Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice is joined by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler to discuss how team fits will impact which players – in particular at a position like defensive end – come off the board late in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Check out the full conversation on “Football 301” – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
View more
Advertisement
Video Transcript
That’s the position that I’m like it was very hard for me to parse through ’cause there’s so many flavors, but is that kind of how the That’s one of those positions where you might see some maybe, quote unquote, shockers.
Like a, I, I Like Lawrence in the first round’s a little rich for me, but I have seen teams like him and so I’m not, I wouldn’t be shocked if he goes up 26.
But that’s kind of the guy what you’re referring to, maybe that e- kind of edge group, maybe how you parse them or maybe there are other positions maybe stacked up that way.
Well, and it’s kind of like how we talk about receivers, right?
Advertisement
Where, eh, Denzel Boston and Deion Burks being in the same category as players because they played the, quote unquote, same position.
You know, it’s just wildly different.
Um- Yeah and it’s kind of the same with some of these pass rushers, where what Malachi Lawrence offers you is different than what Cassius Howell offers you, which is different than what Zio- Zion Young brings to your team.
And so fit, eh, schematic fit and, just play style I think matters a whole bunch when we talk about these, this range of the draft, that late second, early fir- or late first, early second, especially with these pass rushers.
Advertisement
So, like, that’s why I don’t I, I like that fit with Buffalo ’cause it’s kind of like the, the, the type they’re missing.
you know, they usually, they, they draft the A.J.
Epenesa’s, the 270- Yeah plus pound- Yeah power guys.
Give them a, a, an explosive linear, edge rusher who is more the 255 pound range, but that burst off the ball and his ability to, just explode to the quarterback is just a little bit different than what they’ve drafted in the past.
And so I, I like that fit.
but yeah, I mean, it, it Like, if you miss out on, say, Zion Young, is your next option going right to a, like an R. Mason Thomas?
Advertisement
like, or is it It just, it’s really interesting how these teams are gonna stack- Yeah these edge rushers ’cause they’re all a little bit different.
And like receivers- Yeah it comes down to the flavor and what exactly you’re looking for, which it makes it tough to stack when you’re us, right?
When you’re on the outside looking in- Yes and you’re trying to You know, we don’t have a scheme where we’re, scouting for.
We don’t have a defensive coordinator- Yeah a defensive staff that tells us what they like and what they want.
we’re doing this from a very generic perspective, and so it- Yeah makes it tough a little bit when you’re just kind of choosing who we, we like.
But, that, and that’s why the order we have these edge rushers might not be the order they actually come off the board.