2012 NFL Draft Preview: Ranking College Football's Top 100 Pro Prospects

I was going to wait until the end of the season to do a Top 100 NFL draft prospects list, but since it looks like we’re destined for an LSU-Alabama BCS national championship game no matter what happens this weekend, I guess I’ll just go ahead and throw it out there now.

Admittedly, I was riding on the Andrew Luck No. 1 pick bandwagon for about the last year, but after seeing what Baylor QB Robert Griffin III has been able to do this season, I’ll tell you, I’ve never seen a college player that’s this explosive and exciting.

I saw Mike Vick, I saw Reggie Bush, I saw Noel Devine, but in the last decade of watching college football, I haven’t seen a player that's as purely explosive as Robert Griffin III.

And I’m not talking about as a runner, either.

I’m talking about passing explosion.

I’m talking about absolutely lighting up secondaries.

I’m talking about putting up passing numbers that are so high they’ll make your head hurt.

Yes, I’m talking about Robert Griffin’s dynamic passing game.

He’s certainly not your average dual-threat quarterback. That’s for sure.

Right now, I haven’t seen anyone this season that’s more deserving of the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft. That includes Andrew Luck, who—let’s be honest and put the media hype aside for a second—has had his fair share of disappointing moments this season.

At this point in the process, rankings are still very fluid, and they will pretty much remain that way all the way up until April.

We’ll have a better picture of where we stand as we get deeper into January, after all the underclassmen have declared.

We’ve still got five months to go before the draft, and a lot can still change, but we already have a pretty good feel for who college football’s elite prospects are.

Here’s an in-depth look at the 25 eligible prospects whom I consider to be the cream of the crop this year, followed by my full Top 100 prospects list, and then my personal individual position rankings for seniors, juniors, redshirt sophomores and non-eligible future prospects.

Enjoy.

1. QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor

Short Take: The track star version of Aaron Rodgers.

Long Take: Yes, it’s finally OK to start asking if Robert Griffin III is actually going to be the No. 1 overall pick.

Back in early September, I asked if Griffin was a future NFL franchise quarterback, and not only has he shown that this year, he’s proven that he’s a true superstar in the making. 

When I wrote that article, I thought Griffin was the fifth-best available quarterback prospect, and I considered him a borderline first-round talent, but he’s done everything you wanted to see this year, after he wowed everybody on the opening Friday of the season against TCU.

That five-touchdown, 359-yard passing performance officially put him on the national map, and he’s managed to build on that momentum all season long, as he’s continued to impress onlookers with his incredible physical gifts and natural ability.

This season, the junior signal-caller has completed 72 percent of his passes, thrown for 3,678 yards hit 34 touchdown strikes and has added 612 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Griffin isn’t just your normal dual-threat quarterback, either.

Sure, he may be known for his world-class speed, but he’s proven that he can flourish as a pocket-passer, and he's shown that his scrambling ability is just an added bonus.

Accuracy, arm strength, pocket awareness—he’s got plenty of all three.

Griffin can hit every pass in the book, and he’s thrown some absolute gems on deep outs and posts this season (just ask Kendall Wright).

Is he the ideal pro-style quarterback like Andrew Luck?

No, he’s a little more dangerous. But sometimes dangerous means more explosive, and the NFL is a league that’s shifting toward more explosive players, instead of the old typical West Coast offense type of players.

Speed is the new name of the game in the NFL, and no one can play as fast as Robert Griffin III.

He's not the new breed of quarterback—he's simply the best possible breed of quarterback.

He reminds me of a faster version of Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. 

Griffin has a similar physical build as Rodgers, he's got the same type of arm strength to hit the deep balls, and the best part is he knows how to create extra time with his scrambling ability—a key trait that makes Rodgers so good. 

No, Griffin hasn’t proven himself in a BCS bowl game like Luck, but what he has done is single-handedly revived a football program that was lying dead in the weeds for over a decade, and unlike Luck, he didn’t have Jim Harbaugh there to play daddy for him while he did it.

Everyone’s already looking for a reason to pick apart Griffin as a pro prospect, but just like Cam Newton last year, you’re not going to find many surface flaws.

Fabricated weaknesses and concerns will emerge from the media soon enough, though. They always do with successful dual-threat college quarterbacks.

He smiles too much, he played in a pass-heavy spread system (what successful quarterback doesn’t these days, though?), he’s an injury risk, he's not a safe pick, he doesn't fit the perfect NFL prototype.

You’ll hear all the imaginary negatives, but hopefully what you’ll also hear is that Griffin is the best playmaker we’ve seen in college football this year. Hopefully, you’ll also hear about all of his spectacular plays, sensational throws and jaw-dropping showcases of raw athleticism from this season.

Besides Trent Richardson, no other player had a more productive and impressive campaign than Robert Griffin III in 2011. 

If Luck and Griffin both come out after this season, we’re going to have a mighty interesting quarterback debate that will last us from January through April.

Griffin’s proven that he’s worthy of the No. 1 overall pick this season. Now we just have to wait and see if the team that’s picking at the top agrees.

2. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford

Short Take: Worthy of being a cover boy, but he's no guarantee.

Long Take: The dirty little secret that came out this season is that Andrew Luck is not the best quarterback prospect of all time like some had made it seem before the start of the season.

Heck of a quarterback, yes!

Historically great quarterback, not so much.

Like we’ve seen with Jake Locker, Brady Quinn and Matt Leinart, Luck got the cover boy treatment from the media and was hailed as the sure-thing No. 1 quarterback throughout the summer, and did he wilt under the pressure?

Absolutely not.

But did he step up in his team’s only two tough games of the season?

No, Luck got outplayed by the two best players he faced this season, Matt Barkley and LaMichael James.

He got a few overtimes (whether fairly or not is up for debate) to help sort things out against Barkley and the Trojans in the coliseum, but his shortcomings against Oregon should raise a few eyebrows. 

Not stepping up in a big showdown, spotlight game is not good. It's not Heisman worthy, and it's not No. 1 pick worthy.

You can have all the tools in the skill shed that you need, but if you can’t beat equally great star players the few times you face them a season, you’re just not a true slam-dunk.

You’re one of many greatly skilled college football prospects, yes.

An elite college football prospect, certainly.

But a slam-dunk No. 1 overall prospect, no.

If I gave you a list of four players that included Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Trent Richardson and Matt Barkley, and then I asked you to rank them based on their 2011 season, Luck would finish fourth, and that's just not acceptable if you're truly the "it" quarterback of college football.  

Luck may still be the consensus No. 1-pick favorite right now at the end of the regular season, but we've still got five months to go before the draft, and by the time April rolls around, don't be surprised if his stronghold on the top pick has weakened just a little bit.

3. RB Trent Richardson, Alabama

Short Take: Combine Ahmad Bradshaw, Maurice Jones-Drew and Michael Turner into one running back.

Long Take: Power—that’s the only word you need to sufficiently describe Alabama junior sensation Trent Richardson.

Richardson is the strongest and most powerful running back in college football, and he's got the type of total package that will warrant potential Top-Five interest. 

Richardson looks like he was born in a weight room and never left. Not many players get banned by trainers from lifting too much weight, but the Alabama junior back has to have those laws.

Yes, he’s that scary.

His combination of balance, strength, speed and vision is pretty much unprecedented.

There’s no doubt that he's one of the best running back prospects we’ve seen in not just years, but decades.

Teams largely stay away from running back prospects in the Top 10 of the draft, but they don’t often see a running back prospect the caliber of Trent Richardson. They don’t often see a running back prospect that’s one of the five best players in the entire draft.

Trent Richardson has shown this season that he’s the best player in college football, and for that, he'll likely take home the 2011 Heisman Trophy.

The NFL may be a passing league nowadays, but that’s because backs like Richardson don’t come along very often.

The physical ferocity and the raw power combined with the elegantly graceful thoroughbred-like strides is what makes Richardson a true freak of football nature.

There’s not a defensive player in the NFL that wouldn’t shake in their cleats just a little bit if Trent Richardson was running right at them.  

He’s got all the qualities you’re looking for in an NFL offensive difference-maker.

Richardson is a star who has shown bright throughout the 2011 season, and he’s put the question of whether or not he could be a capable replacement for Heisman-winning former teammate Mark Ingram way back in the rear view mirror

This 5’11’’, 225-pound powerhouse is truly in a class of his own.

Richardson has proven that he deserves not just Heisman hype, but possibly No. 1 overall pick kind of hype as well.

Richardson is the real deal. He really looks like he’s going to be the next great one.

4. CB Morris Claiborne, LSU

Short Take: A physical freak with lock-down capabilities 

Long Take: I'll start by saying Morris Claiborne is a better pure cornerback prospect than Patrick Peterson was.

Peterson was a little bigger, and a little bit more athletic, but he didn’t have the type of elite cornerback traits that Claiborne has.

Claiborne has shut down everyone this season. Every receiver that lined up in front of him, he shut ‘em all down.

It just doesn't look like Claiborne can be beat on any type of route—underneath, over the top, intermediate, screen, doesn’t matter.

His instincts are almost too good to be true, and it helps that he has enough recovery speed to track down any receiver that may somehow find a way to get a step on him. 

The 6’0’’, 185-pound junior is long, fast and instinctive—three main traits that any elite cornerback prospect needs to possess.

Claiborne has handled replacing Peterson as the team’s shutdown corner without a hitch, he’s let Tyrann Mathieu soak up the spotlight while sitting in the background and making all the key plays, but most importantly, he’s done enough on the field to warrant being the first cornerback off the board.

Physically, you can’t build them any better than Claiborne, and if he comes out, he’ll probably be off the board before the first hour of the draft is over.

5. QB Matt Barkley, USC

Short Take: Cerebral, surfer-looking winner who knows how to get it done in crunch time.

Long Take: Why do I have a hunch that Matt Barkley is going back to USC for his senior season?

Sure, it wasn’t a good strategy for other top guys from the conference like Matt Leinart and Jake Locker, but Barkley saw the type of treatment Andrew Luck received this year, as the Stanford quarterback was given the type of media support that we’ve never seen for a college football player before.

More importantly, Barkley also saw the type of team he’ll have around him next season, the year the Trojans are finally eligible for the postseason after the two-year Reggie Bush bowl ban.

Barkley can return to L.A. and be the 2012 version of Luck, with the chance to win a Heisman and a national championship, or he can leave now and simply be a guaranteed Top-10 pick in April.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

The junior signal-caller has already shown that even though he doesn’t exactly meet the ideal height requirement of a typical NFL quarterback, he’s still got everything else you’re looking for in a franchise prospect.

Barkley is the perfect late-game quarterback, and he’s the type of strong-willed leader you want in charge of your offense with the game on the line in the fourth quarter.

He's got the intangibles and the makeup of a true winning quarterback, and oh yeah, he can definitely put up some pretty passing numbers as well. 

The junior signal-caller has completed 69 percent of his passes, thrown for 3,528 yards and hit 39 touchdown passes this year.

The bottom line is, Barkley can make all the throws, he can handle the pressure and the spotlight and he can lead a locker room.

He’s certainly franchise quarterback material, and if he comes out, he’ll most likely be a Top-Five pick. However, if he comes back, he’ll be the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in 2013.

Again—decisions, decisions, decisions.

6. LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

Short Take: The next LaMarr Woodley

Long Take: With the continued growth and popularity of the 3-4 defense in this NFL era, the 3-4 rush linebacker is becoming one of the draft’s premium positions.

If you can find an elite young pass-rusher to set loose off the edge in a 3-4 front, you better snag him up.

In recent years, we’ve seen a rising trend in converting smaller pass-rushing defensive ends into rush linebackers and we witnessed that this year with Aldon Smith.

While there are a few top defensive end prospects like Brandon Jenkins, Bruce Irvin, Nick Perry, Donte Paige-Moss, Brandon Lindsey and Ronnell Lewis who could all potentially fit that mold, this year's best rush-linebacker prospect is actually a real linebacker.

It’s Alabama’s steady defensive star, Courtney Upshaw.

At 6’2’, 265-pounds, Upshaw not only has the size, he also has the edge speed to be a pass-rushing force in a 3-4 defense in the NFL.

Last year, Upshaw was one of the most consistent performers on a superbly talented Alabama defense. He made a living in the opponent’s backfield, racking up 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

This season, he’s actually outperformed those gaudy numbers, as Upshaw already has 16 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

He may not have the spectacular athletic package like Aldon Smith offered up, but Upshaw makes up for it with his physical demeanor and ability to make crucial stops when it counts.
                   
The seasoned senior is the type of impact player who can step in and immediately make an NFL defense better.

If he performs well in offseason workouts, Upshaw has done enough on the field to warrant Top-10 interest.

7. WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

Short Take: A highlight waiting to happen

Long Take: There’s no stopping Justin Blackmon on that end-zone fade route.

Opposing defenses, there’s no need to even bother trying anymore. It's just lethal.

Sometimes you see a receiver and say that guy is just physically superior to any cornerback he could possibly go up against. Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, Terrell Owens—those kinds of beastly receivers.

Justin Blackmon is one of those rare ones. Yes, Blackmon is a gift from the receiver gods. 

If you had said the name Justin Blackmon before the start of the 2010 season, no one outside of Stillwater would have known who you were talking about. But over the past two years, Blackmon has absolutely taken over college football and showed everyone around the nation who the true No. 1 receiver in the country really is.

When I look at him, I see a similar makeup to Baltimore’s Anquan Boldin, because he's got all the physical skills to make cornerbacks look foolish, even though he lacks true breakaway long speed.

Unlike Boldin, though, Blackmon rarely disappears in games.

Over the last two seasons, the 6’1’’, 205-pound junior has caught 214 passes for 3,023 yards and has scored 36 total touchdowns.

I’ll let those numbers soak in for a minute.

OK.

Blackmon is absolutely a special talent in every sense and he's the best receiving prospect since Calvin Johnson, without a doubt.

If he decides to come out after this season, I can't see any way that Justin Blackmon doesn't get picked up somewhere in the Top-10, just as long as he doesn't bomb his 40 time.

8. OT Matt Kalil, USC

Short Take: He'll be one of the most athletic tackles in the NFL the first day he enters the league.

Long Take: Here you go guys.

For the many Bleacher Report writers who keep using the same incorrectly tagged Fili Moala picture for a slide that talks about Matt Kalil, here you go.

This is actually what Matt Kalil looks like.

Yup, he's definitely not Tongan.

What Kalil is, though, is the top offensive tackle prospect in the country and a future Top-10 pick.

USC took a hit when offensive tackle Tyron Smith, the No. 9 pick in this year's draft, opted to forgo his senior season, but coach Lane Kiffin wasn't shedding too many tears this season.

Sure, Smith has been missed, but his departure has opened the door for emerging tackle Matt Kalil to shine and soak up the spotlight.

Kalil, the younger brother of Ryan Kalil of the Carolina Panthers, was good enough to start every game at left tackle last season, forcing Smith to stay on the right side.

The former All-American recruit excelled in his first season as a starter and he picked up right where he left off in 2011.

Kalil made it his mission to stonewall every opposing pass-rusher he went up against this season, and his run-blocking has noticeably improved in his second year as a starter.

The 6’7’’, 295-pound junior won the battle of the tackles with Stanford’s Jonathan Martin earlier in the season (by a fairly wide margin too), and he has since solidified himself as the top eligible offensive tackle prospect in the country.

If Kalil decides to enter the 2012 draft, it would hardly be shocking to see him come off the board within the first five picks.

9. DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina

Short Take: The underrated star of college football’s most underrated defense.

Long Take: Devin Taylor and Jadeveon Clowney were supposed to be the two stars of the South Carolina defensive line this season, but defensive tackle/end tweener  Melvin Ingram swooped in and stole their thunder.

One look at Ingram is all it takes to realize that he’s perfectly built to flourish at 3-4 defensive end in the NFL.

The 6’2’’, 280-pound senior has the size and strength to be a major threat against the run, but he also possesses the type of rare speed and burst for his size that makes him a menace against the pass.

Ingram, who leads South Carolina with 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, is the top defensive line prospect available this year, and he’s shown some tremendous feats of power and athleticism this season, enough to warrant legitimate Top-10 interest.

His eye-opening fake-punt touchdown run against Georgia put him on the map and he kept building on that momentum all season long.

There aren't many prospects who have caught the attention of NFL scouts like Ingram has this season.

One thing’s for sure, any team playing a 3-4 defense is going to place a high grade on this South Carolina star defender.

10. DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina

Short Take: If he wasn’t being double- and triple-teamed every game, he would have had another terrific season.

Long Take: Robert Quinn and Marvin Austin were supposed to be two of the star defensive linemen in the ACC last year, but their season-long suspensions fittingly opened the door for teammate Quinton Coples to step up and show the conference what he had to offer.

Coples, a natural defensive end who was forced to man Austin’s spot inside at defensive tackle, didn’t let his weight disadvantage stop him from destroying opposing offenses.

The 6’6’’, 275-pound senior racked up 10 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss and was a constant menace to quarterbacks throughout 2010.

This year, Coples made the move back to defensive end, where he’s been able to flash his elite pass-rushing skills.

With explosive quickness, terrific body control and the strength to overpower almost any blocker he goes up against, Coples is the type of complete defensive end that can change the way offenses have to scheme in both the passing and the running games.

Coples is a natural 4-3 edge-rusher who has the athletic ability to develop into a consistent 10-plus sacks-per-year type of defensive end in the NFL.

His effort has been questioned somewhat this season, and there have been accusations that he’s been playing not to get hurt, but even though he hasn’t met exceedingly high preseason expectations, Coples has still managed to rack up 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in his senior season.

There’s no questioning that he has top-10 talent. Coples just has to play up to his potential on a more consistent basis.

Before the season, the senior defensive end was considered an almost sure-fire top-five pick, but now he’s got a little work to do in the postseason evaluation process to show scouts that he's still the same player they saw in 2010.

11. WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

Short Take: Fits the new mold of wide receivers who look like they should be basketball stars.

Long Take: Michael Floyd could have gone pro after his junior season and likely cracked the first round of the 2011 draft, but Floyd knew if he returned to South Bend and spent another year in Brian Kelly’s offensive system, he'd have a great chance to really prove that he's one of college football’s top talents.

Floyd hauled in a career-high 79 catches and broke the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time in his career in 2010, and he showed the college football world that when it comes to tracking the ball and making the sure-handed catch, there’s no one in the game who can do it any better.

Floyd’s offseason got off to a shaky start with a DUI charge that kept him from participating in spring practices.

Kelly reinstated his star receiver, though, and he returned the favor by hauling in 95 catches for 1,106 yards and scoring eight touchdowns.

Floyd has a knack for making impossible catches appear routine, and he may very well just have the best pair of hands in all of college football.

The big, physical 6’3’’, 225-pound senior reminds me of a combination of Braylon Edwards and Vincent Jackson.

Floyd’s definitely got the ability to be a No. 1 receiving weapon for an NFL offense, and he has the look of a future Top-15 pick.

12. LB Zach Brown, North Carolina

Short Take: The perfect weak-side linebacker prospect

Long Take: The North Carolina defensive front seven is loaded with future NFL talent, and one of the real leaders of that group is LB Zach Brown, who took a huge step forward last season and really boosted his pro stock this year.

Brown wasn’t even a full-time starter in 2010, yet he still finished second on the team with 72 tackles, outperforming both Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant.

The 6’2’’, 230-pound senior could end up playing either inside or outside in the pros, but it’s likely he’ll end up manning the weak side in a 4-3 system like he does now.

Brown is a quick-twitch athlete who has the range to track down ball-carriers from sideline to sideline, and he’s strong enough to shed blockers and make tackles in the open field.

D.J. Williams and Jon Beason are two good reference points when trying to project Brown as a pro player, but I think the one player who he compares most favorably to is Jacksonville’s Daryl Smith.

13. DT Kawann Short, Purdue

Short Take: Jerel Worthy gets the hype, Kawann Short gets the results.

Long Take: Michigan State’s Jerel Worthy and Nebraska’s Jared Crick are widely regarded as the Big Ten’s top two defensive tackle prospects, but one player who has been making a name for himself this year is Purdue’s Kawann Short.

Short is probably the most underrated defensive prospect available for the 2012 draft.

Maybe that's because he's a junior, maybe that's because he plays at Purdue, maybe that's because he's playing in the wake of star DE Ryan Kerrigan's departure, or maybe that's because he plays defensive tackle, a not so glamorous position.

With Kerrigan now in the NFL, Short has stepped up and been a dominant defender for the Boilermakers this year, racking up 6.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss.

The 6’3’’, 310-pound junior has a terrific combination of power and quickness, and he could be a great fit as a 3-technique tackle in a 4-3 system in the NFL.

Short has really stepped out of Kerrigan’s shadow this season, and he’s now established himself as the type of defensive tackle prospect that NFL teams covet.

The defensive middle-man plays fast, pressures the quarterback and makes plays in the backfield. On top of that, he’s got the complete physical package that you’re looking for in a top-notch tackle.

14. WR Kendall Wright, Baylor

Short Take: Stopwatch Obliterator.

Long Take: Some people got mad at me when I said that Kendall Wright was the third-best receiver in the Big 12 back in April, but right now, people would probably be mad at me if I didn’t have him somewhere in the Top Three.

In fact, he might not just be one of the Top Three receivers in the Big Ten, he might just be one of the Top Three receivers in the country.

Speed, speed, speed—that’s what Kendall Wright is all about.

Wright, a former high school track star, is one of the fastest players in the country, and he should light up stopwatches in postseason workouts

The 5’10’’, 190-pound senior isn’t just a track runner playing football either, and he’s got the career production to back that up.

Wright led Baylor in receiving in each of his first three seasons, and the speedy wideout has already caught 95 passes for 1,406 yards and hauled in 12 TDs this year.

He’s been vastly overshadowed by the emergence of breakout star quarterback Robert Griffin III, but when draft time rolls around, Wright should be in the mix to be a mid-first-round pick.

Scouts will love his potential to be a dangerous deep threat, and they're sure to appreciate the fact that he can line up on the outside or in the slot and still be equally explosive.

Wright will be one of those headache receivers who NFL secondaries won’t want to have to chase around the field for four quarters.

15. OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford

Short Take: It won’t take long for you to get sick of hearing about how great Jonathan Martin’s footwork is.

Long Take: Andrew Luck is one of college football’s most precious pieces of property, so it’s only fitting that Luck’s got one of the best bodyguards in the business to protect his back.

Stanford’s Jonathan Martin fits the franchise left tackle mold and he’s got everything that pro scouts covet in a top flight offensive lineman.

The 6’6’’, 305-pound junior has remarkable athleticism, lateral quickness and footwork for his size and he’s shown that he has the type of power and strength to dominate in the running game.

At this point, Martin is still a better pass-blocker than he is a run-blocker, but he’s got the potential to develop into a versatile bookend who can be the anchor of an NFL offensive line for years to come.

Athletic 300-plus-pound specimens like Martin don’t come along very often, and the quick-footed tackle will definitely be sought after by teams in need of offensive line help if he does indeed leave Stanford after this season.

16. LB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

Short Take: Built to be a dominant 3-4 inside linebacker.

Long Take: Dont’a Hightower has been one of Alabama’s most consistent players since returning from a knee injury that cut his 2009 season short.

Hightower isn’t the fastest linebacker on the planet, but he’s got great versatility and he can line up all over the field and make an impact. 

The 6’4’’, 260-pound junior currently leads the team in tackles with 81 stops, and he’s also racked up 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks this season.

Hightower’s got the type of size and instincts to be a great fit as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 system in the pros.

17. DT Devon Still, Penn State

Short Take: One of the front-runners for the award of scariest player in college football.

Long Take: Devon Still is the type of defensive tackle who just looks like he could actually literally eat a running back for breakfast.

Nasty, huge and scary are the first three adjectives that always come to mind every time I focus in on Still during a Penn State game. 

The frightening 6'5'', 310-pound senior has come into his own this season, and he's been a major part of Penn State's defensive success in 2011. 

Still has racked up 17 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks this season, which should put him in contention to be not just a postseason All-Big Ten pick, but an All-American defender as well. 

He's a man seemingly playing against boys right now, and he's certainly got the strength and tenacity to handle himself in the NFL trenches. 

Given the way he's played this season, I'd expect Still to be a Top-20 pick next April. 

18. CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

Short Take: Plays like Cortland Finnegan in Charles Tillman’s body.

Long Take: If you’re looking for a perfect cornerback for a Tampa 2 system, you can’t build them much better than Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick.

At 6’3’’, 190 pounds, Kirkpatrick has the type of length and size to step right into a Cover 2 defense and flourish, and the fact that he’s physical at the line in bump-and-run coverage and plays the run well only adds to his value.  

I’ve always made the comparison between him and Chicago’s Charles Tillman—another big, talented corner who’s a perfect fit for the Cover 2 defense.

Don’t let his lack of interceptions fool you.

Teams are afraid to test Kirkpatrick, and even though his interception numbers are low, he’s made a big enough leap as a junior to definitely think about testing the NFL waters after this season.

19. WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

Short Take: The ultimate red-zone target.

Long Take: I’m still hesitant about whether to buy into the Alshon Jeffery hype or not.

Jeffery looks like Calvin Johnson, Marques Colston and Plaxico Burress all mutated into one person and then went on a Burger King diet for a month, and to be honest, I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing.

The 6’4’’, 235-pound junior may not necessarily possess field-stretching speed, but he’s the kind of big Burress-type of red-zone target that any NFL team would love to have.

Jeffery came into the season looking to take over the SEC this season, but because of inconsistency at the quarterback position, he just never seemed to be able to get it fully going.

Jeffery hauled in a conference-best 88 receptions for over 1,500 yards in 2010 and finished as a finalist for the prestigious Biletnikoff Award, but this season, he’s only managed 45 catches for 614 yards.

The big, beefy receiver’s stock will hinge mainly on how well he times at the combine.

If Jeffery can show that his big frame doesn’t hinder his speed or his explosion, then he should find himself coming off the board somewhere in the first 20 picks.

20. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama

Short Take: High risk-high reward (pun intended). 

Long Take: It didn't take long for Janoris Jenkins to step out of fellow Florida corner Joe Haden's shadow in 2010.

Jenkins became the leader of the Gators secondary and one of the key impact defenders for Florida after Haden's departure.

The speedy defensive back had the type of junior campaign that really caught the attention of scouts and analysts, but a second-day grade is all he could muster up from the draft advisory board, so he opted to return to Gainesville for his senior year in order to prove to the world that he was really the top cornerback in college football. 

It would end up being his marijuana habit that ultimately prevented him from being able to showcase those talents at Florida again, though, as new head coach Will Muschamp quickly booted him from the program after multiple run-ins with the law this offseason. 

The 5'10'', 185-pound senior inevitably fell off the radar after he transferred to North Alabama, but he's played well enough there to keep his dreams of making it into the first round alive. 

We know Jenkins is still one of the most athletic corners in the country and that he's got what it takes to be an all-around corner who can play both the pass and the run with great effectiveness. 

What we don't know is how teams will react to the multiple marijuana violations. 

If Jenkins interviews well with teams and doesn't show any rust at the Senior Bowl or the combine, there's no reason he shouldn't be a first-round pick this year. 

Yes, he's a risky prospect, but if he keeps his focus on the field in the NFL, then he's definitely one that should pay off. 

21. LB Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

Short Take: When he's focused, he's nearly unstoppable.

Long Take: Vontaze Burfict was a perfect reflection of his team this year, as he was one of the real hot-cold prospects of the 2011 season.

There were games when Burfict just completely shut things down and came up with his normal highlight-reel hits, but there were also games when he disappeared for long stretches.

When Burfict is playing at his best, he’s one of the country's most dangerous defenders. The 6’3’’, 250-pound junior can track down any ball carrier from sideline to sideline.

Even though Burfict can rack up tackles with the best of them, he’s still raw and too inconsistent and immature at times for a player that’s been playing as long as he has. You’ll see the lapses in technique at different points in a game when Burfict will start to fade a little.

The point is, if he ever figures out how to harness all his energy properly for four quarters, he could develop into one of the top young linebackers in the NFL.

Burfict has to learn how to control his emotions if he ever wants to reach his full potential, and he has to play with his head in the game on every snap.

If he can do that, he has the chance to be a truly special defender in the pros.

22. QB Landry Jones, Oklahoma

Short Take: A basic pro-style passer who will win you games, but he may never win you a championship.

Long Take: You can say that Landry Jones benefits from playing on such a talent-laden team like Oklahoma. You can say that his numbers are inflated because of the pass-heavy system he plays in.

However, one thing you simply can’t say is that this kid doesn’t have a great deal of talent.

We saw it back when Jones was a heralded high school recruit in New Mexico, and we’ve seen it on full display now that he’s taken control of the Sooners offense.

Jones has the type of size and arm strength combination that just screams NFL starting quarterback.

No, he’s not in the same class as Andrew Luck, or his predecessor Sam Bradford, but he’s not that far away. Jones is a Matt Schaub-esque type of quarterback, who would fit in well with a team that likes to hurl the ball around a lot.

Throwing for over 4,000 yards in consecutive seasons and hitting 92 touchdowns in three years is pretty impressive, no matter what offense you play in.

He doesn’t do many things that will really wow you, but Jones has the type of skill-set that would fit in perfectly in today’s passer-friendly NFL.

There was one point early in the season when a lot of people thought that Landry Jones could be a Top-5 pick, however, he didn't exactly have the type of strong finish to the season that everyone was expecting.

Right now, I’d say Jones is a mid-to-late first-round pick, but the quarterback shuffle is far from settled.

23. OG David DeCastro, Stanford

Short Take: You won't find a lineman prospect that's anywhere near this technically and fundamentally sound.

Long Take: Even though the Eagles took Danny Watkins and the Dolphins took Mike Pouncey with their first overall picks this year, it’s still rare to see interior offensive linemen crack the first round of the NFL draft.

Guard and Center are two of the least glamorous positions in football, but they’re also two of the most important. Admittedly, this is coming from a guy who played offensive guard from third grade until his senior year in high school.

If an offense is strong up the middle, not only does it allow the running game to flourish, it helps out pass-protection a great deal as well, as great guards can take a lot of pressure off the tackles on the outside.

This year’s top interior offensive line prospect is without a doubt Stanford guard David DeCastro, who could have entered the 2011 draft as a redshirt sophomore and possibly cracked the first round.

DeCastro is an absolute monster as a run-blocker, as he’s paved the way for some mighty successful rushing attacks over the last two years, and he’s been a favorite butt to run behind for Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor throughout 2011.

DeCastro is strong, athletic, tenacious and fearless and he has the type of mean-streak to flourish in the NFL trenches.

If he decides to come out for 2012, the 6’5’’, 310-pound junior has a chance to be a Top-20 pick.

24. DT Dontari Poe, Memphis

Short Take: Yes, there are great players at Memphis.

Long Take: I have to admit, I haven't seen many Memphis games this season, but I do have to say that I've been doing my homework on the Tigers' big defensive tackle Dontari Poe all season long, and as I continue to delve further, I keep coming away more and more impressed with what Poe has to offer as a big, run-stopping defensive tackle prospect. 

The 6'5'', 350-pound behemoth is the strongest and most powerful interior defensive linemen in the country, and if you ever decide to dare him to a challenge in the weight room, you better know what your getting into. 

Poe has the size and the strength to potentially be a terrific fit as a 3-4 nose tackle in the NFL, but he's versatile enough to play in a variety of different fronts and schemes. 

25. OT Riley Reiff, Iowa

Short Take: The Latest Big Ten Franchise Tackle Prospect

Long Take: The Big Ten has produced some truly outstanding offensive tackles such as Jake Long and Joe Thomas in recent years, and it now looks like Iowa’s Riley Reiff is the latest star bookend to come along.

He’s in that Long and Thomas mold as the type of franchise left tackle that you can build an offensive line around.

The 6’6’’, 300-pound junior has had scouts whispering since his redshirt freshman season when he burst his way into the lineup, starting 11 games and making his presence known in the trenches.

Reiff has the power and strength to dominate in the running game but he also has the athleticism and footwork to more than hold his own as a pass blocker.

He’s grown into a leader, developed into a tenacious tone-setter along Iowa’s front five and become the type of balanced lineman that coaches covet.

Even though there are times when he gets overextended in pass protection and slips off blocks in the run game, you have to remember that Reiff is still developing and he’s still on his way to becoming a fundamentally sound technician.

Footwork, nasty streak, athleticism, instincts, smarts, size, strength; you can rattle off all the traits you want, Reiff’s got it all.

He’s still learning how to dominate, but once it all comes together, Reiff has the chance to be one of those decade-long left tackles that are invaluable to a franchise.

The Top 100: 1-10

1. QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor (Jr.)

2. RB Trent Richardson, Alabama (Jr.)

3. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford (Jr.)

4. CB Morris Claiborne, LSU (Jr.)

5. QB Matt Barkley, USC (Jr.)

6. LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama (Sr.)

7. WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State (Jr.)

8. OT Matt Kalil, USC (Jr.)

9. DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina (Sr.)

10. DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina (Sr.)

The Top 100: 11-20

11. WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame (Sr.)

12. LB Zach Brown, North Carolina (Sr.)

13. DT Kawann Short, Purdue (Jr.)

14. WR Kendall Wright, Baylor (Sr.)

15. OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford (Jr.)

16. LB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama (Jr.)

17. DT Devon Still, Penn State (Sr.)

18. CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama (Jr.)

19. WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina (Jr.)

20. CB Janoris Jenkins, Florida (Sr.)

The Top 100: 21-30

21. LB Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State (Jr.)

22. QB Landry Jones, Oklahoma (Jr.)

23. OG David DeCastro, Stanford (Jr.)

24. DT Dontari Poe, Memphis (Jr.)

25. OT Riley Reiff, Iowa (Jr.)

26. CB Chase Minnifield, Virginia (Sr.)

27. OT Mike Adams, Ohio State (Sr.)

28. S Antonio Allen, South Carolina (Sr.)

29. WR Rueben Randle, LSU (Jr.)

30. CB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska (Sr.)

The Top 100: 31-40

31. DT Billy Winn, Boise State (Sr.)

32. OT Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State (Sr.)

33. S Mark Barron, Alabama (Sr.)

34. DT Jerel Worthy, Michigan State (Jr.)

35. RB Chris Polk, Washington (Jr.)

36. TE Dwayne Allen, Clemson (Jr.)

37. DE Whitney Mercilus, Illinois (Jr.)

38. CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State (R-Soph.)

39. RB Lamar Miller, Miami (R-Soph.)

40. DT Alameda Ta'amu, Washington (Sr.)

The Top 100: 41-50

41. RB LaMichael James, Oregon (Jr.)

42. OT Zebrie Sanders, Florida State (Sr.)

43. DT Brandon Thompson, Clemson (Sr.)

44. QB Nick Foles, Arizona (Sr.)

45. DT Jared Crick, Nebraska (Sr.)

46. RB Montee Ball, Wisconsin (Jr.)

47. LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College (Jr.)

48. WR Nick Toon, Wisconsin (Sr.)

49. DE Brandon Jenkins, Florida State (Jr.)

50. OLB Bruce Irvin, West Virginia (Sr.)

The Top 100: 51-60

51. LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma (Sr.)

52. QB Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (R-Soph.)

53. LB Kevin Reddick, North Carolina (Jr.)

54. S T.J. McDonald, USC (Jr.)

55. RB Knile Davis, Arkansas (Jr.)

56. QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M (Sr.)

57. LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame (Jr.)

58. DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State (Jr.)

59. QB Tyler Wilson, Arkansas (Jr.)

60. S Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State (Sr.)

The Top 100: 61-70

61. WR Joe Adams, Arkansas (Sr.)

62. RB David Wilson, Virginia Tech (Jr.)

63. QB Aaron Murray, Georgia (R-Soph.)

64. OLB Nick Perry, USC (Jr.)

65. TE Orson Charles, Georgia (Jr.)

66. OLB Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma (Jr.)

67. CB Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt (Sr.)

68. C Peter Konz, Wisconsin (Jr.)

69. OT D.J. Fluker, Alabama (R-Soph.)

70. LB Emmanuel Acho, Texas (Sr.)

The Top 100: 71-80

71. CB Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech (Jr.)

72. OG Barrett Jones, Alabama (Jr.)

73. OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU (R-Soph.)

74. WR Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers (Jr.)

75. RB Doug Martin, Boise State (Sr.)

76. C Mike Brewster, Ohio State (Sr.)

77. OT Jeff Allen, Illinois (Sr.)

78. DE Andre Branch, Clemson (Sr.)

79. OG Senio Kelemete, Washington (Sr.)

80. DT Kendall Reyes, Connecticut (Sr.)

The Top 100: 81-90

81. DT Jaye Howard, Florida (Sr.)

82. OLB Sean Porter, Texas A&M (Jr.)

83. OT Cordy Glenn, Georgia (Sr.)

84. LB Kenny Tate, Maryland (Sr.)

85. CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina (Jr.)

86. TE Coby Fleener, Stanford (Sr.)

87. S Robert Lester, Alabama (Jr.)

88. RB Jeff Demps, Florida (Sr.)

89. DE Stansly Maponga, TCU (R-Soph.)

90. OLB Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina (Jr.)

The Top 100: 91-100

91. CB Brandon Boykin, Georgia (Sr.)

92. DE Alex Okafor, Texas (Jr.)

93. LB Sean Spence, Miami (Sr.)

94. DT Sylvester Williams, North Carolina (Jr.)

95. TE Michael Egnew, Missouri (Sr.)

96. CB Cliff Harris, Oregon (Jr.)

97. DE Vinny Curry, Marshall (Sr.)

98. LB Lavonte David, Nebraska (Sr.)

99. QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State (Sr.)

100. OLB Jacquies Smith, Missouri (Sr.)

Quarterbacks: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Nick Foles, Arizona

2. Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

3. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

4. Russell Wilson, Wisconsin

5. Kirk Cousins, Michigan State

6. Ryan Lindley, San Diego State

7. Kellen Moore, Boise State

8. Case Keenum, Houston

9. Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois

10. G.J. Kinne, Tulsa

Quarterbacks: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Patrick Witt, Yale

2. John Brantley, Florida

3. Jordan Jefferson, LSU

4. B.J. Coleman, Chattanooga

5. Dominique Davis, East Carolina

6. Dan Persa, Northwestern

7. Zach Collaros, Cincinnati (Injured)

8. Austin Davis, Southern Miss

9. Bryant Moniz, Hawaii

10. Nick Fanuzzi, Rice

Quarterbacks: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Robert Griffin III, Baylor

2. Andrew Luck, Stanford

3. Matt Barkley, USC

4. Landry Jones, Oklahoma

5. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

6. Brock Osweiler, Arizona State

7. E.J. Manuel, Florida State

8. Geno Smith, West Virginia

9. Darron Thomas, Oregon

10. Collin Klein, Kansas State

Quarterbacks: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Denard Robinson, Michigan

2. Alex Carder, Western Michigan

3. Jeff Tuel, Washington State (Injured)

4. James Vandenberg, Iowa

5. Mike Glennon, North Carolina State

6. Sean Renfree, Duke

7. Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

8. Seth Doege, Texas Tech

9. Zac Dysert, Miami (Ohio)

10. B.J. Daniels, South Florida

Quarterbacks: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech

2. Aaron Murray, Georgia

3. Casey Pachall, TCU

4. Tajh Boyd, Clemson

5. A.J. McCarron, Alabama

6. Keith Price, Washington

7. Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois

8. Bryn Renner, North Carolina

9. Derek Carr, Fresno State

10. Tyler Russell, Mississippi State

Quarterbacks: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville

2. Tyler Bray, Tennessee

3. Braxton Miller, Ohio State

4. James Franklin, Missouri

5. Blake Bell, Oklahoma

6. Brett Nottingham, Stanford

7. Devin Gardner, Michigan

8. Connor Shaw, South Carolina

9. Tanner Price, Wake Forest

10. Brett Smith, Wyoming

Running Backs: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Doug Martin, Boise State

2. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M

3. Jeff Demps, Florida

4. Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati

5. Terrance Ganaway, Baylor

6. Marc Tyler, USC

7. Brandon Bolden, Ole Miss

8. Vick Ballard, Mississippi State

9. Boom Herron, Ohio State

10. Davin Meggett, Maryland

Running Backs: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Rodney Stewart, Colorado

2. Chris Rainey, Florida

3. Tauren Poole, Tennessee

4. Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky

5. Montel Harris, Boston College (Injured)

6. Lennon Creer, Louisiana Tech

7. Adonis Thomas, Toledo

8. Mike Harris, Murray State

9. Ryan Houston, North Carolina

10. Lance Dunbar, North Texas

Running Backs: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Trent Richardson, Alabama

2. Chris Polk, Washington

3. LaMichael James, Oregon

4. Montee Ball, Wisconsin

5. David Wilson, Virginia Tech

6. Knile Davis, Arkansas (Injured)

7. Bernard Pierce, Temple

8. Andre Ellington, Clemson

9. Stepfan Taylor, Stanford

10. Onterio McCalebb, Auburn

Running Backs: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Johnathan Franklin, UCLA

2. Cameron Marshall, Arizona State

3. Ray Graham, Pittsburgh (Injured)

4. Edwin Baker, Michigan State

5. Mike James, Miami

6. Kenjon Barner, Oregon

7. Ed Wesley, TCU

8. Christine Michael, Texas A&M (Injured)

9. Rex Burkhead, Nebraksa

10. Orwin Smith, Georgia Tech

Running Backs: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Lamar Miller, Miami

2. Michael Ford, LSU

3. Cierre Wood, Notre Dame

4. Eddie Lacy, Alabama

5. Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State

6. Charles Sims, Houston

7. Kendrick Hardy, Southern Miss

8. Fitz Toussaint, Michigan

9. Waymon James, TCU

10. LaDarius Perkins, Mississippi State

Running Backs: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Michael Dyer, Auburn

2. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina

3. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

4. De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon

5. Spencer Ware, LSU

6. Malcolm Brown, Texas

7. Henry Josey, Missouri

8. Marcus Coker, Iowa

9. Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State

10. Isaiah Crowell, Georgia

Wide Receivers: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

2. Kendall Wright, Baylor

3. Nick Toon, Wisconsin

4. Joe Adams, Arkansas

5. A.J. Jenkins, Illinois

6. Jermaine Kearse, Washington

7. Jarius Wright, Arkansas

8. Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

9. Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M

10. Marvin McNutt, Iowa

Wide Receivers: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Marvin Jones, California

2. Juron Criner, Arizona

3. Dwight Jones, North Carolina

4. B.J. Cunningham, Michigan State

5. T.Y. Hilton, Florida International

6. Chris Owusu, Stanford

7. Greg Childs, Arkansas

8. Jordan White, Western Michigan

9. Marquis Maze, Alabama

10. Lance Lewis, East Carolina

Wide Receivers: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

2. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

3. Rueben Randle, LSU

4. Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers

5. Josh Gordon, Utah (Ineligible)

6. Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas 

7. Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech

8. Eric Page, Toledo

9. Uzoma Nwachukwu, Texas A&M

10. Tavarres King, Georgia

Wide Receivers: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Chris Givens, Wake Forest

2. Tavon Austin, West Virginia

3. Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

4. Emory Blake, Auburn

5. Dan Buckner, Arizona

6. Erik Highsmith, North Carolina

7. Conner Vernon, Duke

8. Tommy Streeter, Miami

9. Roy Roundtree, Michigan

10. Kenbrell Thompkins, Cincinnati

Wide Receivers: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Josh Boyce, TCU

2. Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

3. Eric Ward, Texas Tech

4. Geraldo Boldewijn, Boise State

5. Jaz Reynolds, Oklahoma

6. Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin

7. Devin Street, Pittsburgh

8. Tim Smith, Virginia

9. Andre Debose, Florida

10. Jeremy Gallon, Michigan

Wide Receivers: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Robert Woods, USC

2. Sammy Watkins, Clemson

3. Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee

4. Kenny Stills, Oklahoma

5. Keenan Allen, California

6. Odell Beckham Jr., LSU

7. Marquess Wilson, Washington State

8. DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

9. Paul Richardson, Colorado

10. Ty Montgomery, Stanford

Tight Ends: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Coby Fleener, Stanford

2. Michael Egnew, Missouri

3. Deangelo Peterson, LSU

4. David Paulson, Oregon

5. Josh Chichester, Louisville

6. Ladarius Green, Louisiana-Lafayette

7. Rhett Ellison, USC

8. George Bryan, North Carolina State

9. Kevin Koger, Michigan

10. Brian Linthicum, Michigan State

Tight Ends: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Evan Rodriguez, Temple

2. Jake Byrne, Wisconsin

3. Brandon Barden, Vanderbilt

4. Tim Biere, Kansas

5. (WR) Tyler Urban, West Virginia

6. Eric Lair, Minnesota

7. Drake Dunsmore, Northwestern

8. Nick Provo, Syracuse

9. Anthony Miller, California

10. James Hanna, Oklahoma

Tight Ends: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Dwayne Allen, Clemson

2. Orson Charles, Georgia

3. Phillip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn

4. Michael Williams, Alabama

5. Chris Gragg, Arkansas

6. Jake Stoneburner, Ohio State

7. Ryan Otten, San Jose State

8. Lucas Reed, New Mexico

9. Joseph Fauria, UCLA

10. Kyler Reed, Nebraska

Tight Ends: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Matt Furstenberg, Maryland

2. Hubie Graham, Pittsburgh

3. Chris Pantale, Boston College

4. Chase Clement, LSU

5. Ben Cotton, Nebraska

6. Jack Doyle, Western Kentucky

7. Jordan Thompson, Ohio

8.  Ryan Griffin, Connecticut

9.  Luke Wilson, Rice

10. Jerod Monk, Baylor

Tight Ends: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

2. Dion Sims, Michigan State

3. Zach Ertz, Stanford (Injured)

4. Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

5. Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin

6. Levine Toilolo, Stanford

7. Jordan Reed, Florida

8. Taylor Elmo, Idaho

9. Arthur Lynch, Georgia

10. Gabe Linehan, Boise State

Tight Ends: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Nick O’Leary, Florida State

2. Xavier Grimble, USC

3. Evan Wilson, Illinois

4. Nehemiah Hicks, Texas A&M

5. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington

6. Kevin Haplea, Penn State

7. Jay Rome, Georgia

8. Ben Koyack, Notre Dame

9. Colt Lyerla, Oregon

10. Jon Davis, Illinois

Offensive Tackles the Top 10 Seniors

1. Mike Adams, Ohio State

2. Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State

3. Zebrie Sanders, Florida State

4. Jeff Allen, Illinois

5. Cordy Glenn, Georgia

6. Andrew Datko, Florida State

7. Nate Potter, Boise State

8. Matt McCants, UAB

9. Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State

10. Matt Reynolds, BYU

Offensive Tackles: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Brandon Mosley, Auburn

2. Al Netter, Northwestern

3. Dennis Kelly, Purdue

4. Tony Bergstrom, Utah

5. James Carmon, Mississippi State

6. Markus Zusevics, Iowa

7. Bradley Sowell, Ole Miss

8. James Brown, Troy

9. Don Barclay, West Virginia

10. Marcel Jones, Nebraska

Offensive Tackles: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Matt Kalil, USC

2. Jonathan Martin, Stanford

3. Riley Reiff, Iowa

4. Alex Hurst, LSU

5. Justin Pugh, Syracuse

6. Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin

7. Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas

8. Bobby Massie, Ole Miss

9. Oday Aboushi, Virginia

10. LaAdrian Waddle, Texas Tech

Offensive Tackles: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Emmett Cleary, Boston College

2. Nick Becton, Virginia Tech

3. Brennan Williams, North Carolina

4. R.J. Dill, Maryland

5. Fou Fonoti, Michigan State

6. Matt Summers-Gavin, California

7. R.J. Mattes, North Carolina State

8. Dallas Thomas, Tennessee

9. Ryan Dannewitz, Colorado

10. Dann O'Neill, Western Michigan

Offensive Tackles: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. D.J. Fluker, Alabama

2. Morgan Moses, Virginia

3. Zack Martin, Notre Dame

4. Jeremiah Sirles, Nebraska

5. Taylor Lewan, Michigan

6. Chris Faulk, LSU

7. Cyril Richardson, Baylor

8. Brandon Thomas, Clemson

9. Kevin Graf, USC

10. Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt

Offensive Tackles: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Chaz Green, Florida

2. Jake Matthews, Texas A&M

3. James Hurst, North Carolina

4. Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama

5. Cody Gibson, South Carolina

6. Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

7. Ja’Wuan James, Tennessee

8. Trey Hopkins, Texas

9. Daryl Williams, Oklahoma

10. Quinterrius Eatmon, South Florida

Interior Linemen: The Top 10 Seniors

1. (OT) Senio Kelemete, Washington

2. Mike Brewster, Ohio State

3. Lucas Nix, Pittsburgh

4. Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin

5. Phillip Blake, Baylor

6. Ryan Miller, Colorado

7. Joe Looney, Wake Forest

8. (OT) Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina

9. Ben Jones, Georgia

10. Kelvin Beachum, SMU

Interior Linemen: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. David Molk, Michigan

2. Jaymes Brooks, Virginia Tech

3. (OT) Manase Foketi, Kansas State

4. Joel Foreman, Michigan State

5. Jeremiah Warren, South Florida

6. Quentin Saulsberry, Mississippi State

7. Moe Petrus, Connecticut

8. Desmond Wynn, Rutgers

9. Yoshi Hardrick, Nebraska

10. William Vlachos, Alabama

Interior Linemen: The Top 10 Juniors

1. David DeCastro, Stanford

2. (OT) Barrett Jones, Alabama

3. Peter Konz, Wisconsin

4. Chris Barker, Nevada

5. (OT) Brandon Washington, Miami

6. Larry Warford, Kentucky

7. Chance Warmack, Alabama

8. Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

9. Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech

10. Ben Habern, Oklahoma

Interior Linemen: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. John Sullen, Auburn

2. Khaled Holmes, USC

3. Braden Hansen, BYU

4. T.J. Johnson, South Carolina

5. Patrick Omameh, Michigan

6. Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State

7. Jacob Fahrenkrug, Florida State

8. Patrick Lewis, Texas A&M

9. Dalton Freeman, Clemson

10. Theo Goins, Central Florida

Interior Linemen: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

2. Alvin Bailey, Arkansas

3. Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma

4. Chris Watt, Notre Dame

5. Mason Walters, Texas

6. Jonotthan Harrison, Florida

7. Chris Burnette, Georgia

8. Travis Swanson, Arkansas

9. Will Jackson, Georgia Tech

10. Josh Williford, LSU

Interior Linemen: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Andrew Norwell, Ohio State

2. (OT) La'El Collins, LSU

3. Marcus Martin, USC

4. Reese Dismukes, Auburn

5. Andrew Rodriguez, Nebraska

6. (OT) Seantrel Henderson, Miami

7. Zach Fulton, Tennessee

8. Colin Porter, Washington

9. Kenarious Gates, Georgia

10. Logan Stewart, Vanderbilt

Defensive Tackles: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Devon Still, Penn State

2. Billy Winn, Boise State

3. Alameda Ta’amu, Washington

4. Brandon Thompson, Clemson

5. Jared Crick, Nebraska (Injured)

6. Kendall Reyes, Connecticut

7. Jaye Howard, Florida

8. Josh Chapman, Alabama

9. Mike Martin, Michigan

10. Tydreke Powell, North Carolina

Defensive Tackles: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati

2. Kheeston Randall, Texas

3. Kaleb Ramsey, Boston College (Injured)

4. Dominique Hamilton, Missouri

5. DaJohn Harris, USC

6. Logan Harrell, Fresno State

7. Nicolas Jean-Baptiste, Baylor

8. Malik Jackson, Tennessee

9. Vaughn Meatoga, Hawaii

10. Mike Daniels, Iowa

Defensive Tackles: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Kawann Short, Purdue

2. Dontari Poe, Memphis

3. Jerel Worthy, Michigan State

4. Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State

5. Sylvester Williams, North Carolina

6. John Simon, Ohio State

7. Baker Steinkuhler, Nebraska

8. Jordan Hill, Penn State

9. Jesse Williams, Alabama

10. John Jenkins, Georgia

Defensive Tackles: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Marcus Forston, Miami (Injured)

2. Josh Downs, LSU

3. Stacy McGee, Oklahoma

4. DeQuinta Jones, Arkansas

5. Nigel Nicholas, Oklahoma State

6. Joe Vellano, Maryland

7. Terrence Stephens, Stanford

8. Omar Hunter, Florida

9. Josh Boyd, Mississippi State

10. Jamarkus McFarland, Oklahoma

Defensive Tackles: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Michael Brockers, LSU

2. Kwame Geathers, Georgia

3. Akeem Spence, Illinois

4. Justin Washington, Arizona

5. Calvin Howell, Texas

6. Khyri Thornton, Southern Miss

7. Maurice Couch, Tennessee

8. Bennie Logan, LSU

9. Will Sutton, Arizona State

10. Jordan Kohout, Wisconsin

Defensive Tackles: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Dominique Easley, Florida

2. Anthony Johnson, LSU

3. Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

4. Tim Jernigan, Florida State

5. Jeffrey Whitaker, Auburn

6. Byran Jones, Arkansas

7. Louis Nix, Notre Dame

8. Ashton Dorsey, Texas

9. Derrick Hopkins, Virginia Tech

10. Cassius Mash, UCLA

Defensive Ends: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Melvin Ingram, South Carolina

2. Quinton Coples, North Carolina

3. Andre Branch, Clemson

4. Vinny Curry, Marshall

5. (DT) Julian Miller, West Virginia

6. Tyrone Crawford, Boise State

7. Trevor Guyton, California

8. Cam Johnson, Virginia

9. Jake Bequette, Arkansas

10. Jack Crawford, Penn State

Defensive Ends: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Ryan Van Bergen, Michigan

2. Matthew Masifilo, Stanford

3. Ethan Johson, Notre Dame

4. Scott Solomon, Rice

5. Armond Armstead, USC (Injured)

6. Vince Browne, Northwestern

7. Broderick Binns, Iowa

8. Matt Conrath, Virginia

9. Terrell Turner, Oregon

10. Jason Peters, Georgia Tech

Defensive Ends: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Whitney Mercilus, Illinois

2. Brandon Jenkins, Florida State

3. Alex Okafor, Texas

4. Devin Taylor, South Carolina

5. Brad Madison, Missouri

6. Damion Square, Alabama

7. Cameron Meredith, Nebraska

8. Malliciah Goodman, Clemson

9. Wes Horton USC

10. Collins Ukwu, Kentucky

Defensive Ends: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Datone Jones, UCLA

2. Chandler Jones, Syracuse

3. Eric Martin, Nebraska

4. Craig Roh, Michigan

5. Kapron Lewis-Moore, Notre Dame

6. Travis Long, Washington State

7. Lavar Edwards, LSU

8. Cornelius Carradine, Florida State

9. Quinton Dial, Alabama

10. Adewale Ojomo, Miami

Defensive Ends: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Stansly Maponga, TCU

2. Ryne Giddins, South Florida

3. Darryl Cato-Bishop, North Carolina State

4. James Gayle, Virginia Tech

5. Ed Stinson, Alabama

6. Ben Gardner, Stanford

7. DeAndre Coleman, California

8. Will Clarke, West Virginia

9. (DT) Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest

10. Jason Ankrah, Nebraska

Defensive Ends: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. William Gholston, Michigan State

2. Corey Lemonier, Auburn

3. Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina

4. Kareem Martin, North Carolina

5. Bjoern Werner, Florida State

6. Aaron Lynch, Notre Dame

7. Scott Crichton, Oregon State

8. Anthony Chickillo, Miami

9. Chidera Uzo-Diribe, Colorado

10. Marcus Smith, Louisville

3-4 Rush Linebackers: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

2. (DE) Bruce Irvin, West Virginia

3. (DE) Jacquies Smith, Missouri

4. (DE) Frank Alexander, Oklahoma

5. (DE) Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh

6. Adrian Robinson, Temple

7. Darius Fleming, Notre Dame

8. Sammy Brown, Houston

9. (DE) Shea McLellin, Boise State

10. (DE) Nathan Williams, Ohio State (Injured)

3-4 Rush Linebackers:10 Seniors to Watch

1. (DE) Tim Fugger, Vanderbilt

2. (DE) Dezman Mozes, Tulane

3. Miles Burris, San Diego State

4. (DE) Wayne Dorsey, Ole Miss

5. Manny Abreu, Rutgers

6. (DE) Cordarro Law, Southern Miss

7. (DE) Kyle Wilber, Wake Forest

8. (DE) Kendrick Adams, LSU

9. (DE) Louis Nzegwu, Wisconsin

10. (DE) Matt Broha, Louisiana Tech

3-4 Rush Linebackers: The Top 10 Juniors

1. (DE) Nick Perry, USC

2. (DE) Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma

3. Sean Porter, Texas A&M

4. (DE) Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina

5. Michael Buchanan, Illinois

6. Terrell Manning, North Carolina State

7. Chase Thomas, Stanford

8. (DE) Jonathan Massaquoi, Troy

9. (DE) Toben Opurum, Kansas

10. (DE) Meshak Williams, Kansas State

3-4 Rush Linebackers: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. (DE) Dion Jordan, Oregon

2. Trevardo Williams, Connecticut

3. (DE) Devon Kennard, USC

4. (DE) Sean Progar, Northern Illinois

5. (DE) David Gilbert, Wisconsin

6. (DE) Walter Stewart, Cincinnati

7. (DE) Robert Macy, Purdue

8. (DE) Quentin Williams, Northwestern

9. (DE) Tenarius Wright, Arkansas

10. (DE) Paipai Falemalu, Hawaii

3-4 Rush Linebackers: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. (DE) Barkevious Mingo, LSU

2. Jarvis Jones, Georgia

3. (DE) Sam Montgomery, LSU

4. Trevor Reilly, Utah 

5. (DE) Nosa Eguae, Auburn

6. (DE) Tevin Elliot, Baylor

7. (DE) J.R. Collins, Virginia Tech

8. Cornelius Washington, Georgia

9. Cameron Gordon, Michigan

10. Chaz Sutton, South Carolina

3-4 Rush Linebackers: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. (DE) Ronald Powell, Florida

2. (DE) Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas

3. Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

4. (DE) Josh Shirley, Washington

5. (DE) Junior Onyeali, Arizona State 

6. Jeremiah Attaouchu, Georgia Tech

7. (DE) Jacques Smith, Tennessee

8. (DT) Roosevelt Nix, Kent State

9. (DE) David Mackall, Maryland

10. (DE) Marcus Rush, Michigan State

Traditional Linebackers: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Zach Brown, North Carolina

2. Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

3. Emmanuel Acho, Texas

4. Kenny Tate, Maryland

5. Sean Spence, Miami

6. Lavonte David, Nebraska

7. Audie Cole, North Carolina State

8. Keenan Robinson, Texas

9. Jerry Franklin, Arkansas

10. James Michael-Johnson, Nevada

Traditional Linebackers: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Tank Carder, TCU

2. Danny Trevathan, Kentucky

3. Nigel Bradham, Florida State

4. Mychal Kendricks, California

5. Chris Galippo, USC

6. Will Ebner, Missouri

7. J.K. Schaffer, Cincinnati

8. Chris Marve, Vanderbilt

9. Bobby Wagner, Utah State

10. Josh Kaddu, Oregon

Traditional Linebackers: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Dont’a Hightower, Alabama

2. Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

3. Luke Kuechly, Boston College

4. Kevin Reddick, North Carolina

5. Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

6. Shayne Skov, Stanford (Injured)

7. Nico Johnson, Alabama

8. Gerald Hodges, Penn State

9. Arthur Brown, Kansas State

10. Kenny Cain, TCU

Traditional Linebackers: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Jake Knott, Iowa State

2. Demetrius Hartsfield, Maryland

3. Jonathan Bostic, Florida

4. Sio Moore, Connecticut

5. Zaviar Gooden, Missouri

6. Tanner Brock, TCU (Injured)

7. Kenny Demens, Michigan

8. Jonathan Willard, Clemson

9. Chris Norman, Michigan State

10. Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers

Traditional Linebackers: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Kevin Minter, LSU

2. Andrew Wilson, Missouri

3. Jelani Jenkins, Florida

4. Chris Borland, Wisconsin

5. Tom Wort, Oklahoma

6. Quandon Christian, Clemson

7. DeDe Lattimore, South Florida

8. Dan Fox, Notre Dame

9. Tariq Edwards, Virginia Tech

10. Kyle Van Noy, BYU

Traditional Linebackers: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. C.J. Mosley, Alabama

2. Hayes Pullard, USC

3. James Morris, Iowa

4. A.J. Johnson, Tennessee

5. Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College

6. Jeremy Grove, East Carolina

7. Dion Bailey, USC

8. Trey DePriest, Alabama

9. Nordly Capi, Colorado State

10. Andrew Jackson, Western Kentucky

Cornerbacks: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama

2. Chase Minnifield, Virginia

3. Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska

4. Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt

5. Brandon Boykin, Georgia

6. Leonard Johnson, Iowa State

7. Tavon Wilson, Illinois

8. Coryell Judie, Texas A&M

9. Charles Brown, North Carolina

10. Shaun Prater, Iowa

Cornerbacks: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Robert Blanton, Notre Dame

2. Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma

3. Omar Bolden, Arizona State (Injured)

4. Cameron Chism, Maryland

5. Trumaine Johnson, Montana

6. Donnie Fletcher, Boston College

7. DeQuan Menzie, Alabama

8. Antonio Fenelus, Wisconsin

9. Keith Tandy, West Virginia

10. Emanuel Davis, East Carolina

Cornerbacks: The Top 10 Juniors

1. Morris Claiborne, LSU

2. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

3. Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech

4. Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina

5. Cliff Harris, Oregon

6. Jonathan Banks, Mississippi State

7. Johnny Adams, Michigan State

8. Desmond Trufant, Washington

9. Greg Reid, Florida State

10. Demontre Hurst, Oklahoma

Cornerbacks: 10 Underclassmen to Watch

1. Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Connecticut

2. Isiah Wiley, USC

3. Josh Robinson, Central Florida

4. Kenny Okoro, Wake Forest

5. Marcus Cromartie, Wisconsin

6. Travis Howard, Ohio State

7. Broderick Brown, Oklahoma State

8. Rod Sweeting, Georgia Tech

9. Leon McFadden, San Diego State

10. Brandon McGee, Miami

Cornerbacks: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Xavier Rhodes, Florida State

2. Eric Gordon, Tennessee

3. Torin Harris, USC

4. Deron Wilson, Southern Miss

5. Osahon Irabor, Arizona State

6. Terrance Brown, Stanford

7. Logan Ryan, Rutgers

8. Steve Williams, California

9. Gabe Lynn, Oklahoma

10. Dexter McDougle, Maryland

Cornerbacks: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

2. David Amerson, North Carolina State

3. Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State

4. Nickell Robey, USC

5. Dee Milliner, Alabama

6. Marcus Roberson, Florida

7. Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech

8. Bradley Roby, Ohio State

9. Demetrious Nicholson, Virginia

10. Damonte Horton, Washington State

Safeties: The Top 10 Seniors

1. Antonio Allen, South Carolina

2. Mark Barron, Alabama

3. Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State

4. Winston Guy, Kentucky

5. George Iloka, Boise State

6. Tony Dye, UCLA

7. Duke Ihenacho, San Jose State

8. Brandon Taylor, LSU

9. Harrison Smith, Notre Dame

10. Delano Howell, Stanford

Safeties: 10 Seniors to Watch

1. Lance Mitchell, Oregon State

2. Trenton Robinson, Michigan State

3. Aaron Henry, Wisconsin

4. Sean Richardson, Vanderbilt

5. Robert Golden, Arizona

6. Eddie Whitley, Virginia Tech

7. Tramain Thomas, Arkansas

8. Eddie Pleasant, Oregon

9. Tysyn Hartman, Kansas State

10. Sean Cattouse, California

Safeties: The Top 10 Juniors

1. T.J. McDonald, USC

2. Robert Lester, Alabama

3. DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina

4. Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miami

5. (CB) Micah Hyde, Iowa

6. Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

7. Jawanza Starling, USC

8. Jarred Holley, Pittsburgh

9. Javon Harris, Oklahoma

10. Prentiss Waggner, Tennessee

Safeties: 10 Juniors to Watch

1. Orhian Johnson, Ohio State

2. (LB) Khaseem Greene, Rutgers

3. Vaughn Telemaque, Miami

4. John Boyett, Oregon

5. Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

6. Rashard Hall, Clemson

7. Terence Garvin, West Virginia

8. Ray Polk, Colorado

9. Nick Moody, Florida State

10. Kemal Ishmael, Central Florida

Safeties: The Top 10 Redshirt Sophomores

1. Hakeem Smith, Louisville

2. Craig Loston, LSU

3. Ty Zimmerman, Kansas State

4. Antone Exum, Virginia Tech

5. Nickoe Whitley, Mississippi State

6. Charles Sawyer, Mississippi

7. Isaiah Newsome, Louisiana-Monroe

8. Will Shamburger, Washington

9. Darwin Cook, West Virginia

10. Daytawion Lowe, Oklahoma State

Safeties: The 10 Best Non-Eligible Prospects

1. Eric Reid, LSU

2. Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State

3. Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

4. Matt Elam, Florida

5. Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix, Alabama

6. Chris Davis, Auburn

7. Isaiah Johnson, Georgia Tech

8. Tanner Miller, Iowa

9. Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama

10. Titus Till, Maryland

The Top 10 Senior Kickers

1. Derek Dimke, Illinois

2. Danny Hrapmann, Southern Miss

3. Blair Walsh, Georgia

4. David Ruffer, Notre Dame

5. Justin Tucker, Texas

6. Carson Wiggs, Purdue

7. Phillip Welch, Wisconsin

8. Kevin Goessling, Fresno State

9. Randy Bullock, Texas A&M

10. Will Snyderwine, Duke

The Top 10 Senior Punters

1. Shawn Powell, Florida State

2. Brian Stahovich, San Diego State

3. Drew Butler, Georgia

4. Bryan Anger, California

5. Kyle Martens, Rice

6. Dawsom Zimmerman, Clemson

7. Brad Nortman, Wisconsin

8. Kiel Rasp, Washingotn

9. Mickey Groody, Florida Atlantic

10. Johnny Hekker, Oregon State