ESPN NFL Draft insiders Matt Miller and Jordan Reid ranked their top five EDGE rushers in the 2027 draft class and there was some debate! They agreed on four of the top players, but also had their favorites thrown in too.
EDGE rusher is a premium position, so you could see a run on them in the NFL Draft early on. It’s all about protecting the quarterback and getting after the quarterback.
$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage
So without further ado, let’s dive into ESPN’s ranking of the EDGE rushers in next year’s NFL Draft. We’ll go from fifth to first.
Miller: 5
Reid: 5
Heldt is first up on the rankings of EDGE rushers for the NFL Draft. After two years at Purdue, Heldt transferred to Clemson ahead of the 2025 season.
Last year, he logged 46 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He has 26.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks in his career.
This is where Miller and Reid are split on their No. 4 EDGE rusher for the NFL Draft. They have a different player completely in this slot.
Wilson has played for Georgia and Missouri but set some career highs last year (9.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks), Pierre broke out in 2025 as a sophomore, logging 52 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
Miller: 3
Reid: 3
Tuioti is the unanimous No. 3 EDGE rusher in the 2027 NFL Draft per ESPN. Through three years with the Ducks, he has continually improved.
Last year, he had 68 tackles, 16 for loss and 9.5 sacks. Tuioti has 17 career sacks and 156 total tackles across 42 games at Oregon.
Miller: 1
Reid: 2
Here’s where the ESPN experts are divided as far as the No. 1 EDGE rusher is concerned. Miller has Simmons No. 1 in the NFL Draft while Reid has him at No. 2, but it’s pretty close.
Simmons had 12 sacks in 2025, leading the SEC. He has 21 for his career (29 games) and 91 total tackles, while logging 29.5 tackles for loss.
Miller: 2
Reid: 1
Miller didn’t put Stewart No. 1 in the NFL Draft EDGE rusher rankings like Reid, but Stewart is still a freak athlete. South Carolina just seems to have those don’t they?
He actually had 6.5 sacks as a freshman and only 4.5 last year. The talent is there, so perhaps the numbers will get bigger in 2026 before he turns pro.
Like this story0Share article