Top 5 NFL Draft Position Rankings | betweenthetackles.co

NFL Draft Position Rankings

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Quarterbacks

2. Trey Lance North Dakota State

Trevor Lawrence is the best quarterback that I have ever evaluated. He's the closest thing to a "sure thing" in the NFL Draft since Andrew Luck. His ability to thread the needle and throw the ball on time downfield is just spectacular. I am with the consensus here. Trey Lance's ceiling is the highest out of any player in this year's draft. The combination of intelligence, intangibles, and character are off the charts. He's my favorite prospect in this year's draft. I have gut feelings about certain players, and when I initially had graded Justin Fields too low it kept me up all night. My gut feeling tells me that Justin Fields is going to be a superstar in the NFL. He's a true gamer. Zach Wilson is a really good quarterback and fits with the Jets perfectly. He reminds me of a more athletic Baker Mayfield, he's a phenomenal decision maker and extremely accurate. The big shocker is that I have Kyle Trask over Mac Jones. I don't think either of these guys will be starters at the next level. I see a tremendous drop off after Wilson and given the off-field concerns with Jones, I'd prefer my backup to be a little cleaner.

Running Backs

1. Najee Harris Alabama

2. Kenny Gainwell Memphis

3. Travis Etienne Clemson

4. Javonte Williams North Carolina

5. Trey Sermon Ohio State

Najee Harris is the best running back I've seen enter the draft since Saquon Barkley. Harris is so dynamic, such a strong runner, and so versatile. He'd make any team that he goes to better. Kenny Gainwell is my second favorite player in the draft outside of Trey Lance. I think he's the Antonio Gibson of this year's draft. He's going to go on day two, but I have first round grade on him. Travis Etienne is the homerun hitter in this draft. He reminds me a lot of Raheem Mostert and would fit perfectly in that Kyle Shanahan style offense. Javonte Williams is just nasty. He's a guy that will block you into the ground and run you over with no mercy. Trey Sermon has the meanest stiff arm in the draft. He has tremendous contact balance, think of Leonard Fournette when you watch Trey Sermon.

Wide Recievers

1. Devonta Smith Alabama

2. Kadarius Toney Florida

3. Ja'Marr Chase LSU

4. Jaylen Waddle Alabama

5. D'Wayne Eskridge Western Michigan

Devonta Smith is so damn good. People may say he's too skinny and he won't be able to get off the press. He dominated in the SEC and didn't get pressed up by guys like Tyson Campbell and Kelvin Joseph. Smith is going to be the Kevin Durant of the NFL. Kadarius Toney was so fun to watch this year. He's so elusive and elite at the top of his routes. Ja'Marr Chase is a guy who I've been meaning to move up my draft boards. He's so damn good and physically dominant. I originally had him as my WR number five, then four, and now I've moved him up to number three as I'm writing this article. He's a guy who I just have a gut feeling on. I think he'll eventually be a top five receiver in the NFL. This was a total last minute flip the script move for me. There we have it Ja'Marr Chase has moved up my draft board. Jaylen Waddle and D'Wayne Eskridge are both electric. They are similar receiver who can take a five yard slant 80 yards to the house. I expect both to be very good NFL players.

Tight Ends

1. Kyle Pitts Florida

2. Brevin Jordan Miami

3. Pat Freiermuth Penn State

4. Tommy Tremble Notre Dame

5. Tre' McKitty Georgia

Kyle Pitts is the best tight end I've ever evaluated. I have him ranked as the second best player in the draft behind Trevor Lawrence. Pitts has the wingspan of Bol Bol and the catch radius of Calvin Johnson. He is far and away my number one tight end in the draft. Brevin Jordan is a really nice player, I think his ceiling is equivalent Jonnu Smith. He will be a solid tight end in the NFL. I think after the first two guys there is a major drop off and you're just drafting for a blocking tight end. Freirmuth and Tremble are both guys who are going to stay in line and help on pass protection. McKitty really stood out as a blocker in the Kentucky game. Watching him block Jamin Davis was a lot of fun to watch.

Offensive Lineman

1. Penei Sewell LT Oregon

2. Rashawn Slater LT Northwestern

3. Christian Darrisaw LT Virginia Tech

4. Alijah Vera-Tucker G USC

5. Teven Jenkins RT Oklahoma State

I'm not going to sit here and act like some offensive line scouting specialist. That is something I'm going to work on for next season, with that being said I know a good lineman when I see one. Penei Sewell has that nasty in him. He's fresh after a year off which may be more important for an offensive lineman than any other position. I am confident that he's going to be a beast in the NFL. Rashawn Slater is a dog and super smart kid. I expect him to go in the top ten. Christian Darrisaw is a little bit of a hit or miss type of player. He reminds me a little bit of Andrew Thomas from last season. Alijah Vera-Tucker offers positional versatility and I love his demeanor. Teven Jenkins has some nasty in him and he's a mauler in the run game.

Defensive Lineman/ Edge Rushers

1. Jaelan Phillips EDGE Miami

2. Azeez Ojulari DE Georgia

3. Gregory Rousseau EDGE Miami

4. Kwity Paye DE Michigan

5. Payton Turner DE Houston

Jaelan Phillips has the best chance out of all these guys to be a 15+ sack guy. He's got high end potential, but it all comes down to his health. If Phillips can stay healthy, I expect big things out of him. I don't expect Azeez Ojulari to be this stud defensive end, but I think he'll be consistent. He doesn't have the same ceiling as Phillips, but I think he'll be a really great player who separates using his hands. Gregory Rousseau is one of my personal favorite players in the draft. Rousseau is still a little raw, but an extremely powerful rusher. I like his potential. Kwity Paye is all twitched up. His quickness and explosion is impressive and I expect him to be a first round pick. Payton Turner is my sleeper pick out of the bunch. He's an old school defensive end who is best move is his bull rush.

Linebackers

1. Micah Parsons WILL Penn State

2. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah SAM Notre Dame

3. Nick Bolton MIC Missouri

4. Jamin Davis SAM Kentucky

5. Zaven Collins WILL Tulsa

Just to specify, WILL means weak-side linebacker. SAM means strong-side linebacker. MIC means middle linebacker. Their position won't help or hurt their draft stock, but it specifies scheme fits. Parsons is the best defender in the draft. He's extremely powerful and a culture player. His final game against Memphis is my favorite linebacker game that I've ever scouted. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a walking stick of TNT. He's just waiting to provide the boom and light a player up. Nick Bolton is the best run defender in the draft and Jamin Davis is a freak athlete. Zaven Collins is very good in coverage and will be a first round pick.

Cornerbacks

1. Jaycee Horn South Carolina

2. Kelvin Joseph Kentucky

3. Patrick Surtain II Alabama

4. Greg Newsome II Northwestern

5. Asante Samuel Jr. Florida State

The top three corners in this draft should be viewed as 1A, 1B, and 1C in my opinion. I think all three will be great players who should lock it down from day one. Jaycee Horn has the highest potential in my opinion. His nickname is strap because he is always locking down the number one receiver. He didn't allow a single player to have over fifty yards on him this year in the SEC. If Horns nickname is strap, then Kelvin Joseph's nickname should be clamp. In my opinion, Joseph is the best man coverage corner in the draft. I love both of those players trash talking confidence. Patrick Surtain II is a technician, he's got great footwork and fluid hips. He's going to be a stud in the NFL. Greg Newsome II is the best cover three corner in the draft. He's got great instincts and fits perfectly in that Robert Saleh system. Asante Samuel Jr. also has phenomenal eyes, he trusts what he sees and has tremendous ball skills.

Safeties

1. Andre Cisco FS/SS/LB Syracuse

2. Richie Grant FS UCF

3. Trevon Moehrig FS/SS TCU

4. Jevon Holland SS Oregon

5. Jamar Johnson FS/SS Indiana

Andre Cisco is my favorite safety in the draft. You can see in his title just how versatile he is. He's a banger and can cover sideline to sideline. Richie Grant is a pure free safety. He has tremendous speed and great range. Trevon Moehrig is also very versatile. He's phenomenal in man coverage. Jevon Holland isn't afraid to come down and guard slot receivers one on one. He has great ball skills. Jamar Johnson showed up on the biggest stage against Ohio State this year. He picked off Justin Fields twice and sacked him once. Another player with great intellect.