2012 NFL Draft Updated Positional Rankings

College football's bowl season has been good to many players, and bad to others. Where do the top players in the country stand after their bowl performances?

Names like Chris Polk, Kendall Wright, Doug Martin and Michael Floyd may be new to some draft fans after big bowl games—but they are guys we've been watching all season. 

With the NFL draft season heating up, here's the latest take on the top 200 players eligible for the 2012 NFL draft, with breakdowns by position.

Quarterbacks

The 2012 quarterback class has been weakened by the decision of Matt Barkley to return to USC, but there are still a number of potential franchise quarterbacks in this class.

Obviously, Andrew Luck is a name we all know. Luck is in an elite category of prospects and should be the no-brainer first overall pick in the 2012 draft. Behind Luck are two juniors who will make things interesting.

Robert Griffin III from Baylor wrapped up a Heisman Trophy, a 10-win season and a bowl win. He's expected to enter the draft and will be a top-five pick if he does declare. Landry Jones from Oklahoma is a first-round talent who had a down year, but in a weak class, if he enters he's a likely first-rounder.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
1	Andrew Luck	QB	1	Stanford	rJr	6-4	235	4.73
2	Robert Griffin III	QB	2	Baylor	rJr	6-2	220	4.52
24	Landry Jones	QB	3	Oklahoma	rJr	6-4	230	4.74
33	Nick Foles	QB	4	Arizona	rSr	6-5	240	4.96
43	Ryan Tannehill	QB	5	Texas A&M	rSr	6-4	222	4.65
55	Kirk Cousins	QB	6	Michigan State	rSr	6-3	205	4.80
83	Ryan Lindley	QB	7	San Diego State	rSr	6-4	230	4.92
124	Brandon Weeden	QB	8	Oklahoma State	rSr	6-4	218	4.92
147	Chandler Harnish	QB	9	Northern Illinois	rSr	6-2	220	4.72
180	Russell Wilson	QB	10	Wisconsin	rSr	5-11	210	4.59

Running Backs

The running back position is going through a devaluation in the NFL, thanks in large part to the success of players drafted outside the first round—or not drafted at all.

The 2012 draft class is unique in that two running backs show up in my top 10 players—a testament to their talent, as well as the overall lack of elite prospects from this class.

Trent Richardson and Lamar Miller have received considerable praise in this space all season, so allow me to introduce you to a sleeper first-round pick—Chris Polk of Washington.

Polk has great size and is a true featured back prospect. His strength, vision and ability as a receiver make him a very exciting late first-rounder.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
3	Trent Richardson	RB	1	Alabama	Jr	5-11	224	4.52
9	Lamar Miller	RB	2	Miami (Fla.)	rSo	5-11	212	4.42
31	Chris Polk	RB	3	Washington	rJr	5-11	222	4.48
58	David Wilson	RB	4	Virginia Tech	Jr	5-10	205	4.42
67	Doug Martin	RB	5	Boise State	rSr	5-9	210	4.48
72	Bernard Pierce	RB	6	Temple	Jr	6-0	218	4.59
86	Cyrus Gray	RB	7	Texas A&M	Sr	5-10	200	4.47
92	Montee Ball	RB	8	Wisconsin	Jr	5-9	212	4.57
99	Isaiah Pead	RB	9	Cincinnati	Sr	5-10	200	4.42
109	LaMichael James	RB	10	Oregon	rJr	5-9	195	4.42
116	Robert Turbin	RB	11	Utah State	rJr	5-9	216	4.57
125	Dan Herron	RB	12	Ohio State	rSr	5-10	208	4.52
134	Brandon Bolden	RB	13	Mississippi	Sr	5-11	221	4.52
151	Jeff Demps	RB	14	Florida	Sr	5-8	191	4.26
153	Terrance Ganaway	RB	15	Baylor	rSr	5-11	240	4.62
157	Vick Ballard	RB	16	Mississippi State	Sr	5-11	220	4.58
169	Tauren Poole	RB	17	Tennessee	Sr	5-10	215	4.56
177	Davin Meggett	RB	18	Maryland	Sr	5-8	215	4.56
197	Chris Rainey	RB	19	Florida	rSr	5-8	175	4.36
200	Bobby Rainey	RB	20	Western Kentucky	rSr	5-7	205	4.49

Fullbacks

Only four pure fullbacks were drafted during the 2011 NFL draft, and that's a pretty good year for a position used by less than half of the NFL. The 2012 class will feature roughly the same number.

A favorite player of mine in this group is Cody Johnson of Texas. Prior to 2011, Johnson lined up at tailback and was used in a single-back set. He's moved to the role of fullback this season and showed remarkable burst, power and vision.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
135	Chad Diehl	FB	1	Clemson	rSr	6-2	260	4.72
166	Evan Rodriguez	FB	2	Temple	rSr	6-2	250	4.67
195	Cody Johnson	FB	3	Texas	rSr	5-11	252	4.72

Wide Receivers

A new player takes the No. 1 wide receiver spot from Alshon Jeffery for the first time all season. Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon isn't an elite prospect when compared to 2011 first-rounders A.J. Green or Julio Jones, but he is a very good option at wide receiver and the best this class has to offer.

What about Jeffery? If based on early impact in the NFL, Jeffery would be ranked higher. He has the physical ability to dominate once in the NFL, but there are small issues with his game (namely a lack of burst and body control) that concern me.

The remainder of the receiver class is very solid. Michael Floyd looks like a future starter and solid intermediate option, Kendall Wright is a freakish deep threat and return option, while Mohamed Sanu is one of the more underrated overall athletes in the class.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
6	Justin Blackmon	WR	1	Oklahoma State	rJr	6-1	215	4.54
7	Alshon Jeffery	WR	2	South Carolina	Jr	6-4	229	4.56
16	Michael Floyd	WR	3	Notre Dame	Sr	6-3	224	4.54
27	Kendall Wright	WR	4	Baylor	Sr	5-10	190	4.42
37	Mohamed Sanu	WR	5	Rutgers	Jr	6-2	215	4.57
41	Nick Toon	WR	6	Wisconsin	rSr	6-2	220	4.52
50	Rueben Randle	WR	7	LSU	Jr	6-3	208	4.57
68	Jarius Wright	WR	8	Arkansas	Sr	5-10	180	4.34
75	DeVier Posey	WR	9	Ohio State	Sr	6-1	210	4.54
80	Brian Quick	WR	10	Appalachian State	rSr	6-4	216	4.63
96	A.J. Jenkins	WR	11	Illinois	Sr	6-0	190	4.49
97	Marvin McNutt	WR	12	Iowa	rSr	6-2	215	4.52
106	T.Y. Hilton	WR	13	Florida International	Sr	5-10	184	4.48
112	Dwight Jones	WR	14	North Carolina	Sr	6-4	225	4.53
115	Tommy Streeter	WR	15	Miami (Fla.)	rJr	6-4	215	4.49
127	Ryan Broyles	WR	16	Oklahoma	rSr	5-10	188	4.52
145	Jeff Fuller	WR	17	Texas A&M	Sr	6-3	220	4.52
149	Joe Adams	WR	18	Arkansas	Sr	5-11	190	4.38
150	Marquis Maze	WR	19	Alabama	rSr	5-08	184	4.49
168	Rishard Matthews	WR	20	Nevada	Sr	6-1	215	4.54
175	Marvin Jones	WR	21	California	Sr	6-2	202	4.53
176	B.J. Cunningham	WR	22	Michigan State	rSr	6-2	216	4.59
188	Jordan White	WR	23	Western Michigan	rSr	6-0	215	4.54
192	Keshawn Martin	WR	24	Michigan State	Sr	5-10	190	4.44
196	Gerell Robinson	WR	25	Arizona State	Sr	6-3	222	4.58
199	Lance Lewis	WR	26	East Carolina	Sr	6-1	209	4.50

Tight Ends

The 2012 NFL draft class of tight ends doesn't feature a rockstar prospect, but there is one guy worth taking a hard look at in the first round. That would be Orson Charles of Georgia.

Charles is a very good athlete who fits the mold of a Jimmy Graham-style player. He's not a great blocker, but he makes up for it with wide receiver-like speed and hands. His concentration, route-running skills and speed will make him dangerous as a receiver.

Outside of Charles, Clemson's Dwayne Allen is a keeper. Allen is no slouch himself when it comes to production and pass-catching ability. He could be a sleeper as a first-rounder.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
34	Orson Charles	TE	1	Georgia	Jr	6-3	242	4.64
51	Dwayne Allen	TE	2	Clemson	rJr	6-4	255	4.76
57	Coby Fleener	TE	3	Stanford	rSr	6-6	245	4.77
93	Ladarius Green	TE	4	La.-Lafayette	Sr	6-6	236	4.64
111	Michael Egnew	TE	5	Missouri	Sr	6-5	245	4.60
132	Rhett Ellison	TE	6	Southern California	rSr	6-5	250	4.76
144	Brian Linthicum	TE	7	Michigan State	rSr	6-4	245	4.82
178	Kevin Koger	TE	8	Michigan	Sr	6-4	258	4.78
193	George Bryan	TE	9	North Carolina State	rSr	6-5	265	5.14

Tackles

There is no Joe Thomas or Jake Long in this class, but that doesn't mean the 2012 draft won't feature multiple offensive tackles drafted in the first round.

Matt Kalil of USC will leave school early and figures to be a top-five pick. Kalil could see himself drafted as high as No. 2 overall, depending on how the draft order looks. Kalil is joined by top-10 talents Riley Reiff and Jonathan Martin as three possible tackles drafted in the first 10 picks.

The first round should see as many as five tackles drafted, with another impressive group of players hitting the second tier for those looking in Round 2.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
5	Matt Kalil	OT	1	Southern California	rJr	6-6	295	5.05
10	Riley Reiff	OT	2	Iowa	rJr	6-6	300	4.94
11	Jonathan Martin	OT	3	Stanford	rJr	6-6	305	5.29
30	Mike Adams	OT	4	Ohio State	Sr	6-6	320	5.28
44	Zebrie Sanders	OT	5	Florida State	Sr	6-5	307	5.25
70	Andrew Datko	OT	6	Florida State	Sr	6-6	321	5.23
74	Nate Potter	OT	7	Boise State	rSr	6-6	298	5.18
90	Brandon Mosley	OT	8	Auburn	Sr	6-5	305	5.22
95	Levy Adcock	OT	9	Oklahoma State	Sr	6-5	322	5.23
114	Matt McCants	OT	10	UAB	rSr	6-6	295	5.26
119	Tony Bergstrom	OT	11	Utah	Sr	6-5	315	5.29
143	Mitchell Schwartz	OT	12	California	rSr	6-5	318	5.36
146	Matt Reynolds	OT	13	Brigham Young	rSr	6-4	305	5.28
161	Markus Zusevics	OT	14	Iowa	rSr	6-5	300	5.08
174	Jeff Allen	OT	15	Illinois	Sr	6-4	315	5.26
190	Tom Compton	OT	16	South Dakota	rSr	6-6	312	5.15

Guards

No offensive guard in my 10 years of scouting has ever been ranked as high as David DeCastro. He is that good, but this is also a class that lacks elite players outside the top five.

DeCastro will be a plug-and-play starter at the next level. He's as game-ready as any offensive lineman in this class and will be an instant upgrade for whichever NFL team selects him.

Outside of DeCastro, the guard class is very average. There are potential starters in Cordy Glenn (if he doesn't move to tackle) and a slew of players in Round 2 who could step in as rookies.

A few players to keep an eye on this spring would be Brandon Washington and Kevin Zeitler. Both have the potential to move up with good workouts. 

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
8	David DeCastro	OG	1	Stanford	rJr	6-5	312	5.22
25	Cordy Glenn	OG	2	Georgia	Sr	6-5	348	5.28
62	Brandon Washington	OG	3	Miami (Fla.)	Jr	6-4	320	5.36
66	Kelechi Osemele	OG	4	Iowa State	rSr	6-5	347	5.40
84	Kevin Zeitler	OG	5	Wisconsin	Sr	6-4	318	5.26
107	Amini Silatolu	OG	6	Midwestern State	Sr	6-3	324	5.42
117	Senio Kelemete	OG	7	Washington	Sr	6-3	302	5.23
131	Lucas Nix	OG	8	Pittsburgh	Sr	6-5	310	5.18
152	Jaymes Brooks	OG	9	Virginia Tech	rSr	6-2	308	5.05
164	Ryan Miller	OG	10	Colorado	rSr	6-8	298	5.32

Centers

The 2012 class of centers is very good, with Peter Konz still looking like a first-rounder even after missing time at the end of the regular season. Konz carries a similar grade to 2011's Mike Pouncey.

After Konz there is no shortage of talent. Michael Brewster, who missed five games to suspension, could be a rookie starter. David Molk and Ben Jones also bring a good amount of potential and could be impact players. 

There is little risk with this group of linemen. Whichever NFL team pulls the trigger on these players will find quality interior linemen.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
29	Peter Konz	C	1	Wisconsin	rJr	6-5	315	5.16
69	Ben Jones	C	2	Georgia	Sr	6-3	316	5.26
113	Michael Brewster	C	3	Ohio State	Sr	6-4	305	5.17
126	David Molk	C	4	Michigan	rSr	6-2	288	5.18
171	Quentin Saulsberry	C	5	Mississippi State	rSr	6-2	300	5.16
185	Philip Blake	C	6	Baylor	Sr	6-2	320	5.26

4-3 Defensive Ends

The increased role of the 3-4 defense makes scouting the defensive end, defensive tackle and outside linebacker much more fun, but much harder to classify. Here are the rankings of players who fit well in a 4-3 defense.

Whitney Mercilus and Nick Perry headline a group of athletic pass-rushers who can really get busy off the edge. Both underclassmen will be drafted in the first round, with Perry showcasing his impeccable stats and Mercilus riding an impressive 2011 campaign.

Jared Crick is an interesting name, and you'll see him mentioned as a 3-4 defense prospect too. Crick is big enough to play defensive tackle, but has the quickness to make his mark on the left side at defensive end in a 4-3 set.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
14	Nick Perry	DE	1	Southern California	rJr	6-3	250	4.64
19	Whitney Mercilus	DE	2	Illinois	rJr	6-4	265	4.68
26	Jared Crick	DE	3	Nebraska	rSr	6-4	285	4.82
38	Sam Montgomery	DE	4	LSU	rSo	6-4	245	4.56
39	Alex Okafor	DE	5	Texas	Jr	6-4	260	4.62
46	Vinny Curry	DE	6	Marshall	rSr	6-3	263	4.74
47	Andre Branch	DE	7	Clemson	rSr	6-4	260	4.77
56	Billy Winn	DE	8	Boise State	rSr	6-3	300	4.89
81	Cam Johnson	DE	9	Virginia	Sr	6-3	270	4.76
110	Jake Bequette	DE	10	Arkansas	rSr	6-5	271	4.62
123	Trevor Guyton	DE	11	California	Sr	6-3	280	4.86
133	Malik Jackson	DE	12	Tennessee	Sr	6-5	270	4.82
154	Jacquies Smith	DE	13	Missouri	Sr	6-3	255	4.62
163	Shea McClellin	DE	14	Boise State	rSr	6-3	255	4.74
191	Olivier Vernon	DE	15	Miami (Fla.)	Jr	6-3	265	4.73
194	Jack Crawford	DE	16	Penn State	Sr	6-5	273	4.79

3-4 Defensive Ends

The 3-4 defense is proving to be more than a fad. Currently six of the best teams in the NFL all run a 3-4 defense, including the top two seeds in each conference.

As the 3-4 becomes more widespread, and as more teams find ways to mix the disciplines of the 3-4 and 4-3 together, the need for big-bodied defensive ends who can control two gaps becomes more important.

The 2012 draft class of 3-4 prospects at defensive end won't disappoint.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
20	Devon Still	DT	1	Penn State	rSr	6-4	310	5.06
26	Jared Crick	DE	2	Nebraska	rSr	6-4	285	4.82
28	Fletcher Cox	DT	3	Mississippi State	Jr	6-4	295	4.96
42	Quinton Coples	DT	4	North Carolina	Sr	6-6	285	4.76
56	Billy Winn	DE	5	Boise State	rSr	6-3	300	4.89
81	Cam Johnson	DE	6	Virginia	Sr	6-3	270	4.76
100	Marcus Forston	DT	7	Miami (Fla.)	rJr	6-3	300	4.95
104	Kawann Short	DT	8	Purdue	rJr	6-3	310	5.22
120	Kendall Reyes	DT	9	Connecticut	rSr	6-4	296	4.99
121	Kheeston Randall	DT	10	Texas	Sr	6-5	305	5.07
123	Trevor Guyton	DE	11	California	Sr	6-3	280	4.86
136	DaJohn Harris	DT	12	Southern California	rSr	6-4	310	5.16
156	Jaye Howard	DT	13	Florida	rSr	6-3	303	5.02

Nose Tackles

Drafting a nose tackle is never as easy as it sounds. The criteria for the position change depending on the team and the scheme they have developed. It's no longer as simple as drafting the biggest defensive lineman you can find.

The 2012 class has talented players ready to jump in to the "0-technique" position once in the NFL. Memphis junior Dontari Poe headlines a solid, but small, group of very big men.

Overall	Player	Pos	Pos Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
40	Dontari Poe	DT	1	Memphis	rJr	6-5	350	5.36
60	Sylvester Williams	DT	2	North Carolina	Jr	6-3	320	5.19
65	Alameda Ta’amu	DT	3	Washington	Sr	6-3	337	5.22
79	Josh Chapman	DT	4	Alabama	rSr	6-1	310	5.02
129	Mike Martin	DT	5	Michigan	Sr	6-1	304	4.98
187	Nicolas Jean-Baptiste	DT	6	Baylor	rSr	6-2	335	5.06

Outside Linebackers

The 2011 NFL draft saw a 4-3 outside linebacker drafted No. 2 overall when the Denver Broncos made Von Miller of Texas A&M their pick. While Miller does move around a lot, he's still technically a 4-3 'backer. There is no Von Miller in this class. Sorry.

The lack of an elite prospect is cushioned by a very solid class otherwise. There are three outside linebackers ranked in the top 15—a rarity for the nature of this position—with a solid group of players filling out Rounds 2 and 3.

Some players below are a best fit for the 3-4 defense and will be highlighted as such.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time	3-4
12	Courtney Upshaw	OLB	1	Alabama	Sr	6-2	265	4.76	*
13	Zach Brown	OLB	2	North Carolina	Sr	6-2	230	4.48
15	Melvin Ingram	OLB	3	South Carolina	rSr	6-2	276	4.82	*
48	Brandon Jenkins	OLB	4	Florida State	Jr	6-3	265	4.69	*
52	Lavonte David	OLB	5	Nebraska	Sr	6-1	225	4.62
53	Ronnell Lewis	OLB	6	Oklahoma	Jr	6-2	244	4.63	*
63	Bobby Wagner	OLB	7	Utah State	Sr	6-0	232	4.69
64	Bruce Irvin	OLB	8	West Virginia	Sr	6-2	245	4.54	*
71	Sean Spence	OLB	9	Miami (Fla.)	Sr	5-11	224	4.58
76	Travis Lewis	OLB	10	Oklahoma	rSr	6-2	228	4.72
77	Keenan Robinson	OLB	11	Texas	rSr	6-3	240	4.68	*
88	Nigel Bradham	OLB	12	Florida State	Sr	6-2	240	4.67	*
94	Tyler Nielsen	OLB	13	Iowa	rSr	6-3	235	4.54	*
101	Brandon Lindsey	OLB	14	Pittsburgh	rSr	6-2	250	4.68	*
137	Tank Carder	OLB	15	TCU	rSr	6-2	237	4.67
139	Josh Kaddu	OLB	16	Oregon	Sr	6-3	236	4.67
155	Adrian Robinson	OLB	17	Temple	Sr	6-1	250	4.73
162	Danny Trevathan	OLB	18	Kentucky	Sr	6-0	232	4.68
172	Darius Fleming	OLB	19	Notre Dame	Sr	6-2	255	4.65	*
198	Kyle Wilber	OLB	20	Wake Forest	rSr	6-4	240	4.70

3-4 Outside Linebackers

The 3-4 outside linebacker position is one of the most fun to scout, but also one of the hardest to project at the next level. Look at Aaron Maybin and Vernon Gholston as evidence of that.

The 2012 class is loaded with college defensive ends and outside linebackers ready to take on the task of blitzing the quarterback off the corner. This group is loaded with first-round talents and players who could have immediate impacts on playoff rosters.

The most exciting player from this group is Alabama's Courtney Upshaw. He has the ability to play defensive end, inside linebacker or outside linebacker. Upshaw has Terrell Suggs-like skills.

Overall	Player	Pos	Pos Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
12	Courtney Upshaw	OLB	1	Alabama	Sr	6-2	265	4.76
14	Nick Perry	DE	2	Southern California	rJr	6-3	250	4.64
15	Melvin Ingram	OLB	3	South Carolina	rSr	6-2	276	4.82
19	Whitney Mercilus	DE	4	Illinois	rJr	6-4	265	4.68
39	Alex Okafor	DE	5	Texas	Jr	6-4	260	4.62
46	Vinny Curry	DE	6	Marshall	rSr	6-3	263	4.74
47	Andre Branch	DE	7	Clemson	rSr	6-4	260	4.77
48	Brandon Jenkins	OLB	8	Florida State	Jr	6-3	265	4.69
53	Ronnell Lewis	OLB	9	Oklahoma	Jr	6-2	244	4.63
77	Keenan Robinson	OLB	10	Texas	rSr	6-3	240	4.68
88	Nigel Bradham	OLB	11	Florida State	Sr	6-2	240	4.67
94	Tyler Nielsen	OLB	12	Iowa	rSr	6-3	235	4.54
101	Brandon Lindsey	OLB	13	Pittsburgh	rSr	6-2	250	4.68
110	Jake Bequette	DE	14	Arkansas	rSr	6-5	271	4.62
154	Jacquies Smith	DE	15	Missouri	Sr	6-3	255	4.62
155	Adrian Robinson	OLB	16	Temple	Sr	6-1	250	4.73
172	Darius Fleming	OLB	17	Notre Dame	Sr	6-2	255	4.65
191	Olivier Vernon	DE	18	Miami (Fla.)	Jr	6-3	265	4.73

Inside Linebackers

The inside linebacker class is highlighted by a madman named Vontaze Burfict. A one-time top-two player on my board, Burfict has taken a tumble down the board slightly this season due to his inability to control his emotions on the field. Burfict has All-Pro ability, but keeping him under control will be a chore. 

College football fans will recognize the name Luke Kuechly. The tackling machine from Boston College has been a staple on the awards circuit and will be among the most-followed draft prospects this spring. Kuechly is underwhelming though, making the majority of his tackles downfield and failing to show the strength to be an impact player on every down. I'm proceeding with caution.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
21	Vontaze Burfict	ILB	1	Arizona State	Jr	6-3	250	4.67
32	Luke Kuechly	ILB	2	Boston College	Jr	6-2	237	4.80
36	Dont’a Hightower	ILB	3	Alabama	rJr	6-4	260	4.78
105	Audie Cole	ILB	4	North Carolina State	rSr	6-4	239	4.84
122	James-Michael Johnson	ILB	5	Nevada	rSr	6-1	240	4.68
130	Emmanuel Acho	ILB	6	Texas	Sr	6-2	245	4.79
167	Mychal Kendricks	ILB	7	California	Sr	5-11	240	4.72
183	Jerry Franklin	ILB	8	Arkansas	rSr	6-1	245	4.60

Cornerbacks

The cornerback class in 2012 has the potential to be as strong as any position group this year. It all hinges on the decisions of key underclassmen.

Morris Claiborne hasn't received the hype of teammate Tyrann Mathieu, but he's a much better cover man and NFL prospect. Claiborne even grades out higher than former LSU cornerback and 2011 first-rounder Patrick Peterson.

After Claiborne there is no shortage of talent. Dre Kirkpatrick and Stephon Gilmore are locks for the first round if they declare. Alfonzo Dennard and Janoris Jenkins are both solid senior corners who should see their names called on the first two days of the draft.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
4	Morris Claiborne	CB	1	LSU	Jr	6-0	185	4.45
17	Dre Kirkpatrick	CB	2	Alabama	Jr	6-2	192	4.49
18	Stephon Gilmore	CB	3	South Carolina	Jr	6-1	193	4.52
23	Alfonzo Dennard	CB	4	Nebraska	Sr	5-10	205	4.49
35	Janoris Jenkins	CB	5	North Alabama	Sr	5-10	182	4.46
54	Chase Minnifield	CB	6	Virginia	rSr	6-0	185	4.49
59	Jayron Hosley	CB	7	Virginia Tech	Jr	5-10	172	4.52
73	Johnathan Banks	CB	8	Mississippi State	Jr	6-1	185	4.52
78	Trumaine Johnson	CB	9	Montana	Sr	6-2	204	4.52
85	Brandon Boykin	CB	10	Georgia	Sr	5-10	183	4.44
89	Shaun Prater	CB	11	Iowa	Sr	5-10	185	4.49
98	Josh Robinson	CB	12	UCF	Jr	5-10	192	4.47
103	Leonard Johnson	CB	13	Iowa State	Sr	5-10	202	4.49
108	Coryell Judie	CB	14	Texas A&M	rSr	5-11	190	4.48
118	Cliff Harris	CB	15	Oregon	Jr	5-11	168	4.49
138	Donnie Fletcher	CB	16	Boston College	Sr	6-1	195	4.53
142	Omar Bolden	CB	17	Arizona State	rSr	5-10	195	4.49
148	Casey Hayward	CB	18	Vanderbilt	Sr	5-11	188	4.53
160	Asa Jackson	CB	19	Cal Poly	Sr	5-10	188	4.40
165	Robert Blanton	CB	20	Notre Dame	Sr	6-0	200	4.53
170	Ryan Steed	CB	21	Furman	Sr	5-11	190	4.52
173	Jamell Fleming	CB	22	Oklahoma	rSr	5-11	192	4.54
179	Keith Tandy	CB	23	West Virginia	rSr	5-10	199	4.54
184	Dwight Bentley	CB	24	La.-Lafayette	Sr	5-10	180	4.49
186	Trevin Wade	CB	25	Arizona	rSr	5-11	192	4.56

Safeties

The two safety classes fail to feature a first-round talent, but there are talented players in these two groups who could immediate see themselves called upon to start in the NFL.

The spread of the 3-4 defense will surely help Alabama safeties Mark Barron and Robert Lester, as both have been exposed to the Nick Saban defense and will be ready to step into the complex system once in the NFL. You have to think the New England Patriots would love to see Barron on the roster next fall.

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
61	Markelle Martin	FS	1	Oklahoma State	rSr	6-1	198	4.47
82	Robert Lester	FS	2	Alabama	Jr	6-2	210	4.56
87	Aaron Henry	FS	3	Wisconsin	rSr	6-0	210	4.52
140	Trenton Robinson	FS	4	Michigan State	Sr	5-10	195	4.46
141	George Iloka	FS	5	Boise State	Sr	6-3	213	4.50
159	Eddie Whitley	FS	6	Virginia Tech	Sr	6-0	200	4.56
182	Tysyn Hartman	FS	7	Kansas State	rSr	6-2	206	4.64
189	Tramain Thomas	FS	8	Arkansas	Sr	6-0	204	4.60

Rank	Player	Pos	Pos. Rank	School	Class	Ht	Wt	40 Time
45	Mark Barron	SS	1	Alabama	Sr	6-2	218	4.56
91	Antonio Allen	SS	2	South Carolina	rSr	6-1	202	4.57
102	Harrison Smith	SS	3	Notre Dame	rSr	6-2	215	4.55
128	Duke Ihenacho	SS	4	San Jose State	rSr	6-0	205	4.60
181	Sean Cattouse	SS	5	California	Sr	6-2	218	4.56