Excellent Edge Rushers Who Wreak Havoc in the Backfield

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most important positions on the defense, an edge runners primary job is to hawk down the Quarterback and make his life miserable. Between blitzing and bull-rushing, an athlete on the edge needs to be strong, fast, and capable. This list will cover some of the best of the best at the position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["262805"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"A rising senior hailing out of Champlin Park, [player_tooltip player_id='262805' first='Nicholas' last='Joseph'] is a tank of an athlete who is surprisingly nimble for his size. Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing over 230 pounds, Joseph splits double teams with ease, using his pad level and strength to muscle his way between blockers and disrupt any outside runs that would be coming his way. On the pass rush, he utilizes a bruising bullrush that creates plenty of separation and opens up green grass ahead of him. On top of this, he can rip or swim through his opposing blockers, and the extension he creates with his long frame gives him plenty of options to choose from. Joseph's final prep season is fast approaching, and it will be exciting to see what he's added to his bag for the fall.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["706049"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Lakeville North's stud of an edge rusher, [player_tooltip player_id='706049' first='Antonio' last='Menard'] is a well rounded athlete who can be defined by his quickness off the ball. The 6-foot-3, 215 pound defensive end may be on the leaner side, but the speed he generates off the line is far more valuable than the few pounds he lacks. He slaps offensive lineman's hands away before they can engage, generates holds by getting behind the line before anyone can get their hips around, and hawks down quarterbacks from the backside thanks to his long strides and stellar top speed.  Once he gets to the quarterback, he hits them so forcefully that there is always potential for a fumble. Lining up in a nine technique more times than not, Menard's versatility and speed means he can be plugged in just about anywhere at the next level, which is a college coach's dream come true.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["242417"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='242417' first='Trent' last='Page'] is as an all around athlete that can beat his opponents through strength or speed. The rising senior out of SMB-Minnehaha uses a low, four point stance to absolutely explode off the ball when it is snapped. While this can be detrimental to some defensive lineman who fly up the field without a second thought, Page's play recognition is next level, and he knows when to stay home or when to chase down the ballcarrier. His absurdly long wingspan serves multiple purposes, as it allows him to both wrap up runners and bat down balls at the line of scrimmage. Pack all of this into a 6-foot-4, 245 pound frame, and you have a star who has already garnered plenty of Division one interest.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["242410"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Freak athletes seem to be the norm on this list so far, and [player_tooltip player_id='242410' first='Langden' last='College'] is no exception. The senior edge rusher out of Armstrong does a great job at getting on a blocker's hip, preventing them from squaring him up or driving him back. Whenever he did this on film, a tackle for loss was bound to happen, regardless of whether College was in on it or not. For the pass rush, College uses his long arms to get fully extended, then accelerates with unbelievable speed to track down any scrambling quarterbacks. This utilization of his 6-foot-4, 230 pound frame to plug up running lanes, pursue the quarterback, and shoot gaps when they are open showcases versatility that should translate swimmingly at the next level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["105408"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"The fact that [player_tooltip player_id='105408' first='Adrian' last='Onyiego'] has FBS interest is testament enough to his abilities, but it's hard to grasp just how dominant he is until you check out his tape. Within his first three highlights, he's already forced three turnovers. If Onyiego lands a clean hit on the ballcarrier, anything can happen. His four point stance is almost track like, and the speed he generates from it certainly is. Most of the time, he doesn't even need to make any sort of move on his pass rush, opting instead to simply sprint by his blocker. When Onyiego has to engage, his move of choice is a vicious bullrush that can send a right tackle straight back into their quarterback. If a blocker somehow squares him up, he waits patiently, leaping high into the air in order to swat down any potential completions on his side of the field. Passion, versatility, and athleticism radiate off his tape, and for those reasons, I am incredibly excited to see how Onyiego's senior season will play out.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64489407a8909"} /-->