Fantasy POV: Chase Young leads EDGE group in NFL Draft

Though Joe Burrow will be the 1st overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the consensus of sports media is the best college football player in the nation last year was Ohio State EDGE Chase Young.  Young seems to be earmarked as the 2nd selection of the draft, which will help the Washington Redskin defense immensely this fall.

Doesn’t it seem strange to refer to the No. 2 draft selection’s position as “EDGE”?  There is even a debate over whether it is “EDGE” or “Edge”.  It Is kind of like “quarterback” and “running back”.  Maybe it should be “runningback”?

We’re not going to resolve those debates in this article.  Besides, “EDGE” is just part of the vocabulary connected to the new (and hopefully improved) hybrid defenses in the league. This year’s EDGE players are probably the deepest, most talented group since the Bosa brothers arrived in the NFL.

This article does not speculate on who will select each EDGE player and with which pick, but there are four EDGE players expected to be drafted in the first round.  Research does suggest that by the end of the third round of this draft 12 EDGE players will have been chosen by NFL teams.

The following selections are listed by the expected round the player will be selected, position rank and overall rank in the 2020 NFL draft.  You can print the article and use it as a checklist to identify who has been selected and who is still available on the draft board.

ROUND 1

1.      Chase Young, Ohio State (Overall rank – No. 1)

2.      K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU (Overall rank – No. 13)

3.      A.J. Epenesa, Iowa (Overall rank – No. 19)

4.      Yetur Gross-Mantos, Penn State (Overall rank – No. 22)

ROUND 2

5.      Terrell Lewis, Alabama (Overall rank – No. 57)

6.      Curtis Weaver, Boise State (Overall rank – No. 58)

7.      Josh Uche, Michigan (Overall rank – No. 63)

ROUND 3

8.      Jonathan Greenard, Florida Overall rank – No. 79)

9.      Jabari Zuniga, Florida (Overall rank – No. 82)

10.   Darrell Taylor, Tennessee (Overall rank – No. 88)

11.   Bradlee Anae, Utah (Overall rank – No. 94)

12.   Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame (Overall rank – No. 95)

ROUND 4

13.   Alton Robinson, Syracuse (Overall rank – No. 102)

14.   Anfernee Jennings, Alabama (Overall rank – No. 111)

15.   Alex Highsmith, Charlotte (Overall rank – No. 117)

ROUND 5

16.   Kenny Willekes, Michigan State (Overall rank – No. 152)

ROUND 6

17.       Trevis Gipson, Tulsa (Overall rank – No. 180)

18.       Trevon HIll, Miami (Fla.) (Overall rank – No. 185)

ROUND 7

19.       Jonathan Garvin, Miami (Fla.) (Overall rank – No. 200)

20.       Kendall Coleman, Syracuse (Overall rank – No. 203)

ROUND 8 (Compensatory)

21.       D.J. Wonnum, South Carolina (Overall rank – No. 225)

22.       Delontae Scott, SMU (Overall rank – No. 247)

FREE AGENTS (Undrafted EDGE players)

23.       Derrek Tuszka, N. Dakota St. (Overall rank – No. 263)

24.       Tipa Galeal, Utah State (Overall rank – No. 281)

25.       Oluwole Betiku Jr., (Overall rank – No. 286)

26.       Jessie Lemonier, Liberty (Overall rank – No. 291)

27.       LaDarius Hamilton, North Texas (Overall rank – No. 294)

28.       Daelin Hayes, Notre Dame (Overall rank – No. 310)

29.       James Smith-Williams, NC State (Overall rank – No. 314)

30.       Sean Adesanya, CMU (Overall rank – No. 323)