Last week, I broke down my pre-Draft top 50 rookies on the offensive side of the ball. Today, we turn our attention to defense.
Like on offense, I expect these ranking to change significantly between now and the end of the draft on Saturday. However, as things currently stand, here's my take on the top 30 IDP rookies heading into the Draft:
Rk | Player | Pos | College | Comments |
1 | C.J. Mosley | LB | Alabama | He's a three-down MIKE. Easily the top IDP prospect in this year's class. |
2 | Ryan Shazier | LB | Ohio State | This guy can fly. Best suited to WLB or 3-4 ILB. Has some Lavonte David to his game |
3 | Khalil Mack | EP | Buffalo | Elite pass-rusher. Post-Draft ranking heavily impacted by landing spot. |
4 | Jadeveon Clowney | EP | South Carolina | Can do everything. Hoping he doesn't land in a 3-4. |
5 | Anthony Barr | EP | UCLA | Raw, but extremely athletic. Could wind up as a DE, which would help his fantasy stock. |
6 | Aaron Donald | DT | Pittsburgh | Lacks protypical size for a 3-tech, but has a Geno Atkins-like fantasy profile. |
7 | Chris Borland | LB | Wisconsin | Undersized at just 5'11”, but Borland can play. He has the skill set to be a steady high floor, low ceiling IDP option. |
8 | Ha Ha Clinton-Dix | S | Alabama | Can cover, play in the box, and in the deep half. Gets a Weddle comparison. |
9 | Jimmy Ward | S | NIU | A tad on the small side, but Ward is fast, he can tackle, and he can cover. |
10 | Telvin Smith | LB | Florida Stae | Size is also an issue with Smith, but his is weight. Get's an IDP boost if he converts to safety. |
11 | Calvin Pryor | S | Louisville | Not the most skilled safety from a football standpoint, but he's a big hitter who will put up IDP numbers. |
12 | Dee Ford | EP | Auburn | One of the better pass rushers in this year's class, but does not have a high tackle ceiling. |
13 | Yawin Smallwood | LB | Uconn | There's no buzz on Smallwood due to a poor Combine, but he's a sneaky player to have on your rookie board. Gets Jerod Mayo comps. |
14 | Christian Kirksey | LB | Iowa | His skills in coverage give Kirksey three-down potential. Projects as an OLB. |
15 | Dominique Easley | DT | Florida | Very fluid moving 3-tech with the potential to make an IDP impact in the right landing spot. |
16 | Deon Bucannon | S | Washington State | Solid in coverage and has the chops to put up decent tackle numbers. |
17 | Kyle Fuller | CB | Virginia Tech | I'm never big on drafting rookie corners, but Fuller is the best bet of this bunch. |
18 | Demarcus Lawrence | EP | Boise State | Still has a lot to learn, but Lawrence comes with a high ceiling. |
19 | Kyle Van Noy | LB | BYU | Projects best to strong side linebacker, and doesn't look likely for subpackage snaps. Outside chance he sees a edge role. |
20 | Jeremiah Attaochu | EP | Georgia Tech | Best suited to 3-4 OLB. Has good size/speed though he doesn't blow you away on film. |
21 | Marcus Smith | EP | Louisville | Very impressive speed on tape. Has good bend around the edge. Projects as a 4-3 DE. |
22 | Kevin Pierre-Louis | LB | Boston College | Has three-down potential. Projects as a 4-3 WLB. |
23 | Stanley Jean-Baptiste | DB | Nebraska | Impressive size and athleticism, but will be converting from corner to safety. |
24 | Jason Verrett | CB | TCU | Not a big corner, but he's very aggressive and has sub-4.4 speed. |
25 | Darqueze Dennard | CB | Michigan State | Big corner who should see a lot of targets if he lands in a starting role. |
26 | Justin Gilbert | CB | Oklahoma St. | Another corner with good size and great speed. Potential punt returner. |
27 | Kony Ealy | DL | Missouri | Versatile player in the mold of Michael Bennett. Not a dominant pass rusher, but can kick to the interior in subpackages. |
28 | Shayne Skov | LB | Stanford | His 5.08 40 time doesn't inspire much confidence. Likely a two-down ‘backer. |
29 | Terrence Brooks | S | Florida State | Fast, but undersized. More of a centerfielder, which bodes poorly for his IDP value. |
30 | Lamarcus Joyner | DB | Florida State | Not ideal as a corner, but has the potential for IDP value if drafted as a safety. |