2014 NFL Draft Big Board: Post-Combine Update
Matt Miller@nfldraftscoutNFL Draft Lead WriterFebruary 27, 20142014 NFL Draft Big Board: Post-Combine Update

The 2014 draft has been called one of the best ever. In a press conference, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert called it the "deepest" he had seen in 30 years. I've not yet been doing the job 30 years, but in my 10 years covering the draft, this is the best group of talent I've ever seen in one class.
No matter where your team has a need, the 2014 class can fill it. There are top-tier quarterbacks, an amazing group of wide receivers, starting-caliber stars and depth at running back and tight end, and we could see six offensive tackles come off the board on Day 1.
Yes, this draft should be a good one. So which players are the best?
With the NFL Scouting Combine in the books, here's an updated look at the 300 best players available in the 2014 draft class.
Top 32 Players Overall

In the draft community, we always talk about "first-round talent." These are the 32 players worthy of a first-round pick.
The diversity here is exceptional. Four quarterbacks, four offensive tackles, defenders able to play in a 3-4 or 4-3 on the edge and in the middle, and a load of wide receivers and cornerbacks. But there are no offensive guards, centers or running backs here.
These are the best of the best. Meet the top 32.
Rank | Player | Pos. | School | Height | Weight |
1 | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | Louisville | 6'2⅛" | 214 |
2 | Jadeveon Clowney | DE | South Carolina | 6'5¼" | 266 |
3 | Sammy Watkins | WR | Clemson | 6'0¾" | 211 |
4 | Greg Robinson | OT | Auburn | 6'5" | 332 |
5 | Jake Matthews | OT | Texas A&M | 6'5½" | 308 |
6 | Khalil Mack | OLB | Buffalo | 6'2⅝" | 251 |
7 | Anthony Barr | OLB | UCLA | 6'4⅞" | 255 |
8 | Blake Bortles | QB | Central Florida | 6'5" | 232 |
9 | Kony Ealy | DE | Missouri | 6'4" | 273 |
10 | Justin Gilbert | CB | Oklahoma State | 6'0⅛" | 202 |
11 | Johnny Manziel | QB | Texas A&M | 5'11¾" | 207 |
12 | Mike Evans | WR | Texas A&M | 6'4¾" | 231 |
13 | Derek Carr | QB | Fresno State | 6'2⅜" | 214 |
14 | Dee Ford | DE | Auburn | 6'2" | 243 |
15 | Taylor Lewan | OT | Michigan | 6'7⅛" | 309 |
16 | Eric Ebron | TE | North Carolina | 6'4⅜" | 250 |
17 | C.J. Mosley | ILB | Alabama | 6'2" | 234 |
18 | Ha Ha Clinton-Dix | FS | Alabama | 6'1⅜" | 208 |
19 | Calvin Pryor | FS | Louisville | 5'11⅛" | 207 |
20 | Odell Beckham Jr. | WR | LSU | 5'11¼" | 198 |
21 | Aaron Donald | DT | Pittsburgh | 6'0¾" | 285 |
22 | Jason Verrett | CB | TCU | 5'9¾" | 189 |
23 | Zack Martin | OT | Notre Dame | 6'4" | 308 |
24 | Darqueze Dennard | CB | Michigan State | 5'10⅞" | 199 |
25 | Jace Amaro | TE | Texas Tech | 6'5⅜" | 265 |
26 | Brandin Cooks | WR | Oregon State | 5'9¾" | 189 |
27 | Timmy Jernigan | DT | FSU | 6'1⅝" | 298 |
28 | Allen Robinson | WR | Penn State | 6'2⅝" | 220 |
29 | Ra'Shede Hageman | DT | Minnesota | 6'5⅞" | 310 |
30 | Ryan Shazier | OLB | Ohio State | 6'1" | 237 |
31 | Kyle Van Noy | OLB | BYU | 6'3⅛" | 243 |
32 | Louis Nix | DT | Notre Dame | 6'2⅜" | 331 |
Quarterbacks

There isn't a quarterback in the 2014 class who carries a grade similar to Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning, but that doesn't mean the talent isn't worth getting excited about.
Teddy Bridgewater has day-one starting tools and has the second-highest grade I've given a quarterback in my career. Then you have two guys built on potential, but also big risks, in Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel. Derek Carr may be lost in the shuffle, but he's capable of playing immediately and has the big arm and prototypical tools you want at the position.
The 2014 class sees a huge drop-off from there. If you need a starting quarterback, you'd better get one early.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Teddy Bridgewater | Louisville | 6'2⅛" | 214 | 1 | Jr |
2 | Blake Bortles | Central Florida | 6'5" | 232 | 8 | rJr |
3 | Johnny Manziel | Texas A&M | 5'11¾" | 207 | 11 | rSo |
4 | Derek Carr | Fresno State | 6'2⅜" | 214 | 13 | rSr |
5 | Zach Mettenberger | LSU | 6'5" | 224 | 42 | rSr |
6 | Jimmy Garoppolo | Eastern Illinois | 6'2¼" | 226 | 58 | Sr |
7 | AJ McCarron | Alabama | 6'3¼" | 220 | 92 | rSr |
8 | Tajh Boyd | Clemson | 6'0⅝" | 222 | 117 | rSr |
9 | Aaron Murray | Georgia | 6'0" | 207 | 149 | rSr |
10 | David Fales | San Jose State | 6'1⅝" | 212 | 161 | Sr |
11 | Brett Smith | Wyoming | 6'2" | 206 | 172 | Jr |
12 | Logan Thomas | Virginia Tech | 6'6⅛" | 248 | 184 | rSr |
13 | Connor Shaw | South Carolina | 6'0⅜" | 206 | 249 | Sr |
14 | Stephen Morris | Miami (Fla.) | 6'1⅞" | 213 | 257 | Sr |
15 | Jeff Mathews | Cornell | 6'3¼" | 223 | 264 | Sr |
16 | Keith Wenning | Ball State | 6'2⅝" | 218 | 282 | Sr |
17 | Tom Savage | Pittsburgh | 6'3⅞" | 228 | 290 | Sr |
18 | Garrett Gilbert | SMU | 6'3" | 223 | 295 | rSr |
Running Backs

Running backs aren't as valuable as they once were in the NFL draft, but this class has a lot to like.
The high number of underclassmen entering the draft added incredible depth to the group, and there are at least 10 backs available with day-one starting ability. And whatever flavor of back you like, there's one here. Teams can go big with Carlos Hyde or Jeremy Hill. They can go fast with Tre Mason and Lache Seastrunk. You can go with a do-it-all back like Charles Sims or Marion Grice. And then you have guys like Bishop Sankey who tend to do everything well.
A high number of future NFL starters will be coming from this group.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Carlos Hyde | Ohio State | 5'11⅞" | 230 | 39 | rSr |
2 | Tre Mason | Auburn | 5'8½" | 207 | 46 | Jr |
3 | Charles Sims | West Virginia | 5'11⅛" | 214 | 53 | rSr |
4 | Bishop Sankey | Washington | 5'9½" | 209 | 67 | Jr |
5 | Ka'Deem Carey | Arizona | 5'9⅜" | 207 | 69 | Jr |
6 | Jeremy Hill | LSU | 6'0⅝" | 233 | 73 | rSo |
7 | Lache Seastrunk | Baylor | 5'9½" | 201 | 97 | rJr |
8 | Devonta Freeman | Florida State | 5'8¼" | 206 | 107 | Jr |
9 | Terrance West | Towson | 5'9¼" | 225 | 109 | Jr |
10 | Marion Grice | Arizona State | 6'0" | 208 | 110 | Sr |
11 | De'Anthony Thomas | Oregon | 5'8⅝" | 174 | 119 | Jr |
12 | Andre Williams | Boston College | 5'11⅜" | 230 | 142 | Sr |
13 | James White | Wisconsin | 5'9⅛" | 204 | 174 | Sr |
14 | Antonio Andrews | Western Kentucky | 5'10⅛" | 225 | 194 | Sr |
15 | Rajion Neal | Tennessee | 5'11" | 211 | 199 | Sr |
16 | Jerick McKinnon | Georgia Southern | 5'8⅞" | 209 | 201 | Sr |
17 | Tyler Gaffney | Stanford | 5'11½" | 220 | 202 | rSr |
18 | Lorenzo Taliaferro | Coastal Carolina | 6'0¼" | 231 | 220 | Sr |
19 | Storm Johnson | UCF | 6'0" | 209 | 239 | rJr |
20 | Kapri Bibbs | Colorado State | 5'9⅜" | 212 | 245 | rSo |
21 | Silas Redd | USC | 5'9¾" | 212 | 266 | Sr |
22 | David Fluellen | Toledo | 5'11⅛" | 224 | 269 | Sr |
23 | Isaiah Crowell | Alabama State | 5'11" | 224 | 274 | Jr |
24 | James Wilder | Florida State | 6'2⅝" | 232 | 300 | Jr |
Fullbacks

The fullback position may be a dying breed, but for the teams that still use the versatile offensive chess piece, this year's class has some upside.
Jay Prosch headlines a group of athletic tight ends who come in all shapes and sizes. For teams that want a traditional pass-catcher/blocker, Prosch and Gator Hoskins are solid options. Or you could go the punishing blocker/runner route with J.C. Copeland.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Jay Prosch | Auburn | 6'1" | 256 | 138 | rSr |
2 | J.C. Copeland | LSU | 5'11⅛" | 271 | 215 | Sr |
3 | Gator Hoskins | Marshall | 6'1" | 244 | 246 | Sr |
4 | Ryan Hewitt | Stanford | 6'4⅛" | 246 | 250 | rSr |
5 | Trey Millard | Oklahoma | 6'2" | 247 | 260 | Sr |
6 | Chad Abram | Florida State | 5'11" | 230 | 297 | Sr |
7 | Chris Coyle | Arizona State | 6'2" | 235 | 298 | rSr |
Wide Receivers

The deepest wide receiver class I've ever seen comes into the NFL this year. Headlined by Sammy Watkins, this crew has a crazy 11 players ranked with at least a second-round grade. You won't see that happen very often.
As the NFL goes to a passing league, this is exactly the type of class teams and scouts can get excited about. Whether it's a game-changing, do-it-all threat like Watkins or big, matchup nightmares like Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin, you have to get excited about the talent available here.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Sammy Watkins | Clemson | 6'0¾" | 211 | 3 | Jr |
2 | Mike Evans | Texas A&M | 6'4¾" | 231 | 12 | rSo |
3 | Odell Beckham Jr. | LSU | 5'11¼" | 198 | 20 | Jr |
4 | Brandin Cooks | Oregon State | 5'9¾" | 189 | 26 | Jr |
5 | Allen Robinson | Penn State | 6'2⅝" | 220 | 28 | Jr |
6 | Marqise Lee | USC | 5'11¾" | 192 | 33 | Jr |
7 | Jordan Matthews | Vanderbilt | 6'3⅛" | 212 | 37 | Sr |
8 | Jarvis Landry | LSU | 5'11½" | 205 | 44 | Jr |
9 | Kelvin Benjamin | Florida State | 6'5" | 240 | 47 | rSo |
10 | Davante Adams | Fresno State | 6'0⅞" | 212 | 54 | rSo |
11 | Martavis Bryant | Clemson | 6'3¾" | 211 | 61 | Jr |
12 | Donte Moncrief | Mississippi | 6'2⅜" | 221 | 80 | Jr |
13 | Paul Richardson | Colorado | 6'0⅜" | 175 | 85 | rJr |
14 | Josh Huff | Oregon | 5'11¼" | 206 | 91 | Sr |
15 | Cody Latimer | Indiana | 6'2" | 215 | 99 | Jr |
16 | Robert Herron | Wyoming | 5'9⅛" | 193 | 101 | Sr |
17 | Jared Abbrederis | Wisconsin | 6'1" | 195 | 116 | rSr |
18 | Mike Davis | Texas | 6'0" | 197 | 120 | Sr |
19 | Bruce Ellington | South Carolina | 5'9⅜" | 197 | 131 | rJr |
20 | Kevin Norwood | Alabama | 6'2" | 198 | 144 | rSr |
21 | Ryan Grant | Tulane | 6'0⅜" | 199 | 146 | rSr |
22 | Brandon Coleman | Rutgers | 6'6" | 225 | 153 | rJr |
23 | TJ Jones | Notre Dame | 5'11⅝" | 188 | 155 | Sr |
24 | Devin Street | Pittsburgh | 6'2⅞" | 198 | 167 | rSr |
25 | Jalen Saunders | Oklahoma | 5'8⅞" | 163 | 178 | Sr |
26 | Jeff Janis | Saginaw Valley State | 6'2⅞" | 219 | 182 | Sr |
27 | Cody Hoffman | BYU | 6'3⅞" | 223 | 188 | Sr |
28 | Michael Campanaro | Wake Forest | 5'9⅜" | 192 | 195 | rSr |
29 | L'Damian Washington | Missouri | 6'3⅞" | 195 | 213 | rSr |
30 | Josh Stewart | Oklahoma State | 5'9⅞" | 178 | 222 | Jr |
31 | Shaquelle Evans | UCLA | 6'1" | 213 | 223 | rSr |
32 | Matt Hazel | Coastal Carolina | 6'1" | 198 | 248 | Sr |
33 | Tevin Reese | Baylor | 5'10½" | 163 | 251 | Sr |
34 | Dri Archer | Kent State | 5'7⅜" | 173 | 258 | rSr |
35 | Jeremy Gallon | Michigan | 5'7" | 185 | 283 | rSr |
36 | Quincy Enunwa | Nebraska | 6'2" | 225 | 284 | Sr |
37 | Marcus Lucas | Missouri | 6'4" | 218 | 286 | Sr |
38 | Kain Colter | Northwestern | 5'10" | 198 | 296 | Sr |
39 | Eric Ward | Texas Tech | 5'11" | 199 | 299 | rSr |
Tight Ends

As the tight end position evolves in the NFL, so does the type of player lining up at the position. Gone are the days of the blocking tight end. Today's player must be athletic, fast, capable as a receiver and dynamic enough to move around before the snap.
The 2014 class is good but not great. The top end is exceptional, and Eric Ebron is a player to get excited about, but the drop-off from the top tier to the second group (guys like Troy Niklas and C.J. Fiedorowicz) is considerable.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Eric Ebron | North Carolina | 6'4⅜" | 250 | 16 | Jr |
2 | Jace Amaro | Texas Tech | 6'5⅜" | 265 | 25 | Jr |
3 | Austin Seferian-Jenkins | Washington | 6'5" | 262 | 45 | Jr |
4 | Troy Niklas | Notre Dame | 6'6" | 270 | 75 | rJr |
5 | C.J. Fiedorowicz | Iowa | 6'5½" | 265 | 125 | Sr |
6 | Arthur Lynch | Georgia | 6'4⅝" | 258 | 127 | rSr |
7 | Richard Rodgers | California | 6'4" | 257 | 140 | rSo |
8 | Crockett Gillmore | Colorado State | 6'5⅞" | 260 | 150 | Sr |
9 | Marcel Jensen | Fresno State | 6'5¾" | 259 | 168 | Sr |
10 | Joe Don Duncan | Dixie State | 6'3" | 268 | 193 | rSr |
11 | Colt Lyerla | Oregon | 6'3⅞" | 242 | 207 | Jr |
12 | Jordan Najvar | Baylor | 6'5⅞" | 256 | 211 | rSr |
13 | Rob Blanchflower | Massachusetts | 6'4" | 256 | 218 | rSr |
14 | Jacob Pedersen | Wisconsin | 6'3½" | 238 | 242 | rSr |
15 | Xavier Grimble | USC | 6'4" | 257 | 252 | rJr |
16 | A.C. Leonard | Tennessee State | 6'2⅜" | 252 | 255 | Jr |
17 | Michael Flacco | New Haven | 6'5" | 245 | 277 | rSo |
Offensive Tackles

If you're in need of a good left tackle, this is the class for you.
Anchored by studs like Greg Robinson, a once-in-a-decade-type talent and athlete at the position, there's a good balance of elite-prospect and first-round depth here. Jake Matthews isn't the same level athlete as Robinson, but his technique is a blueprint for success in the NFL. And we can't forget stars like Taylor Lewan and Zack Martin after both dominated at major programs over the course of their respective careers.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Greg Robinson | Auburn | 6'5" | 332 | 4 | rSo |
2 | Jake Matthews | Texas A&M | 6'5½" | 308 | 5 | Sr |
3 | Taylor Lewan | Michigan | 6'7⅛" | 309 | 15 | rSr |
4 | Zack Martin | Notre Dame | 6'4" | 308 | 23 | rSr |
5 | Cyrus Kouandjio | Alabama | 6'6¾" | 322 | 38 | Jr |
6 | Morgan Moses | Virginia | 6'6" | 314 | 41 | Sr |
7 | Jack Mewhort | Ohio State | 6'6" | 309 | 49 | rSr |
8 | Antonio Richardson | Tennessee | 6'5¾" | 336 | 68 | Jr |
9 | Billy Turner | North Dakota State | 6'4⅞" | 315 | 94 | Sr |
10 | Joel Bitonio | Nevada | 6'4¼" | 302 | 104 | rSr |
11 | Ja'Wuan James | Tennessee | 6'6" | 311 | 132 | Sr |
12 | James Hurst | North Carolina | 6'5" | 296 | 141 | Sr |
13 | Michael Schofield | Michigan | 6'6⅝" | 301 | 158 | rSr |
14 | Seantrel Henderson | Miami (Fla.) | 6'7⅛" | 331 | 163 | Sr |
15 | Justin Britt | Missouri | 6'5⅞" | 325 | 179 | rSr |
16 | Cameron Fleming | Stanford | 6'4⅞" | 323 | 197 | rJr |
17 | Wesley Johnson | Vanderbilt | 6'5⅜" | 297 | 209 | rSr |
18 | Donald Hawkins | Texas | 6'5" | 301 | 227 | Sr |
19 | Cornelius Lucas | Kansas State | 6'8" | 316 | 238 | rSr |
20 | Matt Patchan | Boston College | 6'6¼" | 302 | 244 | rSr |
21 | Kenarious Gates | Georgia | 6'4" | 327 | 272 | Sr |
22 | Charles Leno | Boise State | 6'4" | 304 | 280 | rSr |
23 | Matt Hall | Belhaven | 6'9" | 323 | 292 | Sr |
Offensive Guards

The 2014 class doesn't come close to rivaling the talent we saw come off the board early in the 2013 draft, but there's still a lot of starting-quality players here.
David Yankey and Xavier Su'a-Filo come off excellent Pac-12 careers and are both NFL ready. Cyril Richardson and Gabe Jackson give teams the big, powerful right guard profile and also show NFL-readiness. And you have to love the play of Brandon Thomas, a tackle at Clemson but projected guard once in the NFL.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | David Yankey | Stanford | 6'5⅝" | 315 | 40 | rJr |
2 | Xavier Su'a-Filo | UCLA | 6'4⅛" | 307 | 51 | rJr |
3 | Cyril Richardson | Baylor | 6'4¾" | 329 | 72 | rSr |
4 | Gabe Jackson | Mississippi State | 6'3¼" | 336 | 95 | rSr |
5 | Brandon Thomas | Clemson | 6'3¼" | 317 | 98 | rSr |
6 | Anthony Steen | Alabama | 6'3" | 314 | 124 | rSr |
7 | Dakota Dozier | Furman | 6'3⅝" | 313 | 135 | rSr |
8 | Chris Watt | Notre Dame | 6'3" | 310 | 169 | rSr |
9 | Jon Halapio | Florida | 6'3½" | 323 | 171 | rSr |
10 | Brandon Linder | Miami (Fla.) | 6'5⅝" | 311 | 198 | Sr |
11 | Russell Bodine | North Carolina | 6'3⅛" | 310 | 221 | rJr |
12 | Kadeem Edwards | Tennessee State | 6'4¼" | 313 | 232 | Sr |
13 | John Urschel | Penn State | 6'3" | 313 | 236 | rSr |
14 | Ryan Groy | Wisconsin | 6'4⅝" | 316 | 254 | rSr |
15 | Spencer Long | Nebraska | 6'5" | 320 | 259 | rSr |
16 | Trai Turner | LSU | 6'2⅝" | 310 | 289 | rSo |
Centers

The NFL draft hasn't seen an elite center prospect since Maurkice Pouncey in 2010, and the post-combine results would indicate we'll have another year without a top-tier talent at the position. That said, there are three players here worthy of starting right away in the NFL.
Marcus Martin is the closest thing this class has to an elite talent, but the junior from USC is raw overall. Weston Richburg is smooth, fluid and poised but will need to improve in the run game. Travis Swanson is the prototypical center, but he can be too tall and back-bends in protection. Easy fixes for all three, and once ironed out, they look like studs.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Marcus Martin | USC | 6'3" | 320 | 59 | Jr |
2 | Weston Richburg | Colorado State | 6'3⅜" | 298 | 77 | rSr |
3 | Travis Swanson | Arkansas | 6'5" | 312 | 86 | rSr |
4 | Bryan Stork | Florida State | 6'4" | 315 | 165 | rSr |
5 | Tyler Larsen | Utah State | 6'4" | 313 | 180 | Sr |
6 | Gabe Ikard | Oklahoma | 6'3⅝" | 304 | 214 | rSr |
7 | Zac Kerin | Toledo | 6'5" | 308 | 268 | rSr |
8 | Corey Linsley | Ohio State | 6'3" | 296 | 285 | rSr |
9 | Matt Armstrong | Grand Valley State | 6'2⅛" | 302 | 287 | rSr |
Defensive Ends

Classifying all pass-rushers as simply defensive ends or outside linebackers is difficult, but at this stage of the draft process, that's the most accurate way to label the many players at each position.
Some of the players listed below will be 6-technique ends in a 4-3. Some will be 5-techs in a 3-4. Some will stand up at outside linebacker. The bottom line is that the talent is eye-opening, no matter where you end up playing many of these athletes.
With three legit top-15 players, the defensive end class is once again stacked. Even in Rounds 2 and 3, there are quality players with early starting potential.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Jadeveon Clowney | South Carolina | 6'5¼" | 266 | 2 | Jr |
2 | Kony Ealy | Missouri | 6'4" | 273 | 9 | rJr |
3 | Dee Ford | Auburn | 6'2" | 252 | 14 | rSr |
4 | Trent Murphy | Stanford | 6'6" | 252 | 34 | rSr |
5 | Scott Crichton | Oregon State | 6'2⅞" | 273 | 36 | rJr |
6 | Jackson Jeffcoat | Texas | 6'3" | 247 | 48 | Sr |
7 | Chris Smith | Arkansas | 6'1" | 266 | 50 | Sr |
8 | Demarcus Lawrence | Boise State | 6'2⅞" | 251 | 70 | rJr |
9 | Marcus Smith | Louisville | 6'3⅜" | 251 | 90 | Sr |
10 | Josh Mauro | Stanford | 6'5⅞" | 271 | 96 | rSr |
11 | Michael Sam | Missouri | 6'2" | 261 | 118 | rSr |
12 | Kareem Martin | North Carolina | 6'5⅞" | 272 | 128 | Sr |
13 | Will Clarke | West Virginia | 6'6⅛" | 271 | 147 | rSr |
14 | James Gayle | Virginia Tech | 6'3⅞" | 259 | 156 | rSr |
15 | Ed Stinson | Alabama | 6'3" | 287 | 157 | rSr |
16 | Aaron Lynch | South Florida | 6'5" | 249 | 159 | rSo |
17 | Cassius Marsh | UCLA | 6'4" | 252 | 181 | Sr |
18 | Brent Urban | Virginia | 6'7" | 295 | 183 | Sr |
19 | Taylor Hart | Oregon | 6'6" | 281 | 189 | rSr |
20 | Ben Gardner | Stanford | 6'4" | 277 | 190 | rSr |
21 | Ethan Westbrooks | West Texas A&M | 6'3½" | 267 | 263 | Sr |
22 | Jeoffrey Pagan | Alabama | 6'3" | 310 | 267 | Jr |
23 | Chaz Sutton | South Carolina | 6'4" | 263 | 270 | rSr |
24 | Larry Webster | Bloomsburg | 6'5¾" | 252 | 278 | rSr |
Defensive Tackles

Aaron Donald is one of the most decorated defensive linemen I have ever seen leave college, and he's earned his status atop the list. Not far behind him is a group of players with amazing potential but also question marks in terms of effort and consistency.
Timmy Jernigan, Ra'Shede Hageman and Will Sutton all have first-round film at times, but figuring out which player you'll get is the reason each has moved down the board over the course of the year.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Aaron Donald | Pittsburgh | 6'0¾" | 285 | 21 | Sr |
2 | Timmy Jernigan | Florida State | 6'1⅝" | 298 | 27 | Jr |
3 | Ra'Shede Hageman | Minnesota | 6'5⅞" | 310 | 29 | rSr |
4 | Louis Nix | Notre Dame | 6'2⅜" | 331 | 32 | rJr |
5 | Stephon Tuitt | Notre Dame | 6'5" | 304 | 43 | Jr |
6 | Will Sutton | Arizona State | 6'0½" | 303 | 64 | rSr |
7 | Dominique Easley | Florida | 6'2" | 288 | 66 | Sr |
8 | DaQuan Jones | Penn State | 6'3¾" | 322 | 83 | Sr |
9 | Kelcy Quarles | South Carolina | 6'3¾" | 297 | 93 | Jr |
10 | Ego Ferguson | LSU | 6'3" | 315 | 105 | rJr |
11 | Anthony Johnson | LSU | 6'2½" | 308 | 113 | Jr |
12 | Daniel McCullers | Tennessee | 6'7" | 352 | 122 | Sr |
13 | Caraun Reid | Princeton | 6'2⅛" | 302 | 126 | rSr |
14 | Justin Ellis | Louisiana Tech | 6'1½" | 334 | 143 | rSr |
15 | George Uko | USC | 6'2⅝" | 284 | 148 | rJr |
16 | Deandre Coleman | California | 6'5" | 314 | 160 | rSr |
17 | Jay Bromley | Syracuse | 6'3⅛" | 306 | 164 | Sr |
18 | Ryan Carrethers | Arkansas State | 6'1¼" | 337 | 196 | rSr |
19 | Calvin Barnett | Oklahoma State | 6'2" | 300 | 200 | Sr |
20 | Shamar Stephen | Connecticut | 6'4⅞" | 309 | 206 | rSr |
21 | Eathyn Manumaleuna | BYU | 6'2¼" | 296 | 225 | rSr |
22 | Kerry Hyder | Texas Tech | 6'2½" | 290 | 233 | rSr |
23 | Zach Kerr | Delaware | 6'1⅜" | 326 | 276 | rSr |
Inside Linebackers

Just one player ranked at inside linebacker carries a first- or second-round grade, but the overall talent here is appealing.
Alabama's C.J. Mosley is the lone player inside the top two rounds, and he's earned it. The anchor of the Crimson Tide defense, Mosley has NaVorro Bowman-like ability. But the No. 2-ranked linebacker, Wisconsin's Chris Borland, is one of my favorite players in the entire draft. He's not big, he's not super fast, but his instincts, consistency and tackling ability are that of a longtime NFL starter.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | C.J. Mosley | Alabama | 6'2" | 234 | 17 | Sr |
2 | Chris Borland | Wisconsin | 5'11½" | 248 | 74 | rSr |
3 | Shayne Skov | Stanford | 6'2" | 245 | 78 | rSr |
4 | Yawin Smallwood | Connecticut | 6'2¼" | 246 | 121 | rJr |
5 | Lamin Barrow | LSU | 6'1⅜" | 237 | 133 | rSr |
6 | Christian Jones | Florida State | 6'3⅛" | 240 | 136 | Sr |
7 | DeDe Lattimore | South Florida | 6'0" | 237 | 175 | rSr |
8 | Andrew Jackson | Western Kentucky | 6'1" | 254 | 191 | Sr |
9 | Preston Brown | Louisville | 6'1¼" | 251 | 208 | Sr |
10 | Jeremiah George | Iowa State | 5'11¼" | 234 | 234 | Sr |
11 | Glenn Carson | Penn State | 6'3" | 244 | 275 | rSr |
Outside Linebackers

Not since Von Miller has the NFL seen the athletic potential at outside linebacker that Khalil Mack and Anthony Barr both possess. They're fast, active and productive, and they come to the league with upside still. The potential from both will have two teams very excited about their new defensive weapon.
The depth here is also very good. This group is heavily influenced by senior players rather than the high number of juniors seen at other spots. Ryan Shazier is the lone underclassman at the position inside the top 99 players overall, and even No. 100—Adrian Hubbard—graduated Alabama early.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Khalil Mack | Buffalo | 6'2⅝" | 251 | 6 | rSr |
2 | Anthony Barr | UCLA | 6'4⅞" | 255 | 7 | Sr |
3 | Ryan Shazier | Ohio State | 6'1" | 237 | 30 | Jr |
4 | Kyle Van Noy | BYU | 6'3⅛" | 243 | 31 | rSr |
5 | Jordan Tripp | Montana | 6'2¾" | 234 | 79 | rSr |
6 | Jeremiah Attaochu | Georgia Tech | 6'3" | 252 | 88 | Sr |
7 | Telvin Smith | Florida State | 6'3" | 218 | 89 | Sr |
8 | Adrian Hubbard | Alabama | 6'6" | 257 | 100 | rJr |
9 | Jordan Zumwalt | UCLA | 6'4" | 235 | 102 | Sr |
10 | Carl Bradford | Arizona State | 6'0¾" | 250 | 103 | rJr |
11 | Christian Kirksey | Iowa | 6'2" | 233 | 106 | Sr |
12 | Trevor Reilly | Utah | 6'5" | 245 | 111 | rSr |
13 | Morgan Breslin | USC | 6'1" | 250 | 162 | Sr |
14 | Ronald Powell | Florida | 6'3⅛" | 237 | 166 | rJr |
15 | Prince Shembo | Notre Dame | 6'1⅜" | 253 | 177 | Sr |
16 | Devon Kennard | USC | 6'3" | 249 | 185 | rSr |
17 | Denicos Allen | Michigan State | 5'11" | 218 | 203 | rSr |
18 | Kasim Edebali | Boston College | 6'2" | 253 | 210 | Sr |
19 | Howard Jones | Shepherd | 6'2½" | 235 | 228 | rSr |
20 | Kevin Pierre-Louis | Boston College | 6'0½" | 232 | 230 | Sr |
21 | Tyler Starr | South Dakota | 6'4⅛" | 250 | 237 | Sr |
22 | Jonathan Brown | Illinois | 6'0⅜" | 238 | 240 | Sr |
23 | Derrell Johnson | East Carolina | 6'1" | 248 | 253 | Sr |
24 | Jonathan Newsome | Ball State | 6'2⅝" | 247 | 265 | rSr |
25 | Shaquil Barrett | Colorado State | 6'2" | 260 | 288 | Sr |
26 | Boseko Lokombo | Oregon | 6'2⅛" | 225 | 291 | rSr |
27 | Jayrone Elliott | Toledo | 6'3" | 240 | 293 | Sr |
Cornerbacks

It's always tough to compare the talent at each position from class to class, but this looks like the deepest cornerback class I can remember. The top-end talent is good, with Justin Gilbert the highest-graded corner on my board since Patrick Peterson, and both Jason Verrett and Darqueze Dennard coming in as high-level talents.
In a normal draft class, and not this super deep one, the top five cornerbacks here would all be first-round talents. As it stands now, at least that many could still go Day 1 on May 8.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Justin Gilbert | Oklahoma State | 6'0⅛" | 202 | 10 | Sr |
2 | Jason Verrett | TCU | 5'9½" | 189 | 22 | Sr |
3 | Darqueze Dennard | Michigan State | 5'10⅞" | 199 | 24 | Sr |
4 | Bradley Roby | Ohio State | 5'11¼" | 194 | 35 | rJr |
5 | Kyle Fuller | Virginia Tech | 5'11¾" | 190 | 55 | Sr |
6 | Bashaud Breeland | Clemson | 5'11⅜" | 197 | 60 | rJr |
7 | Stanley Jean-Baptiste | Nebraska | 6'2⅝" | 218 | 62 | Sr |
8 | Pierre Desir | Lindenwood | 6'1" | 191 | 63 | rSr |
9 | Marcus Roberson | Florida | 6'0¼" | 191 | 65 | Jr |
10 | Lamarcus Joyner | Florida State | 5'8" | 184 | 71 | Sr |
11 | Victor Hampton | South Carolina | 5'9" | 197 | 76 | rJr |
12 | Keith McGill | Utah | 6'3⅜" | 211 | 81 | rSr |
13 | Loucheiz Purifoy | Florida | 5'11½" | 190 | 87 | Jr |
14 | Terrance Mitchell | Oregon | 5'11⅛" | 192 | 108 | rJr |
15 | E.J. Gaines | Missouri | 5'10" | 190 | 112 | Sr |
16 | Jaylen Watkins | Florida | 5'11½" | 194 | 115 | Sr |
17 | Ross Cockrell | Duke | 6'0" | 191 | 123 | rSr |
18 | Walt Aikens | Liberty | 6'1" | 205 | 130 | Sr |
19 | Chris Davis | Auburn | 5'10" | 203 | 134 | Sr |
20 | Nevin Lawson | Utah State | 5'9½" | 190 | 139 | Sr |
21 | Rashaad Reynolds | Oregon State | 5'9⅞" | 189 | 145 | rSr |
22 | Antone Exum | Virginia Tech | 5'11⅝" | 213 | 151 | rSr |
23 | Deion Belue | Alabama | 5'11" | 182 | 154 | Sr |
24 | Aaron Colvin | Oklahoma | 5'11" | 177 | 173 | Sr |
25 | Bennett Jackson | Notre Dame | 5'11⅞" | 195 | 176 | Sr |
26 | Ricardo Allen | Purdue | 5'9⅛" | 187 | 205 | Sr |
27 | Bene Benwikere | San Jose State | 5'10¾" | 195 | 212 | Sr |
28 | Andre Hal | Vanderbilt | 5'10⅜" | 188 | 217 | Sr |
29 | Phillip Gaines | Rice | 6'0⅜" | 193 | 226 | Sr |
30 | Lavelle Westbrooks | Georgia Southern | 5'11½" | 195 | 235 | Sr |
31 | Carrington Byndom | Texas | 5'11" | 180 | 241 | Sr |
32 | Marcus Williams | North Dakota State | 5'11" | 195 | 256 | rSr |
33 | Charles Sawyer | Mississippi | 5'10" | 175 | 261 | rSr |
34 | Ciante Evans | Nebraska | 5'10" | 193 | 281 | Sr |
Free Safeties

If NFL teams are going to attempt to copy what the Seattle Seahawks have done on defense, they'll all need to find their own version of Earl Thomas. Good luck, right?
In the 2014 class, there is no Thomas, but the top two safeties are unique talents. Both show day-one ability to step into a defense and be impacts. More similar to Eric Reid than Thomas or Kenny Vaccaro, both Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Calvin Pryor can cover, hit and run well enough to impact the NFL.
The drop-off at the position after the first two is significant, but the top-end talent carries the overall group well.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Ha Ha Clinton-Dix | Alabama | 6'1⅜" | 208 | 18 | Jr |
2 | Calvin Pryor | Louisville | 5'11⅛" | 207 | 19 | Jr |
3 | Terrence Brooks | Florida State | 5'10⅞" | 198 | 82 | Sr |
4 | Ed Reynolds | Stanford | 6'1" | 207 | 84 | rJr |
5 | Dion Bailey | USC | 5'11¾" | 201 | 114 | rJr |
6 | Kenny Ladler | Vanderbilt | 6'0⅛" | 207 | 129 | Sr |
7 | Marqueston Huff | Wyoming | 5'11⅛" | 196 | 152 | Sr |
8 | Jemea Thomas | Georgia Tech | 5'9¼" | 192 | 187 | rSr |
9 | Dontae Johnson | North Carolina State | 6'2⅛" | 200 | 243 | Sr |
10 | Nickoe Whitley | Mississippi State | 6'0" | 205 | 247 | rSr |
11 | Christian Bryant | Ohio State | 5'9" | 193 | 262 | Sr |
12 | Tre Boston | North Carolina | 5'11⅝" | 204 | 271 | Sr |
13 | Ty Zimmerman | Kansas State | 6'1" | 204 | 273 | rSr |
14 | Jonathan Dowling | Western Kentucky | 6'2¾" | 190 | 279 | rJr |
Strong Safeties

What stands out most about the strong safety class this season is the versatility of the players. Jimmie Ward could easily play free safety. The same goes for Sean Parker and Alden Darby. Then you have big hitters like Deone Bucannon and Ahmad Dixon—two guys who look like outside linebackers when lowering the boom on receivers.
The rankings aren't great from this class, but the strong safeties are a group you fall in love with on film.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Deone Bucannon | Washington State | 6'1" | 211 | 52 | Sr |
2 | Jimmie Ward | Northern Illinois | 5'11" | 193 | 56 | Sr |
3 | Ahmad Dixon | Baylor | 6'0" | 212 | 57 | Sr |
4 | Craig Loston | LSU | 6'0⅝" | 217 | 137 | rSr |
5 | Vinnie Sunseri | Alabama | 5'11" | 210 | 170 | Jr |
6 | Isaiah Lewis | Michigan State | 5'9⅞" | 211 | 186 | Sr |
7 | Hakeem Smith | Louisville | 6'0" | 186 | 192 | rSr |
8 | Sean Parker | Washington | 5'10" | 193 | 224 | Sr |
9 | Alden Darby | Arizona State | 5'10" | 192 | 229 | Sr |
Special Teams

Finding a talent at kicker worth drafting is tough, but when you lock on to a potentially great player, you have to move to get one. This year's class has just two players with a "draftable" grade, but both could be stars in the NFL.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Anthony Fera | Texas | 6'1" | 211 | 216 | rSr |
2 | Chris Boswell | Rice | 6'2" | 185 | 219 | rSr |
It used to be rare to see a punter drafted, but those days are over. The 2013 draft saw a run on the fourth-down specialists, and we could see that again this May.
Rank | Player | School | Height | Weight | Overall | Class |
1 | Kirby Van Der Kamp | Iowa State | 6'4" | 202 | 204 | Sr |
2 | Tom Hornsey | Memphis | 6'3" | 221 | 231 | Sr |
3 | Steven Clark | Auburn | 6'5" | 231 | 294 | Sr |