Is Keyshawn James-Newby the Hidden Gem of the Edge Draft Class?

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 4/13/2026.

2025 Advanced Statistics

Pressure Rate: 19.4% | Sack Rate: 2.6% | Run Stop Rate: 7.7%

Player Overview

Keyshawn James-Newby has travelled a long road to get to the NFL draft. He spent two seasons at Montana Tech and then transferred to Idaho, where he earned First Team All-Big Sky Conference in 2024. He made the step up to the FBS at New Mexico in 2025 where he became the Mountain West Conference sack leader to end his collegiate career.

James-Newby is an undersized edge defender (ED) by NFL standards, but has achieved a consistent, high level of production at every level of competition so far, through a combination of athleticism, effort and some high level rush skills.

In the pass rush, James-Newby wins with explosive athleticism and sound technique and relentless effort to offset his size limitations. He produced 20 sacks over the past two seasons at Idaho and New Mexico, per PFF, and in 2025 generated the 5th highest rate of pressure out of 515 FBS EDs (min 200 def. snaps).

He lacks the mass to make his living setting the edge, but knocks on his run defense are overstated.  James-Newby is actually very effective at catching runners behind the line of scrimmage.  In his final season at New Mexico, he made 15 tackles for loss and achieved a Run Stop Rate around the 72nd percentile of consensus-ranked ED prospects.

Off the field, James-Newby receives praise from teammates for leading by example and mentoring younger players.  In the words of one underclassman:

Keyshawn always had a positive attitude and made sure everyone in the defensive line room was elevating. As soon as I got there, he began helping me improve my pass rush and understand the ins- and outs- of a college playbook. He was a leader not only in the defensive line room, but also off the field.

He has the work ethic, leadership and competitive attitude that could earn him a Commander tag and make him a good fit to the team culture in Washington.

Strengths

• Speed, explosiveness, flexibility and bend
• First-step quickness, very good cornering and hand usage in the pass rush
• Takes good angles in the pass rush and against the run
• Well developed arsenal of pass rush moves
• Maximizes length to get off blocks in the pass rush and run defense
• Disruptive run defender, more effective than he gets credit for
• Relentless effort
• High character person and player, team first attitude, locker room leader

Weaknesses

• Below desired size for the position, borderline length
• Vulerable to long-limbed blockers
• Not a natural edge-setter

Let’s See His Work

How He Fits the Commanders

The Commanders loaded up on EDs in free agency to address the glaring need, at the start of the offseason.  However, the only EDs under contract next season are Odafe Oweh and Javontae Jean-Baptiste.

Keyshawn James-Newby is an explosive pass rusher who can be disruptive against the run. He is too small to play a traditional edge-setting DE role. But he has a skillset that might just earn him significant playing time in Daronte Jones’ “position-agnostic” defense.  He is an older prospect, but has shown growth throughout his college career. A question the Commanders will have to ask is whether he has reached his peak, or still has upside to develop.

He might top out as a situational pass rusher or special teamer. But in the hands of a creative defensive coordinator, he might surprise people.