The NFL midseason mark is here! The 2023 season is halfway over and grades are being handed out. Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report graded every first-round pick and it was a mixed bag of results. One position consistently received bad grades. The first-round edge rushers seem to be struggling in the opening part of the season.
NFL Midseason Report: First-Round Edge Rushers Struggling
There were a lot of edge rushers taken in the first round. Will Anderson Jr., Tyree Wilson, Lukas Van Ness, Will McDonald IV, Myles Murphy, Nolan Smith, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah were all taken in the first round. Outside of Anderson on the Texans, every other edge rusher received a “D” or worse. A lot of these players are having trouble seeing the field in 2023.
Part of this is that many of them were taken at the back end of the first round and are on incredibly deep teams. Smith on the Eagles for example is behind a lot of people and will likely see an increase in snaps later in his career. Still, this is a concerning start to many of their careers.
Not Concerned After Half A Season
Everyone wants their first-round pick to come in and be a star right away. That doesn’t always happen. Take Van Ness for example. The Packers took Rashan Gary with their first-round pick and he had very little impact his rookie season. After some time to develop, Gary is now one of the premiere pass rushers in the league. Green Bay is hoping for the same with Van Ness. These players may simply need more time to develop. While some trends are concerning, fans should give these players more time.
The first-round edge rushers have had a rough go so far in 2023. As we move past the NFL midseason, it will be interesting to see if any of these players make a jump in the second half of the season.
