2017 EDGE Rankings

1) Myles Garrett, Texas A&M Aggies

Career Stats: 141 tackles, 31 sacks, 47 TFL

Height: 6'4          Weight: 272

40 Yard Dash: 4.64 Seconds

Bench: 33 reps

In most years, there is a debate as to who the best player in the NFL Draft is. This is not one of those years. Myles Garrett is the clear cut best player in the draft. A once in a generation talent, the Texas A&M product is better than Jadeveon Clowney when he declared in 2014. Garrett’s explosiveness jumps off the screen when he is torching left tackles and blowing up plays in the backfield. The combine came and he tore it up. His 40 yard dash, broad jump, bench press and vertical were all in the tops for his position. Of course there has to be one knock on Garrett because he is not without flaws. He had 12 sacks in his three years against SEC teams. This statistic is a little skewed because so many of these SEC teams aren’t running dropback pro style offenses. The quarterbacks are not throwing the ball from the pocket more than 30 times a game. The likelihood of Garrett getting a sack against teams that mainly run the ball is slim but his tackles for loss makes up for the “lack” of sacks against those teams. 47 TFL in three years is a pretty remarkable number. Garrett will be a perennial pro bowl player because of his athletic nature, ability to swat down passes at the line and edge bend around tackles. I just want to see more him bring it every single play, but like I said he is not without flaws. The Browns should not overthink this and grab the single best player in the draft with the number one overall pick.

Stat to Know - 141: Number of tackles Garrett had in his three seasons. He isn't just a one trick pony, he can do it all.

2) Derek Rivers, Youngstown State Penguins

Career Stats: 173 tackles, 37.5 sacks, 56.5 TFL

Height: 6'4          Weight: 248

40 Yard Dash: 4.61 Seconds

Bench: 30 reps

The Youngstown State product is quite the intriguing player. Yes, he is a small school prospect that dominated much of the FCS, but he did play against big time FBS schools. Even in the lower divisions, when you are a name brand and well known player, coaches will target you and devise their game plans to stay away from you. That was quite hard to do with Rivers. He always found a way to disrupt the game. Some of the negatives on his game are a direct result from him not disengaging blockers quick enough. He tends to get locked on with players and can’t get rid of them. This affects his ability to disrupt more of the run game because he loses sight of the ball carrier. Although he does have issues against longer and leaner offensive tackles, his get off is fantastic. He fires off the ball and shoots his hands into the pads of the tackle. By doing this, he can create a gap in the offensive line that gives him a two way rush option. The quarterback pressures he creates are always nice but if he could turn more of those into sacks, his stock would be sky high. He finds ways to get his hands on the quarterback but will sometimes just miss out on bringing him down. The flipside of that is that he is rushing the passer to make rush decisions. So this forces them to make errant passes or not be able to step into his throw. This can then give his defensive backs opportunities to make plays on the ball. With that said, Rivers affects the game on all fronts. I believe he would be more successful in a 3-4 rush linebacker position. The getoff he has when he is in a two point stance is better than with his hand in the dirt because he gets off the ball quicker and with more ferocity. Once Rivers can build up his strength and technique, he could be a deadly edge rusher.

Stat to Know - 19.5: Number of tackles for loss Rivers had in his last season.

3) Jordan Willis, Kansas State Wildcats

Career Stats: 113 tackles, 25.5 sacks, 39.5 TFL

Height: 6'4          Weight: 255

40 Yard Dash: 4.53 Seconds

Bench: 24 reps

A viscous edge rusher, Jordan Willis is one of the top edge rushers in this years draft. An important trait of edge rushers is the ability to bend the edge and Willis, at 255 pounds, can dip and duck under a left or right tackle with relative ease. But he has the strength to fire off the ball and give the tackle one good shot and blow him back off the line, getting him off balance. Then Willis can go wherever he wants. Even if he can’t get there for the sack, he does whatever he can to disrupt the timing of the quarterback. Whether it’s pushing the blocker into the throwing lane or sticking his hands up to knock down a pass or just getting a piece of the quarterback’s throwing arm. All of that helps the defense. I love how quickly he can react when he sees something. In the 2016 Stanford game, the right tackle goes to crash down on Willis and crash him to give the play time to develop but Willis doesn’t give him that. He swims outside the tackle and starts chasing down a much fast Christian McCaffrey. The Stanford running back does get away but he was forced to go away from the play. It’s those little plays that can ultimately affect the outcome of the game. Overall though, his awareness can be quite crappy. A few times during games, you can see Willis straight up guesses where the play is going and is flat out wrong. But there is so much natural talent that it is hard not to want to take a flyer on him and coach him up into a true edge player. His body allows him to get to that 45 degree angle that you want to see to get around offensive tackles. Plus, how could you not love that four point stance?

Stat to Know - 31.5: Number of tackles for loss in the previous two seasons.

4) Charles Harris, Missouri Tigers

Career Stats: 136 tackles, 18 sacks, 34.5 TFL

Height: 6'3         Weight: 253

40 Yard Dash: 4.82 Seconds

Bench: 21 reps

Charles Harris is that boom or bust player for me. There is some incredible upside and talent but there are quite a few qualms I have. The first is the burst off the line. Time and time again I watch him as one of the last defensive linemen firing off the ball, even in the first quarter. Then you have those instances when he shoots off the ball and manages to blow by the blocker and drills the quarterback. Where is the consistency? Next, he gets tossed around quite a bit on running plays. With ease the offensive lineman has his way with Harris and turns him to create gaps in the line. Then the running back blows by. Harris is at his best when he can get skinny and penetrate. This allows him to affect the run game, but that happens very seldomly. Pretty often he is the last person to the ball on running plays or plays down the field, which is quite frustrating. Pass rushing is a talent, run defense is mainly effort. So I just want to see more effort out of him on that front but his ability as a pass rusher is easy to see. When he does fire off the ball, in pass rush situations, he can fight the blocker's hands off, bend the edge and close in on the quarterback in a hurry. On 3 and longs, he finally fires off the ball and because he is so slow during the game on every other play, his get off catches offensive linemen off guard. I love how Harris absolutely hammers the crap out of the quarterback when he gets there. Planting his helmet into their chest and driving them into the ground. This is sometimes frowned upon when playing Tom Brady but you have to make it hurt. This is a contact sport. Harris is very frustrating to watch for me. So much talent but where is the consistency and fire from him on every play?

Stat to Know - 7.47: Number in seconds of his 3 cone drill. One of the worst times at the combine for his position.

5) Takkarist McKinley, UCLA Bruins

Career Stats: 99 tackles, 16 sacks, 28 TFL

Height: 6'2          Weight: 250

40 Yard Dash: 4.59 Seconds

Bench: 24 reps

Every prospect always has something about them that stands out while watching the film. For Takkarist McKinley, it’s his non stop motor. Football is a game of passion and desire and as long as you have some talent, you can go a long way. The former Bruin is like the energizer bunny and with that motor, you can best believe he finds different ways to be disruptive. When you do have a high motor player, they always wear down offensive linemen. Then late in ball games, when you need a disruptive play, Takk can make it. He is that player that chases plays down the field to make sure not a single yard isn’t earned by the offense. If he is part of a rotation in the beginning stages of his career, McKinley could be lethal. With his great closing speed and athletic ability, he could be great at rotating in on pass rush downs until he gains enough NFL experience to become a full time rush end in a 3-4 defense. He is still quite raw though, especially since he has not played a lot of high level football due to his poor grades coming out of high school. He was committed to the University of California but had to go to a community college and then eventually transferred to UCLA. He worked his ass of to get to where he is today and it shows what kind of worker bee attitude this kid has. His technique is quite sloppy and allows bigger offensive linemen to body him and keep him contained. You also don’t quite see the edge bend out of him that you want in a pass rusher but Takk makes up for that in other areas and could be a really good player in a few years.

Stat to Know - 4.59: Takk’s forty yard dash was the third fastest for DL at this past combine.

2017 Defensive Tackle Rankings

1) Jonathan Allen, Alabama Crimson Tide
Career Stats: 152 Tackles, 44.5 TFL, 28 Sacks, 3 Forced Fumbles
Height: 6'3          Weight: 286
Arm Length: 33 & 5/8 Inches
Bench Press: 21 Reps
3 Cone Drill: 7.49 Seconds

While there is the consensus that Myles Garrett is the best prospect in this draft, it would not surprise me in the least if Allen ended up having a better career than Garrett. While watching Allen, I can honestly say that I did not identify any true weaknesses in his game. In my opinion, the only thing that is really holding him back is his size if he does play defensive tackle. I think he can definitely still do it, but he might be a better fit as a defensive end in a 3-4 front. When watching Allen, the first thing that stands out to me is his burst off the line which is nothing short of exceptional. He plays with great leverage and fires off of the line of scrimmage into the gap with almost blinding speed. His impressive tackles for loss and sack total is built a lot on his ability to beat his man right off the bat. He has both the ability to win with this speed or win with power. He shows great natural strength and has violent hands which help him disengage from his blocker if he isn't able to win immediately. Watching some of his games, it was almost comical how he throws offensive linemen around. Guards seem to have a very difficult time keeping their hands on him to sustain a block and when combined with his speed they are always moving backwards. Allen's sack total is a true indication as a pass rusher, although he did obtain most of his sacks lining up as an edge rusher. But as an interior rusher, he shows the ability to close in on the quarterback and frightening speed and doesn't give them many options in terms of stepping up to throw. While Allen's pass rushing ability is what he'll be coveted for, he is also a tremendous run blocker. He holds up his position at the point of attack, and shuts down running lanes. He plays with excellent leverage and rarely gets moved by anything other than a double team. Allen was undoubtedly the focal point of a defense just loaded with talent. It would be a major upset in my opinion if Allen fell passed the third selection barring a run on quarterbacks.

Stat to Know - 22.5: Sacks that Allen had during his junior and senior campaigns, and the same number as Myles Garrett over the same two year span.

2) Caleb Brantley, Florida Gators
Career Stats: 80 Tackles, 20.5 TFL, 5.5 Sacks, 3 Forced Fumbles
Height: 6'3          Weight: 307
Arm Length: 32 Inches
Bench Press: 21 Reps
3 Cone Drill: 7.66 Seconds

Justin is the one who mentioned that I should watch Brantley and I'm glad that I did. He showed a lot of natural athleticism and good technique which makes me think he could see some significant playing time as a rookie. It is clear when you watch his tape that he is someone who is going to affect a game much more than his stats are going to lead on. This is both a positive and a negative however. The drawback is that there were times when I watched him that I feel like he didn't finish plays, whether it was getting the quarterback down before the ball is thrown or completing a tackle behind the line of scrimmage on a running back. The positive is that he generates pressure up the middle and forces quarterbacks to move around which set ups his teammates for sacks, something that isn't indicated by his totals above. Lot most elite defensive tackles, the first thing that should jump off the screen is their quickness off the line of scrimmage. Brantley looks incredibly explosive and fires through the gap faster than a lot of guys can react against him. A testament to his athleticism, Brantley is incredibly nimble and moves through traffic well to the quarterback or running back. If he gets a line of sight on his man, he closes the gap quickly to shut down the play. I think what separates Brantley from other tackles is his repertoire of pass rushing moves. I saw him hit a lot of swim moves and spins against guards who were largely caught by surprise by how he moves like a blitzing linebacker. Combined with his violent use of his hands, and interior lineman really struggle to keep him in front of them. Brantley has adequate strength and is good at shutting down running lanes, but there were times that I felt he looked a little bit inconsistent against the run. There would be a series where he either clogs the lane or sheds a block to make the tackle, and then others he just gets completely taken out of the play. Developing more consistency will be key to his success as a pro, but I like what he brings to the game right now. I think that he could be a plug and play type player if drafted in the mid 20s of the first round.

Number to Know - 5.5: Number of sacks Brantley had over two seasons, a bit of a low number. While he can be a disrupter, he needs to finish more plays for loss.

3) Malik McDowell, Michigan State Spartans
Career Stats: 88 Tackles, 24.5 TFL, 7.5 Sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles
Height: 6'6          Weight: 295
Arm Length: 34 & 3/4 Inches
Bench Press: 23 Reps
3 Cone Drill: 7.69 Seconds

Oh what could have been. A high five star athlete, McDowell committed to Michigan State over Michigan and Ohio State much to the chagrin of his parents who wanted him to be a Buckeye to get away from his hood rat friends. He did not listen and played for the Spartans where he looked like a top ten, or even top five, pick prior to his junior year. But then those major character concerns reared their ugly head and McDowell was heavily criticized this past year for his lack of effort in both improving his game and playing hard every single play. It may just be enough to drop him out of the first round. It is sad to see because he is just such a brilliant natural athlete. As I've been preaching above, the first thing you want to see is explosiveness out of their stance and McDowell might be better than Allen in that regard. I saw several plays each game where he was through the line before the guard was out of his stance. What I really love about his game is just how versatile he is. He often lined up inside as a tackle but would also line up as a five technique and showed outstanding bend to get around tackles. It is not a stretch to say the with the exception of nose tackle, he can play any position in any scheme. His exceptional size and arm length makes him a tremendous fit as a defensive end if he is drafted to a team that runs a 3-4. Once he is in the open, look out as he is someone who will take not two steps to get to the quarterback. McDowell is not just a speed freak as he also shows a lot of natural strength and the ability to shed blocks with that strength. However, the other major gripe that I have with him is just how raw he is which actually ties back to his work ethic and character concerns. Several scouts at the Combine said that he was the worst interview they had ever done. If he is not committed to getting better everyday in practice, then he will wash out before his rookie contract is over. It is such a shame today because sky is the limit for this kid.

Number to Know - 3: As in he was the second highest rated defensive tackle according to Rivals coming out of high school, behind DeShawn Hand who can't crack the starting lineup at Bama and Myles Garrett who is going first overall.

2017 Wide Receiver Rankings

1) Corey Davis, Western Michigan Broncos

Career Stats: 331 receptions, 5278 yards, 52 touchdowns

Height: 6'3          Weight: 209

40 Yard Dash: N/A

Vertical: N/A

In an interesting turn of events, the cornerback class this year is deeper than the wide receivers. With that said, I would still take this prospect over any of the cornerbacks. Corey Davis is one of my favorite players in this class. The Western Michigan product is an incredibly fine tuned receiver with great hands, great speed for his size, and runs fluid routes. He is a true number one receiver as he has the ability to run a clean and crisp route, catch the ball in traffic, and make a man miss on his way to the endzone. Even poor quarterback play couldn’t slow down Davis as he was constantly stared down from snap to pass. This let the cornerbacks know the ball was going to the former Bronco but time and time again Davis still brought the ball down. It felt like quarterbacks could simply throw the ball up and he would come down with it consistently. The comeback routes he runs are a thing of beauty as he settles his quick feet and drops his hips all in one motion. He comes back to the ball hard and sudden and snatches the ball from the air. The best part of Davis’s game is his ability to gain yards after catch. He catches the ball, often with defenders draped all over him, and manages to stiff arm or shake the opposing player and is then off to the races. From start to finish, there are not many holes you can put into Davis's game. He's a well oiled machine that is ready for the NFL.

Stat to Know - 5278: Davis's receiving yards is one of the reasons why he is regarded as the most prolific receiver in FBS history.

2) Mike Williams, Clemson Tigers

Career Stats: 177 receptions, 2727 yards, 21 touchdowns

Height: 6'4          Weight: 218

40 Yard Dash: 4.53

Vertical: 32.5

The number one receiver in the mind of many scouts is my number two receiver. Mike Williams is a big bodied power receiver. He has the ability to be a number one receiver in the right system but I see him as more of an Alshon Jeffery type receiver where he will be a very good player but with another good receiver by his side, he could be great. He does have some great attributes such as adjusting his body back towards the ball, possessing very strong hands and the ability to come down with most 50/50 throws. But he has a tough time creating the separation that you need to make in the NFL. Most top level quarterbacks can throw you open but there's only a handful of those. More often than not, you need to create some sliver of separation and that is something Williams needs to work on. One trait that he has that somewhat nullifies his inability to create separation is that he can make tough catches in small windows. Sometimes you don’t need a lot of room, especially with the windows in the next level being small. Williams’ route running can be refined to help him get open to get that yards after catch but that will require quite a bit of work. Working on his feet and route running will keep him more upright and keep his feet under himself. This can keep him from falling down on occasion. He will be a quality receiver but I think a strong number two receiver with some help will be his ceiling.

Stat to Know - 4.53: Mike Williams's unofficial pro day forty yard dash was key to solidifying his top twenty selection.

3) John Ross, Washington Huskies

Career Stats: 114 receptions, 1729 yards, 22 touchdowns

Height: 5'11          Weight: 188

40 Yard Dash: 4.22

Vertical: 37

The person who first coined the term, “Speed kills”, obviously had no idea how fast John Ross is. The former Husky left cornerbacks and safeties in the dust and looking like a complete fool (say "hi", Adoree Jackson). Ross runs his routes with extreme precision and if he gains a step on somebody, he will be open. Don’t be fooled by his blazing 4.22 speed. One of his best traits is his ability as a red zone threat. In the red zone, his route tree is fantastic to watch. His corner routes with a little shimmy shake to the inside and then burst back out will get him open. Then he runs a comeback, drops his hips and turns towards where the throw will be and plucks it out of the air. Ross is a better prospect than Will Fuller because he can actually catch the ball. Fuller tended to have those lapses in focus and would drop non contested balls. Ross will be a fantastic slot receiver when he improves his short and intermediate routes. His return ability is unmatched when he has the ball in his hands. The main concern for him will be his small stature and knee injuries. He is as close to DeSean Jackson that you can get and will sometimes have the same body language when he drops a pass or if a quarterback misses him while he is wide open. But for a team looking to spread open the field with unbelievable speed, Ross is the guy.  

Stat to Know - 4.22: Ross's forty yard dash set the NFL combine record and it wasn't as fast as he could have ran. He pulled up a little at the end because of legs cramps.

4) Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington Eagles

Career Stats: 428 receptions, 6464 yards, 70 touchdowns

Height: 6'2          Weight: 204

40 Yard Dash: 4.62

Vertical: 31

The most prolific wide receiver in the history of the Football Championship Series finds his way into my top five. There are an obscene amount of second tier wide receivers in this year’s draft that it was hard to narrow it down but Kupp made my cut. Let’s rattle off some career numbers: 428 receptions, 6464 receiving yards and 73 touchdowns. His career was off the charts no matter what level he played against. In his career against FBS opponents, he never had less than 70 receiving yards and against a top secondary, like the University of Washington, he had 8 catches, 145 yards and 3 touchdowns. The same secondary that started current star NFL cornerback Marcus Peters and future draft pick in Sidney Jones. Kupp has fantastic spatial awareness and always knows where the defenders are on the field once he catches the ball. This helps facilitate the fact that he is great with the ball in his hands and fights for that extra yard or cuts back to the open field. His love of the game seems unparalleled as he and his wife went to New Orleans for their honeymoon and he conveniently “found” a football camp and went on to attend it! Kupp catches the ball with ease and makes incredibly difficult catches quite often. He excels out of the slot but I think he could play inside or outside. Although there is always the transition of moving up from the lower levels of collegiate football and jumping to the NFL, Kupp seemed to quiet those doubters as he crushed the Senior Bowl. I have no doubts that Kupp will make it in the NFL and have a very solid and productive career.

Stat to Know - 6464: Kupp's receiving yards in four years in college. That's over 3.5 miles!

5) Curtis Samuel, Ohio State Buckeyes

Career Stats: 107 receptions, 1249 yards, 24 touchdowns

Height: 5'11          Weight: 196

40 Yard Dash: 4.31

Vertical: 37

If it not for John Ross’s blazing 4.22 second forty yard dash, we would definitely be talking about Samuel and his 4.31. There are certain prospects that you watch and can tell that they play faster than their forty time. Most of the time this is in reference to guys who are relatively slow. Not in Curtis Samuel’s case. His forty time was fast and it appears that he plays even faster than that. It is true that he isn’t a traditional wide receiver but offensive weapons like this don’t come along very often and are always a valuable resource on a team. His route running is above par for a guy who comes out of the backfield. The best part of his game is his ability to create space. Yes, this does come from his quickness but even fast guys don’t get this wide open with such ease. I do like his ability as a receiver and think he could be extremely effective if in the right offense. His ability to return kicks can help get him on the field early and then have designed sub packages to get him on offense. Samuel does fight the ball a little bit when catching passes, especially on comeback and slant routes but he’s a special player when the ball is in his hands. He had quite a few instances when he was not on the same page with JT Barrett, so I would like to know who fault that was. The other part of Samuel’s game that needs refining is his get off against press coverage. If he’s in the slot, he won’t be seeing a lot of press coverage unless he really struggles against it but with good coaching this can be helped. Every single NFL team needs a player like Samuel. They can change the game or momentum at any instance.

Stat to Know - 23: Number of combined rushing and receiving touchdowns in 2016.

2017 Offensive Tackle Rankings

1) Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin Badgers
Height: 6'6          Weight: 310 
Arm Length: 33 3/4 Inches
Bench Press: 25 Reps
3 Cone Drill: DNP

It was incredibly tough to grade this year's class of offensive tackles as none of them appear to be elite prospects and they all have various skill sets. This wasn't an easy ranking, but Ramczyk was my choice as the top tackle due to his skill set as both a pass protector and run blocker. As a run blocker, Ramczyk is a bit disappointing as he doesn't have the usual mean streak that a lot of Wisconsin lineman have when they come out. He isn't one who wants to drive their man into the ground and make sure he gets the last word in on the play. It also shows in the way that he doesn't necessarily launch guys off of the line. He isn't a run blocker who is going to open up a ton of lanes with pure strength, but he does show a good ability to manipulate his man and get them turned around to the point that they can't make a play on the ball carrier. I think that his overall power is my biggest concern with Ramczyk for the pros. He didn't get beat too often by bull rushes as he plays with a good base, but I wouldn't be surprised if guys who can convert speed to power well in the NFL are able to knock him around a bit. However, I came away very impressed with his abilities as a pass blocker. Ramcyzk looked very light on his feet and showed good ability to mirror edge rushers who tried to turn the corner on him. With his nimbleness, he also showed a good ability to be able to get after linebackers at the second level when the play called for it. Ramczyk played with good leverage and knee bend and was rarely, if ever, caught off balance. With the NFL continuing it's to a much more pass oriented style, Ramczyk could be quite the commodity in a draft class that is perceived to be weak at tackle. The most interesting thing about his pre-draft process will be how teams grade what they believe to be a love of passion for the game. He took some time off after high school and scouts said following the Combine that they question what his motives for playing in the NFL truly are.

Number to Know - 1: Number of years that Ramczyk played D1 football. He showed a lot of promise, but will teams further downgrade him for being a one year wonder?


2) Cam Robinson, Alabama Crimson Tide
Height: 6'6          Weight: 322
Arm Length: 35 1/2 Inches
Bench Press: DNP
3 Cone Drill: 7.81 Seconds

A five star prospect and the top offensive tackle in his class, I was certain that Robinson was destined for big things when he started as a true freshman for Alabama. A pretty significant sophomore slump followed up a bit of a rocky junior year has dampened my beliefs a bit, but I still think that Robinson can be a fine lineman in the NFL, although it may be more so at right tackle than on the blindside. More than any of the other lineman I scouted, Robinson has natural, effortless upper body strength. He is an absolute monster in the run game as he launches his man off the line of scrimmage and continues to relentlessly drive them back. There were not a lot of lineman that were able to get the best of him in the run game, and it was almost comical when he hit the second or third level trying to see guys go through or around him. He manages to lock on to linebackers very well and throw them to the ground and take them out of plays. Against bull rushes, there were times when it didn't even look like it phased him as he maintains good balance and a good base. Combined with his power, bull rushes are almost worthless. However, speed rushes were his biggest detriment and they will likely continue to be in the NFL as you can't teach athleticism. He doesn't have elite speed or lateral quickness to be able to take away angles from speed rushers and often got beat back to the inside if a defensive end put a double move on him. Myles Garrett didn't have a lot of opportunities to affect the game, but when he got off the line quickly he was able to hit the edge and force Jalen Hurts to throw quicker than he wanted. And if you really want to see domination, watch what Derek Barnett did to Robinson. With his lack of quick feet, Robinson is probably better suited to play either right tackle or slide inside to guard where his ability to handle power and sustain blocks would be more valuable. It'll be interesting to see where teams think his skill set is best served.

Number to Know - 3: Number of years as a starter that Robinson played at left tackle. Considering how well Nick Saban has recruited the offensive line, this is a tremendous feat.


3) Garett Bolles, Utah Utes
Height: 6'5          Weight: 297
Arm Length: 34 Inches
Bench Press: DNP
3 Cone Drill: 7.29 Seconds

Most people probably haven't heard of Bolles due to East Coast Bias and all that, but by the time their careers are done he might be the best lineman out of these three players. Bolles has exceptional quickness and speed. There are times when I was watching him that I thought I was watching a tight end because he moved so fast and effortlessly for an offensive tackle. He has the ability to mirror speed rushers better than anyone that I saw. He takes away angles no matter how steep they come in at and is quick enough to readjust himself and re-engage rushers who put a double move on him. Utah ran a lot of pulling plays that involved him coming through an interior gap to pick up a linebacker and it was crazy to watch. The first few plays that I watched of him, I though I was accidentally focusing on one of their guards. This makes him a huge asset on running plays as offensive coordinators can get very creative with how they use him. This will help boost his stock as he does struggle at times with the run game when the play is designed to follow him. As you can tell by his weight, he isn't exactly the biggest and bulkiest offensive lineman and his reluctance to perform on the bench press will only serve to increase suspicions. He lacks elite upper body strength and does not always play with the sturdiest base which in turn opens up to being beaten bigger and more physical defensive ends. However, I love the attitude that he brings to each snap. Much like Robinson, he plays with a mean streak and will always play through the whistle and at teams even a tad bit beyond. He relishes in contact and his ability to dominate and he does not take plays off. All in all, Bolles might end up being a better guard on the right team due to his ability to pull and lock onto unsuspecting defenders. But if he can add 10-15 pounds of mass, I think he can really become a good left tackle in the NFL.

Number to Know - 25: The age that Bolles will be when he attends offseason workouts due to his faith and going on the mission trip. I'm hoping that his dominant play wasn't the product of being more physically mature.

2017 Defensive End Rankings

1) Solomon Thomas, Stanford Cardinals

Career Stats: 98 tackles, 12 sacks, 24.5 TFL
Height: 6'3          Weight: 273
40 Yard Dash: 4.69 Seconds
Bench: 30 reps

Despite having a spectacular season, there was very little hype around the Stanford prospect. After his bowl game against North Carolina, the whole draft community was scouring the internet trying to find as much information about Thomas. Solomon Thomas is a true defensive end. He has the size at 6’3” and 273 pounds, and strength to match up against any offensive tackle but then has the ability to kick inside on passing downs to give his team the versatility to keep offenses on their heels. His burst off the line is a thing of beauty as he can catch offensive linemen off guard with his deceptively quick speed. And as shown by his three cone drill, 6.95 seconds, the former Cardinal can bend the edge and knock down running backs and quarterbacks in the backfield. While his sack numbers may indicate a lack of production, he was actually quite the team player by playing a lot of defensive tackle and eating up two blockers to allow his team to get the best matchups. I love how well he carries his weight. This can definitely be attributed to the amount of boxing he has recently picked up. This newfound love of that sport also helped with his hand fighting on offensive linemen. The young 21 year old is a smart and intuitive player on the field. I have been saying for months that Thomas is going to be a top ten lock, the rest of the league has finally caught up and agreed and he could easily go as high as 2 to the San Francisco 49ers.

Stat to Know - 6.95: Thomas's three cone drill time. He had the fourth fastest time at the combine for defensive lineman despite being at least twenty pounds heavier than the three guys ahead of him.

2) Derek Barnett, Tennessee Volunteers

Career Stats: 198 tackles, 33 sacks, 52 TFL
Height: 6'3          Weight: 259
40 Yard Dash: 4.88 Seconds

Bench: DNP

Some say that stats can lie. Box score watching is a term used by others. Production doesn’t lie. Derek Barnett is a prime example of that. Barnett is the ONLY SEC player in the history of the conference to have 10 plus sacks in three seasons. That is an incredible feat that very few players get the opportunity to have. It shows that he gets the game, even when he was a young 19 year old player and with each passing year, his talent has grown. Reggie White used to hold the Tennessee all time sack record, until Barnett broke it. For those who don't know who Reggie White is, he played 15 years in the NFL and retired as the all time sacks leader with 198. I am definitely not saying Barnett is Reggie White but he did fill some pretty big shoes while at Tennessee. He is able to get low and bend under left tackles with great closing ability to whomever holds the ball. He may not be as athletic as Myles Garrett but if you watch him cover Texas A&M’s wide receiver and NFL prospect, Josh Reynolds (4.52 forty yard dash), your mouth will drop. Barnett is a great hand fighter when offensive lineman try putting their hands on him. Making adjustments is part of the college and NFL game and Barnett realizes situations during games and adapts to it. His multitude of pass rushing moves is a great start (bull rush, spin move, fake spin) and will only get better with refinement and practice. This Tennessee Vol is exactly what you look for in an NFL prospect. A combination of ability AND production.

Stat to Know - 33: Derek Barnett had one more sack than NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White had at the University of Tennessee.

3) DeMarcus Walker, Florida State Seminoles

Career Stats: 179 tackles, 27 sacks, 41.5 TFL
Height: 6'4          Weight: 280
40 Yard Dash: 4.76 Seconds

Bench: 18 reps 

Walker is another player, like Derek Barnett, that has the production to backup his high NFL upside. His stats speak for themselves. In the last two seasons, 33.5 tackles for loss, 25 sacks, 6 forced fumbles and 1 interception! Walker makes a living in the backfield as noted by those tackles for loss. Players like this need to be on your team as a pure disruptor with very good instincts. They can find ways to disrupt the passing game by going around defensive ends or ruining the running game by going straight up the gut and cutting off running backs in the backfield. I love that he still has the wherewithal to see a screen play develop and not get sucked in too much and start booking it to where the ball is going. Players can't just pin their ears back and only go after the quarterback and and Walker knows that. The swim move he implements is a thing of beauty. He does a fantastic job of sucking in the offensive linemen and gets them leaning to one side and then cuts and swims inside, blowing by the blocker. Sometimes he uses the swim move a little too often but it can be extremely effective. His motor can be a little bit of an issue but he was used quite a bit while at Florida State. In the NFL, he would be part of a rotation of defensive linemen to keep him and the other defensive linemen fresh. I think he would best be suited at being a strong side defensive end and then kicking inside on pass rush downs. Then he can use his burst and array of pass rush moves against slower guards to disrupt plays in the middle of the line. Walker shows plenty of emotion during the game and he isn't afraid to get into his teammates faces and be the leader that they need. When he sees a wide open quarterback, he kicks it into overdrive and manhandles offensive linemen out of the way to close in on the sack, then finishes strong. I would like to see more hand usage out of the Florida State defensive end. Too many times I see a guard or tackle get their hands on him and he can't shake them. He could be a true game changer if he put forth the same aggressiveness every time when he sees an opportunity at hitting the quarterback. Walker could be a real difference maker on a defensive line.

4) Taco Charlton, Michigan Wolverines

Career Stats: 91 tackles, 19 sacks, 28 TFL
Height: 6'6          Weight: 277
40 Yard Dash: 4.92 Seconds

Bench: 25 reps 

The draft community has some weird affection for Taco Charlton. Yes he does many things well, but inconsistency and motivation isn’t easy to fix. What you are buying Taco for is his potential, a word that makes many teams picking in the top 15 shudder. He is slow off the line and gets constantly gets manhandled one on one by offensive lineman. I realize he was playing through an ankle injury his senior year but he started one game his sophomore year and three his junior year. Charlton was playing around elite defenders as well that helped create room for him to make plays. You would think that less attention on him would garner more disruptive plays at his position. Then the consistency aspect comes into play. He has some plays where he looks like a future pro bowl player. He sizes up the offensive tackle, fakes a move inside, bends around the corner and spin moves around the blocker, leading him to drill the quarterback. Then you say, “Where was that every play”. It’s mind boggling at times. Was the ankle injury really holding him back that much? Time will tell. The former Wolverine needs to play with more grit but with getting to the quarterback such a priority, Charlton will find his name called much sooner than I would think. Finding a way to get him to give maximum effort every play will be key but his potential is there.

Stat to Know - 15: Number of games that Taco Charlton started in his Michigan career.

  

5) Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova Wildcats

Career Stats: 105 tackles, 22 sacks, 37.5 TFL
Height: 6'7          Weight: 289
40 Yard Dash: 4.83 Seconds

Bench: 23 reps 

One of my favorite player’s in this years draft is the small school defensive end from Villanova. Tanoh Kpassagnon may be one of the smartest players off the field coming out this year. He was a double major in accounting and finance and is the son of a chemical engineer and an economist. He is a very raw player though. Starting out as a tight end in 2012, he eventually switched to the other side of the ball in 2015. Two years playing the position is not a lot of time to work on your craft but he is another small school prospect with incredible upside. Kpassagnon has the makeup to be a full time defensive end once he gets the proper coaching. NFL scouts have to find out if he truly loves football though but one has to assume so. He was a captain of his team and played through a plethora of injuries. His ability to get underneath the pads of offensive linemen and put them on skates, controlling their every movement, will be tougher in the NFL as opposed to Division 1 AA. But after a year of playing in the NFL, his intellect will allow him to fully immerse himself into the game. He may not be that great edge bender, 15 sack a year player but he is able to play in multiple defenses and play them well. Kpassagnon needs to refine his technique, specifically when he tries to overpower offensive linemen and allows them to put their hands on him. He needs to do a better job of fighting them off, but I think he will he will adapt well to what NFL defenses need him to do. His upside is tremendous once he puts it all together.

Stat to Know - 84.5: Number in inches that is Kpassagnon's wingspan.