Whenever the NFL sees a new trend rise and fall, or a rule change alters the game, the one constant seems to be the value of an effective pass rusher.
Having a defensive player in your opponent's backfield is virtually never a disadvantage. You disrupt whatever play the offense wants to run, forcing them to take a loss or waste the play with an intentional incompletion.
So if your team seems destined to earn a high draft pick this spring, there's a few disruptive pass rushers you might want to familiarize yourself with.
1. Joey Bosa - DE, Ohio State
NFL scouts are not going to fall into the trap of comparing him to J.J. Watt, but that is out of respect for Watt, an NFL veteran and a physical specimen. That said, Bosa is the consensus number-one prospect available and he should be the first pick overall because he is talented enough to play all across the defensive line and versatile enough to fit any defensive scheme.
2. Robert Nkemdiche - DT, Ole Miss
Like Bosa, Nkemdiche is big and athletic and wins one-on-one matchups with offensive lineman at a high success rate. Nkemdiche can play on the interior as a tackle or on the edge as an end and will fit in both 4-3 and 3-4 set-ups.
Aside from his pending marijuana charge, the one criticism scouts will make about Nkemdiche is that his "motor isn't always running high," which may well be the difference between he and Bosa.
3. DeForest Buckner - DE, Oregon
On his first Big Board, ESPN's Mel Kiper used the phrase "similar to Bosa" for having a high motor and dealing with being the primary block target for opposing offensive linemen. Buckner could sneak into the Top 10 of the NFL Draft because of his versatility and if both Bosa and Nkemdiche come off the board within the first few picks.
4. Myles Jack - ILB, UCLA
Despite missing almost the entire season, Kiper ranked Jack 14th overall and ESPN's Todd McShay projected him being selected 14th overall. Jack literally did everything at UCLA, playing linebacker bother inside and outside, as well as safety. He even took carries as a running back.
Scouts agree linebacker is where he will end up in the NFL, and they're all thinking about him applying his immense physical ability to a position where he can affect so many aspects of the game.
5. Shaq Lawson - DE, Clemson
He's less refined than Bosa or Nkemdiche, but there's no question his talent and high ceiling warrant a top-20 selection. Though he lacks the speed of those two as well, he showed a major progression in productivity from his first two seasons at Clemson to his third.
