Packers Prospects: Five Edge Rushers to Know in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Packers could be in prime position to take a talented pass rusher in this year's draft.

EDGE may not be an obvious need for the Packers, with Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and last year’s first-round pick, Lukas Van Ness forming a strong trio. However, you can never have too many pass rushers, and Green Bay may find themselves in a sweet spot for talent at the position in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Here are five pass rushers who could be available to the Packers in the first three rounds and fit the typical athletic profile the team looks for. Brian Gutekunst has not drafted an EDGE player shorter than 6’3” or lighter than 250 lbs.

Chop Robinson - Penn State

Chop is an electric player, with a great blend of explosiveness, speed, strength, and effort, allowing him to win with quickness or by overpowering his opponent. He does his part in the run game, too, showing the ability to set a strong edge.

Having just turned 21, Robinson still has some ways to go on the road to becoming a complete player. He must develop as a technician in order to win with more than just his raw athleticism. His measurements are an unconfirmed 6’3” and 253 lbs.

With only 10 sacks in three years, he does not have standout production, much like Rashan Gary when he was coming out of Michigan. Robinson could be in play for the Packers, maybe even at pick 25.

Bralen Trice - Washington

Trice is another player with strong physical attributes and the capability of winning with both speed and power. He also shows the skill in his hands to win with technique rather than just physicality.

He racked up 17 combined sacks over the last two seasons for the Huskies and at an unconfirmed 6’3” and 269 lbs, has the size Green Bay generally likes at the position. His power shows up on tape in his ability to get hands into his opponents chest and bull rush.

His run defense is more up and down, and he is an older prospect, having just turned 23, but Trice is another player who could be on Green Bay’s radar, especially if he were to be available at pick 41.

Darius Robinson - Missouri

Robinson is an interesting profile, measuring at the Senior Bowl at an even 6’5” and 286 lbs, he has the ability to rush from either the outside or inside. His calling card is power, showing he can win over both guards and tackles.

His mass helps him to be a plus run defender, and Robinson is an impressive athlete for his size. The main issue here is consistency; there are a lot of stalemate rushes on his tape.

The key for Robinson will be figuring out how to best use him, but with 9 sacks in his final season at Mizzou, there is plenty of evidence of success, and the Packers could value his versatility. He may well be on their radar in the second round.

Brandon Dorlus - Oregon

Like Robinson, there will be some questions over the best use of Dorlus at the next level. He weighed in at the Senior Bowl at 6’3.1” and 272 lbs, but often rushed from the inside for Oregon.

He is a fun player whose best trait is his ability to consistently get his long, powerful arms into his opponents chest and drive them back, whether it is inside or outside. Dorlus has some pass rush moves to lean on and plays the run well.

Dorlus may lack the true bend and burst to be a conventional edge rusher, and at 272 lbs, there is a risk he ends up a ‘tweener’ in the NFL. His sack production is not much to shout about either, with just nine in the last three seasons with the Ducks.

Regardless, Dorlus shows plenty of skills to win with at the next level and could be a target for Green Bay on day two.

Adisa Isaac - Penn State

Across from Chop Robinson, Isaac was the more solid, developed, but perhaps unspectacular edge rusher at Penn State. Nothing about his tape really pops, but the more you see of Isaac, the less holes there are to pick in his game.

He does not do any one thing exceptionally, but does pretty much everything to a satisfactory standard, and flashes the ability to win in lots of different ways. Isaac had nine sacks in his final college season and measured in at the Senior Bowl at 6’4.5” and 250 lbs.

The selection of Isaac would not drum up as much excitement as Chop, and Green Bay has often favored elite traits over past production, but Isaac is another player to watch on draft weekend, as the Packers could well be interested on day two.

 

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Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @MarkOldacres

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Comments (34)

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splitpea1's picture

February 27, 2024 at 12:30 pm

I hate to be a party pooper here, but in the first three rounds I'm looking for help at safety, CB, IOL, run-stuffing DL, ILB, and possibly RB. If they can find an intriguing edge prospect beyond that, fine. Enagbare may be back late in the season, so drafting a backup/developmental player in the later rounds wouldn't be a bad idea.

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golfpacker1's picture

February 27, 2024 at 04:05 pm

A cost effective, younger FA Edge rusher would be the answer. But we do not need to waste an early pick in this draft on Edge. Edge will be a need in 2025. Along with DT, CB. Probably O-line and RB after that.

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LLCHESTY's picture

February 27, 2024 at 12:44 pm

If it's true they might be looking for lighter, quicker Edge players with more bend some other names to keep an eye on are Chris Braswell from Alabama, Jonah Eliss from Utah and Austin Booker from Kansas. UCLA had twins playing for them; Gabriel and Grayson Murphy. Both are 6'-3" 260 lbs. Gabriel had 43 pressures in '22 and 61 last year while Grayson had 51 in '22 and 56 last year. It certainly didn't hurt playing across from Latu but solid numbers nonetheless.

If they are looking for lighter guys the 3-cone will be more important. Ideally you're looking for numbers close to or under 7. Certainly under 7 for the guys under 250 lbs.

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GregC's picture

February 27, 2024 at 01:13 pm

Yeah, I heard that the Jets and 49ers, whose defenses are similar to Hafley's, have lighter edge players. But I wonder if that is just coincidence. Maybe they happened to like those particular players. I see no reason why a 4-3 DE would benefit from being lighter than a 3-4 OLB. Usually it's the other way around, or at least it used to be. We'll see what happens in the next couple of years.

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Cheezehead72's picture

February 27, 2024 at 01:22 pm

KGB was less than 250 and played DE on a 4-3.

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GregC's picture

February 27, 2024 at 01:40 pm

I remember that. He was a pass rushing specialist who got steamrolled on running plays when they made him a full-time player.

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LLCHESTY's picture

February 27, 2024 at 02:00 pm

Because you have a bigger player outside of them than you do in a 3-4. It used to be the other way around but as emphasis switched to stopping the pass it's gradually evened out and kind of swapped as far as the size of the Edges. In the 3-4 the OLBs are charged with setting the edge, 4-3 you have a LB outside of the DE for that. Now you can have a bendier player to run the arc.

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GregC's picture

February 27, 2024 at 02:23 pm

I hadn't heard that, thanks. So with smaller DEs you would have only two really big players (the DTs) on the field, but the LBs would provide more support on the edges. Because there are more players in position to defend the edge on running plays, they don't have to be as big. Is that how it works?

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LLCHESTY's picture

February 27, 2024 at 06:27 pm

Yeah but that's in base which is only about 30% of the snaps. Some think they'll play more base than they did under Barry but I think the difference will be negligible. In nickel? 🤷

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golfpacker1's picture

February 27, 2024 at 04:06 pm

Bosa and Young don't look very light to me. Probably 280 each.

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GregC's picture

February 27, 2024 at 04:23 pm

Bosa is listed at 262 and Young at 265.

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jannes bjornson's picture

February 27, 2024 at 04:51 pm

Jonah Ellis from Utah.

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WD's picture

February 27, 2024 at 12:50 pm

I doubt if Chop Robinson makes it out of the top 20. NFL Draft Buzz indicated he is an athletic freak who ran a 4.47 forty. If he makes it out of the top 20 I would trade up a a few spots for him. The combine is coming so time will tell. But yes, he would look great in green and gold. We are not sure of Preston Smith and he is not getting any younger. In addition there is the serious injury to Enagbare. Can you imagine the front four possibilities on passing downs? It will be the opposing QBs worst dream.

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GregC's picture

February 27, 2024 at 01:16 pm

With a name like that, I'm drafting him, no questions asked. And let's get that Kool Aid guy while we're at it.

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Cheezehead72's picture

February 27, 2024 at 01:30 pm

As long as the Chop does not refer to him getting chopped down

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Untylu1968's picture

February 27, 2024 at 01:34 pm

The name thing was a fail with Savage!
How could you not be a beast with a name like savage??

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dobber's picture

February 27, 2024 at 02:29 pm

"And let's get that Kool Aid guy while we're at it."

OHH YEAHHH!!!

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LLCHESTY's picture

February 27, 2024 at 02:04 pm

Where's the production though? 10 sacks in three years?

Seems like a guy that will take two years to develop if ever. They have starters, why gamble when there's plenty of guys ready to contribute now.

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jannes bjornson's picture

February 27, 2024 at 04:53 pm

A hard pass on this guy.

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MooPack's picture

February 27, 2024 at 12:52 pm

The DL/Edge guy in this draft I'm most intrigued by is Darius Robinson. You can see his above average natural ability and strength. His downside is consistency and lack of technique. However, I've read a couple reviews where the problem was coaching in Missouri. Simply put the entire defense was poorly coached. If that's the case, then there is room for much improvement, but how long that would take is the question. If he falls to bottom 2nd/3rd it could be worth the development. With his frame, could he add about 15 lbs. and work the inside, or drop some and stay outside? Some team that really has a need bigger than the Packers is probably going to snag him earlier.

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Cheezehead72's picture

February 27, 2024 at 01:24 pm

I can see taking an Edge if that is the BAP. Yes we have needs but when you are drafting late in the 1st you tend to go BAP. Yes it is nice to go BAP in one of the position groupsof need.

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PhantomII's picture

February 27, 2024 at 07:20 pm

This one always get's me "Best available Player"....To Who. If our draft board is crap...a lot of players are skewed to be better than they actually are-or will be. That stuff never makes sense to me, they are dreaming if they think they know who will be better..it's an educated guess at best. Pick the player you need most in a particular position and move up to get them and or burn a number #1 or even 2 from next season. We are ready for a deep post season push. Either thru FA or draft= both....We need 3 better IOL to include Center to use all our Wr's and TE's catching the ball against good Defenses. We need a FA: ALL Pro FS and a good SS. 220 LB RB like Benson another CB and a couple LB's. I would fix the Safety position in FA with known pro bowl/ all pro players. We can draft depth behind them. Maybe 1 good pulling Guard who is younger and plays at a good PFF grade and is a people mover.

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jannes bjornson's picture

February 27, 2024 at 11:47 pm

Now we're talking. Play to Win, not speculate about the next two years.

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Duneslick's picture

February 27, 2024 at 01:27 pm

Article is somewhat irrelevant as GB is going to a 434 and sometimes 425, Edge would be a DE and they have plenty who can play that. What they need is more linebackers who can cover. OLB replaces edge and needs different skill sets

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LLCHESTY's picture

February 27, 2024 at 02:07 pm

At least 4 Edge guys get plenty of snaps game to game, they don't have a 4th guy until Enagbare returns. I don't see them drafting one real early but they'll draft one.

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stockholder's picture

February 27, 2024 at 03:25 pm

One solution is drafting Soloman later.
He dominated like Brooks.

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jannes bjornson's picture

February 27, 2024 at 05:05 pm

A low center of gravity guy who seems to get underneath Pads. He will need the spin and counters to beat the long-armed OTs who are not boat anchors. I'm pushing for Jonah Ellis. They would have to snag him with the #58 pick. Another dark horse is Nelson Ceasar as a pass rush guy who can drop in zone and blitz off the edge.

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golfpacker1's picture

February 27, 2024 at 04:17 pm

It's amazing that with every article that comes out with a top 5 or top 10 theme, suddenly 1/2 of the posters on here want to shove that position group into the first round for GB. Actually, NO, I can't see GB taking an Edge @ #25. Or #41. Or #58. Or #88. Or #91. Do you know why?

Because Edge is not a top 6 need !!!!!! Neither is DT, TE, WR, or QB !!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, Enegbare is out, yeah Preston Smith is 31 and probably is gone after this year. So what? We have other Edge rushers. Cox might be better than Enegbare if he is given a chance. Let's give the backup reps to Cox.

We can get a reasonable FA Edge. We can draft one in the first round next year. There is no reason to blow up the draft by picking players early in the draft at positions we are not weak at.

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BruceC1960's picture

February 27, 2024 at 06:09 pm

Are you convinced Preston is coming back? Price and fit might be a problem?

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PhantomII's picture

February 27, 2024 at 07:05 pm

He does a good job and is reliably on the field on Sunday. Better than a bunch of players with just saying that.

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golfpacker1's picture

February 28, 2024 at 10:03 am

The savings is so small to release Smith that the consensus opinion is to keep him one more year. Saving would be like $2 million. He was productive last year, and he plays every game. After 2024 I read cutting him saves a ton of cap.

After releasing Bahk and Campbell this year, and Smith next year, we should be far and away the youngest team in the NFL. And one of the most talented too. Let surprise the NFL again in 2024, and start our run for titles in 2025.

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mrtundra's picture

March 02, 2024 at 07:52 am

Preston just took a pay cut to stay in GB.

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LLCHESTY's picture

February 27, 2024 at 06:44 pm

The thing is Edge players usually take at least a year to develop. I'm not enthralled with the choices I think will be there in the 1st round but I'd be ok with a 2nd or 3rd round pick used on an Edge.

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golfpacker1's picture

February 28, 2024 at 04:28 pm

Edge will be Top 3 need in 2025. Along with DT & OL. Also depending on who we pick up @ LB through FA and the draft this year.

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