College Football Recruiting: Is Noah Spence or Mario Edwards the No. 1 DE?

Noah Spence and Mario Edwards are the top two DE prospects in what is one of the best crops of edge defenders in recent memory this year. Both are fantastic players and project to be future college stars.

But which is the real No.1, clear-cut best DE in the country?

Well, let's examine both players, their backgrounds and their skill sets. Then let's compare and contrast their games.

After that, we'll decide who's the better DE.

Who Is Noah Spence?

Spence, a North Carolina native who lives in Pennsylvania, is one of the 10 best overall players in the country. His father, Greg, played at NC State, so he has a good pedigree.

He has a ton of ties to the NC State program, but his recruiting has been a stop-and-start process. Spence put his recruiting on hold to focus on his high school team's playoff run.

But now, it appears that LSU, Ohio State, Penn State, Florida and Maryland are his top suitors.

Who Is Mario Edwards?

ESPNU ranks Edwards the No.1 overall player in the country this year. Edwards also comes from a good pedigree, as his father (Mario Sr.) played for the Dallas Cowboys.

He's among the top five recruits in the nation on various lists, depending on where you look. Every evaluator loves Edwards' skill set, and the Texas native looks to be a future star.

His recruitment originally came down to Texas and Florida State, with Edwards committing to FSU in the early spring. However, LSU and Oklahoma have come on strong, along with Texas again, and his FSU pledge is not as strong as it once was.

Noah Spence's Scouting Report

A 6'4", 240-pound speed rusher—and a natural at getting after the passer—Spence is viewed as the best pass-rushing DE in America. He has a sharp first step and burst to close on the passer and finish.

He stays clean, is strong enough to convert speed to power and can do this standing up. Spence shows excellent backside pursuit speed, flashes strength at the point of attack and could also be a short-area underneath zone defender.

DeMarcus Ware is my comparison for him, as Ware is the prototypical pass-rusher in football.

Mario Edwards' Scouting Report

A 6'4", 280-pound DE prospect who looks like a DT and moves like a receiver, Edwards is an elite player who should only get better in college.

Edwards is an excellent athlete for such a large man. He shows great snap-quickness, flashes the ability to make speed into power, has good range and can anchor against TEs versus the run.

He reminds me of Justin Tuck, in part because of his ability to kick inside and rush from the middle on third downs, set the edge on the flanks versus the run, shed blocks and also rush the passer with speed and quickness.

Compare and Contrast

To compare these guys, you can only ask yourself if you want a great DE. If so, then that's where the comparison stops.

I say that because they have two different styles.

Spence is more of the speed guy who can get upfield in a hurry. He'd fit in well as a DE in a scheme like the Colts' or Buccaneers' defensive schemes. He can also stand up as a 3-4 OLB and play that position for you.

Edwards is so big, and he has the strength to eventually grow into a DT. He's similar to what Texans DT Shaun Cody looked like in high school, but bigger. Edwards could stick at DE, play the strong side and be fine. But don't be shocked if he ends up as a DT in college.

Who's Tops?

It's a tie. Really, it is, because both players can play two positions for a defense in different schemes. Spence can play traditional DE and also OLB in a 3-4 scheme.

Edwards can play DE or DT for a 40-front with ease. This really depends on the scheme you want to employ and which player is your preference.

If you want someone who's going to eventually add some more strength and be able to stack the run while also getting after the passer, pick Edwards. If you just want someone who's going to stop the run on the way to QB, Spence is your guy.