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By Dane Brugler Jan 17, 2019
No one would disagree that quarterback is the most important position in football. And there shouldn’t be a debate about the second-most important position either: the rushers who can affect the quarterback.
The 2019 class of pass rushers is loaded at the top, starting with Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, who is the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. But we could see more than a half dozen edge rushers drafted in the first 15-20 picks — both because it is a premium position and the talent warrants early consideration.
After Bosa, there isn’t a consensus No. 2 edge rusher, but most have Kentucky’s Josh Allen at that spot, including me. After that, there is very little agreement. Some will prefer the enormous upside of Michigan’s Rashan Gary. Others will prefer the substance and consistency of Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell. Florida’s Jachai Polite, Florida State’s Brian Burns and Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat will also be considered early. The next tier of pass rushers contains several possible first-rounders as well like Boston College’s Zack Allen and Georgia’s D’Andre Walker.
It is a fun group of rushers because of the differing styles and unique ways each puts pressure on the quarterback.
With the Senior Bowl, scouting combine and Pro Days around the corner, there likely will be some fluctuation in the rankings between now and April 25. These rankings are based on my evaluations as well as input from NFL scouts. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Mike Carter / USA TODAY Sports)
Quarterbacks
1. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (6-3, 228, 4.83)
2. Daniel Jones, Duke (6-4, 222, 4.70)
3. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (5-10, 190, 4.45)
4. Drew Lock, Missouri (6-3, 225, 4.73)
5. Will Grier, West Virginia (6-2, 224, 4.75)
6. Ryan Finley, N.C. State (6-3, 212, 4.84)
7. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn (6-2, 219, 4.72)
8. Tyree Jackson, Buffalo (6-6, 248, 4.88)
9. Gardner Minshew, Washington State (6-1, 223, 4.80)
10. Easton Stick, North Dakota State (6-2, 222, 4.72)
Notes: Dwayne Haskins remains the favorite to be the first quarterback drafted. His tape (especially against Purdue) showed strong concerns with his base mechanics, which affects his accuracy, but teams will bet on his special arm talent and upside. … Kyler Murray is obviously the wild card of the group. … It will be fun to watch Daniel Jones and Drew Lock make throw after throw next week during Senior Bowl practices. They are both on the North team, which will be coached by the Oakland Raiders, who own three selections in the top 27 picks. … A late addition to the Senior Bowl roster, Tyree Jackson needs a strong week in Mobile. We know he has a power arm, but his timing and ball placement will be under a microscope. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Mark Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports)
Running backs
1. Josh Jacobs, Alabama (5-9, 213, 4.49)
2. Devin Singletary, Florida Atlantic (5-9, 202, 4.48)
3. Damien Harris, Alabama (5-10, 216, 4.53)
4. David Montgomery, Iowa State (5-10, 222, 4.58)
5. Darrell Henderson, Memphis (5-8, 199, 4.55)
6. Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M (5-9, 200, 4.47)
7. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (5-10, 223, 4.56)
8. Miles Sanders, Penn State (5-10, 214, 4.52)
9. Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma (6-1, 220, 4.54)
10. Darwin Thompson, Utah State (5-7, 198, 4.44)
Notes: Barring an injury, I don’t anticipate the order of my top four running backs changing throughout the process. I received a lot of questions when I put Josh Jacobs at RB1 in my initial rankings, but it appears more are now in agreement on that opinion. He is just scratching the surface of his potential and has the dynamic talent to warrant first-round consideration. … Devin Singletary also belongs in the top-40 conversation with his unique ability to slip tackles. … David Montgomery is elusive in short areas but has inconsistent anticipation — he is more of a checkers runner, not chess. … Darwin Thompson might not be one of the first 10 backs drafted, but I’ll bet a few teams looking for a Tarik Cohen-like skill set will have him rated as a top-125 pick. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)
Wide receivers
1. D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss (6-4, 230, 4.47)
2. Kelvin Harmon, N.C. State (6-3, 217, 4.51)
3. Marquise Brown, Oklahoma (5-9, 171, 4.37)
4. A.J. Brown, Ole Miss (6-1, 226, 4.53)
5. N’Keal Harry, Arizona State (6-3, 218, 4.54)
6. Riley Ridley, Georgia (6-1, 204, 4.50)
7. Emanuel Hall, Missouri (6-2, 203, 4.38)
8. JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Stanford (6-3, 223, 4.56)
9. Dillon Mitchell, Oregon (6-0, 198, 4.45)
10. Andy Isabella, Massachusetts (5-9, 188, 4.42)
Notes: The toughest position group to peg, the top six wide receivers made my top-50 draft board. … Some teams have sky-high grades on Marquise Brownwhile others view him as a second-rounder. A DeSean Jackson-like playmaker, and the lack of size and durability concerns won’t be for everyone. … Despite lackluster production (1,026 career receiving yards), Riley Ridley projects as a better NFL player. He isn’t as dynamic as his older brother Calvin, but they both show the same attention to detail in their routes and Riley is more physical. …Yes, he is undersized, but Andy Isabella has sudden speed to create separation before and after the catch. It shouldn’t surprise anyone when he comes off the board much earlier than some of the bigger-name receiver prospects. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports)
Tight ends
1. T.J. Hockenson, Iowa (6-4, 249, 4.72)
2. Noah Fant, Iowa (6-5, 243, 4.54)
3. Irv Smith Jr., Alabama (6-4, 249, 4.75)
4. Kaden Smith, Stanford (6-5, 252, 4.78)
5. Jace Sternberger, Texas A&M (6-4, 247, 4.70)
6. Dawson Knox, Ole Miss (6-4, 255, 4.66)
7. Drew Sample, Washington (6-4, 260, 4.86)
8. Isaac Nauta, Georgia (6-3, 249, 4.80)
9. Josh Oliver, San Jose State (6-5, 246, 4.76)
10. Dax Raymond, Utah State (6-5, 249, 4.77)
Notes: A college program has never had two tight ends drafted in the same first round, but there is a good chance that changes in April. … T.J. Hockenson is a top-20 player in this draft class, while some teams might prefer the athleticism of Noah Fant, especially if he runs a sub-4.5 40-yard dash and jumps over 40 inches in the vertical at the combine. … An older prospect due to a religious mission, Dax Raymond is an athletic pass catcher with sweet feet and body control to slip defenders in coverage. … The record for tight ends drafted among the top-100 picks is nine (2006), but this year’s group has the potential to challenge that. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Matthew Emmons / USA TODAY Sports)
Offensive tackles
1. Jonah Williams, Alabama (6-5, 303, 5.18)
2. Cody Ford, Oklahoma (6-4, 335, 5.36)
3. Greg Little, Ole Miss (6-6, 328, 5.12)
4. Jawaan Taylor, Florida (6-5, 335, 5.38)
5. Andre Dillard, Washington State (6-5, 290, 5.23)
6. Max Scharping, Northern Illinois (6-5, 320, 5.22)
7. Yodny Cajuste, West Virginia (6-5, 319, 5.20)
8. David Edwards, Wisconsin (6-6, 320, 5.23)
9. Tytus Howard, Alabama State (6-6, 313, 5.08)
10. Dennis Daley, South Carolina (6-5, 313, 5.21)
Notes: The more I talk to my contacts around the league, the more I think it is close to 50/50 regarding Jonah Williams and whether he is a tackle or interior player in the NFL. Regardless, he is a rock-solid player who will be a long-term starter and teams will value that high. … The top senior offensive lineman in this year’s class is Andre Dillard, who is deserving of first-round consideration. … The Senior Bowl will be vital to the evaluation of Tytus Howard, who fared well vs. Auburn earlier this season, but most of his tape is against non-NFL talent. While I don’t think he challenges Delaware FS Nasir Adderley to be the first “small school” player drafted, Howard can cement the No. 2 spot with a strong week in Mobile. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Jeffrey Brown / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Interior offensive linemen
1. Michael Deiter, Wisconsin (6-5, 329, 5.36)
2. Garrett Bradbury, N.C. State (6-2, 296, 5.08)
3. Dalton Risner, Kansas State (6-4, 300, 5.08)
4. Michael Jordan, Ohio State (6-6, 312, 5.30)
5. Nate Herbig, Stanford (6-4, 338, 5.39)
6. Elgton Jenkins, Mississippi State (6-3, 312, 5.17)
7. Connor McGovern, Penn State (6-4, 318, 5.30)
8. Bobby Evans, Oklahoma (6-3, 308, 5.23)
9. Chris Lindstrom, Boston College (6-3, 308, 5.18)
10. Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin (6-5, 316, 5.28)
Notes: There were a handful of prospects that I hated to leave off my top-50 draft board, and Garrett Bradbury was one of them. The former tight end is the top center in this year’s draft and will be a hot commodity this spring, especially among zone-blocking teams. … Michael Jordan played out of position at center this past season, and teams are evaluating him as a guard. His athleticism, vision and reaction skills are his best traits and why he is viewed as a Day 2 pick. … Another potential top-100 selection, Nate Herbig is a powerful mauler and didn’t look out of place when he took snaps at tackle this season. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Noah K. Murray / USA TODAY Sports)
Edge rushers
1. Nick Bosa, Ohio State (6-4, 265, 4.67)
2. Josh Allen, Kentucky (6-4, 262, 4.68)
3. Rashan Gary, Michigan (6-5, 285, 4.68)
4. Clelin Ferrell, Clemson (6-4, 263, 4.78)
5. Jachai Polite, Florida (6-2, 242, 4.63)
6. Brian Burns, Florida State (6-4, 238, 4.69)
7. Montez Sweat, Mississippi State (6-5, 246, 4.74)
8. Zach Allen, Boston College (6-5, 283, 4.82)
9. D’Andre Walker, Georgia (6-2, 246, 4.72)
10. Anthony Nelson, Iowa (6-6, 270, 4.78)
Notes: There won’t be much debate about the top two names here, but Rashan Gary is the most polarizing prospect in this year’s draft class. He is incredibly gifted at 285 pounds with his athleticism, power and length, and NFL teams will buy into the traits if the medicals and maturity check out. … A text I received from an NFL scout this week: “The best football player I watched the final month of the season? Clelin Ferrell. Pitt, ND and Bama couldn’t hang with him.” The tape backs up that assessment. … A late addition to this group, Anthony Nelson is a power-packed rusher with heavy hands and long arms. Scouts are eager to see him perform in Mobile. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Joe Robbins / Getty Images)
Defensive tackles
1. Quinnen Williams, Alabama (6-4, 296, 5.02)
2. Ed Oliver, Houston (6-3, 276, 4.86)
3. Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State (6-3, 311, 5.08)
4. Christian Wilkins, Clemson (6-3, 312, 4.98)
5. Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State (6-2, 288, 4.99)
6. Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame (6-6, 310, 5.21)
7. Dexter Lawrence, Clemson (6-3, 346, 4.99)
8. Isaiah Buggs, Alabama (6-4, 292, 4.94)
9. Gerald Willis, Miami (6-3, 298, 5.14)
10. Khalen Saunders, Western Illinois (6-1, 317, 5.27)
Notes: There are a lot of differing opinions around the league on Dexter Lawrence. The talent is clear with his movement skills and power, but he isn’t yet the sum of his parts and you expect more from a nose tackle if you’re going to draft him in the first round. … Another confounding prospect is Jerry Tillery. The flashes are first-round worthy, but he doesn’t play consistently and scouts are concerned about his character. … Entering Senior Bowl week, Khalen Saunders is the third-best “small school” prospect on my board, behind Nasir Adderley and Tytus Howard. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Linebackers
1. Devin White, LSU (6-1, 243, 4.72)
2. Devin Bush, Michigan (5-11, 226, 4.65)
3. Mack Wilson, Alabama (6-1, 238, 4.76)
4. Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii (6-3, 235, 4.73)
5. Germaine Pratt, N.C. State (6-2, 241, 4.79)
6. Vosean Joseph, Florida (6-1, 228, 4.69)
7. Te’von Coney, Notre Dame (6-0, 235, 4.72)
8. Bobby Okereke, Stanford (6-2, 232, 4.74)
9. Tyrel Dodson, Texas A&M (6-1, 244, 4.75)
10. Tre Lamar, Clemson (6-3, 253, 4.75)
Notes: Mack Wilson was my preseason LB1 after watching film over the summer, but he didn’t take the next step in his development this season. Although the mistakes piled up, his athletic potential still says he is a future three-down player. … Although I don’t think Devin White is on the same level as Roquan Smith, there is plenty to like about his play speed and violence. The better comparison is to another former SEC linebacker, Jarrad Davis, who was the 21st overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Lions. … Don’t sleep on Jahlani Tavai. He is on the shelf with a shoulder injury, so he is flying under the radar right now. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Matthew Visinsky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Cornerbacks
1. Greedy Williams, LSU (6-1, 189, 4.47)
2. Byron Murphy, Washington (5-10, 185, 4.48)
3. Deandre Baker, Georgia (5-11, 186, 4.53)
4. Rock Ya-Sin, Temple (6-1, 190, 4.53)
5. Trayvon Mullen, Clemson (6-1, 192, 4.49)
6. Joejuan Williams, Vanderbilt (6-2, 211, 4.55)
7. Justin Layne, Michigan State (6-2, 188, 4.52)
8. Julian Love, Notre Dame (5-10, 191, 4.48)
9. Kris Boyd, Texas (6-0, 193, 4.50)
10. Saivion Smith, Alabama (6-0, 201, 4.47)
Notes: Greedy Williams and Byron Murphy both made the top 10 overall on my top-50 draft board, but I don’t feel great about it – neither has a grade close to Denzel Ward’s in last year’s class. Williams has length and speed, but uneven results. Murphy might not crack 4.4s in the 40-yard dash, which will ding him in the eyes of scouts. … Joejuan Williams won’t be for everyone, but for press-man teams that value physicality and length, it wouldn’t be surprising if he goes in Round 1. … A former wideout, Justin Layne can mirror-and-match from press coverage, reminding me of Kendall Fuller when he was coming out of Virginia Tech. [HR][/HR]
(Photo: Saquan Stimpson / ZUMA Wire / Cal Sport Media via AP Images)
Safeties
1. Nasir Adderley, Delaware (5-11, 201, 4.49)
2. Deionte Thompson, Alabama (6-2, 199, 4.56)
3. Taylor Rapp, Washington (6-0, 215, 4.57)
4. Johnathan Abram, Mississippi State (5-11, 216, 4.55)
5. Juan Thornhill, Virginia (6-0, 208, 4.54)
6. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida (5-11, 205, 4.54)
7. Darnell Savage, Maryland (5-10, 193, 4.53)
8. Mike Bell, Fresno State (6-3, 205, 4.55)
9. Mike Edwards, Kentucky (5-11, 200, 4.58)
10. Marquise Blair, Utah (6-2, 193, 4.55)
Notes: This year’s safety class is better than given credit. If he performs as expected at the Senior Bowl and combine, Nasir Adderley can lock up the top spot at the position. … Although he will have hiccups in coverage, Johnathan Abram is a joy to watch hunt the football. He plays with energy, speed and the killer instinct that I want on my football team. … An ideal nickel defender, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has only average play strength and anticipation vs. the pass, but his quick, aggressive play style allows him to make plays at every level of the field.
