Who Is the Top Edge in 2024 NFL Draft? Getting to Know Dallas Turner, Best Prospects

The last two draft classes featured highly regarded edge-defenders who heard their names called with the first, second and third overall picks.

Travon Walker, Aidan Hutchinson and Will Anderson Jr. were elite talents. But the overall quality of their respective classes will be challenged by the 2024 group, which has the potential and depth to provide multiple teams with much-needed pressure creators.

"The edge group should be special next year," one NFL college scouting director told ESPN's Matt Miller. "[Alabama's Dallas] Turner, [Florida State's Jared] Verse, J.T. Tuimoloau at Ohio State ... but Turner has the total package. You'll get some Micah Parsons comps there."

Any comparison to Parsons is eye-opening. The 24-year-old defender is the league's most explosive pass-rusher, with the speed, athleticism and power to make professional blockers look silly.

Lofty expectations with scouting circles have already been placed on five specific prospects currently projected as first-round possibilities before the 2023 campaign begins.

Dallas Turner, Alabama

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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 05: Dallas Turner #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide in action against the LSU Tigers during a game at Tiger Stadium on November 05, 2022 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Dallas Turner joined the Alabama Crimson Tide as a consensus 5-star recruit and the top edge-rusher from the 2021 class. Despite the underclassman's immense talent, Will Anderson Jr.'s performance overshadowed anything Turner achieved.

Yet Turner's skill set creates a rather high bar.

Comparatively, the 6'4" defender has a slender build. At a listed 242 pounds, he's currently 11-30 pounds lighter than Anderson, Hutchinson and Walker. Though Turner's first-step quickness and short-area explosiveness make up for the fact he's not as compactly built.

Turner's projection is also based on the idea he'll ascend without Anderson in the lineup.

Conference coaches named him to the All-SEC Freshman Team. He registered 18 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks during his first two seasons. According to SIS Football, Turner is second among returning SEC defenders in pressures generated last season.

Turner is a long-limbed, fluid athlete capable of playing from a two- or three-point stance. When he shoots his hands and gets into the body of blockers quickly, he's going to end up past those linemen or tight ends. He's also a relentless backside defender.

A strong junior campaign, coupled with high-level testing at the NFL Scouting Combine, could easily place Turner alongside USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. for 2024.

Jared Verse, Florida State

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TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 25: Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) battles Florida Gators offensive lineman Richard Gouraige (76) during the game between the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles on November 25, 2022 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jared Verse surprised many when he returned to Florida State for another season. In fact, the Bleacher Report Scouting Department graded him as a first-round prospect for the 2023 class. The answer may lie in the fact that Verse is still a work-in-progress, albeit a very talented one.

Verse didn't receive any FBS offers as a 205-pound tight end. He began his collegiate career with the FCS' Albany Great Danes, where he immediately switched to defensive end and spent his freshman year on the practice squad.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Verse concentrated on reshaping his body and gained 40 pounds of muscle mass thanks to a dedicated training regimen and high-protein diet. The results were striking. The 6'4", 247-pound redshirt freshman now had the requisite power to go with his explosive athleticism and overwhelmed offensive linemen at the lower level.

In the 15 games Verse played during the '21 calendar year, the edge-defender registered 21.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. He then chose to enter the transfer portal and joined the Seminoles program, where he recorded 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks. His 24.4 percent pass-rush win rate ranked fourth among Power Five edge-defenders during the '23 campaign, according to Pro Football Focus.

Despite playing the position for only two years, Verse does present a strong pass-rush plan, with good hands and quickness. He should only build on last year's success, especially since he can consistently dip his shoulder and turn the corner against offensive tackles.

J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State

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COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 26: Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau (44) rushes on defense during a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines on November 26, 2022 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Baseball uses the term "crooked number" when one squad posts a large run total in its half of an inning. The designation doesn't entirely fit in football, though it somewhat does as it pertains to the season Ohio State's J.T. Tuimoloau posted last year.

When looking at week-by-week production, one can't help but notice Tuimoloau's dominant performance against Penn State, where he accumulated season highs with six total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, three defended passes and two interceptions. Unsurprisingly, Tuimoloau graded as the nation's top defender that week, per Pro Football Focus.

The performance offered a glimpse into the player Tuimoloau can become. He can dominate. After all, he entered the Buckeyes program as a 5-star recruit and the top-ranked non-quarterback from the 2021 class.

But the consistency, or lack thereof, from the first-team All-Big Ten performer can be questioned. For example, Tuimoloau managed just 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks during his other 12 appearances.

To be fair, the 6'4", 271-pound defender did generate over 30 pressures last season, according to SIS Football. His greatest asset is the ability to convert speed-to-power, with a deadly long arm. Tuimoloau plays through blockers, either as a run defender or pass-rusher.

Ohio State's roster is loaded with top-end talent at wide receiver, running back, guard, defensive tackle and cornerback. A Buckeye could be the first selected at each of those positions. The same can be said of edge-defender if Tuimoloau realizes his full potential.

Laiatu Latu, UCLA

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PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Laiatu Latu #15 of the UCLA Bruins rushes against Alex Wollschlaeger #50 of the Bowling Green Falcons during game between the UCLA Bruins and the Bowling Green Falcons at Rose Bowl on September 03, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Two years ago at this time, Laiatu Latu had been medically retired from the sport of football after suffering a neck injury as part of the Washington Huskies program. Latu transferred to UCLA without a guarantee he'll ever play again. Eventually, the call came and doctors cleared him to play during the 2022 season.

Despite not playing for two years, Latu found himself in a groove as the Bruins' top pass-rusher.

"My body was still good," Latu told reporters in September. "I didn't lose any strength or anything, but I got a neck injury. Ever since then, I haven't stopped working out and preparing like I had a game. I been doing that for two years."

The 6'4", 265-pound defender led UCLA with 12.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. As The Huddle Report's Sam Teets noted, Latu became one of six pass-rushers to generate 60 or more pressures last season.

Latu's effort allows him to line up anywhere, drop into space if needed, execute stunts and not give up on plays. His passion for the game shows up in his style of play. At the same time, he gets plenty of clean wins off the snap.

Obviously, Latu's medical evaluation at next year's NFL Scouting Combine will go a long way in determining how interested teams will be. A clean bill of health should place Latu squarely in the first-round mix—much like Jaelen Phillips, who was a 2021 first-round pick after being medically retired in 2018.

Chop Robinson, Penn State

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STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 12: Chop Robinson #44 of the Penn State Nittany Lions lines up against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at Beaver Stadium on November 12, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Penn State's Chop Robinson bursts off the line of scrimmage like a jet hitting hypersonic speed. The edge-defender simply flies off the snap, which creates an instant advantage against much bigger offensive linemen.

Last season, the underclassman led all edge-rushers among the Power Five conferences with a 92.4 pass-rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus. He also posted a top-notch pass-rush win rate, too.

Robinson is the most fluid and sudden pass-rusher potentially available for next year's class.

"His twitch, his suddenness, his ability to change directions the way that he does," assistant athletic director for athletic performance Chuck Losey III said about the defensive lineman. "He's phenomenal."

While the ability to affect a quarterback's pass drop, especially with quick wins off the edge, holds significant value, the question of how the 6'3", 250-pound defender will hold up at the point of attack will hound him.

Surely, Robinson's quickness will make him a disruptive presence in both phases. However, the concern will be built upon what happens when the undersized edge gets locked up and and possibly overwhelmed by NFL blockers.

At worst, the explosivity found in Robinson's game will allow him to be a pass-rush specialist.

The Maryland transfer could also evolve during his junior campaign and become the type of defender who turns into an every-down option along the lines of Von Miller, T.J. Watt, Harold Landry and Kayvon Thibodeaux—all of whom weighed 255 pounds or fewer during the NFL draft process.