Five NFL Edge Rushers Among 2025 Draft's Biggest Busts
Five edge rushers are among the NFL's biggest draft mistakes from 2025, with rookie pass rushers from the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons struggling in their first seasons.

Five edge rushers are leading the list of the NFL's biggest draft mistakes from 2025, with multiple teams struggling to get production from their rookie pass rushers.
The Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons are among the teams dealing with disappointing rookie seasons from their edge rusher draft picks. Edge rushers are defensive players whose main job is to pressure the quarterback and stop running plays.
These struggles highlight a broader problem with evaluating college pass rushers for the NFL. Many players who dominate in college football struggle to adapt to the speed and skill level of professional football.
Edge rushers are typically high-value draft picks because good pass rushers are rare and expensive in free agency. Teams often use first and second-round picks on these players, expecting immediate impact.
The poor performance of these rookies puts extra pressure on their teams' defenses and coaching staffs, who must find other ways to generate pass rush.
NFL teams spend millions on draft picks and fans expect immediate results. When high draft picks fail, it hurts team performance and wastes salary cap space that could have been used on proven players.
Teams will likely give these rookies more time to develop, but continued struggles could lead to reduced playing time or position changes.
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