After admiring the Denver Broncos defense in Super Bowl 50 many NFL coaches will be looking to replicate their success, this is after all a copy cat league. This replication starts with a dominate pass rush and has to be addressed for many NFL teams via that 2016 NFL draft and other mechanisms such as NFL free agency and internal growth. If your team is looking for a pass rusher, which most are, then look no further than my top 20 list of 2016 pass rushers. This list is complied of players that simply get to the quarterback and isn't a ranking based on position. We're looking for the top pass rushers dependent of position.
- Joey Bosa, Ohio State
- Shaq Lawson, Clemson
- Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky
- Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State
- Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
- Kevin Dodd, Clemson
- Leonard Floyd, Georgia
- Kamalei Correa, Boise State
- Yannick Ngakoue, Maryland
- Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State
- Carl Nassib, Penn State
- Ronald Blair, Appalachian State
- Shawn Oakman, Baylor
- Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
- Joe Schobert, Wisconsin
- Ron Thompson, Syracuse
- Victor Ochi, Stony Brook
- Alex McCalister, Florida
- Pete Robertson, Texas Tech
- Eric Striker, Oklahoma
Obviously you're now wonder which teams will draft which player? Only time will tell and if you're anything like me you can't wait for the 2016 NFL draft! ESPN's Todd McShay has Bosa ranked #1 overall, followed by Jaylon Smith at 14th overall, Shaq Lawson at 21st overall, and Kevin Dodd at 30th overall. This gives us four premier pass rushers currently projected to go in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. There's a lot going on between now and the draft and seeing how it unfolds is music to my ears. Robert Nkemdiche could makes waves and only missed this list due to his lack of sacks last season (2) however, he's so disruptive and demanded double teams in college. This is a necessary ingredient for the overall success of your defensive line. I'd personally love to see Robert Nkemdiche on the New Orleans Saints. I've watched him play (I live in Mississippi) and it's pretty ridiculous how athletic this guy can be all the way into the 4th quarter. Keep your eye out for our mock drafts coming soon!
