Most intriguing questions heading into the 2019 college football season

Could two edge rushers move themselves to the top of next year’s draft board?

We just had a defense-heavy draft with a ton of D-linemen in the first round. While this was a special class and I don’t expect four players up front to make up my top four in the 2020 draft, those guys could once again be the story heading into next April. Of course, people will hype up the quarterbacks like they do every year and you can pretty much book two of them for the first ten picks, at this moment I would probably have Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa and Chase Young competing for that number one spot. Here’s what I see:

At 6’6”, 280 pounds Epenesa is a physical specimen. He shows an effortless anchor and strong grip to pull blockers off himself. The highest-ranked recruit in the Kirk Ferentz-Hawkeye era uses his length very well with the long-arms or late swim-moves, but at the same time, he has also shown a sudden dip to avoid contact, which is unique for his size. You see him simply overpowering large men and throwing them off balance, plus he gains the inside path on tackles with ease. I think he has to do a better job playing one half of the blocker and keeping his outside contain, as well as just fighting through holds and chasing with all-out effort to improve on those 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 25.4 percent pass-rush win rate.

With the absence of eventual second overall pick Nick Bosa, someone on that Ohio State offensive line needed to step up and their sophomore sensation Chase Young did not disappoint. He produced 76 total pressures, 14.5 tackles for loss and five passes knocked down at the line. At 15 pounds lighter than his fellow first-team All-Big Ten defensive end, Young is more of a speed guy who works in double-hand swipes and cross-chops. He displays quick burst, can tilt his feet around the edge and shows outstanding effort, oftentimes forcing incompletions or turnovers with those hits on the QB as he releases the ball. I need to see the Buckeye standout play with better extension in the run game instead of throwing a shoulder to keep vision on the ball-carrier and he can be guided around the backside of the pocket a little bit too much.

Purely based on physical talent, Epenesa’s ceiling is probably a little higher, but Young has dropped out into the falts and hook zone every once in a while and could have more position flexibility. There will be a QB among the top three 2020 picks, but these guys are primed to be the other two.