NFL draft's pass rushers could satisfy spike in demand

INDIANAPOLIS – It's the other marquee position in the NFL, except these players don't throw the ball – they're the ones getting after the guys that do.

Dynamic edge pass rushers are so critical that even a team like the Tennessee Titans – who have a desperate need at quarterback and are in position to pluck one of the NFL draft's top two players at the position with the No. 2 selection – might be looking instead at pass rushers.

"If there's somebody that you think is a guy like a J.J. Watt that's there and make that kind of impact on the game, you have to take all those things into consideration," Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

And though it's unlikely there's a player quite like Watt in this draft class, there are still a number of edge rushers that are capable of contributing right away. Led by USC's Leonard Williams, Nebraska's Randy Gregory, Florida's Dante Fowler, and Missouri's Shane Ray, as many as seven or eight pass rushers could go in the first round of the draft after six were taken last year. The class is talented and deep.

And as players like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck elevate to stardom, coaches around the league continue to place heightened emphasis on securing young and dependable pass rushers – one of the most effective tools to neutralize a premier quarterback.

For proof, all you need to do is listen to what they have to say. The thought of adding an effective pass rusher almost makes coaches and general managers giddy.

"You guys know me, in terms of affecting the quarterback," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. "That's one of the things that's near and dear to me."

"You can never have enough pass rushers," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said.

Added: Colts general manager Ryan Grigson: "I was brought up with: 'If you have 12 pass rushers, get 13.' "

As more college offenses turn to high-tempo spread offenses that stress speed and quick pass releases above all else, coaches have recruited elite athletes to play defensive end or outside linebacker. Watt may be one of the players who started the recent trend, as seen by his 13 votes in the MVP race last month, good enough for second place behind Rodgers.

"Each and every year we come over here, this is a group in college football that the value of them continues to improve," Grigson said.

It's not just the coaches that are noticing the trend, either. As the NFL's top pass rushers continue to sign lucrative contracts – like Watt's six-year, $100 million extension with the Texans – more and more athletes with rare blends of size, strength and quickness are groomed into the position.

"The game is changing," Clemson linebacker Vic Beasley said. "It's a passing league, so you're going to need guys to rush the quarterback."

"Sacks win games at the end of the day," Utah defensive end Nate Orchard said. "That's what teams are going to bring me in for and that's what I'm going to perfect."

Just about every team is in the market for a pass rusher. But the Buccaneers, Raiders, Falcons, Giants, Saints, Panthers and Washington are some of the teams with the most pressing need. Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace even went as far as saying that adding one is the team's "number one priority."

Williams, the USC defensive end, may be the first one taken off the board. After collecting 80 tackles, seven sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2014, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Williams is a menace to offensive tackles. And part of the reason why is a diverse skill set that he acquired from experience at different spots along the defensive line.

"I'd rather move around the whole D-line than stay in one spot the whole time," Williams said. "It was more fun to create matchups and be able to go against some weaker opponents every once in a while and getting to the quarterback. When the coaches switched it up for me, I liked it."

That's the new prototype of the position: players with long arms, explosiveness off the line, unmatched strength and speed. And with players like Williams, Gregory, Fowler and Ray available, there are plenty of pass rushers that can step in right away.

Said Grigson: "If there's a pass rusher that gets your blood pumping in the draft you go get them no matter where your needs are."

Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @Lorenzo_G_Reyes.