (33 ⅝” arms) with sudden explosiveness and a refined set of pass-rush moves that allow him to win both inside and outside. That showed in 2025, when Lawrence was named First-Team All-Big 12 and recorded seven sacks, 30 hurries, 40 total pressures and forced two fumbles with a pass rush win rate of 19.2%. He earned a pass rush grade of 89.5.

His get-off, hand usage and closing burst make him a constant threat to quarterbacks while his length helps him hold up well against the run, which also improved year-after-year with the Knights. Lawrence earned a run defense grade of 80.1 in 2025, racking up 23 total tackles and 18 stops.

A player whose motor is always running, his main area of improvement will be channeling his athleticism with better discipline and consistency in his rush plan. Lawrence has all the traits, but looked stiff bending around the corner at times when in pass rush, and will need to be able to finish more plays at the next level.

Lawrence represents the kind of high-upside, technically improving edge the Patriots like to develop, giving Vrabel another versatile piece who can rush the passer and grow into a more effective run defender.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #48 Overall (#9 EDGE)

R Mason Thomas possesses the drive, athleticism and natural pass-rush tools to develop into a dynamic edge defender.

In two seasons as a key contributor along the Oklahoma Sooners defensive line, Thomas accrued 15 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, 35 hurries, 63 total pressures and two forced fumbles. He recorded an outstanding 20.3% pass rush win rate in 2025, and earned a pass rush grade of 90.4 on his way to a First-Team All-SEC selection.

Thomas flashes the bend, speed and hand usage to turn the corner and create pressure, and the relentless effort to make those plays consistently. Those traits are shown on tape and translated to the NFL Scouting Combine, where he clocked a 4.67 second 40-yard dash and 1.63 second 10-yard split.

A smaller edge rusher in stature (6’2”, 241 lbs.) and length (31 ⅝” arms), Thomas’ limitations as a run defender could shy some teams away. Likely not Vrabel, whose shown an affinity for players with a similar makeup — as evidenced in 2018, when he drafted an edge rusher in the second round who was 6’2”, 252 lbs., and ran a 4.64 second 40-yard dash with a 1.59 second 10-yard split: Harold Landry III.

Thomas has already completed a Top 30 meeting with New England.

Continued refinement in technique, consistency playing through contact and adding strength will help maximize Thomas’ ceiling, but his unrelenting style of play and success affecting the quarterback in the pocket will make him a pass-rush specialist from day one in the building.

Thomas’s traits and upside fit Vrabel’s prototype for a speed rusher, giving the Patriots an explosive edge option who can contribute immediately on passing downs.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #54 Overall (#10 EDGE)

Gabe Jacas brings outstanding play strength, power through contact and the ability to play as both a hand-down end and stand-up edge.

A four-year starter with the Illinois Fighting Illini, Jacas racked up 28 sacks, 31 quarterback hits, 83 hurries, 142 total pressures and six forced fumbles in his collegiate career, with 152 total tackles and 96 stops in the run game. 2025 was a career year for the defensive end, as he totaled 13.5 tackles-for-loss, 12 sacks, 7 quarterback hits, 22 hurries and 41 pressures with a pass rush win rate of 14.9% and a pass rush grade of 88.0.

He uses his stout frame and leg drive to bully blockers and create disruption, showing strong spatial awareness and the ability to counter inside when tackles overset, while his areas for growth include adding more creativity to his rush plan and improving overall discipline setting the edge.

Jacas didn’t test at the NFL Scouting Combine while recovering from a hamstring injury, but measured in at 6’4”, 260 lbs. and ran a 4.69 second 40-yard dash with a 1.59 second 10-yard split at his Pro Day.

Jacas’ rugged, high-floor profile makes him an ideal fit in Vrabel’s physical scheme, offering the Patriots a reliable rotational piece who can affect the pass and run while growing into a long-term starter.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #71 Overall (#12 EDGE)

Dani Dennis-Sutton brings rare athletic ability at the edge that flashed at the NFL Scouting Combine but doesn’t always translate over to the tape.

In Indianapolis, Dennis-Sutton measured in at 6’5”, 256 lbs., with 33 ⅝” arms, ran a 4.63 second 40-yard dash with a 1.63 second 10-yard split, jumped 39.5” in the vertical jump and 10’11” in the broad jump, bench pressed 225 lbs. 26 times and ran the 3-cone drill in 6.90 seconds. He recorded an RAS of 9.96, ranking ninth of 2,105 edge prospects from 1987 to 2026.

While the numbers were gaudy at the combine, Dennis-Sutton’s measurables left more to be desired in the box score. Over the last two seasons, Dennis-Sutton recorded 17 sacks, 27 quarterback hits, 52 hurries, 96 total pressures and four forced fumbles, but had a missed tackle rate of 22%.

He had a pass rush win rate of 15.8% in 2025 and earned a pass rush grade of 79.7, while showing consistent improvement as a run defender — earning a career-best run defense grade of 77.7 and overall defensive grade of 80.1.

His size, length, toughness and play strength will allow Dennis-Sutton to be an effective early-down defensive end with traits to grow as a more consistent pass rusher. His ability to set a hard edge in the run game and use brute force and hand violence to challenge blockers gives him a high floor as a rotational piece.

Dennis-Sutton’s imposing frame and reliability align perfectly with the tough, physical identity Mike Vrabel wants up front, giving the Patriots a sturdy edge who can help control the line of scrimmage and support the overall defensive improvement around the young offense.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #83 Overall (#14 EDGE)

Romello Height profiles similarly to R Mason Thomas from earlier in this list, but will likely be available later on for New England if they choose to wait on drafting an edge rusher.

A true “effort and finish” type of rusher, Height (25) broke out with Texas Tech in 2025 after spending 2020-21 at Auburn, 2022-23 at USC, and 2024 at Georgia Tech. Last season, he was named First-Team All-Big 12 and recorded nine sacks, 11 quarterback hits, 42 hurries, 62 total pressures and forced three fumbles. His pass rush win rate was an absurd 21.8%, and he recorded a pass rush grade of 92.6 with an overall defensive grade of 92.5 in 2025.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Height ran a 4.64 second 40-yard dash with a 1.63 second 10-yard split, and jumped 39” in the vertical jump and 10’5” in the broad jump. Height registered an RAS of 8.82 out of 10.00 with his testing numbers.

Height has also visited New England for a Top 30 meeting ahead of the draft.

His main detractor is his size (6’3”, 239 lbs. with 32 ¼” arms), but shows a constant explosive get-off and the ability to use his length to keep blockers at bay and affect passing lanes. The key will be improving pad level, hand usage consistency and overall technique against more polished NFL tackles.

Height’s tools and potential make him the type of developmental edge the Patriots have successfully molded in the past, fitting well into Vrabel’s violent approach on defense and adding depth that can bring juice on obvious passing downs.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #94 Overall (#15 EDGE)

Jaishawn Barham is a converted off-ball linebacker that brings a versatile, athletic profile to the edge and shows the speed, length and football intelligence to make plays from multiple alignments.

A four-year collegiate starter, Barham spent 2022-23 at Maryland before transferring to Michigan in 2024, but didn’t become a primarily edge defender until 2025. In his lone season at the edge, Barham recorded three sacks, nine hits, nine hurries, and 21 total pressures with a pass rush grade of 71.6 and pass rush win rate of 13.1%. He’s still learning how to become a pass rusher, and polishing his hand placement and adding more power to his frame are the primary areas for continued growth.

What Barham lacks in production as a pure pass rusher was made up for with his prowess in run defense in 2025. He earned a run defense grade of 90.4 with a run stop percentage of 12.8%, 34 total tackles and 24 stops. His ability to drop into coverage, set the edge and rush with suddenness gives him three-down value that modern defenses covet.

In Indianapolis, Barham measured in at 6’3 ½”, 240 lbs. with 32 ⅜” arms, ran a 4.64 second 40-yard dash with a 1.61 second 10-yard split, and jumped 33” in the vertical jump and 10’3” in the broad jump. Even with a smaller build for the position, Barham’s athleticism registered an 8.78 RAS score.

Barham’s athletic profile and scheme versatility would be a strong addition to Vrabel’s defense, providing the Patriots with a flexible piece who can impact the game in multiple ways while helping build a complete front for the future.

Consensus Big Board Ranking: #96 Overall (#16 EDGE)

Keyron Crawford is one of the more interesting edge prospects in the 2026 class. A former basketball player that’s only played organized football for the last five years, he blends athleticism, length and a disruptive first step that allows him to consistently pressure quarterbacks and affect the run game.

After spending 2022-23 at Arkansas State, Crawford transferred to Auburn in 2024 and experienced a breakout year in 2025. Last season, he earned Third-Team All-SEC honors with a pass rush grade of 85.8, five sacks, 12 hits, 26 hurries, 43 total pressures and one forced fumble while recording a pass rush win rate of 18.3%.

At 6'4", 253 lbs., with 32" arms, he has the size and has shown the versatility to play sparingly off-the-ball as a SAM linebacker in run defense, and competes with natural leverage, strong hands and the motor to chase plays down from behind. Continued work on counter moves and technique consistency against elite competition will only elevate his already high ceiling.

Crawford would be a developmental addition to the Patriots’ defensive line that has yet to reach his ceiling, giving Vrabel an impact pass rusher who can elevate the front against the pass and run.

Edge rusher is firmly in the discussion for New England with the 31st overall pick, but with the impressive depth this draft class offers through Day 2, it isn’t a position the Patriots will have to overdraft to fill the need. Whether they use their top selection to shore up the room or wait until the second or third round to attack value, New England will have quality options and stylistic fits for different prototypes. 

Do you think the Patriots should target an edge rusher with their first round pick, or can they find a player on Day 2 that rounds out the defensive line? Who do you think fits New England best? Drop your takes in the comments section below!

Next up, we’ll be taking a closer look at wide receivers that fit best in Foxboro.

Stay tuned for that and much more right here on Patriots Roundtable.

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- Patriots Draft Strategy: What Last Year Reveals About New England’s 2026 Plan

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