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Home»NFL»NFL Midseason Report: First-Round Edge Rushers Struggling To Find Their Footing In 2023
NFL

NFL Midseason Report: First-Round Edge Rushers Struggling To Find Their Footing In 2023

Matthew BrownBy Matthew BrownNovember 9, 2023No Comments3 Mins Read
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NFL midseason first-round edge rushers
Oct 22, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson (9) takes a breather on the sidelines against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
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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.

New York Jets Will McDonald IV
Aug 3, 2023; Canton, Ohio, USA; New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV (99) against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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.

Chicago Bears Justin Fields
Green Bay Packers linebacker Lukas Van Ness (90) makes an open field tackle on Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) near the end zone during the second quarter of their game on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, at Soldier Field in Chicago.

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.

USATSI 21657089 scaled e1699501680584
Oct 15, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

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.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah Lukas Van Ness Myles Murphy Nolan Smith Tyree Wilson Will Anderson Will McDonald
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Matthew Brown
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Matthew Brown is a sports and pop culture enthusiast who loves to tell a great story. He mostly writes about the Green Bay Packers and the Michigan Wolverines but loves the game of football and will talk about any team any time. He also runs a pop culture website, Sorcerer Network and cohosts 2 podcasts, Beers and Ears and Discontinued on Display.

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