Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Offense
Quarterbacks
1. **Jameis Winston, Florida St.
2. *Marcus Mariota, Oregon
3. *Brett Hundley, UCLA
4. Bryce Petty, Baylor
5. Garrett Grayson, Colorado St.
6. Sean Mannion, Oregon St.
7. Bryan Bennett, Southeastern Louisiana
8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall
9. Mark Myers, John Carroll
10. Grant Hedrick, Boise St.
The names that weren't on the previous ranking are the final three on the list -- Cato, Myers, and Hedrick. I'm not sure any QB has moved up for me more in the past month than Hedrick, who has a chance to stick on a roster. He lacks height (he is just under 6 feet) but does a lot of other things well. Frankly, it's a pretty thin class and I wouldn't be surprised if we see more movement after Petty, as pro days will shift some evals for guys down the list. Blake Sims (Alabama) was on the edge here.
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AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Tevin Coleman's decision to enter the draft was a good one.
Running backs
1. *Melvin Gordon III, Wisconsin
2. *Todd Gurley, Georgia
3. *Tevin Coleman, Indiana
4. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
5. *Duke Johnson, Miami (Fla)
6. David Johnson, No. Iowa
7. David Cobb, Minnesota
8. *Jay Ajayi, Boise St.
9. *Javorius "Buck" Allen, USC
10. Jeremy Langford, Michigan St.
The top three remain the same from the most recent ranking. I do think Gurley still has at least a chance to go in Round 1. After that, Abdullah has moved up ahead of Duke Johnson, and following Duke Johnson is the top riser here, David Johnson out of Northern Iowa. I highlighted him earlier in the season, but he put on a great display at the Senior Bowl and combines a much bigger frame than most realize with great hands and the ability to make people miss.
Fullbacks
1. Jalston Fowler, Alabama
2. Tyler Varga, Yale
3. Zach Zenner, South Dakota St.
4. Mark Weisman, Iowa
5. Lee Ward, Stanford
6. Cameron Stingily, No. Illinois
7. Connor Neighbors, LSU
8. Hunter Joyer, Florida
9. Zach Laskey, Georgia Tech
10. D.J. Warren, Kentucky
No change in the top five from my ranking in late January, but Stingily gets a nice bump after being unranked previously. The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder actually led Northern Illinois in rushing last season and was particularly effective in goal-to-go situations.
Wide receivers
1. *Amari Cooper, Alabama
2. Kevin White, West Virginia
3. DeVante Parker, Louisville
4. Phillip Dorsett, Miami (Fla)
5. Devin Smith, Ohio St.
6. *Breshad Perriman, Central Florida
7. *Jaelen Strong, Arizona St.
8. *Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri
9. *Nelson Agholor, USC
10. Justin Hardy, East Carolina
Another deep class of wide receivers. Last year, we saw 33 wide receivers drafted, and right now I have 35 from this class with a draftable grade. The only change in the top five is Smith moving ahead of Perriman. After that, there are no significant shifts. Dorsett is probably the biggest mover since the end of the season, as he was exceptional at the Senior Bowl, but he's not exactly a sleeper who came out of nowhere.
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Cal Sport Media via AP Images
Maxx Williams is the top tight end in the draft right now.
Tight ends
1. **Maxx Williams, Minnesota
2. Clive Walford, Miami (Fla)
3. *Devin Funchess, Michigan
4. Nick O'Leary, Florida St.
5. Jeff Heuerman, Ohio St.
6. Nick Boyle, Delaware
7. *Tyler Kroft, Rutgers
8. *Jesse James, Penn St.
9. Ben Koyack, Notre Dame
10. E.J. Bibbs, Iowa St.
No changes among the top four. Williams is, at least right now, safely the top tight end on my board. (I'm really looking forward to seeing how he looks in combine drills, however.) I know others have Funchess listed with the wide receivers, but I'm leaving him here; yes, the position has changed, but I do think he'll line up more often tight to the formation and not split out wide. Heuerman is an interesting guy to watch in Indy. I think he's a pretty good athlete in a big frame, he just didn't get as many targets as he should have this season. (Not that it hurt the OSU offense much.)
Offensive tackles
1. Brandon Scherff, Iowa
2. *Andrus Peat, Stanford
3. La'el Collins, LSU
4. T.J. Clemmings, Pitt
5. *Ereck Flowers, Miami (Fla)
6. Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
7. *D.J. Humphries, Florida
8. *Jeremiah Poutasi, Utah
9. Daryl Williams, Oklahoma
10. Ty Sambrailo, Colorado St.
The biggest shift here is the rise of Peat from No. 5 in my previous ranking to No. 2 here. With Peat, the rise is based on a couple of things. First, I simply got to spend more time on his tape and liked what I saw. Second, there are questions here about who can stay at tackle (both Scherff and Collins are considered future guards depending on which evaluator you're talking to), but I think Peat has a good shot to stick at tackle and succeed there. After that, D.J. Humphries has risen the most on my board.
Guards
1. A.J. Cann, South Carolina
2. Laken Tomlinson, Duke
3. Tre' Jackson, Florida St.
4. John Miller, Louisville
5. Josue Matias, Florida St.
6. Ali Marpet, Hobart
7. Shaq Mason, Georgia Tech
8. Trenton Brown, Florida
9. Robert Myers, Tennessee St.
10. Jarvis Harrison, Texas A&M
No major changes here among the top prospects. Tomlinson slides up a spot, as does Marpet, who had a great week at the Senior Bowl getting good exposure while playing up in competition and proving he belongs. I doubt we have a first-round pick out of this group -- part of that is because of a few tackles who could slide in to play guard -- but three or four of these guys will be off the board by the end of Day 2.
Centers
1. Cameron Erving, Florida St.
2. Hroniss Grasu, Oregon
3. Reese Dismukes, Auburn
4. Andy Gallik, Boston College
5. B.J. Finney, Kansas St.
6. Shane McDermott, Miami (Fla)
7. Greg Mancz, Toledo
8. Jake Smith, Louisville
9. David Andrews, Georgia
10. Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern
Erving has been at No. 1 here since I moved him from tackle to center. Obviously, it doesn't hurt him at all that he's now played guard, tackle and center and offers versatility. Grasu suffered a late- season knee injury but should be at or close to 100 percent at the combine. Dismukes was at the top of these rankings early in the season and is still a likely Day 2 selection.
Defense
Defensive ends
1. *Leonard Williams, USC
2. *Randy Gregory, Nebraska
3. *Shane Ray, Missouri
4. *Dante Fowler, Florida
5. *Arik Armstead, Oregon
6. Preston Smith, Mississippi St.
7. Henry Anderson, Stanford
8. Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA
9. Trey Flowers, Arkansas
10. *Danielle Hunter, LSU
As I noted above, the "defensive end" classification makes for some odd groupings, and the difference in style between No. 1 and No. 2 on this list underscores that. I do think Williams can play defensive end in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 and can probably also move inside pretty effectively in a 4-3. Gregory is another player who will also project as a 3-4 OLB. In terms of actual movement, Smith is the guy I've moved up the most since the previous ranking. Everyone else was previously listed among the top 10.
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Larry Placido/Icon SMI
To "block" Danny Shelton can mean to hold on for dear life.
Defensive tackles
1. Danny Shelton, Washington
2. *Malcom Brown, Texas
3. *Eddie Goldman, Florida St.
4. Carl Davis, Iowa
5. **Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma
6. **Darius Philon, Arkansas
7. Michael Bennett, Ohio St.
8. Gabe Wright, Auburn
9. Marcus Hardison, Arizona St.
10. Grady Jarrett, Clemson
Davis slides up another spot. He had a very good performance at the Senior Bowl, and I moved him up then, but more review on his work over the past season at Iowa has him another slot higher. Phillips can be a stud if the effort is consistent; too much of his projection is based on the overall athletic profile for a player his size. In terms of a clear rise, Hardison has moved up the most on my board over the past few weeks.
Inside linebackers
1. Denzel Perryman, Miami (Fla)
2. *Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi St.
3. Stephone Anthony, Clemson
4. Eric Kendricks, UCLA
5. Jake Ryan, Michigan
6. Ben Heeney, Kansas
7. Hayes Pullard, USC
8. Ramik Wilson, Georgia
9. Bryce Hager, Baylor
10. Jeff Luc, Cincinnati
The more I've watched the tape of Perryman from the 2014 season, the more I like him. He just does so many things well in terms of attacking the line of scrimmage and taking on blocks. Coverage is a question, but I think he lands in Round 1 if the draft is tomorrow. He can help a team now. Beyond that, I don't have many changes here. The difference between Anthony and Kendricks is pretty much nonexistent. I went back and forth with those two.
Outside linebackers
1. Vic Beasley, Clemson
2. *Shaq Thompson, Washington
3. Paul Dawson, TCU
4. Nate Orchard, Utah
5. Alvin "Bud" Dupree, Kentucky
6. Lynden Trail, Norfolk St.
7. Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington
8. Zack Hodges, Harvard
9. Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville
10. *Eli Harold, Virginia
I've long had Beasley atop this list. I have Shaq Thompson here, though he's not what I'd classify as a pass-rusher at this point. (He told me he compares himself to Lavonte David.) Dawson has risen the most, as I've spent more time on him, and I've also moved up Lynden trail. This is a pretty deep group. A guy like Harold could improve his standing with a good combine, because the explosiveness is there on tape, he just looks raw. Hodges is a great story, so I'm hoping he'll do well in Indy.
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Jim Rogash/Getty Images
P.J. Williams bring good size and a physical style.
Cornerbacks
1. *Trae Waynes, Michigan St.
2. *Marcus Peters, Washington
3. *Jalen Collins, LSU
4. Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest
5. *P.J. Williams, Florida St.
6. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon
7. Quinten Rollins, Miami (Ohio)
8. Kevin White, TCU
9. Steven Nelson, Oregon St.
10. Byron Jones, Connecticut
I've made exactly zero moves among my top five since the previous ranking, so not much to discuss there. I will say: This position can see some serious fluctuations coming out of Indy because if you want to say the 40 time really matters, here's a good place to start. There are cases in which a bad 40 doesn't hurt too much (Joe Haden comes to mind), but if you struggle there, the tape has to be exceptional. Rollins has risen the most for me, and a name you don't see but isn't far off is Nick Marshall of Auburn, who is in the draft as a cornerback after playing QB for the Tigers.
Safeties
1. *Landon Collins, Alabama
2. Derron Smith, Fresno St.
3. Damarious Randall, Arizona St.
4. *Durell Eskridge, Syracuse
5. Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern
6. Cody Prewitt, Mississippi
7. Jaquiski Tartt, Samford
8. *Gerod Holliman, Louisville
9. *Chris Hackett, TCU
10. Anthony Harris, Virginia
This is one of the thinner position groups in the draft. In fact, I think you'll see teams who have a need at safety taking a hard look at the cornerback class and considering which guys could make the move. Collins is a clear first-round pick, but I don't see another one. Eskridge moves up the most since the previous ranking. Tartt is a potential sleeper out of Samford with whom NFL evaluators are becoming more familiar.
Special teams
Place-kickers & punters
1. Kyle Loomis, P, Portland St.
2. Tom Obarski, PK, Concordia, (MN)
3. Wil Baumann, P, NC St.
4. Spencer Roth, P, Baylor
5. Justin Manton, PK & P, Louisiana-Monroe
6. Trevor Pardula, P, Kansas
7. Darragh O'Neill, P, Colorado
8. Kyle Christy, P, Florida
9. Will Johnson, P, Texas St.
10. Mike Sadler, P, Michigan St.
Quarterbacks
1. **Jameis Winston, Florida St.
2. *Marcus Mariota, Oregon
3. *Brett Hundley, UCLA
4. Bryce Petty, Baylor
5. Garrett Grayson, Colorado St.
6. Sean Mannion, Oregon St.
7. Bryan Bennett, Southeastern Louisiana
8. Rakeem Cato, Marshall
9. Mark Myers, John Carroll
10. Grant Hedrick, Boise St.
The names that weren't on the previous ranking are the final three on the list -- Cato, Myers, and Hedrick. I'm not sure any QB has moved up for me more in the past month than Hedrick, who has a chance to stick on a roster. He lacks height (he is just under 6 feet) but does a lot of other things well. Frankly, it's a pretty thin class and I wouldn't be surprised if we see more movement after Petty, as pro days will shift some evals for guys down the list. Blake Sims (Alabama) was on the edge here.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Tevin Coleman's decision to enter the draft was a good one.
Running backs
1. *Melvin Gordon III, Wisconsin
2. *Todd Gurley, Georgia
3. *Tevin Coleman, Indiana
4. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
5. *Duke Johnson, Miami (Fla)
6. David Johnson, No. Iowa
7. David Cobb, Minnesota
8. *Jay Ajayi, Boise St.
9. *Javorius "Buck" Allen, USC
10. Jeremy Langford, Michigan St.
The top three remain the same from the most recent ranking. I do think Gurley still has at least a chance to go in Round 1. After that, Abdullah has moved up ahead of Duke Johnson, and following Duke Johnson is the top riser here, David Johnson out of Northern Iowa. I highlighted him earlier in the season, but he put on a great display at the Senior Bowl and combines a much bigger frame than most realize with great hands and the ability to make people miss.
Fullbacks
1. Jalston Fowler, Alabama
2. Tyler Varga, Yale
3. Zach Zenner, South Dakota St.
4. Mark Weisman, Iowa
5. Lee Ward, Stanford
6. Cameron Stingily, No. Illinois
7. Connor Neighbors, LSU
8. Hunter Joyer, Florida
9. Zach Laskey, Georgia Tech
10. D.J. Warren, Kentucky
No change in the top five from my ranking in late January, but Stingily gets a nice bump after being unranked previously. The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder actually led Northern Illinois in rushing last season and was particularly effective in goal-to-go situations.
Wide receivers
1. *Amari Cooper, Alabama
2. Kevin White, West Virginia
3. DeVante Parker, Louisville
4. Phillip Dorsett, Miami (Fla)
5. Devin Smith, Ohio St.
6. *Breshad Perriman, Central Florida
7. *Jaelen Strong, Arizona St.
8. *Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri
9. *Nelson Agholor, USC
10. Justin Hardy, East Carolina
Another deep class of wide receivers. Last year, we saw 33 wide receivers drafted, and right now I have 35 from this class with a draftable grade. The only change in the top five is Smith moving ahead of Perriman. After that, there are no significant shifts. Dorsett is probably the biggest mover since the end of the season, as he was exceptional at the Senior Bowl, but he's not exactly a sleeper who came out of nowhere.
[+] Enlarge
Cal Sport Media via AP Images
Maxx Williams is the top tight end in the draft right now.
Tight ends
1. **Maxx Williams, Minnesota
2. Clive Walford, Miami (Fla)
3. *Devin Funchess, Michigan
4. Nick O'Leary, Florida St.
5. Jeff Heuerman, Ohio St.
6. Nick Boyle, Delaware
7. *Tyler Kroft, Rutgers
8. *Jesse James, Penn St.
9. Ben Koyack, Notre Dame
10. E.J. Bibbs, Iowa St.
No changes among the top four. Williams is, at least right now, safely the top tight end on my board. (I'm really looking forward to seeing how he looks in combine drills, however.) I know others have Funchess listed with the wide receivers, but I'm leaving him here; yes, the position has changed, but I do think he'll line up more often tight to the formation and not split out wide. Heuerman is an interesting guy to watch in Indy. I think he's a pretty good athlete in a big frame, he just didn't get as many targets as he should have this season. (Not that it hurt the OSU offense much.)
Offensive tackles
1. Brandon Scherff, Iowa
2. *Andrus Peat, Stanford
3. La'el Collins, LSU
4. T.J. Clemmings, Pitt
5. *Ereck Flowers, Miami (Fla)
6. Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
7. *D.J. Humphries, Florida
8. *Jeremiah Poutasi, Utah
9. Daryl Williams, Oklahoma
10. Ty Sambrailo, Colorado St.
The biggest shift here is the rise of Peat from No. 5 in my previous ranking to No. 2 here. With Peat, the rise is based on a couple of things. First, I simply got to spend more time on his tape and liked what I saw. Second, there are questions here about who can stay at tackle (both Scherff and Collins are considered future guards depending on which evaluator you're talking to), but I think Peat has a good shot to stick at tackle and succeed there. After that, D.J. Humphries has risen the most on my board.
Guards
1. A.J. Cann, South Carolina
2. Laken Tomlinson, Duke
3. Tre' Jackson, Florida St.
4. John Miller, Louisville
5. Josue Matias, Florida St.
6. Ali Marpet, Hobart
7. Shaq Mason, Georgia Tech
8. Trenton Brown, Florida
9. Robert Myers, Tennessee St.
10. Jarvis Harrison, Texas A&M
No major changes here among the top prospects. Tomlinson slides up a spot, as does Marpet, who had a great week at the Senior Bowl getting good exposure while playing up in competition and proving he belongs. I doubt we have a first-round pick out of this group -- part of that is because of a few tackles who could slide in to play guard -- but three or four of these guys will be off the board by the end of Day 2.
Centers
1. Cameron Erving, Florida St.
2. Hroniss Grasu, Oregon
3. Reese Dismukes, Auburn
4. Andy Gallik, Boston College
5. B.J. Finney, Kansas St.
6. Shane McDermott, Miami (Fla)
7. Greg Mancz, Toledo
8. Jake Smith, Louisville
9. David Andrews, Georgia
10. Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern
Erving has been at No. 1 here since I moved him from tackle to center. Obviously, it doesn't hurt him at all that he's now played guard, tackle and center and offers versatility. Grasu suffered a late- season knee injury but should be at or close to 100 percent at the combine. Dismukes was at the top of these rankings early in the season and is still a likely Day 2 selection.
Defense
Defensive ends
1. *Leonard Williams, USC
2. *Randy Gregory, Nebraska
3. *Shane Ray, Missouri
4. *Dante Fowler, Florida
5. *Arik Armstead, Oregon
6. Preston Smith, Mississippi St.
7. Henry Anderson, Stanford
8. Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA
9. Trey Flowers, Arkansas
10. *Danielle Hunter, LSU
As I noted above, the "defensive end" classification makes for some odd groupings, and the difference in style between No. 1 and No. 2 on this list underscores that. I do think Williams can play defensive end in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 and can probably also move inside pretty effectively in a 4-3. Gregory is another player who will also project as a 3-4 OLB. In terms of actual movement, Smith is the guy I've moved up the most since the previous ranking. Everyone else was previously listed among the top 10.
[+] Enlarge
Larry Placido/Icon SMI
To "block" Danny Shelton can mean to hold on for dear life.
Defensive tackles
1. Danny Shelton, Washington
2. *Malcom Brown, Texas
3. *Eddie Goldman, Florida St.
4. Carl Davis, Iowa
5. **Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma
6. **Darius Philon, Arkansas
7. Michael Bennett, Ohio St.
8. Gabe Wright, Auburn
9. Marcus Hardison, Arizona St.
10. Grady Jarrett, Clemson
Davis slides up another spot. He had a very good performance at the Senior Bowl, and I moved him up then, but more review on his work over the past season at Iowa has him another slot higher. Phillips can be a stud if the effort is consistent; too much of his projection is based on the overall athletic profile for a player his size. In terms of a clear rise, Hardison has moved up the most on my board over the past few weeks.
Inside linebackers
1. Denzel Perryman, Miami (Fla)
2. *Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi St.
3. Stephone Anthony, Clemson
4. Eric Kendricks, UCLA
5. Jake Ryan, Michigan
6. Ben Heeney, Kansas
7. Hayes Pullard, USC
8. Ramik Wilson, Georgia
9. Bryce Hager, Baylor
10. Jeff Luc, Cincinnati
The more I've watched the tape of Perryman from the 2014 season, the more I like him. He just does so many things well in terms of attacking the line of scrimmage and taking on blocks. Coverage is a question, but I think he lands in Round 1 if the draft is tomorrow. He can help a team now. Beyond that, I don't have many changes here. The difference between Anthony and Kendricks is pretty much nonexistent. I went back and forth with those two.
Outside linebackers
1. Vic Beasley, Clemson
2. *Shaq Thompson, Washington
3. Paul Dawson, TCU
4. Nate Orchard, Utah
5. Alvin "Bud" Dupree, Kentucky
6. Lynden Trail, Norfolk St.
7. Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington
8. Zack Hodges, Harvard
9. Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville
10. *Eli Harold, Virginia
I've long had Beasley atop this list. I have Shaq Thompson here, though he's not what I'd classify as a pass-rusher at this point. (He told me he compares himself to Lavonte David.) Dawson has risen the most, as I've spent more time on him, and I've also moved up Lynden trail. This is a pretty deep group. A guy like Harold could improve his standing with a good combine, because the explosiveness is there on tape, he just looks raw. Hodges is a great story, so I'm hoping he'll do well in Indy.
[+] Enlarge
Jim Rogash/Getty Images
P.J. Williams bring good size and a physical style.
Cornerbacks
1. *Trae Waynes, Michigan St.
2. *Marcus Peters, Washington
3. *Jalen Collins, LSU
4. Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest
5. *P.J. Williams, Florida St.
6. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon
7. Quinten Rollins, Miami (Ohio)
8. Kevin White, TCU
9. Steven Nelson, Oregon St.
10. Byron Jones, Connecticut
I've made exactly zero moves among my top five since the previous ranking, so not much to discuss there. I will say: This position can see some serious fluctuations coming out of Indy because if you want to say the 40 time really matters, here's a good place to start. There are cases in which a bad 40 doesn't hurt too much (Joe Haden comes to mind), but if you struggle there, the tape has to be exceptional. Rollins has risen the most for me, and a name you don't see but isn't far off is Nick Marshall of Auburn, who is in the draft as a cornerback after playing QB for the Tigers.
Safeties
1. *Landon Collins, Alabama
2. Derron Smith, Fresno St.
3. Damarious Randall, Arizona St.
4. *Durell Eskridge, Syracuse
5. Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern
6. Cody Prewitt, Mississippi
7. Jaquiski Tartt, Samford
8. *Gerod Holliman, Louisville
9. *Chris Hackett, TCU
10. Anthony Harris, Virginia
This is one of the thinner position groups in the draft. In fact, I think you'll see teams who have a need at safety taking a hard look at the cornerback class and considering which guys could make the move. Collins is a clear first-round pick, but I don't see another one. Eskridge moves up the most since the previous ranking. Tartt is a potential sleeper out of Samford with whom NFL evaluators are becoming more familiar.
Special teams
Place-kickers & punters
1. Kyle Loomis, P, Portland St.
2. Tom Obarski, PK, Concordia, (MN)
3. Wil Baumann, P, NC St.
4. Spencer Roth, P, Baylor
5. Justin Manton, PK & P, Louisiana-Monroe
6. Trevor Pardula, P, Kansas
7. Darragh O'Neill, P, Colorado
8. Kyle Christy, P, Florida
9. Will Johnson, P, Texas St.
10. Mike Sadler, P, Michigan St.
