The most talked-about position in football is quarterback, and for good reason, but it's almost reached the point where the draft cycle is solely focused around passers. On the defensive side of the ball, it's hard to make the case that there's a more important position than pass-rusher at the NFL level.Defensive ends and outside linebackers can make impact plays on every play, forcing pressures and run stops on their side of the line. If you take a look at the contracts they're signing, it would appear that the league is in agreement with their importance, too.Still, like quarterback, there's a strong thirst for the pass-rusher position in the NFL. Some teams don't have one premier pass-rusher, let alone two to set the edges and turn up the heat on an offense. For that reason, they go high in the draft. This season, four prospects have the opportunity to make a game-changing impact for whichever franchises draft them. If you're lucky, your pressure-needy team will take a swing on one of them on Day 1 in April.Joey Bosa, Ohio StateNo player will be written about this draft cycle more than Joey Bosa. He was a high school all-star who enrolled at Ohio State with giant expectations and somehow surpassed them. Even as a true freshman, Bosa made impact plays as a defensive lineman in a conference known for its offensive line play.The state of the college football world is built around the spread offense and stopping the spread offense. This is why you'll often see top pass-rushing prospects labeled as tweeners. Players like Khalil Mack end up playing linebacker for a year before they put their hand in the dirt, and others, like Vic Beasley this season, begin their rookie year hot before they start to lose some of that weight during the NFL grind and begin to get rag-dolled.In many ways, Bosa is a throwback player. He's not a finesse rusher with speed positives. He can move for his size (6'6", 275 lbs), but his biggest plus is going to be the fact that he's strong and long. Many are going to compare him to J.J. Watt, but he's doesn't win in the same ways. The best comparison I've come across is Cameron Jordan, a former 3-4 defensive end turned 4-3 defensive end, who is the building block of a rebuilding defense in New Orleans.Bosa is one of the few no-brainers in the class. He and Ole Miss' Laremy Tunsil, a bookend prospect, are the top two players in this draft class, should they declare, by a wide margin. If you need a pass-rusher, you're taking the Buckeye. He's not large enough to play defensive end in a two-gapping scheme, unless you add 25 pounds to his frame, and he's too long and not bendy enough to play 3-4 outside linebacker, but if you're playing in an odd front and you pass on Bosa, your coaching staff is stubborn.You change your defense for him; you don't change him for your defense.Carl Lawson, AuburnIt's a virtual certainty that the other three edge defenders on this list will be drafted in April, but there's a chance that Carl Lawson of Auburn returns to school. His path to success has come in inconsistent spurts, which could lead him to second-guess if he wants to go professional at the moment.As a true freshman, he was a starting pass-rusher for Auburn, which landed in the national championship game against Jameis Winston's Florida State team. The unfortunate tackle who was forced to go toe-to-toe with Lawson was Cameron Erving, who was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns this past draft but has since transitioned to guard at the NFL level. Lawson beat Erving like a drum, capping off a great true freshman season.Heading into his true sophomore year, everyone assumed Lawson would take the spotlight at the position at the college level. Many were ready to hype him up like they did Jadeveon Clowney when he was younger, turning a defensive lineman, usually an overlooked position other than when he's dancing post-quarterback pummeling, into must-watch television on Saturdays.There was one issue: Lawson missed all of 2014 due to a torn ACL. Electing to take a medical redshirt for the season, he entered 2015 as a player who could declare after just two quality seasons at the SEC level. Those opportunities have been few and far between, but it's hard to gloss over Lawson's talent, even if it comes with an injury red flag. He clearly had top-10 potential, but no one knew what to expect from him post-surgery.He dominated early against Louisville, looking like his old self. Just as the bandwagon began to storm, though, a hip issue cost him about half of his redshirt sophomore season. Since he's returned to the field, he's looked great, even against Tunsil, the best left tackle in college football.Where does Lawson go from here' Does he cash out after a year-and-a-half of production, or does he bet on himself and pray to land as the first overall pick next season' There's no promise that he even lands outside of the top 10 in this class, as we saw Georgia's Todd Gurley land in the top 10 last season at a position of less value after a season-ending ACL tear.Lawson might stick around to prove he can play two healthy seasons, but when agents bend the ears of these young 20-year-olds, it's hard to say anything is certain.Shaq Lawson, ClemsonNo one has had a faster rise at the position than Shaq Lawson in 2015. He was known to be a special athlete, but he backed up Beasley, the eighth overall pick in last year's class, last season, so there wasn't an opportunity for him to shine. This year, he's done just that, over and over.You'd be hard-pressed to find a game the undefeated Clemson Tigers played in during their ACC championship run where Lawson didn't look like the best player on the field when his opponent had the ball. Like Bosa, he's not a stereotypical college defensive end. Unlike Bosa, though, he doesn't have a stretch frame.Lawson is fairly short and stout (6'3", 270 lbs), but he uses it to his advantage. In terms of pad leverage, he often places his hands higher than his eyes, which is the ideal technique when keeping your feet underneath you. In that aspect, he might have been the best in the nation this past year.It's hard to pin down a comparison for him, since his body type is so unique, but Frank Clark from last year's class comes to mind. Clark had an alleged domestic violence issue under his belt when he was going through the draft cycle, but the Seattle Seahawks still drafted him in the second round. He also dominated in the preseason and is stuck behind a talented defensive line rotation in Seattle, including Michael Bennett, who might be the best interior-edge combo rusher in the leaguea style of play both Clark and Lawson match up in.There's no telling how high Lawson might land in April. Smart money would say he's a lock for the first round after he beat Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley, who is largely considered to be the second-best offensive tackle prospect in college football. It's not out of the question to think he could be the second edge defender drafted behind Bosa, as he should be a combine riser who can play 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end, plus drop down into 5- and 3-technique defensive tackle looks on third downs. In a weak draft class at the top, that might be enough to go in the top 10.Noah Spence, Eastern KentuckyNoah Spence is a wild-card prospect. He might end up being a top-10 pick, or he can be an elite talent who drops into the third round like Justin Houston did coming out of Georgia. After he was kicked out of Ohio State due to failed drug tests, Spence flirted with the idea of declaring for the 2015 draft class, but he eventually landed on his feet at Eastern Kentucky. At least he eventually landed on his feet, as he had a run-in with the law before he even played a down for the Colonels.It's unfortunate that the conversation about Spence starts with his off-field endeavors, but that's the NFL these days. On the field, he's the best pure 3-4 outside linebacker prospect in college football. While others like Shaq Lawson and Joey Bosa excel with their hand in the dirt, Spence's elite burst and bend make him a perfect candidate to transition into a full-time stand-up role.You don't ever want to compare players to some of the elites in the game, but it's easy to watch Spence bend the edge with his fluid hips and think of a pass-rushing attempt from Von Miller. Spence played against less-than-ideal competition this season, but he did well against Kentucky, an SEC team, and went toe-to-toe with the best in college football while at Ohio State.The scouting world will get one final look at Spence the football player at the Senior Bowl, where I'm sure he'll get plenty of off-field questions by both teams in meetings and the media in interviewssomething he'll have to repeat at the combine in Indianapolis. What he does in those meeting rooms will matter a lot more than if he wins one-on-one pass-rushing drills in Mobile, Alabama.OverallI wouldn't necessarily call this a strong edge-defender class, but there are some clear top-end talents, depending on scheme.If you're in need of a pass-rusher, you take Bosa and find out how he fits in your defense after. If you're running a 4-3 defense, Lawson is going to be a flexible piece to build your defense around as an all-around defensive lineman. In a 3-4 scheme, Carl Lawson and Noah Spence, two high-variance players from a draft-stock perspectivedue to injury and off-field issues, respectivelyhave great stand-up potential.So long as your team is drafting in the top 20 of this class, it should have a shot at one of these four prospects, who all have Pro Bowl potential if used and developed correctly.
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