http://www.fantasyfootballjungle.com/articles/index.php?id=890 Quarterbacks
1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
3. Tim Tebow, Florida
4. Jevan Snead, Mississippi
5. Colt McCoy, Texas
Analysis: The drop-off after Bradford and Clausen is quite significant. In fact, in my eyes the drop-off after Bradford shouldnt go unnoticed either. The size, intelligence and accuracy are all there for Bradford. While his arm strength isnt as strong as some previous prospects of the past, he definitely has an NFL caliber arm. If his health checks out, Bradford will be the first quarterback selected. Meanwhile, Clausen has some serious durability issues of his own, but its his small hands that have concerned NFL teams. While I think its a nitpicking, NFL teams are sure to remember Alex Smith had a similar problem. Still, Clausen has experience in a pro-style offense and someone will jump on that in the first-round. The rest of the pack hasnt done much to separate from one another. Tebow remains the frontrunner to be the third quarterback selected, but dont be shocked if a team opts to go for Snead instead because of his strong arm, which he showed off well at the Combine.
Running Backs
1. C.J. Spiller, Clemson
2. Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech
3. Jahvid Best, California
4. Ryan Matthews, Fresno State
5. Dexter McCluster, Mississippi
Analysis: There might not be any superstars in this group, but all five listed can contribute early and often. Spiller is likely to be the first back taken due to his added value as a receiver and return specialist. Likewise with Best, but injuries could cause him to drop to the second-round. Between Dwyer and Matthews, its Matthews who will likely be off the board first. A compact runner that doesnt have to come off the field, Matthews would make sense for a team seeking a back in the late part of the first-round. Dwyer lacks breakaway speed, but I think hes the most dependable back of the bunch, which is why I rank him ahead of both Best and Matthews. After a strong Senior Bowl, McCluster has put himself into second-round consideration as an all-purpose player.
Receivers
1. Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
2. Damian Williams, Southern California
3. Golden Tate, Notre Dame
4. Arrelious Benn, Illinois
5. Jacoby Ford, Clemson
Analysis: An already weak class of receivers may of just gotten even weaker. Character issues continue to overshadow what Bryant accomplished on the field. Its not only the suspension he received last season, but questions about his workout habits have also been raised. Despite that, it would be a huge surprise for Bryant not to be the first receiver selected and for him to fall out of the top 20. His talent is undeniable. The rest of the receivers listed are in a cluster. Tate probably improved his stock the most with a great Combine. However, I personally am impressed with what Williams could bring to a team. He lacks upside, but has good hands and runs crisp routes, which translates to a good No. 2 receiver in the pros. All eyes were on Benn at the Combine. While his workouts were solid, they werent near as strong as the hype suggested theyd be. His lack of production in college could cause him to slip to the second-round.
Tight Ends
1. Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
2. Ed Dickson, Oregon
3. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
4. Aaron Hernandez, Florida
5. Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
Analysis: The cream of this crop is Gresham. If he checks out medically, hes a first-round pick. After him, its anyones guess whom will be the next tight end off the board. Most people think Hernandez, but the only workout hell have is at his pro day. Dickson followed up a strong Senior Bowl with a strong Combine. I believe hes improved his draft stock more than any tight end throughout the draft process. Gronkowski is battling injuries, but was a solid college player and will be good inside the 20s. Anyone who watched Graham at Wisconsin immediately thought of Owen Daniels, who is now one of the better tight ends in football.
Offensive Tackles
1. Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
2. Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
3. Trent Williams, Oklahoma
4. Anthony Davis, Rutgers
5. Charles Brown, Southern California
Analysis: The leader of this group continues to be Okung. He has pretty much solidified his status as a top ten pick and could go as high as No. 2. There have been comparisons made between Bulaga and former No. 2 overall pick, Robert Gallery. I would recommend hesitation to someone who thinks those comparisons will drop Bulaga. Iowa coach, Kirk Ferentz is one of the best college football coaches in the nation and one of the more respected in the NFL. Bulaga was coached very well by him, which NFL teams will consider when evaluating the tackles. Yes, so was Gallery, but Ferentzs coaching plays bigger than that comparison in my view. If a team doesnt project Williams to left tackle, hell drop further than some people think despite his great Combine. Davis is the youngest of the group and teams may think he has the most potential of the four. Brown weighed in at over 300 pounds at the Combine, which was big for him since his size is his weakness. Bruce Campbell isnt listed because in my view, hes not one of the five best tackles in the draft, but his athleticism is extremely impressive.
Offensive Guards/Centers
1. Mike Iupati, Idaho
2. Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
3. Jeff Byers, Southern California
4. J.D. Walton, Baylor
5. John Jerry, Mississippi
Analysis: A likely top 20 pick, Iupatis long arms had scouts raving during Senior Bowl week and his ability to get them extended will entice some teams to play him at left tackle. Look for Pouncey to come off the board in the first-round as well. His versatility allows him to play every position on the line except for left tackle. His skills would be best utilize inside though, but he compares very favorable to Nick Mangold, who is now arguably the top center in the NFL. Byers has helped his stock especially with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl and Walton has done nothing to hurt his. Jerry, however, is an interesting prospect. Some view him as a tackle, but he probably is best suited to play guard for a team that likes huge offensive lineman up front.
Defensive Ends
1. Brandon Graham, Michigan
2. Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
3. Everson Griffen, Southern California
4. Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
5. Jerry Hughes, TCU
Analysis: Its one of the strongest class of pass rushers the NFL has seen in recent memory. The first one off the board will either be Morgan or Pierre-Paul. Morgan is a solid player that can get after the quarterback, but hes also stout against the run. Pierre-Paul has great athleticism for his size, but he lacked first-round type of production in college. The guy at the top of my board, however, is Graham. The Senior Bowl MVP has been nothing short of outstanding during the draft process. Like Morgan, hes also very stout against the run and the fact that he doesnt quit on any plays, will surely entice a lot of people. I think his skills will be best put to use as a 3-4 outside linebacker. People have compared him to LaMarr Woodley and those comparisons are legit. Another player who helped himself is Griffen, who displayed enough athleticism at the Combine where a 3-4 team might look at him as an outside linebacker as well. Likewise with Hughes, who is a first or second-round pick.
Defensive Tackles
1. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2. Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
3. Dan Williams, Tennessee
4. Brian Price, UCLA
5. Jared Odrick, Penn State
Analysis: Its well-established that Suh and McCoy are consensus top five picks. Both are not only stout against the run, but they also have the ability to provide an inside pass rush, which is rare among defensive tackles. While there is a drop-off after those two, this is an incredibly deep draft for defensive lineman. Williams is a likely fit as a 3-4 nose tackle and Price also figures in the 3-4 as a defensive end. Odrick showed off a high motor at the Senior Bowl and solidified his status as a second-rounder with the potential to go late round-one. Not listed is Terrence Cody, Cam Thomas and Lamarr Houston, who all figure to go in round two.
Outside Linebackers
1. Sergio Kindle, Texas
2. Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
3. Daryl Washington, TCU
4. Navorro Bowman, Penn State
5. Eric Norwood, South Carolina
Analysis: A solid, but not stellar class, the top outside linebacker is Kindle. Hes been compared to Brian Orakpo, whom I rated as one of the top players in last years draft. If were high on Orakpo, chances are youre high on Kindle. Itd be a huge surprise if he fell out of the top 20. The other potential first-round linebackers are Weatherspoon and Washington. At the Senior Bowl, Weatherspoon seem to of separated himself away from Washington and is looking as a likely first-round pick. Bowman is also high on a lot of peoples list, but I think hes limited to outside linebacker in the cover two scheme.
Inside Linebackers
1. Rolando McClain, Alabama
2. Brandon Spikes, Florida
3. Darryl Sharpton, Miami (FL)
4. Sean Lee, Penn State
5. Donald Butler, Washington
Analysis: McClain is the consensus top inside linebacker in this draft. A powerful player that will be coveted by 3-4 teams looking for an inside linebacker, McClain was the best college linebacker in football last year. He has, however, told teams he has Crohns disease. While some in the media will probably make a big deal over this, the reality is that its not going to effect his draft status one bit. Another potential first-rounder is Spikes of Florida. His workout numbers wont be off the charts, but he was productive and the leader of the Florida defense. I believe he fits as a 3-4 inside linebacker as well.
Corners
1. Joe Haden, Florida
2. Kyle Wilson, Boise State
3. Devin McCourty, Rutgers
4. Kareem Jackson, Alabama
5. Myron Lewis, Vanderbilt
Analysis: One of the bigger stories of the Combine was just how bad Haden looked. His poor forty shows that he may lack recovery speed in the NFL. He also didnt look that great in drills and really raised a lot of red flags about whether hes an elite prospect or not. Upon further review, I still say he is. He was by far the best corner in college last year and he covered some of the best and fastest receivers in the SEC. His pro day will be important as he tries to reassure teams of his skills, but I still think hes a top 15 pick and anyone who passes on him that needs a corner will regret it. After Haden, there is only one first-round corner in my rankings and thats Wilson. A physical player despite his size, Wilson reminds me of Antoine Winfield. McCourty could also jump into round-one, but itll be tough with this deep draft. Jackson has been climbing draft boards and looks to be a solid second-rounder. Id keep an eye on Lewis as well. I rate him a little higher than most, but his combination of size and speed is rare for a corner.
Safeties
1. Eric Berry, Tennessee
2. Earl Thomas, Texas
3. Taylor Mays, Southern California
4. Larry Asante, Nebraska
5. Major Wright, Florida
Analysis: Its a very deep draft at a lot of positions and safety is among them. Berry is the top safety on just about every board. Its obviously most important to be a good football player, which he is, but he also showed at the Combine that hes a phenomenal athlete. He jumped 43 inches in the vertical jump. That type of athleticism on top of his Ed Reed like range makes him a very special prospect. Thomas has also picked up a lot steam heading towards April and some have even talked about moving him to corner. With that type of versatility, its not a stretch to imagine him in the top 15. Mays was amazing at the Combine, but hes dropped on my board due to lack of big plays. He just doesnt standout on the field and thats the concern with him. It may drop him out of the first round entirely despite his workout warrior status.
Overall Rankings
1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
2. Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
3. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
4. Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
5. Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
6. Joe Haden, CB, Florida
7. Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
8. Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
9. Brandon Graham, DE/LB, Michigan
10. Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
11. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
12. Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
13. Sergio Kindle, LB Texas
14. Earl Thomas, S, Texas
15. Everson Griffen, DE/LB, Southern California
16. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
17. Maurkice Pouncey, OL, Florida
18. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/LB, South Florida
19. Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
20. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
21. Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
22. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
23. Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
24. Jerry Hughes, DE/LB, TCU
25. Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
26. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
27. Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
28. Brian Price, DT, UCLA
29. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
30. Jahvid Best, RB, California
31. Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
32. Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State
33. Charles Brown, OT, Southern California
34. Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
35. Taylor Mays, S, Southern California
36. Damian Williams, WR, Southern California
37. Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
38. Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Mississippi
39. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
40. Daryl Washington, LB, TCU
41. Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
42. Tyson Alualu, DE, California
43. Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
44. Ricky Sapp, DE/LB, Clemson
45. Arrelious Benn,WR, Illinois
46. Vladimir Ducasse, OT, Massachusetts
47. Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas
48. Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
49. Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson
50. Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State