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# Big Board: Ranking Top EDGE Targets for Seahawks in 2026 NFL Draft
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/big-board-seattle-seahawks-edge-2026-nfl-draft/
- Published: 2026-04-16T22:04:10.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:35:49.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, 2026 NFL Draft, Akheem Mesidor, Malachi Lawrence, TJ Parker, Derrick Moore, Zion Young, Cashius Howell, R Mason Thomas, Gabe Jacas

With the deadline come and gone for teams to bring prospects into town for official visits, it’s full steam ahead for the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the league heading towards the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

After helping anchor the NFL’s top defense a year ago on the way to a Super Bowl victory, the Seahawks will roll into 2026 attempting to defend their title with plenty of questions short and long-term in regard to their EDGE group. Former second round pick Boye Mafe left to sign with the Bengals in free agency, while speculation about veteran Demarcus Lawrence potentially retiring continues to run amuck in the rumor mill and both Derrick Hall and Uchenna Nwosu will be entering the final year of their respective contracts as well.

Which edge setters stand out as the best of the best for Seattle to potentially choose from? Less than 10 days away from the draft, here are my final rankings for EDGE/outside linebackers projected to be drafted in the top 100 picks, including overall rankings in parenthesis:

### Final Big Board - EDGE/Outside Linebackers

1. (1) **Arvell Reese, Ohio State** \- A fascinating ball of clay with off-ball linebacker and EDGE experience on his resume as an All-American for the Buckeyes, the 20-year-old Reese will come into the league lacking polish but oozing with traits. Most likely to play off the edge in the league, his elite explosiveness will create a matchup nightmare for tackles as an upfield speed rushing demon, but the key to him reaching his All-Pro potential will boil down to how his counter moves and pass rushing approach evolve early in his career. Adding more mass to his frame will also be a necessity, but given his age, that shouldn’t be difficult for the rising young phenom.
2. (4) **David Bailey, Texas Tech** \- Lightning quick at 251 pounds, Bailey’s lateral movement and agility skills put him a cut above the rest in terms of polish from this year’s talented EDGE class. He regularly left tackles and guards lunging for air as he slanted through gaps like a blur, and even when blockers do get hands on him, his slipperiness allows him to often still avoid getting beat to effectively blow up runs in the backfield and hunt down quarterbacks. He’ll get knocked around at times in the power run game, but his athleticism mitigates that concern for the most part and he should be ready to be a game-wrecking impact starter on Day 1.
3. (6) **Rueben Bain Jr., Miami** \- Punching with the velocity of a 320-pound nose tackle, Bain throws bricks for hands that allow him to deliver jarring blows play after play to opposing blockers, setting the tone in the trenches as a maniacal do-it-all monster who can demand attention from multiple blocks and become a focal point for opposing pass protection schemes to fear. If there’s a downside to him coming into the league, his short 30-inch arms could be magnified against NFL competition where tackles can latch onto him early and limit the effectiveness of his initial punch, but his athleticism, burst, and feisty temperament should help nullify that concern.
4. (24) **Akheem Mesidor, Miami** \- Incredibly productive when healthy, the 263-pound Mesidor stuffed the stat sheet with a dozen sacks and nearly 20 tackles for loss last season, outproducing Bain on the same Hurricanes defense. In some ways, it can be argued he’s a better prospect, offering a host of refined counter moves in conjunction with underrated acceleration and bend to turn the corner on tackles as a flexibly dangerous pass rusher. He also has shown the ability to reduce down to 3-tech and spar with guards, a major asset for modern NFL defenses. His age and injury history likely will drop him down the board, but he could be a Day 1 steal as a result.
5. (26) **Zion Young, Missouri** \- Checking off every measurable box, Young stands 6-6 with a muscular 262-pound frame and 33-inch arms, and he utilizes those physical tools exceptionally well. As a run defender, his length and physicality can overwhelm blockers, while he’s capable of threatening the edge of tackles as a rusher with the ability to transfer quickly into a bull rush or a hard slant inside to harass quarterbacks. If he can improve his success getting off of blocks when his initial rush is stymied and develop a few reliable counter moves, even with a modest athletic profile, his best football likely remains in front of him.
6. (33) **Keldric Faulk, Auburn** \- Possessing an enticing 6-6, 276-pound frame, the 21-year-old Faulk isn’t near as refined as Mesidor or Young, but it can be argued nobody in this class has a higher potential ceiling with the exception of Reese. He has elite quicks for a player of his size to split gaps and has already shown he can dominate opponents at the point of attack with his long arms both as an EDGE and defensive tackle. He’s still a work in progress learning how to assert his will physically as an edge setter and his average speed may require sliding inside for most of his reps, but he has the goods with proper coaching to be a destructive force at either spot.
7. (39) **Gabe Jacas, Illinois** \- Offering plus size at 6-4, 260 pounds with 33-inch arms, Jacas doesn’t win with elaborate counter moves and he’s a bit rigid athletically, not offering the twitch of some of the EDGE prospects ahead of him on this list. But he constantly bullied the Big Ten’s best with impressive lower body power, jarring hands, and a relentless bull rush, tallying 11 sacks and 13.5 sacks as a senior, and he excels at punching the ball out of the hand of quarterbacks once he gets to them. He’s also a stout edge setter who executes well with his length at the point of attack to shed blocks and make plays, fitting the bill of a fringe first-round talent.
8. (46) **Malachi Lawrence, UCF** \- A twitchy EDGE with plus length and burst who possesses low 4.5 speed, Lawrence produced at least five sacks in each of his final three seasons with the Knights and gradually improved his numbers during that span, including 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss as a senior. He has a wide array of counters, but developing a better pass rush plan against pro tackles will be a must to capitalize on those moves, and consistency against the run - particularly with gap integrity - will be an area he has to clean up. His natural tools coupled with an ideal frame for an NFL EDGE should set him up to be a quality three-down starter in time.
9. (48) **TJ Parker, Clemson** \- A powerful, well-built edge rusher at 6-4, 263 pounds, Parker looked to be on the verge of being a top-10 pick after recording 11.0 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in 2024\. His production in 2025 sank, which could be viewed as regression to the mean with a pass rushing pallet that lacks quality counters when the initial move doesn’t hit at the top of his rush. With that said, he has an excellent long arm move and he’s a smooth operating crashing inside on stunts while also being a reliable run defender who uses his hands well against blocks, having more than enough tools to become a quality starter in 4-3 or 3-4 schemes.
10. (57) **Cashius Howell, Texas A&M** \- Playing under 250 pounds for most of his college career, Howell’s run defense has been suspect at times with opposing blockers able to bully him while trying to set the edge. But surprisingly, he’s had success both with his hand in the dirt and standing up in wide-9 alignment, showcasing more potential scheme versatility than expected at his size. He’s a bendy, explosive upfield rusher with a dynamic spin move that can twist tackles into knots and while he will not be the perfect fit for every team, his immense pass rushing production and penetrating skills against the run should translate early at the next level.
11. (60) **R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma** \- Weighing barely a Big Mac above 240 pounds with 31-inch arms, Mason Thomas looks more like an off ball linebacker than an NFL edge with a lean, sawed-off frame, leaving limited room for further growth without compensating his best assets in the speed and quickness department. However, there are plenty of sub-245 pound rushers who have found success in the league, and he has a motor that runs non-stop. His experience dropping back into coverage to pair with his explosive athleticism as a dangerous one-on-one pass rushing threat should secure him a Day 2 selection, even if he’s not a three-down player early.
12. (63) **Derrick Moore, Michigan** \- Measuring in at 6-3, 254 pounds, Moore has adequate size and athleticism to play defensive end with his hand in the dirt or outside linebacker in a two-point stance. His run defense has been inconsistent, as he doesn’t always have a quick read on when to shed blocks and rally to a ball carrier. But his pass rushing talents have been evident on a persistent basis the past two years, starting with a powerful bull rush that left many Big Ten tackles plowed into the pocket. He’s an excellent closer once he collapses on quarterbacks and has a nice bag of counters to work with, which should bode well for his future in the league.
13. (68) **Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State** \- Dennis-Sutton has long been a ballyhooed prospect due to his tantalizing blend of size and athleticism, demonstrating the ability to dominate tackles with his length and power in spurts while producing 8.5 sacks each of the past two seasons. When he isn’t playing too upright, he also can be a force setting a firm edge and plays with more than enough physicality to hold up in that regard. But he has some limitations, as he can struggle with the leverage battle in the trenches and doesn’t always play to the speed/explosiveness of his athletic testing. Still, he should be bookmarked for Day 2 with three-down starter potential.
14. (83) **Joshua Josephs, Tennessee** \- Weighing in at just 242 pounds, Josephs can be bullied around a bit in the run game, though he does a fine job running down plays in pursuit and effort isn’t an issue in that aspect of his game. He didn’t produce near as many sacks and quarterback hits as the Volunteers would have liked the past few years, but he regularly turns up the heat pressure-wise on signal callers and has enough counter moves in his arsenal rushing the passer to believe that with more time in the weight room to add muscle to go with his length, he could become a quality three-down player in the league.
15. (97) **Jaishawn Barham, Michigan** \- Formerly an off-ball linebacker for the Wolverines, Barham hasn’t had a ton of reps rushing off the edge and he won as a rusher primarily with athleticism at the college level, but his burst, hand usage, and motor shine as NFL-caliber traits to work with. At this stage of his development, he’s a chess piece who can shed blocks from both the inside as an off-ball defender or off tackle, but he’s largely a novice when it comes to technical aspects of the game. He has a long way to go learning how to set a firm edge and being a threat beyond his speed as a rusher, but his effort should inspire hope he grows quickly in the right setting.
16. (100) **Wesley Williams, Duke** \- Tenacity is the name of the game for Williams, who compensates for average at best athleticism with a relentless motor that never seems to run low on fumes and stellar technique aided by a boxy frame that allows him to regularly win the leverage fight. His sack production dipped substantially in his final year with the Blue Devils and he may not have enough juice to win quickly at the next level, but his Energizer bunny mentality should continue to create effort production for him that many other players don’t attain. A true blue collar fighter who could play some inside on passing downs, he has a great chance to out play his draft position.