Esper Control is light on early creatures and heavy on countermagic and wraths like Supreme Verdict, so proactive discard is better than reactive removal here. Inquisition of Kozilek strips a cheap Teferi, Time Raveler or Narset, Parter of Veils before it can lock down our hand, complementing Thoughtseize. Ashiok, Dream Render shuts off their fetch lands (Flooded Strand, Arid Mesa, Polluted Delta) searching and can mill/exile their graveyard, which matters since they have no graveyard recursion to punish losing. Fell the Profane and Soul Spike are weak since the opponent has few creatures or planeswalkers worth targeting and Soul Spike's damage mode has no good target, so they come out in favor of more disruption.