{"id":859352,"date":"2026-04-07T17:06:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/859352\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T17:06:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:06:16","slug":"49ers-draft-what-scouts-are-saying-about-the-edge-rushers-in-the-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/859352\/","title":{"rendered":"49ers draft: What scouts are saying about the EDGE rushers in the NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

We discussed what scouts are saying about a handful of wide receivers the San Francisco 49ers might be interested in. Now, we turn the page to the other perceived biggest need and look at what these anonymous scouts are saying about the EDGE rushers in this class, courtesy of Bob McGinn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Before we get into the specific players, one executive in personnel said, \u201cI would say it\u2019s deep. I would not say it\u2019s necessarily like wow, top-heavy. But when you get into the second through the fourth round, it\u2019s really solid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another scout echoed those sentiments, saying, \u201cI don\u2019t know that there\u2019s a lot of playmakers at the top. There\u2019s a lot of mid-second round to the top of the fourth. You can get some really good players that will help your team. I just don\u2019t know that any will be really dynamic.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the more reason for the 49ers to wait until Day 2 and select the best available pass rusher on the board? Let\u2019s see what the scouts had to say about the prospects.<\/p>\n

David Bailey out of Texas Tech and Miami\u2019s Rueben Bain were the top two listed. The third player may be a surprise, but he\u2019s almost assuredly on the 49ers board.<\/p>\n

The first scout had some concerns with the former Michigan State Spartan turned Missouri Tiger:<\/p>\n

\u201dYoung is a pretty player. He has the look of an NFL player when he steps on the field. My main concern is his production against the best competition. He occasionally has reps where he relies on his length and athleticism, thinking \u2018I will win,\u2019 followed by many reps where he doesn\u2019t know or understand how to get past a blocker. The same things happened at the Senior Bowl. In the one-on-ones, he had some success, but overall, there were not enough impactful plays.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the record, Young was the defensive MVP at the Senior Bowl. Missouri played ranked foes Alabama and Oklahoma this season. He had a sack, three pressures, and a pair of run stops against the Crimson Tide. Against the Sooners, Young had eight pressures, two sacks, and four run stops. It would\u2019ve been difficult for him or any player to put up better numbers than Young did against Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

One scout said Young \u201cdid well at the Senior Bowl.\u201d Another scout said Young was similar to Auburn\u2019s Keldric Faulk but is \u201ca little bit tighter athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

A final scout had this to say: \u201cHe\u2019s tough, plays hard. They move him all up along the front because he\u2019s so damn big. Not a top, top athlete, but good enough for his size. He gets off, gets his arm out and controls people. His pass rush is more as a stunt kind of guy. They put him inside, too. He\u2019s just not your edge guy. He\u2019s a big power rusher.\u201d<\/p>\n

The above tracks. Young competes like you\u2019d want your defensive lineman to compete.<\/p>\n

Fourth on the list is Auburn\u2019s Keldric Faulk, who ran a 4.68 40 at 275 pounds. Here\u2019s what scouts had to say about the three-year junior: \u201cHe\u2019s a big D-end, the left end in a 4-3 who can slide inside and give you something there.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sounds like the player the 49ers took in the first round last year. The scout continued:<\/p>\n

\u201dHe\u2019s got all the physical qualities. He\u2019s a great young man, probably too nice. They sort of changed schemes, and he had more responsibility, more gap control. He\u2019s not a natural playmaker. He probably plays more to the responsibility than just going and making a play. Someone\u2019s going to take him because he\u2019s a great kid, we can change him, and he\u2019s 6\u2019 \u201c6, 275. He\u2019ll probably be in the first round, but later.\u201d<\/p>\n

We are judging players because they didn\u2019t freelance and did what they were supposed to. Oh, and because they are polite when you talk to them. Got it. Here\u2019s another take about the edge rusher with the longest arms at the position:<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t crazy about him but he\u2019ll be a late first or second round. I just thought he was a tweener. Not really an edge guy and not really an inside guy. He doesn\u2019t really win on the edge as a rusher. Best thing he does is rush inside because he\u2019s long and very quick. He can beat a guard on the pass rush, but in the run game, he plays really high. He\u2019s just not a natural defensive tackle inside. I worry about him. He is a great athlete, and he\u2019s got great makeup.\u201d<\/p>\n

The quotes about Faulk were consistent, with some scouts saying they\u2019d like him at the top of the second round because of his raw upside, while others say that\u2019s the reason they\u2019d stay away from Faulk. A final scout said, \u201cHe should be taken where similar players have succeeded, which is not in the first round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next up is a super duper senior from the Hurricanes who greatly benefited from his teammate. Mesidor turns 25 this weekend. While acknowledging he was more flexible than Bain, a scout said, \u201cBut he\u2019s 25 years old. What do you do? Some of these guys are 25 going against 19-year-olds. It\u2019s not necessarily a fair fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The majority of these scouts convinced themselves that Mesidor was a better prospect than Bain, but is telling me all I need to know. Here\u2019s another excerpt: \u201cInstinctive, nasty. At the point of attack, tight ends have no chance. As a pass rusher, he\u2019s got all sorts of stuff in the bag. He\u2019s got power, spin, and uses his hands. They drop him, and he moves like a linebacker. talented guy, starter, playmaker. But he\u2019s old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sixth on the list is the speedy Aggie.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a compact dude, but he has excellent quickness, speed, athleticism, bend, and hand use. He has shorter arms, but he\u2019s able to sideswipe and dip and do all this really cool stuff. If he was bigger, he\u2019d be a top-10 pick, but he\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howell\u2019s arm length is in the 0th percentile, and his wingspan is in the first percentile. Of course, he would go higher if he were bigger. Here\u2019s a second scout:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe might be a first-rounder. He\u2019s quick and fast, but he\u2019s also small and short-limbed. Best thing he does is from the back side. That\u2019s the only plays I ever saw him make is beat blocks from the back side. He\u2019s tweener size and not super athletic for that. Not explosive as a pass rusher. They wear him out in the run. It\u2019s like he didn\u2019t want anything to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A third scout had similar feelings: \u201cI\u2019m not a huge fan. Doesn\u2019t play the run real well. Plays hard against the pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any time a player picks and chooses when he wants to play, that should be a red flag. We just watched two to three seasons of undersized players up front for the 49ers. The results speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

The next player is out of Clemson. T.J. Parker came into the season with plenty of hype, but like the Tigers season, failed to live up to lofty expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201dHe\u2019s similar to Mesidor. He doesn\u2019t wow you in anything. His thing is more motor. He\u2019ll get stuck on an edge against athletic tackles. He keeps coming with second and third effort. He chases backside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parker started 28 games in three seasons. He ran and jumped well. One of the players Parker tested like athletically, according to MockDraftable, was a player named Justin Smith out of Missouri in 2001. You may be familiar with that player.<\/p>\n

One scout believes a change of coordinator impacted Parker\u2019s season: \u201cThey changed defensive coordinators, and he didn\u2019t have the freedom to go rush, and it probably impacted his year. He didn\u2019t have great production this year, but I liked his tape. He\u2019s got quickness and power. Plays with a lot of energy. He\u2019s physical. He\u2019s an end of the first round type. Good player. Has enough size, length, motor, and production. It\u2019s not high-end at anything. Just a solid package. Not special.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was the theme with Parker. Another scout said he\u2019s \u201cJust kind of out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start with the basic building block of all narrative.<\/p>\n

We discussed what scouts are saying about a handful of wide receivers the San Francisco 49ers might be interested in. Now, we turn the page to the other perceived biggest need and look at what these anonymous scouts are saying about the EDGE rushers in this class, courtesy of Bob McGinn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Before we get into the specific players, one executive in personnel said, \u201cI would say it\u2019s deep. I would not say it\u2019s necessarily like wow, top-heavy. But when you get into the second through the fourth round, it\u2019s really solid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another scout echoed those sentiments, saying, \u201cI don\u2019t know that there\u2019s a lot of playmakers at the top. There\u2019s a lot of mid-second round to the top of the fourth. You can get some really good players that will help your team. I just don\u2019t know that any will be really dynamic.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the more reason for the 49ers to wait until Day 2 and select the best available pass rusher on the board? Let\u2019s see what the scouts had to say about the prospects.<\/p>\n

David Bailey out of Texas Tech and Miami\u2019s Rueben Bain were the top two listed. The third player may be a surprise, but he\u2019s almost assuredly on the 49ers board.<\/p>\n

The first scout had some concerns with the former Michigan State Spartan turned Missouri Tiger:<\/p>\n

\u201dYoung is a pretty player. He has the look of an NFL player when he steps on the field. My main concern is his production against the best competition. He occasionally has reps where he relies on his length and athleticism, thinking \u2018I will win,\u2019 followed by many reps where he doesn\u2019t know or understand how to get past a blocker. The same things happened at the Senior Bowl. In the one-on-ones, he had some success, but overall, there were not enough impactful plays.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the record, Young was the defensive MVP at the Senior Bowl. Missouri played ranked foes Alabama and Oklahoma this season. He had a sack, three pressures, and a pair of run stops against the Crimson Tide. Against the Sooners, Young had eight pressures, two sacks, and four run stops. It would\u2019ve been difficult for him or any player to put up better numbers than Young did against Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

One scout said Young \u201cdid well at the Senior Bowl.\u201d Another scout said Young was similar to Auburn\u2019s Keldric Faulk but is \u201ca little bit tighter athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

A final scout had this to say: \u201cHe\u2019s tough, plays hard. They move him all up along the front because he\u2019s so damn big. Not a top, top athlete, but good enough for his size. He gets off, gets his arm out and controls people. His pass rush is more as a stunt kind of guy. They put him inside, too. He\u2019s just not your edge guy. He\u2019s a big power rusher.\u201d<\/p>\n

The above tracks. Young competes like you\u2019d want your defensive lineman to compete.<\/p>\n

Fourth on the list is Auburn\u2019s Keldric Faulk, who ran a 4.68 40 at 275 pounds. Here\u2019s what scouts had to say about the three-year junior: \u201cHe\u2019s a big D-end, the left end in a 4-3 who can slide inside and give you something there.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sounds like the player the 49ers took in the first round last year. The scout continued:<\/p>\n

\u201dHe\u2019s got all the physical qualities. He\u2019s a great young man, probably too nice. They sort of changed schemes, and he had more responsibility, more gap control. He\u2019s not a natural playmaker. He probably plays more to the responsibility than just going and making a play. Someone\u2019s going to take him because he\u2019s a great kid, we can change him, and he\u2019s 6\u2019 \u201c6, 275. He\u2019ll probably be in the first round, but later.\u201d<\/p>\n

We are judging players because they didn\u2019t freelance and did what they were supposed to. Oh, and because they are polite when you talk to them. Got it. Here\u2019s another take about the edge rusher with the longest arms at the position:<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t crazy about him but he\u2019ll be a late first or second round. I just thought he was a tweener. Not really an edge guy and not really an inside guy. He doesn\u2019t really win on the edge as a rusher. Best thing he does is rush inside because he\u2019s long and very quick. He can beat a guard on the pass rush, but in the run game, he plays really high. He\u2019s just not a natural defensive tackle inside. I worry about him. He is a great athlete, and he\u2019s got great makeup.\u201d<\/p>\n

The quotes about Faulk were consistent, with some scouts saying they\u2019d like him at the top of the second round because of his raw upside, while others say that\u2019s the reason they\u2019d stay away from Faulk. A final scout said, \u201cHe should be taken where similar players have succeeded, which is not in the first round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next up is a super duper senior from the Hurricanes who greatly benefited from his teammate. Mesidor turns 25 this weekend. While acknowledging he was more flexible than Bain, a scout said, \u201cBut he\u2019s 25 years old. What do you do? Some of these guys are 25 going against 19-year-olds. It\u2019s not necessarily a fair fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The majority of these scouts convinced themselves that Mesidor was a better prospect than Bain, but is telling me all I need to know. Here\u2019s another excerpt: \u201cInstinctive, nasty. At the point of attack, tight ends have no chance. As a pass rusher, he\u2019s got all sorts of stuff in the bag. He\u2019s got power, spin, and uses his hands. They drop him, and he moves like a linebacker. talented guy, starter, playmaker. But he\u2019s old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sixth on the list is the speedy Aggie.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a compact dude, but he has excellent quickness, speed, athleticism, bend, and hand use. He has shorter arms, but he\u2019s able to sideswipe and dip and do all this really cool stuff. If he was bigger, he\u2019d be a top-10 pick, but he\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howell\u2019s arm length is in the 0th percentile, and his wingspan is in the first percentile. Of course, he would go higher if he were bigger. Here\u2019s a second scout:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe might be a first-rounder. He\u2019s quick and fast, but he\u2019s also small and short-limbed. Best thing he does is from the back side. That\u2019s the only plays I ever saw him make is beat blocks from the back side. He\u2019s tweener size and not super athletic for that. Not explosive as a pass rusher. They wear him out in the run. It\u2019s like he didn\u2019t want anything to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A third scout had similar feelings: \u201cI\u2019m not a huge fan. Doesn\u2019t play the run real well. Plays hard against the pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any time a player picks and chooses when he wants to play, that should be a red flag. We just watched two to three seasons of undersized players up front for the 49ers. The results speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

The next player is out of Clemson. T.J. Parker came into the season with plenty of hype, but like the Tigers season, failed to live up to lofty expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201dHe\u2019s similar to Mesidor. He doesn\u2019t wow you in anything. His thing is more motor. He\u2019ll get stuck on an edge against athletic tackles. He keeps coming with second and third effort. He chases backside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parker started 28 games in three seasons. He ran and jumped well. One of the players Parker tested like athletically, according to MockDraftable, was a player named Justin Smith out of Missouri in 2001. You may be familiar with that player.<\/p>\n

One scout believes a change of coordinator impacted Parker\u2019s season: \u201cThey changed defensive coordinators, and he didn\u2019t have the freedom to go rush, and it probably impacted his year. He didn\u2019t have great production this year, but I liked his tape. He\u2019s got quickness and power. Plays with a lot of energy. He\u2019s physical. He\u2019s an end of the first round type. Good player. Has enough size, length, motor, and production. It\u2019s not high-end at anything. Just a solid package. Not special.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was the theme with Parker. Another scout said he\u2019s \u201cJust kind of out there.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We discussed what scouts are saying about a handful of wide receivers the San Francisco 49ers might be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":859353,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7,6,1138],"class_list":{"0":"post-859352","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-san-francisco-49ers-draft"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116364521406182639","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=859352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/859353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=859352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=859352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=859352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}