2015 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Mario Edwards Jr., DE, Florida State

Mario Edwards is a beast of a man, standing at a rock solid 6-foot-3, 280 pounds. He would add some much needed beef to the New York Giants defensive front. He was a big name coming into the 2014 NCAA season, but is he a good prospect and what are some of his strengths and weaknesses? Let's take a closer look:

Pros

- Athletic specimen. Take a look at that spider graph.

- Powerful at the point of attack, good initial punch

- Can possibly two gap

- Strong upper body/arms that can wrestle with OL

Cons

- Sluggish first step

- Quits on the play too quickly

- Doesn't offer too much as a pass rusher, no counter moves

Does He Fit With The Giants?

No. As a closed end he possibly could, but the Giants need to upgrade on speed with the defensive front and that's something that Edwards doesn't do. He's a better fit as a 5 technique in a 2 gap system where he can take on blockers and free up things for edge rushers. He's a tweener that is too big to be a 4-3 DE and too small to mash inside.

Prospect Video

Big Board Rankings

Big Blue View - 62

Mocking The Draft - 59

CBS Sports - 72

Draft Tek - 40

Final Thoughts

I'm not as high on Edwards as most. I see him as a late-second round prospect to third-round prospect and that's essentially just for his tremendous upside as an athletic specimen. His game itself reminds me of Jarvis Jenkins, currently with the Redskins. He can anchor that's probably his best attribute. He can mash it with OL due to his strong hands and powerful initial contact but his motor seems more cold than most. There would be times where I'd watch an FSU game and fail to hear his name called.