Anthony Lucas DE/EDGE USC |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #6 SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/06/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.85 seconds (43%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.9 DOB: 10/08/2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #6 | |
| SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | |
| Last Updated: 03/06/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.85 seconds (43%*) | |
| Age: 21.9 DOB: 10/08/2004 | |
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
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| Overall Rating: | 84.6 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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76% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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85% |
| Pass Rush: |
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83% |
| Run Defense: |
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73% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#101
Position rank:
#23 (DL)
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| College Games: 37 College Snaps: 1147 | ||
ESPN RATING: 83/100
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247 RATING: 98/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.0 (98%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Jones II - Pittsburgh |
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82% |
| Kyle Kennard - South Carolina |
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80% |
| Braiden McGregor - Michigan |
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71% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Anthony Lucas was one of the top defensive line recruits in the 2022 class, earning Under Armour All-American honors and a five-star rating from 247 Sports after a senior season at Narbonne High School in Harbor City, California, that produced 64 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. Rivals gave him a 6.0 grade with four stars, and ESPN tagged him with an 83 rating.Lucas signed with Texas A&M and played in seven games as a true freshman in 2022, collecting 7 tackles with 1 for loss. He transferred to USC that spring and appeared in all 13 games in 2023, recording 10 tackles with 3.5 for loss off the bench. His 2024 junior season started with six starts at defensive end, but a lower leg injury against Penn State ended his year after 16 tackles and a pass breakup.
Healthy for his senior year in 2025, Lucas posted career highs of 37 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks. He measured 6-6, 267 pounds at the NFL Combine, where he reported informal meetings with the Jets, Texans, Bears, and Chiefs.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Outstanding length with a seven-foot wingspan that smothers blocking surfaces.
- Improved steadily each season, with his best all-around tape coming in 2025.
- Good tackler who rarely misses; kept his whiff rate under nine percent as a senior.
- Hits with heavy pads and finishes through contact when he arrives on time.
- Quick enough to slip around tight ends working as second-level blockers.
- Lines up at multiple spots along the defensive line, mostly as a base end.
- Showed real growth as a pass rusher in 2025, generating pressure at a noticeably higher rate.
- Reliable edge setter whose run defense grades climbed each year at USC.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Below-average burst off the snap; lacks the twitch to threaten tackles early.
- Career sack total sits at just three across over 1,100 defensive snaps.
- Gathers himself before contact on blocks rather than striking with urgency.
- Durability is a real question after the 2024 season-ending lower leg injury.
- Limited counter-move development when his initial rush plan stalls out.
- Lateral quickness is a concern, especially as a looper on twist games.
- Light for a defensive end at 267 pounds; sits in the lower range for the position.
Scouting Report: Summary
Lucas is a prospect whose physical profile and year-over-year improvement tell a more interesting story than his counting stats. The frame is real: 6-6 with a seven-foot wingspan, good functional movement, and enough weight to hold up on early downs. His pass rush grades climbed meaningfully from his freshman year through his senior season, and the 2025 tape showed a player who was finally starting to put his tools together consistently. The problem is that "starting to put it together" as a senior leaves a lot of projection on the table, and three career sacks is a number that raises eyebrows no matter how you frame it.His best NFL home is a 4-3 base end spot in a defense that values length and edge-setting ability. Lucas can contribute against the run right away, and his final college season suggests he can develop into a functional pass rusher if a staff commits to refining his hand work and counter game. He will not win consistently with speed at this level, so his future depends on converting that length into pressure from a power-based plan. Wide-nine defenses or teams needing a pure speed rusher should look elsewhere.
The medical check on the 2024 lower leg injury will matter. If it comes back clean, Lucas has enough tools to earn a roster spot and grow into a rotational contributor by year two. The gap between his recruiting pedigree and college production is wide enough to give evaluators pause, but steady improvement on film suggests a player still trending upward. He is a developmental piece, not a plug-and-play starter, and the team that drafts him needs to be honest about that timeline.
Anthony Lucas percentiles vs other Defensive Ends (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Anthony Lucas (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
124.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
34.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.