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| Micah Parsons (Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) |
Last week we released our top 100 overall players and positional rankings for offense. Today we take a look at the best prospects on defense.
Rankings are done with an eye toward the long-term – some players lower in the rankings may have more early success than higher-ranked guys, but over the long haul the higher-ranked players should deliver more. They also have zero to do with where teams view players, as I am not privy to that information.
There are three tiers of rankings – E (Early part of the round), M (Middle of the round) and L (Later portion of the round). E = picks 1-10, M = picks 11-21, L = picks 22-32. The rankings equate to “round value,” the point at which I would feel comfortable with their selection. I am not into minutiae, so the Pros/Cons section will be fairly basic. I’m not going to talk about hip turn or quick twitch ability, as that’s not my specialty. I take notes during games and then go back to watch later, to make sure my initial impressions weren’t terribly off. There won’t be much talk about scheme fit, either, as I admittedly don’t know enough about what NFL teams run (on either side of the LOS). This is simply how I view players and a brief look at what they are good at and where they can improve.
Pros and cons will be done for the top five players at each position and will be followed by the rest of the players I feel are draftable. I only rank players I have seen, which is why you will see very few small school prospects on these lists. Breaking down oodles of tape isn’t my specialty as I am a college football devotee first. Ranking draft prospects is more a fun pursuit than anything.
Some of the comments may be a different, and the rankings will certainly deviate from some of the experts. That’s a good thing, no?
POSITIONAL RANKINGS
EDGE
1. Jaelen Phillips/Miami Fla (M1)PROS: The epitome of a power rusher; Can shed contact with ease; Good footwork, and got better with timing as season progressed; Can make plays vs run and pass;
CONS: Injury history is worrisome, retired due to concussions at UCLA before returning to play at Miami; Rush plan isn’t the best; Can stay too high in his pass rush; You would like to see more career production
2. Joseph Ossai/Texas (M1)PROS: Maybe the best motor in the draft class; Ease of movement, highly productive; Three-down player; Good flexibility and excellent grasp of leverage; Good off-ball defender; Was excellent at creating turnovers at Texas
CONS: Doesn’t have off the charts athleticism; Explosiveness isn’t always evident; More finesse than power, which could be a concern at pro level; Not a wide variety of moves; Hasn’t been great in pass coverage
3. Patrick Jones II/Pittsburgh (M1)PROS: Excellent frame for an edge defender; Fires off the snap, stays low. Hard to get leverage against; Polished pass rusher, has a variety of moves; Solid run defender
CONS: Production took a big drop in 2020; Doesn’t always finish on straight bull rushes; Average hands, sometimes struggles getting away from offensive tackles when engaged; Not much versatility, looks exclusively like a 4-3 end; Could use more upper body strength
4. Kwity Paye/Michigan (M1)PROS: Plus defender vs run game; Can line up inside or outside; Freakishly athletic; Wins with power in bull rush; Has shown steady improvement, not a one year wonder
CONS: Doesn’t have a lot of tools in pass rush box; Needs to do a better job setting up opposing linemen; Pretty much one move guy, doesn’t have much in the way of counter moves; Almost exclusively hand on the ground rusher
5. Azeez Olujari/Georgia (L1-E2)PROS: Lethal first step, often gains advantage around the edge; Can get and stay low; Good planner, keeps opposing tackles guessing; Outstanding athleticism, which makes up for being slightly undersized; Good quickness and body control; Brings effort nearly all the time
CONS: Not much of a power component to his game; If OL gets clean engagement he’s taken out of the play too often; Didn’t play a ton of snaps, wonder about ability to increase workload; Technique could use some work
6. Gregory Rousseau/Miami Fla. (L1-E2)
7. Quincy Roche/Miami Fla. (E2)
8. Cam Sample/Tulane (E2)
9. Jayson Oweh/Penn State (E2-M2)
10. Carlos Basham Jr/Wake Forest (M2)
11. Joe Tryon/Washington (L2-E3)
12. Rashad Weaver/Pittsburgh (E3)
13. Tarron Jackson/Coastal Carolina (E3-M3)
14. Payton Turner/Houston (M3)
15. Dayo Odeyingbo/Vanderbilt (M3)
16. Ronnie Perkins/Oklahoma (M3-L3)
17. Janarius Robinson/Florida State (L3)
18. Wyatt Hubert/Kansas State (L3-E4)
19. Hamilcar Rashed Jr/Oregon State (M4)
20. Daelin Hayes/Notre Dame (M4-L4)
21. Shaka Toney/Penn State (L4-E5)
22. Victor Dimukeje/Duke (M5)
23. Jonathon Cooper/Ohio State (M5-L5)
24. Jordan Smith/UAB (E6)
25. Joshua Kaindoh/Florida State (E7)
INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE
1. Christian Barmore/Alabama (M1-L1)
PROS: Scary flexibility for someone his size; Can clog up the inside with athleticism and rush the passer with power; Did his best under the brightest lights; Excellent raw power, difficult to move
CONS: Needs to find more ways to win one on one contests; Only one season of real productivity; Pad level stays too high at times
2. Levi Onwuzurike/Washington (L1-E2)
PROS: Explosive, good quickness; Understands leverage, which helps vs run game; Very tough, gritty player; Was productive despite playing out of position for a good portion of 2019 season
CONS: Doesn’t have same effort play-to-play; Didn’t play in 2020, so it feels like hype didn’t match production or talent level; Doesn’t do much if first move fails; Could use more size on his frame
3. Daviyon Nixon/Iowa (E2)
PROS: Explosive, plays bigger than his size; When on he plays a very violent brand of football; Light and quick feet; Excellent burst off the snap
CONS: Doesn’t jump off the screen with dominance; Just one year of starting experience; Effort has been inconsistent; Needs to improve at shedding blocks, gets locked up way too easily; Will make a big play then disappear for stretches
4. Jay Tufele/USC (E2)
PROS: Excellent athleticism; Great anticipation and explosion off the snap; Plus defender vs the run, often gets double-teamed; Can overpower single blockers in his pass rush attack; Three-down player
CONS: Sometimes gets too high with pad level; Balance has been questionable; Opted out in 2020, and 2019 tape wasn’t exactly dominant; Seems to be on the ground a lot; Not much versatility with moves as pass rusher
5. Tommy Togiai/Ohio State (E2-M2)
PROS: Elite run defender, excellent frame and leverage; Uses hands well to shed blocks; Enough quickness to offer some upside as pass rusher; Wins with power
CONS: Lacks desired length for interior defender; Can be knocked off balance too easily at times; Seems destined to be a three-technique, not dynamic enough to play anywhere else; Didn’t become starter until 2020
6. Alim McNeil/NC State (M2)
7. Jaylen Twyman/Pittsburgh (M2-L2)
8. Marvin Wilson/Florida State (L2-E3)
9. Marlon Tuipulotu/USC (E3)
10. Darius Stills/West Virginia (M3)
11. Tyler Shelvin/LSU (M3-L3)
12. Osa Odighizuwa/UCLA (L3-E4)
13. Mustafa Johnson/Colorado (E4)
14. Khyiris Tonga/Brigham Young (M4-L4)
15. Bobby Brown III/Texas A&M (M4-L4)
16. Naquan Jones/Michigan State (E5)
17. Tedarrell Slaton/Florida (M5-L5)
18. Carlo Kemp/Michigan (L5-E6)
19. Malik Herring/Georgia (M6)
20. Forrest Merrill/Arkansas State (L6-E7)
LINEBACKERS
1. Micah Parsons/Penn State (E1)
PROS: Opted out of 2020 but already had two seasons of dynamic play on his tape; Great combination of size and explosiveness; Wins on third down, making his even more valuable; Excellent instincts, knows how to get to the quarterback; Attack mentality
CONS: Play processing at the second level needs to improve; Not much experience in coverage; Have been some concerns about character
2. Zaven Collins/Tulsa (M1)
PROS: Blessed with size and athleticism rarely seen at the position; Was a nightmare in coverage for opposing quarterbacks; Projects as an elite blitzer; Excellent burst, smooth movements; Plays downhill
CONS: For someone who is always around the ball he misses far too many tackles; Doesn’t always use power to advantage, lets finesse creep in; Concerns about level of competition; Can occasionally take himself out of a play with poor angles
3. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah/Notre Dame (M1)
PROS: Explosiveness is next level; Has the versatility to create pressure and drop into coverage; Excellent instincts, always around the football; Won’t have to leave the field as a three-down defender
CONS: Doesn’t not have prototype linebacker frame; Wasn’t asked to do much inside the tackles; Must do a better job with play speed, was often too aggressive
4. Nick Bolton/Missouri (L1-E2)
PROS: Great instincts; Violent hitter; Will be able to step in day one and make the defensive calls as he is a very high IQ player; Can make plays in coverage despite lacking top level physical skills
CONS: Doesn’t have great speed or length; Gets stuck on blocks if he isn’t shot out of a cannon at the snap; Sometimes goes for the flashy play over the smart one; Could be better in space
5. Jabril Cox/LSU (L1-E2)
PROS: A winner in pass coverage; Very smooth in all directions; Has shone in multiple defensive schemes; High motor type; Can play coverage to most areas of the field
CONS: Can get overpowered vs the run; Not the best at playing through contact; Can go off script and put himself in bad positions; Needs to play more assignment football
6. Chazz Surratt/North Carolina (E2)
7. Baron Browning/Ohio State (M2)
8. Cameron McGrone/Michigan (M2-L2)
9. Pete Werner/Ohio State (E3-M3)
10. Dylan Moses/Alabama (M3-L3)
11. KJ Britt/Auburn (M3-L3)
12. Charles Snowden/Virginia (L3-E4)
13. Jamin Davis/Kentucky (E4)
14. Tony Fields II/West Virginia (E4-M4)
15. Monty Rice/Georgia (M4)
16. Paddy Fisher/Northwestern (L4-E5)
17. Justin Hilliard/Ohio State (E5)
18. Ventrell Miller/Florida (M5-L5)
19. Erroll Thompson/Mississippi State (L5-E6)
20. Derrick Barnes/Purdue (M6-L6)
21. Anthony Hines III/Texas A&M (L6-E7)
22. Grant Stuard/Houston (E7)
23. Garret Wallow/TCU (E7-M7)
CORNERBACKS
1. Jaycee Horn/South Carolina (E1)
PROS: Extremely confident, always believes he’s the best player on the field; Experience playing outside and in slot; Long and physical; Disruptive in press coverage; Excellent ball skills, wins at the catch point;
CONS: Concerns about tackling; Better in press man than off-man; Will guess on occasion, which puts him behind the receiver; May be a bit too physical, won’t get away with things at next level
2. Patrick Surtain II/Alabama (M1)
PROS: Great length; Disciplined at LOS; Excellent technique, consistent; High football IQ; Light on his feet, excellent short area quickness; Solid in run support
CONS: Deep speed; Not elite athletically; Very average in change of direction; Doesn’t win enough at catch point; Can get a bit grabby on shorter routes
3. Caleb Farley/Virginia Tech (M1)
PROS: Excellent length and athleticism; Sticky in man coverage; Physical at the line, hard to beat in press coverage; Excellent speed, can recover if a receiver gets by him; Even better in zone coverage than in man
CONS: Injury history is a concern; Not the best or most willing tackler; Opted out of 2020 season so haven’t seen as much consistency as you’d like; Indifferent vs the run
4. Asante Samuel Jr/Florida State (L1-E2)
PROS: Superb balance, which helps with start and stop ability; Excellent instincts, a ball hawk; Top level change of direction and break; Willing and able tackler; Won’t shy away from run defense
CONS: Size a concern for an outside corner; Needs to improve in zone coverage; Bigger receivers were a problem for him; Probably won’t have same success in press coverage at next level due to size limitations
5. Elijah Molden/Washington (L1-E2)
PROS: Doesn’t mind getting tackling in the run game; Great instincts, can bait quarterbacks into mistakes; Physical at catch point; Transitions to vertical routes very well
CONS: Not a lot of versatility, seems ticketed for slot duties; Lacks top end speed; Lack of length could be a problem against bigger, physical receivers; Not an elite athlete
6. Ifeatu Melifonwu/Syracuse (E2)
7. Rodarius Williams/Oklahoma State (M2)
8. Eric Stokes/Georgia (M2-L2)
9. Greg Newsome II/Northwestern (M2-L2)
10. Shaun Wade/Ohio State (E3-M3)
11. Tyson Campbell/Georgia (M3)
12. Tay Gowan/UCF (M3-L3)
13. Paulson Adebo/Stanford (L3-E4)
14. Kelvin Joseph/Kentucky (L3-E4)
15. Benjamin St Juste/Minnesota (E4)
16. Keith Taylor Jr/Washington (E4-M4)
17. Aaron Robinson/UCF (M4)
18. Kary Vincent/LSU (L4-E5)
19. Israel Mukuamu/South Carolina (E5)
20. Ambry Thomas/Michigan (E5-M5)
21. Olaijah Griffin/USC (L5-E6)
22. Trill Williams/Syracuse (E6)
23. Tre Norwood/Oklahoma (E6-M6)
24. Shakur Brown/Michigan State (M6)
25. Tre Brown/Oklahoma (M6)
26. Thomas Graham Jr/Oregon (L6-E7)
27. Avery Williams/Boise State (M7)
28. Manny Rugamba/Miami Ohio (M7)
SAFETIES
1. Trevon Moehrig/TCU (L1-E2)
PROS: At his best patrolling the middle of the field; Smooth mover; Excellent ball skills for a safety, seven career INTs; Plays through the catch point, elite at pass break ups; Good explosiveness, hard hitter
CONS: Could be better against the run; Often out of control in his tackling technique vs the run; Peeks at the quarterback too often, which makes him susceptible to double moves; Doesn’t have great range
2. Richie Grant/UCF (E2)
PROS: Understands defense, processing speed is elite; Very good tackler; Makes plays more consistently than expected for someone who isn’t an elite athlete; Has versatility, can play single-high or closer to LOS
CONS: Doesn’t have elite play speed; Limited range; Some teams will be concerned with his age (23); Physical traits are just average; Doesn’t always take best angles to the football
3. Talanoa Hufanga/USC (E2-M2)
PROS: Frightening hitter; Effective as underneath zone defender; Sneaky good as a blitzer; Pretty good straight line speed; Show solid ball skills, picking off four passes in 2020; Solid instincts
CONS: Won’t help much against the deep passing game; Playing in space is not his thing; Could be better at start/stop game; Injuries have been too frequent, and with his style of play you wonder if that can be controlled; May end up at a linebacker at some point
4. Jevon Holland/Oregon (M2)
PROS: Versatile, can line up in numerous places; Excellent athletically; Top level ball skills; A playmaker, ha a nose for the football; Excellent instincts
CONS: Lacks elite explosiveness; Straight line speed is just average; Can be had by double moves; Opted out of 2020 season, so no chance to take that next step; Wouldn’t hurt to add size as physical players often had their way against him
5. Hamsah Nasirildeen/Florida State (L2-E3)
PROS: Top notch tackler; Versatile, lined up all over the field at Florida State; Great balance, plays under control; Has the length to fend off blockers; Physical, plays downhill; Has shown explosiveness is short space
CONS: Not much of a playmaker; Questionable read skills; Speed is nothing special; Injuries have been a problems; For someone as physical as he is, wasn’t asked to do much as a blitzer; Change of direction isn’t very fluid
6. Andre Cisco/Syracuse (L2-E3)
7. James Wiggins/Cincinnati (E3)
8. Paris Ford/Pittsburgh (M3-L3)
9. Ar’Darius Washington/TCU (M3-L3)
10. Joshuah Bledsoe/Missouri (L3-E4)
11. Tariq Thompson/San Diego State (M4)
12. Divine Deablo/Virginia Tech (M4-L4)
13. Richard LeCounte/Georgia (L4-E5)
14. JaCoby Stevens/LSU (L4-E5)
15. Caden Sterns/Texas (E5)
16. Eric Burrell/Wisconsin (M5-L5)
17. Damar Hamlin/Pittsburgh (L5-E6)
18. Reed Blankenship/Middle Tennessee (L5-E6)
19. Brady Breeze/Oregon (E6)
20. Darrick Forrest/Cincinnati (E6-M6)
21. Shemar Jean-Charles/Appalachian State (M6-L6)
22. Lamont Wade/Penn State (L6-E7)
23. Ky’el Hemby/Southern Miss (M7-L7)
