No conference has a more a dangerous and varied group of body types and skill sets playing on the edge of the defense, menacing the QB, inflicting negative plays in the running game, and demanding that opponents game plan for their impact. Who are the SEC\u2019s best edge defenders? <\/p>\n
[Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY and get the BEST Longhorns scoop!]<\/a><\/p>\n Colin Simmons \u2013 Texas, 6-3, 240<\/p>\n LOL. <\/p>\n He might be the best pure football player in the SEC. Last year, he recorded 9 sacks and 46 pressures in less than 500 snaps. I wonder what he\u2019ll put up as a starter with 750+ snaps? Elite get-off. Bend. Surprising power for his size. The rare thoroughbred who thinks he\u2019s a draft horse. His size suggests that you should be able to attack him in the run game, but he just sprints under blocks or materializes on the other side of the blocker. <\/p>\n Dylan Stewart \u2013 South Carolina, 6-5, 245<\/p>\n That dip and bend. Lordy. <\/p>\n Imagine Charles Haley on speed. Only one player in the league gets off of the ball like Simmons and Stewart does it with a longer wingspan and an extended frame that will carry 260 one day. Stewart had 7 sacks and an amazing 51 pressures last year. The Gamecocks won\u2019t feature three NFL DL next to him this year, and that may limit his opportunities against any OC who can game plan his way out of a wet paper bag. Stewart arguably has a higher ceiling than Simmons because of his length. Can\u2019t wait to hear the debates in 2027 draft rooms. <\/p>\n Simmons and Stewart exist on their own plane. But the next two guys are absolute studs. Do you like power? <\/p>\n Tyreak Sapp \u2013 Florida, 6-2, 270<\/p>\n A different body type from the aforementioned. Sapp can play all over the DL and he\u2019s incredibly powerful. Unrelenting bull rush and OL can\u2019t knock him off of his line. He just plays under their leverages and he\u2019s too strong to be big-brothered. He had 8 sacks last year for Florida and he, along with DT Caleb Barnes, really transformed their front last year late in the season. I don\u2019t think most people know who he is. You\u2019ll know soon. <\/p>\n Keldric Faulk \u2013 Auburn, 6-6, 285<\/p>\n Faulk is of the jumbo genus in the freak edge family. An obvious NFL future 1st round pick. He had 7 sacks last year. Notice how deceptively fast he is and how quickly he compresses space. Faulk is like a giant friendly dog who doesn\u2019t know his own strength that just casually pushes over your fence. Unlike Texas A&M\u2019s big edges from last year, Faulk can actually finish plays. Look at his motor:<\/p>\n #Auburn<\/a> DL Keldric Faulk. 6\u20196, 288.<\/p>\n Long frame w\/ explosive first step. Raw pass rusher, but hellacious motor. Disciplined, stout run defender. Disengages w\/ multiple techniques. <\/p>\n 46 tackles & 7 sacks in \u201824. pic.twitter.com\/4LMeHq8Fcf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) May 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n There are multiple games where I saw Faulk throw a 325 pound offensive tackle into the QB. <\/p>\n The edge group takes a drop down from the Faulk and Sapp tier. <\/p>\n LT Overton \u2013 Alabama, 6-5, 285<\/p>\n Getting hit by Overton isn\u2019t fun. Cut from the Faulk mode of jumbo DEs, but not quite as bouncy. Overton is a rock against the run game and he can play anywhere on the Bama front. He\u2019s great at collapsing the pocket, but he doesn\u2019t always have the foot speed to finish the play. He\u2019s not going to rack up sacks, but he is vital to Bama\u2019s defense. The NFL will love his versatility. He creates for others. <\/p>\n R Mason Thomas \u2013 Oklahoma, 6-2, 250<\/p>\n 9 sacks and 35 pressures last year for Oklahoma. His hype was overdone in 2023 vs his actual play on the field, but last year he really came into his own, highlighted by terrific performances against Alabama and LSU. He was really good containing Milroe in Norman. Pretty much good at everything, though perhaps not remarkable at anything. <\/p>\n Cashius Howell \u2013 Texas A&M, 6-4, 255<\/p>\n Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell showing off his spin.
Listed at 6’4 245, was named as a top 50 player in college football by USA Today pic.twitter.com\/nSt9OYadL7<\/a><\/p>\n