Anthony Lucas is an edge rusher and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who spent his final three seasons at USC after beginning his collegiate career at Texas A&M. A native of Harbor City, California, Lucas was a five-star recruit in the 2022 class, rated as high as the No. 41 overall prospect nationally by 247Sports, and signed with the Aggies. He played in seven games in his lone season at College Station before being suspended for the second half of the year following a locker room incident. He transferred to USC for the 2023 season and appeared in 13 games as a rotational edge defender with 10 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. He won the starting job in 2024 before a season-ending leg injury after six starts limited him to 16 tackles and required surgery. He returned healthy in 2025 for the most productive season of his career, posting career highs of 37 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks across 12 starts while recording the most impactful snaps of his college tenure against Big Ten competition. He earned a combine invitation and the longest wingspan among edge rushers in his testing group.
Standing approximately 6 feet 6 inches and 267 pounds with an approximately seven-foot wingspan, Lucas brings a physically imposing profile that translates immediately to his ability to set the edge and disrupt the run game from a power-first alignment. His length allows him to control the outside shoulder of blockers before they can generate leverage, his effort level across all three downs is consistent, and the steady improvement on his limited tape suggests a player whose best football may genuinely be ahead of him. The significant concerns are limited career production across four seasons with only three total sacks and a history of injuries that has interrupted his development at multiple stops. As a pass rusher his arsenal is functional but lacks elite counters or the burst to consistently win around the edge in isolation. He projects as a Day 3 selection with traits worth developing as a rotational power-based edge defender and special teams contributor.
