2016 NFL Draft: Don't Overlook Nation's Top Small-School Sack Artist, Matt Judon

This year's NFL draft class is deep along the interior of the defensive line, but it's a different story when it comes to dynamic edge-rushers.

From the off-field issues of Eastern Kentucky's Noah Spence to potential medical concerns about Clemson's Shaq Lawson, per Albert Breer of NFL.com, even the draft's top defensive ends have their concerning flaws. If NFL teams would rather take a chance on a promising pass-rusher later in the draft, they should set their sights on Grand Valley State's Matt Judon.

The first thing about the Lakers standout that jumps out is his production. Judon led all levels of college football with 20 sacks in 2015, along with 81 tackles, 23.5 of which took place behind the line of scrimmage. He fared well in his junior campaign, as well, with 19.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. Judon knows how to make big plays even bigger by creating turnovers, forcing seven fumbles over the past two seasons.

Judon's performance over his final two seasons for the Lakers is even more impressive considering he missed all but the first seven plays of the 2013 season with a torn ACL.

Unsurprisingly, Judon's ridiculous numbers have turned plenty of heads among draft analysts, including ESPN's Todd McShay:

Production is great, but the pros on Judon's scouting report go well beyond the box score. It starts with his combination of size and athleticism, which was on full display at this year's NFL Scouting Combine.

Judon weighed in at 6'3", 275 pounds, which is an ideal frame for a 4-3 defensive end at the pro level. His size made his performance in combine drills even more impressive, as he clocked a 4.73-second 40-yard dash, then added 30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and a 35-inch vertical leap. Judon's numbers in those drills were among the best of any defensive end at this year's combine.

According to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, NFL teams were intrigued by Judon following his combine performance.

Judon looked just as athletic at his pro day. According to Peter Wallner of MLive.com, as many as 26 NFL teams was it. These clips from his workout show Judon's power, agility and explosiveness, via Grand Valley Lanthorn on Twitter:

When it comes to the finer points of being a pass-rusher, there's also plenty to like when you flip on Judon's film. He's got a full array of moves, setting up offensive tackles with a calculated plan. Dane Brugler of CBS Sports took notice of Judon's ability to beat opponents with his combination of physical tools and technique:

What are the cons with Judon?

The easy one to point out is his lack of top competition, as Judon was clearly the most talented player on the field on a weekly basis. It's always a hit-or-miss proposition as to whether or not a dominant small-school player can truly be special, instead of simply being a product of his surroundings.

There are also potential injury concerns, as Judon not only suffered the ACL tear, but he also sat out of this year's East-West Shrine game after a knee scope revealed a small issue with his meniscus, per A.A. Knorr of the Grand Valley Lanthorn.

Judon's also not one of the younger prospects in the draft, having redshirted in 2010 during his first year on campus, then again in 2013 when he was out with the knee injury.

But all things considered, Judon has the combination of production, physical traits and intelligence that will entice NFL teams to give him a chance. At this point, he's likely to come off the board sometime on Day 3, and if he reaches his potential, he could end up being the best value of any pass-rusher in this year's draft.

Luke Easterling is a Featured Columnist who covers the NFL draft for Bleacher Report. He also covers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Scout.com. Follow him on Twitter @LukeEasterling.