Whether Florida defensive end Dante Fowler has the highest potential of edge pass rushers in the 2015 NFL Draft is a tricky debate with promising talents such as Nebraska's Randy Gregory, Missouri's Shane Ray and Clemson's Vic Beasley also presenting themselves as possible early first-round picks.
But for NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah, Fowler is the one who brings the least risk.
"I think when you look at Dante Fowler, I believe he's going to be a better pro than he was in college," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft" on Friday. "I know the production doesn't blow you away, but he was asked to do a lot of different things at Florida. The more you watch all the edge rushers in this draft, Fowler to me just seems like the safest one of the entire bunch."
Jeremiah ranks Fowler No. 4 on his Top 50 list, the highest ranking for an edge rusher. All four NFL Media analysts who have posted mock drafts foresee Fowler going to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 3 overall pick.
So why aren't the other edge-rushing prospects considered to be just as safe?
Analyst Charles Davis noted that Ray's transition to linebacker is a concern, while there are questions about whether Gregory and Beasley -- who both weigh less than 250 pounds -- can hold enough size to succeed at the NFL level. Ray weighs less than 250, too, so Fowler represents the biggest prospect of the elites at the position at 6-foot-3, 261 pounds.
"Dante Fowler, we saw it consistently from him his last year," Davis said. "People wondered about his first few years (at Florida), but there isn't that much concern to me. I think he's the real deal."
The wide receiver position has its share of safe picks in the first round, as well.
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