Defensive end Abdul Carter speaks to the media at Penn State's Pro Day in Holuba Hall on March 28, 2025, in State College.

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Top Defensive End Prospects 2025 NFL Draft – A List of Top 7 DEs in the 2025 Draft Class

Will Abdul Carter get drafted number one overall?

Defensive end Abdul Carter speaks to the media at Penn State's Pro Day in Holuba Hall on March 28, 2025, in State College.

The defensive end position is one of the more crucial positions on the football field. Players selected to play at this position require strength, stamina, and quickness, as their primary job is to get after the opposing quarterback for sacks and pressures.

Defensive ends primarily deal with the offensive tackles who are large and strong, therefore, the edge defender needs to be nimble to get around them. These players are also referred to as pass rushers since their primary objective is to stop the quarterback on passing plays. Having a quality defensive end on the roster is a huge advantage, especially when they are used properly on big third and fourth-down plays.

Top 7 DE Prospects at the 2025 NFL Draft

The 2025 defensive end draft class is considered to be one of the best with great depth. In fact, it is in the top 2 amongst all positions as we head into the draft.

Abdul Carter – Penn State

By now, it is a well-established fact that the number one edge rusher in this year’s draft class is by far and away, Abdul Carter from Penn State. The former Nittany Lion wreaked havoc in college football and is strikingly similar to the Dallas Cowboys’ very own Micah Parsons.

Widely perceived to be a top-three pick in this year’s draft, Carter has the potential to be selected first overall, but by the looks of it, the Titans are likely to take QB Cam Ward with the first pick.

Carter started out his collegiate career as an outside linebacker, a position he played in his freshman and sophomore years, but transitioned to the edge as a junior, where he made an immediate impact as he more than doubled his sack tally.

Also Read: Will Johnson NFL Draft Projection – Where Will the Michigan Cornerback Land?

Mike Green – Marshall

One of the more aggressive defensive ends in the draft is Mike Green who played for the Marshall Thundering Herd in 2023 and 2024, prior to which he played for the Virginia Cavaliers football team. Although he didn’t face the stiffest of competition, Green dominated in both the pass rush as well as the run game.

Apart from his aggressive nature, Green has several qualities that make him a top prospect, with the ability to win in various ways, quickness around the edge, strength, and the ability to put several moves together. In 2024, he led the nation with 17 sacks and was a major contributing factor to the Herd’s first-ever Sunbelt Conference Championship.

Donovan Ezeiruaku – Boston College

When you see former Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku play, the things that pop up are his quickness, agility, athleticism, and he has several moves, including a top cross-chop. Ezeiruaku is known for his intelligence on the field and high football IQ.

In the 2024 season, Ezeiruaku was named to the First-team All-ACC, and was also honored with the ACC Defensive Player of the Year as well as the Ted Hendricks Award.

James Pearce Jr. – Tennessee

James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee is another pass rusher to watch out for. Having been named to the first-team All-SEC in both 2023 and 2024, Pearce was seen as one of the top prospects for this year’s draft back in 2023. Pearce is an explosive athlete with a great burst off the line, who has a high pressure rate.

Mykel Williams – Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs alum, Mykel Williams, is well-known for his strong work ethic. He was a member of the Bulldogs’ 2022 CFP National Championship-winning team. Williams possesses a motor that never stops running, while his big build and length enable him to keep tackles and tight ends at bay.

Shemar Stewart – Texas A&M

Shemar Stewart is one of the two Texas A&M Aggies on this list. Stewart is known for his strength and power game, having the ability to run over offensive tackles. The Miami native possesses rare physical traits, including explosiveness despite his size and length.

Nic Scourton – Texas A&M

The second Aggies’ defensive end on the list is Nic Scourton, who is another aggressive player. He uses his power to his advantage and forces opponents to bring in additional help to his side. Scourton has great transition ability, which he has displayed during his change of direction or euro-step moves, making him difficult to block.

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Abdul Carter

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!