Dante Fowler Jr., EDGE, Los Angeles Rams
Selected third overall by the Jaguars in the 2015 draft, Fowler put up reasonably consistent edge production for 2 1/2 years in Jacksonville, though in no way did that production match his draft status. Fowler’s offseason exploits also put serious question marks around his ability to handle things. Fowler fell out of favor with Jacksonville’s front office early in the 2018 season, with just 117 pass-rushing snaps over the first eight games, and then, he was traded to the Rams in October. While he finished the 2018 season in Super Bowl LIII, he amassed just 30 total pressures in Wade Phillips’ defense, which again spoke to an underperforming career.
Then, the 2019 season happened, and Fowler seemed to become the player everybody wanted him to be. He put up 11.5 sacks and 67 total pressures, and that latter number tied him with Philadelphia’s Brandon Graham for 12th in the NFL among edge defenders. Capable of everything from quick edge pressured to stunting inside through open gaps, Fowler won’t come into 2020 with a perfect resume based on his past, but he has certainly established himself — finally — as one of the better and more underrated generators of pressure in the league today.