Twelve prospects fully scouted. Eight with first or second round grades. One consensus number one we disagree with on projection, one player ranked 154th who deserves far better, and one borderline first-round talent whose tape makes us nervous enough to say so publicly. This group rewarded the tape work.
David Bailey is the best Edge in this class. The combination of length, speed, technical refinement and ball awareness he brings from Texas Tech earns a 7.21 from us; the only first-round grade in the group and enough to clear the bar comfortably. His chop move is one of the more polished individual pass rush tools in the entire draft class regardless of position, he contributed 40 run stops last year and his testing backs everything the tape shows. From Mater Dei to Stanford to Lubbock, he has been the best player wherever he has lined up. We think the NFL is next.
There is a significant gap between Bailey and the other prospects which means that the top half of the first round, at least in my opinion, is lacking in instant impact prospects. I think that will mean someone gets overdrafted and it will likely be the main man out of Miami. The industry consensus has Reuben Bain Jr as a player who should sit in the range of David Bailey but to me his tape does not show that. He is a genuinely powerful, durable, scheme-intelligent defensive end who we have graded second in this group at 7.05 however whilst I project him to be a long-term starter with real value to the right team; I think he could be more of a sustaining contributor who makes a front better rather than a player who wrecks games on his own. That is still a very good player, it is just not what he is being projected to be.
Gabe Jacas at 7.04 and Akheem Mesidor at 7.01 round out the top four and both carry strong profiles that I seem to value higher than most. Jacas has been on our board since watching him play alongside TeRah Edwards in the Fall of 2024; his power exceeds his frame in a way that takes a second viewing to fully appreciate and the Senior Bowl only confirmed what we already believed. Mesidor is the most purely explosive rusher in the group. His get-off is exactly what you picture when you think of an elite Edge, and any team that understands how to deploy a rotational speed piece should have him well inside their top 50. Joe Hortiz, I hope you’re reading this!
T.J. Parker is the most complicated profile in the group. The potential held within his athletic gifts was confirmed by his testing but his style borders on chaotic in a way that concerns us enough to say we would not use a first-round pick on it. He has all the tools but he does not yet have the control and awareness to use them consistently. Malachi Lawrence sits eighth on our board by grade but he belongs in this conversation early because his tape demands it. His technical sophistication is rare at any level of college football; his motor, the way he can sequence moves and identify concepts pre-snap; are all things you do not find packaged together like this outside of the top of the class. He was the standout of the East-West Shrine Bowl and that should not have surprised anyone who had done the film work. His 9.90 RAS adds an athleticism layer his tape has not yet fully expressed. We trust the tape. The tape says this player is good.
The remainder of the board has real value in it. Romello Height at CF-A is a player scouts will enjoy spending time with; the consistency and effort he brings to every phase is the kind of trait that vanishes from prospect profiles because it does not generate highlights, but coaches who build winning defences know exactly what it is worth. Zion Young has the physical profile to be a genuine starter and his SEC production is substantial, but the off-field flag from December requires a direct conversation at the interview stage and the technique refinements around footwork and finishing are real developmental asks. R Mason Thomas is as unique a profile as you will find in this class; it will take a coach with genuine vision to deploy him on day one but we think that risk is worth taking. Cashius Howell is a dangerous situational piece who will finish off a strong rush rotation for someone; he will not be the reason a team turns its fortunes around, and that ceiling limitation is what the grade reflects.
Full rankings, grades, Chargers fit designators and individual profile cards for all twelve are in the board below.
| RK | Player | Stance | Class | Physical | Grade | RAS | Conf. | CF | Role | Cons. | SB Stock |
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