Overview
Position: Offensive tackle
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 315 pounds
School: Wisconsin Badgers
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.28 seconds
Vertical jump: 25.5 inches
Broad jump: 8 feet, 3 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.69 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.77 seconds
David Edwards 2019 NFL Draft Profile
The NFL boasts quite a few former Wisconsin offensive linemen making a noticeable impact. Examples include Kevin Zeitler, Rob Havenstein, and Ryan Ramczyk among others. Their elite play in college paved the way for standout running back play from the likes of James White and Melvin Gordon. And David Edwards is looking to become the latest success story.
Edwards’ background is perhaps the most intriguing out of this year’s offensive tackle prospects. He actually played quarterback for three seasons at Downers Grove North High School in Illinois. Rivals.com rated him as the 34th-best athlete in the 2015 recruiting class. Not surprisingly, Edwards redshirted as the Wisconsin coaching staff began the process of converting him into a serviceable tackle.
Suffice it to say that they succeeded in that regard. Edwards started seven games during his redshirt freshman season and immediately played a part in the Badgers’ physical run game. The following year was Jonathan Taylor‘s first as Wisconsin’s feature running back. In the two seasons Edwards and Taylor played together, the latter led the Big Ten in rushing yardage both seasons. In 2018, Taylor was the only player in all of college football to rush for over 2,000 yards. Over the course of his college career, Edwards started 31 games and collected all-Big Ten honors both as a sophomore and junior before declaring for the draft a year early.
Strengths
- a traits prospect who’s a towering presence with long arms;
- a consistent sustainer who bottles up opponents with punchy hands and good placement;
- keeps defenders in check with solid mirroring technique;
- reacts and recovers when adjusting to counter moves;
- has the quickness to adeptly jump into the second level and block linebackers;
- seamless mover in zone blocking schemes;
- reliable in creating cutback lanes for his running back with perimeter blocking;
- did a fairly good job containing Nick Bosa in 2017 Big Ten title game.
Weaknesses
- gives up a lot of ground when bull-rushed;
- needs to drop his pad level and play with more knee bend;
- footwork is a bit choppy when moving laterally;
- athletic edge benders can sneak underneath his hands;
- will have to add a pull and trap element to his game;
- oftentimes plays with inconsistent balance when blocking downfield.
NFL Comparison: Anthony Castonzo
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: Could sneak into the first round
Bottom Line
A three-year starter who helped spearhead one of college football’s most dominant run games, Edwards looks the part of an NFL-caliber right tackle. He’s blessed with a lengthy frame that should enable him to generate consistent base leverage against the speed and power he’ll see at the next level. What’s also impressive about him is that he exhibits plus awareness and knows how to create holes for running backs to run through.
Among the things he needs to improve on is playing in a more coiled stance rather than playing too upright. He also tends to get backed into his quarterback too often when edge players attempt to convert speed to power on bull rushes. There also might be some concern that he’s carrying too much weight for his frame. He’s 90 pounds heavier now than he was when he arrived at Wisconsin.
But overall, there’s plenty to like about Edwards. And he has the potential to become the latest former Badger garnering starter-level reps at the next level. It’s for that reason that he’ll be among the first tackle prospects off the board come April.
