Top 5 edge rusher prospects + favorites and sleepers in 2019 NFL

Draft The San Francisco 49ers’ defense has had positive moments Authentic Richard Sherman jersey , but the pass rush remains a huge problem. The team is able to get some interior pressure, but they get very little off the edge to create problems.Of course, when the team does not address the position during the offseason, these things are going to happen. The 49ers extended Cassius Marsh and signed Jeremiah Attaochu (later released), while declining Elvis Dumervil’s option after he had led the team in sacks in 2017.The team is in a rebuilding process, and it is entirely possible they targeted the 2019 offseason as the best opportunity to add talent to the group. NFL Draft picks are no sure thing, but the 2019 NFL Draft could feature an especially talented group of edge rushers.The 49ers are looking at a fairly high draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. I decided to ask Greg Valerio, Josh Eccles, and Alex Eisen to put together a ranking of their top five edge rushers for 2019. Additionally, each of them wrote up their favorite edge rusher, and their favorite sleeper in the draft.Edge rusher rankings, 10/3RkGreg ValerioJosh EcclesAlex EisenRkGreg ValerioJosh EcclesAlex EisenJosh EcclesFavorite: Josh Allen, DE, No. 41 - KentuckyHeight: 6’5” | Weight: 230 | 40 time: 4.692018 stats (5 games): 6 sacks, 33 tackles (17 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumblesMark Zerof-USA TODAY SportsIf you’ve paid any attention at all to college football this season then you know that Kentucky has been surprising folks with their undefeated start as they near the halfway mark of the 2018 season. Many would argue that their run can’t last much longer as matchups against the likes of Georgia (and the rest of the SEC) loom on the horizon. One of the many impressive things about the Wildcats thus far has been the play of pass rushing specialist Josh Allen whom, week in and week out, has shown fans and scouts alike that he is, indeed, the real deal.His most impressive showing was also his most recent one against South Carolina as managed to disrupt the Gamecocks’ entire offense on his way to tallying a total of 3 sacks. He’s strong, athletic, intelligent, has a high motor, and would slide in perfectly to what San Francisco is trying to do on defense. He is a little on the small side but will grow into his body as time goes on so that should not - in any way - be a detractor from teams taking a chance on him.Sleeper: Chase Winovich, DE, No. 15 - MichiganHeight: 6’3” | Weight: 255 | 40 time: 4.772018 stats (5 games): 3 sacks, 32 tackles (18 solo), 10.5 tackles for lossBrad Mills-USA TODAY SportsA legitimate argument could be made about the fact that Jim Harbaugh’s stint as head coach at Michigan has been a bit of a letdown. You know what isn’t a letdown, though? Watching Wolverine EDGE rusher Chase Winovich play football. The dude has a high motor and always seems to find a way to disrupt things in the backfield. 2019 will be a deep year for pass rushers and Winovich provides good value for any team who may find themselves unable to select one of the many talented EDGE rushers within the first three rounds of the draft. Like I said, he has a high motor - that paired with his good athleticism and his ability to get around the edge and into the backfield bodes well for him to make his mark as a pro for years to come.Greg ValerioFavorite: Nick Bosa, DE, No. 97 - Ohio StateHeight: 6’4” | Weight: 265 | 40 time: 4.752018 stats (3 games): 4 sacks, 14 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble Youth Weston Richburg jersey , and 1 touchdownNick BosaPhoto by Jamie Sabau/Getty ImagesAlthough I am a huge fan of Florida State’s Brian Burns, I have to go with my favorite prospect in the draft class in Nick Bosa. It is rare to see two brothers sharing high-end success at the next level, but Nick Bosa is on the path to match older brother’s “Joey” ride and success in the NFL. The junior is a tremendously gifted athletic talent showcasing a terrific combination of size, strength, athleticism, natural ability, power, quickness, football intelligence, and superb technique. A man amongst boys, Bosa is an all around complete player with excellent technique, adept in all facets of the game whether rushing the passer, wreaking havoc in the backfield, or as a stout run stopper. NFL Bloodlines runs thick and Bosa’s successful transition to the next level is pretty much a sure thing, but first he needs to get healthy. Sleeper: Oshane Ximines, No. 7 - Old DominionHeight: 6’3” | Weight: 252 | 40 time: 4.652018 stats (5 games): 6 sacks, 29 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass deflection, and 2 forced fumblesOshane XiminesRay Carlin-USA TODAY SportsAlthough not really considered a “sleeper” per se, Oshane Ximines is a somewhat under-the-radar prospect worth keeping an eye on. A leader on the field, Ximines is an explosive LEO prospect with destructive tendencies wreaking havoc in opponents’ backfields. A standout tough athlete with an immense passion for the game, Ximines is an impressive pass rush talent with great first-step explosion, length, fluid change-of-direction skills, quickness, agility, strength, and athleticism. He showcases good bend off the edge (nice flexibility) maintaining balance and burst closing with speed and violence. He does a good job utilizing his active hands and is quick to transition into his pass rush moves with smoothness winning with speed, power, and awareness.Alex EisenFavorite: Clelin Ferrell, No. 99, - ClemsonHeight: 6’5 | Weight: 260 | 40 Time: 4.712018 Stats: (5 Games) 17 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble.Jerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsNick Bosa has my vote to be the number one pass rusher off the board come April, even with his current injury. However http://www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kyle-juszczyk-jersey , my favorite pass rusher in this draft has, and continues to be Clelin Ferrell out of Clemson. Causing disruption along the line of scrimmage is an understatement. Ferrell’s dominance along the line not only puts him in the spotlight, but creates plays and valuable opportunities for his fellow defensive lineman (3 other future first round picks).Last season Ferrell filled up the stat sheet with over sixty total tackles and 9.5 sacks. His short area quickness and burst off the line are among the most explosive in the nation. He gets to the quarterback often and early. Ferrell is strong against the run, and the point of attack. Has a great frame, with strong and reliable hands that scouts andevaluators seek at the next level. A nightmare for offensive lineman to cover, and will often require to be double-teamed along the line of scrimmage. The scary thought about Ferrell was that many had him as a top 15 pick had he declared in 2018. Ferrell will continue to build his resume as he is looking like a top 10 lock in next year’s draft. Sleeper: Carl Granderson, No. 91 - WyomingHeight: 6’4” | Weight: 255 | 40 Time: 4.752018 Stats (5 Games): 16 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 batted passDenny Medley-USA TODAY SportsKeep a close eye on Carl Granderson out of Wyoming. The converted pass rusher continues to climb up draft boards after a productive season in 2017 where he totaled 77 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble. Does not nearly get the media attention playing in the Mountain West Conference. However, he has received positive marks and early praise from scouts and evaluators. Has a strong build and frame that will transition nicely at the next level.Watching Granderson on tape, he has the ability to find the small gaps and holes heading towards the opponents backfield. Strong, reliable hands help him push off blockers. Has shown the ability to stop the run, and make his presence known on passing downs. Disrupts and clogs up potential gaps against the run. On numerous occasions Granderson is reading the passer’s eyes, and adjusting accordingly to make an impact on the play. Has nice burst along the line, off the snap. Since converting to defensive end, he has built a package of pass rusher moves that he continues to polish and improve upon each season. He might not be in the national spotlight, but he is slowly getting the scouts’ attention while raising his draft stock in the process. At the moment Granderson is a late day two, early day three pick with his arrow pointing up.C.J. Beathard talks offensive understanding, toughness, Chargers defense What’s the first step for you when you come in and take a look at the game plan?“Just trying to get it. Obviously, it’s early in the week so the more the week goes by the more comfortable everyone will be with it. Today’s the first day getting the game plan. We haven’t even gone out and practiced it yet. But, just trying to get it down better and better each and every day.” Does your routine change? Have you carried over anything from what QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s done to change your routine up this year as opposed to last year?“As opposed to when I was playing last year? You’ve got to prepare, as the backup guy, as if you are the starter. So, I’m doing a lot of the same things except I am meeting with [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and our quarterbacks coach a little bit more just to go over little things here and there after practice, before practice, just stuff like that to make sure we’re all on the same page.” The other day you mentioned after the game you felt like the experience you got last year would make it a little easier this year, stepping back in. In what ways?“Just having that experience. Having gone out there and played in five NFL games, there’s nothing you can do to simulate those reps in practice. The only way you can do it is by going out there and actually getting those game-time reps. Just being another year under the system and Kyle’s offense helps a ton, just the knowledge of the offense, getting through progressions quicker and all of that kind of stuff.”He was just saying he thought one of the things is that you’d have a better understanding of the why’s, of why things are happening. Do you feel like you have a far greater understanding of that stuff?“Yeah, definitely. It’s year two for me in this offense. With any extra time doing something Pierre Garcon jersey , the better you get at it. I definitely understand more of the why’s. Why certain things happen, why this guy we think will be open, why we attack certain things versus certain coverages and stuff like that.” It’s kind of a clich茅 about the backup quarterback always being ready, but can you describe what the mentality is every week when you never know when your day might come?“People say it, but no one really believes it. You really are one play away and you just never know when that play is going to be. You could play zero an entire season or you could be playing in the third game of the year. You never know. That’s why you’ve got to make sure you’re prepared as much as possible and prepare as if you are the starter, for situations like this.” Obviously, you don’t want anybody to get hurt, but you have 13 games in front of you to really prove that you’re an NFL quarterback. So, you have to look at this as an opportunity, don’t you?“Yeah, no doubt. Obviously, I think more focus on this team. There’s a lot of people out there doubting us and counting us out. I think everybody in the building is excited and we’re ready to get rolling and win some games moving forward.” Everyone was very impressed with how tough you were last year. I assume you don’t want to be able to show how tough you are, to that extent this year. Obviously, a lot went into that, but what can you do to minimize some of that punishment?“Just try to get the ball out of my hands quicker. I think we’ve got a lot better team than we did last year. I really like the group that we have and obviously doing what I can do to get the ball out of my hands quicker and making reads quicker. As a whole team, everyone, the O-Line, receivers, running backs, everyone can add their part to help that.” How does that make you feel when you hear so many guys talk up your toughness and then do you turn it around on them and kind of give them some praise as well?“Obviously it’s a good thing to be, as a quarterback in the NFL you’ve got to be tough and you have to have certain qualities to be able to play in this league. It’s awesome to hear my teammates say that about me, but I think this is a real tough team. I think we’ve got a bunch of tough guys on this team on offense, defense, special teams. We’re excited moving forward.” Specifically, what did it mean when you heard LB Reuben Foster say that you, ain’t no roody-poo?“Yeah, people asked me about that and I still don’t know if I know what that means. I haven’t seen the entire interview yet, but people were telling me to check it out. It’s pretty funny.” Have people come up to you and spoken to you and given you that vote of confidence personally or are they just going about the week business as usual?“I’ve gotten a lot of support from the team, guys saying they believe in me and all this stuff, which is great. But, nothing drastically crazy. It’s just next man up. That’s kind of what our mentality is like. Throughout a season, a lot of guys are going to get hurt whether it’s quarterback, whether it’s any position on the field. You’ve just got to have that mentality, next man up and you’ve got to believe in that teammate no matter what the position is.” Kyle said that Jimmy has been around. What’s it been like to be able to speak to him this week as you prepare for your first start?“Oh, it’s been great having him around, being able to talk to him and ask him about certain things. Just having his presence in the facility Authentic Laken Tomlinson jersey , being supportive of us and the team, it’s great. Obviously, my thoughts and prayers are with him going forward and hopefully he can recover and get back as quickly as possible.” Is he like another coach now for you?“Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way.” In what ways do you think Kyle has helped you improve as a quarterback the most?“I think just the knowledge of how football works, how certain plays scheme up against certain defenses the best. I think Kyle’s the best at that, at drawing up plays versus certain looks and coverages that work the best and why they work and how to expect and anticipate certain things.” In Minnesota and then the two touchdowns last week against Kansas City there were a lot of open receivers running deep. How much confidence do you have just in him to put you in a position to succeed?“I’ve got all the confidence in the world in Kyle and my team. I think it starts with coaches and then obviously the players have to go out there and execute. I’ve got confidence in every last person in this building.” A year ago, last season, when Kyle informed you that he was going to go with Jimmy, what did that do to you? How did that sit with you?“I don’t know, that’s so far in the past, it’s hard to look back to that. But, I looked at it as an opportunity to grow and learn and get better and just be the best backup that I could be all the way up to this point. And, just learn from Jimmy and Kyle and take it all in.” Kyle said some quarterbacks need early success to build confidence. You got thrown in right away and you took some lumps. How did that help you and how did you prevent from losing confidence?“I think I’ve got a strong faith in God and I’ve got a good support system with my family and teammates. I know to never get down on yourself in any situation in life. I think that having not played last year, I think it’d be a lot different situation at this point being my first game. I think I would be a lot more nervous or whatnot. I think it also helps having played in those games. My teammates have confidence in me because, ‘Oh, he’s been there before, he can do it.’” In terms of the Chargers, what are your initial impressions of them and is there any extra spark you can get by facing a team that you grew up rooting for?“Honestly, it doesn’t really matter who it was that we’re going to play. It’s crazy that it is the Chargers. I did grow up being a Chargers fan, but I’m just excited to go out there and play whoever it was going to be. In this case, it’s the Chargers. But, they’re a good team. They’ve got good guys on defense. They’re an explosive offense as well. We just have to go out there and play as a team and play solid on offense, defense and special teams. Hopefully we’ll walk out of there with a win.” The Chargers with Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley run a scheme pretty similar to what you guys do here. Is there any benefit to that as you go into this?“Yeah, I think so. It’s a lot of the same style of defense that we’ve gone against in camp and OTAs and stuff. Obviously, they sprinkle in some different things and do different things. I’m sure there’ll be some new things that they’re going to game plan against us that you’ve got to be prepared for. But, the base stuff is there. They’re a three-deep team and so are we. Obviously, having gone against a defense like that helps, but you can never count on it, what they’re doing. There’s always something different.” Kyle talked about your preseason and overall summer and said he was very pleased even though in preseason games your stats weren’t necessarily eye popping. How do you assess your preseason? Were you overall pretty pleased? I know you were obviously dealing with a foot injury.“I was pleased with it. I just felt a lot more comfortable back there. Obviously, there were plays that I missed and wish I had back. But, I said a while back that for the most part, the ball was going to the right spot most of the time and that’s good.”