College Football's Top DEs Entering 2016 Spring Practice
The ability to pressure the quarterback is as important as any part of a defensive scheme, and the top teams in college football tend to do this better than anyone else. It helps to have someone adept at coming off the edge with the kind of power and speed needed to get past tackles and into the pocket.
To understand the importance of defensive ends in college football, look at Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller's latest mock draft. Six of the top 30 picks are projected to be used on edge-rushers, all of whom dominated at the collegiate level over the last few years.
Even with those players moving on, though, there's no shortage of top-tier defensive ends in college. It wouldn't be a stretch to see many of them end up as high draft packs in another year or two, either, assuming they can continue being disruptive and unguardable.
As spring practice gets underway across the country, here's our ranking of the 10 best defensive ends in college football. These rankings are based on past performance and projected impact in 2016.
10. Hunter Dimick, Utah
1 of 10
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'3", 270 lbs
Limited to seven games in 2015 because of injury, Hunter Dimick wasn't able to be his best for more than a few weeks at a time. But even in those brief glimpses, it was easy to see how much he mattered to Utah's aggressive defensive scheme.
Dimick had three sacks and seven tackles for loss, notching a combined five TFLs in games against Arizona State and USC midway through the season. It was the closest he got to his 2014 season, when Dimick had 10 sacks and 14.5 TFL on a Utes team that led the nation in sacks.
9. Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss
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Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'3", 220 lbs
His size makes him more suitable to being a linebacker, but Marquis Haynes' instincts near the line are too good to be wasted anywhere else. And with Ole Miss losing two major pieces up front in C.J. Johnson and Robert Nkemdiche, the undersized edge-rusher becomes even more vital in 2016.
Haynes led the Rebels with 10 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss last season, improving on a 2014 campaign in which he landed on several freshman All-American teams. He forced three fumbles and broke up two passes last fall, finishing strong with 11.5 TFLs in his final six games.
8. Chris Wormley, Michigan
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Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'5", 303 lbs
A player Chris Wormley's size shouldn't be able to move as swiftly as he does, let alone keep up with speedy running back Ty Isaac in a 30-yard sprint during Michigan's spring camp in Florida. But it makes sense, seeing how easy it was for him to chase down running backs and quarterbacks last season for the Wolverines.
Wormley had 6.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2015, both of which were tops on a Michigan defense that ranked fourth nationally. He was also credited with a pass breakup, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
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7. Ejuan Price, Pittsburgh
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Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'0", 250 lbs
An injury-ravaged career limited Ejuan Price to just six games between 2012 and 2014, missing two years entirely. Finally healthy in 2015, he showed his full potential by dominating off the edge to the tune of 11.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.
That was supposed to be his final college season, but in February the NCAA awarded Price a sixth year of eligibility, which will allow him to wreak havoc on ACC quarterbacks and running backs one more time.
Price, who has overcome back, chest and pectoral injuries in his career, almost single-handedly won Pittsburgh's game against Louisville in November. He had five sacks and six TFLs among his 10 tackles in that 45-34 victory.
6. DeMarcus Walker, Florida State
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Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'3", 281 lbs
DeMarcus Walker has been starting games for Florida State since his freshman year, holding down one side of the Seminoles defensive line for all 13 games last season. He did this while putting together one of the best performances of any FSU end in school history, with 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.
His sack tally was the most by any FSU player since 2012, according to his online bio, and it only began to describe his impact last season. He also broke up five passes, intercepted another, forced four fumbles and blocked a field goal against rival Florida.
"I made great strides during my junior season, and I hope to carry that on to my senior year," Walker said, via Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post. "I want to end my career here like I started it in 2013, and with the team we having returning I feel we have the opportunity to have a really special season. I look forward to providing leadership to help this team continue to grow and succeed."
5. Harold Landry, Boston College
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Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'3", 245 lbs
It's hard to imagine Boston College being worse than it was last season, when an abysmal offense caused the Eagles to go 3-9 overall and lose every game in ACC play. Sadly, if not for their stout lineup of defenders, it would have been much uglier.
Harold Landry was one of six BC players with at least 11 tackles for loss in 2015; he was credited with 14.5 to go with 4.5 sacks. Best as a run defender, Landry forced three fumbles and returned one 34 yards against Louisville to set up a touchdown two plays later.
With 60 total tackles, Landry managed to stay near the action on almost every play. His best overall performance came against Florida State, when his 1.5 sacks, 4.5 TFLs and 11 tackles helped hold the Seminoles to a season-low 14 points.
4. Derek Barnett, Tennessee
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Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'3", 257 lbs
Tennessee's push to prominence in the SEC and at the national level has come from strong play on both sides of the ball, though its defensive effort has made the greater impact. Derek Barnett has been integral to its recent rise, serving as a linchpin on the line for two years.
Barnett is coming off back-to-back 10-sack seasons, and his overall 2015 performance was rated by Pro Football Focus as the second best of any edge-rusher in college football. Only Ohio State's Joey Bosa, a surefire first-round NFL pick in April, rated higher than him.
His 69 total tackles were most in the SEC by a defensive lineman, with a career-high 15 tackles coming against eventual playoff qualifier Oklahoma.
3. Jonathan Allen, Alabama
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Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'3", 283 lbs
Jonathan Allen was the most productive member of arguably the greatest defensive front seven in college football history. He led Alabama with 12 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, yet he didn't manage to get his hands on Clemson's Deshaun Watson or Wayne Gallman during the Crimson Tide's national championship victory.
That shutout was among the many reasons Allen opted to come back to school rather than parlay his title into an NFL career, as some of his Alabama teammates did. Instead, he felt it was in his best interests to be a part of the Tide's push for a 17th ring while also helping his own stock by being the senior leader of a talented but young defensive line.
"By retaining Allen, the Tide's defensive line returns a two-year starter who can rush the passer from the edge and inside while also holding up against the run," Marq Burnett of the Ledger-Enquirer wrote.
2. Charles Harris, Missouri
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Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'3", 255 lbs
Stout defense has enabled Missouri to win two SEC East titles in four years since joining the conference, and though it slumped to 5-7 overall last year, it wasn't due to a drop in defensive production. Charles Harris ensured that, emerging as the next great end in what's been a constant stream of those players in Columbia.
Harris had seven sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in 2015, both team highs, as the Tigers ranked sixth nationally in total defense and fifth in scoring. It was his first season as a starter, helping to replace the departed Markus Golden and Shane Ray as well as injured defensive tackle Harold Brantley.
Also credited with 10 quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and two forced fumbles, Harris was adept against both the run and the pass and most effective in conference play. He had a sack in four straight SEC games and had 10.5 of his TFLs against league opponents.
1. Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
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Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'5", 262 lbs
Myles Garrett is the gold standard at the defensive end position in college football for 2016, having put together two incredible seasons to this point. Last year, he led the SEC in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (19.5), yet in his eyes, he could have done much better.
According to Gabe Bock of TexAgs Radio, Garrett "thought he had a slump" last season because he didn't reach his goals of 15 sacks and 20 TFLs and wasn't the National Defensive Player of the Year. If that's the case, look out for what Garrett has in store this upcoming season.
Garrett has been the best thing about an otherwise unimpressive Texas A&M defense the last two years. The Aggies were better in 2015 under new coordinator John Chavis, but Garrett's drawing so much attention off the edge has as much to do with that improvement as anything else.
Stats courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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