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Tony Pauline from TFYdraft (who also writes for CNNSI) is one of the better draftniks around IMHO, after Rick Gosselin and Nolan Nawrocki. TFYdraft has just published their positional rankings, with some interesting choices.
DE
This position covers a wide range of guys, from guys who project to 3-4 DEs to guys who project to 3-4 OLB, as well as classic 4-3 DEs.
At the DE position, Pauline ranks Greg Hardy #1, Greg Romeus of Pittsburgh #2, Jason Pierre-Paul #3, and Ricky Sapp #4, ranking all as 1st round picks. Pauline notes that Pierre-Paul is likely to come out this year.
Pauline's 5-9 DEs include Corey Wooton, Cameron Heyward, Carlos Dunlap, Derrick Morgan, and Jeremy Beal. That seems low for Morgan, who has been shooting up draft boards and looks like a sure top-20 pick at the moment. Pauline thinks Heyward (son of Ironhead Heyward, and a fabulous 3-4 DE prospect at 6'6" 290#) is likely to stay for hwspis senior year, but that Morgan and Dunlap are coming out. He considers Beal a "fast, athletic end best in a conventional system", though Beal originally came to Oklahoma as an OLB prospect. And he ranks Everson Griffen #15 among DE prospects (2nd-3rd round), and Adrian Clayborn #35 (5th round prospect).
An interesting prospect to watch is Cal junior DE Cameron Jordan (son of former Minnesota TE Steve Jordan), 6'4" 287#, who could be a good 5 technique prospect. Pauline ranks him #14 (2nd-3rd round).
TFY
OLB
Pauline ranks Jerry Hughes (1st round), Sergio Kindle (1st/2nd round) and Eric Norwood (2nd round) as his top 3. Interestingly, he has Sean Weatherspoon ranked as a 2nd round pick at #6.
Many of the guys listed under the DE group could end up as 3-4 OLBs, including Ricky Sapp and Jeremy Beal.
TFY
DT
Many of these guys project to 3-4 DE, as do some of the DE prospects (Cameron Heyward, Corey Wooton, Cameron Jordan, possibly Adrian Clayborn.
Not surprisingly, Pauline has Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy and Terrance Cody as the top 3 DTs. He has Arthur Jones (#4) as a first rounder, and Jared Odrick (#5) and Marvin Austin (#8) as borderline 1st/2nd rounders, with Vince Oghobasse (#10) as a projected 2nd round pick.
Mid round guys of interest who project to 3-4 DE include Lawrence Marsh of Florida (#21, projected 3rd-4th round) and Brandon Deaderick of Alabama (#26, projected 5th round).
TFY
ILB
The only interesting thing here is that Pauline lists Brandon Spikes #1 as a 1st round prospect, and Rolando McClain #2 as a borderline 1st/2nd. I see that as being the reverse of what is likely to happen. The only other ranking of interest is that Pauline projects Iowa MLB Pat Angerer as a FA prospect, ranking him #29.
TFY
OT
Pauline ranks Rutgers OT Anthony Davis #2 after Russell Okung. My 2 favorite guys, Maryland junior Bruce Campbell (#8) and LSU junior Joseph Barksdale (#11), are both projected as 3rd round prospects, which seems low. Pauline ranks Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi #6 and projects him to the 2nd round, but calls him "solid pass protecting LT", whereas Carimi seems to be a pure RT or possibly even OG prospect.
TFY
OG/C
Among OG's Pauline ranks Idaho's Mike Iupati 1st, as his only projected clear 1st day pick (borderline 1st/2nd round). He doesn't even list Stanford OG Andrew Phillips, who has been destroying people.
Pauline lists Maurkice Pouncey #1 among center prospects and projects him as a 1st round pick. He only projects Penn St. center Stefan Wisniewski and USC center Kris O'Dowd (#9) as 5th-6th round picks, which seems ridiculous.
TFY
TFY
RB
Pauline projects Jonathan Dwyer, Jahvid Best, CJ Spiller and Ryan Mathews as his top 4 backs, with Dwyer and Best as 1st round picks. He projects Anthony Dixon (#8) and Toby Gerhart (#9) as 3rd-4th round picks, Dexter McCluser (#21) as a 4th-5th round pick, and LaGarrette Blount as a 7th round pick.
TFY
DE
This position covers a wide range of guys, from guys who project to 3-4 DEs to guys who project to 3-4 OLB, as well as classic 4-3 DEs.
At the DE position, Pauline ranks Greg Hardy #1, Greg Romeus of Pittsburgh #2, Jason Pierre-Paul #3, and Ricky Sapp #4, ranking all as 1st round picks. Pauline notes that Pierre-Paul is likely to come out this year.
Pauline's 5-9 DEs include Corey Wooton, Cameron Heyward, Carlos Dunlap, Derrick Morgan, and Jeremy Beal. That seems low for Morgan, who has been shooting up draft boards and looks like a sure top-20 pick at the moment. Pauline thinks Heyward (son of Ironhead Heyward, and a fabulous 3-4 DE prospect at 6'6" 290#) is likely to stay for hwspis senior year, but that Morgan and Dunlap are coming out. He considers Beal a "fast, athletic end best in a conventional system", though Beal originally came to Oklahoma as an OLB prospect. And he ranks Everson Griffen #15 among DE prospects (2nd-3rd round), and Adrian Clayborn #35 (5th round prospect).
An interesting prospect to watch is Cal junior DE Cameron Jordan (son of former Minnesota TE Steve Jordan), 6'4" 287#, who could be a good 5 technique prospect. Pauline ranks him #14 (2nd-3rd round).
TFY
OLB
Pauline ranks Jerry Hughes (1st round), Sergio Kindle (1st/2nd round) and Eric Norwood (2nd round) as his top 3. Interestingly, he has Sean Weatherspoon ranked as a 2nd round pick at #6.
Many of the guys listed under the DE group could end up as 3-4 OLBs, including Ricky Sapp and Jeremy Beal.
TFY
DT
Many of these guys project to 3-4 DE, as do some of the DE prospects (Cameron Heyward, Corey Wooton, Cameron Jordan, possibly Adrian Clayborn.
Not surprisingly, Pauline has Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy and Terrance Cody as the top 3 DTs. He has Arthur Jones (#4) as a first rounder, and Jared Odrick (#5) and Marvin Austin (#8) as borderline 1st/2nd rounders, with Vince Oghobasse (#10) as a projected 2nd round pick.
Mid round guys of interest who project to 3-4 DE include Lawrence Marsh of Florida (#21, projected 3rd-4th round) and Brandon Deaderick of Alabama (#26, projected 5th round).
TFY
ILB
The only interesting thing here is that Pauline lists Brandon Spikes #1 as a 1st round prospect, and Rolando McClain #2 as a borderline 1st/2nd. I see that as being the reverse of what is likely to happen. The only other ranking of interest is that Pauline projects Iowa MLB Pat Angerer as a FA prospect, ranking him #29.
TFY
OT
Pauline ranks Rutgers OT Anthony Davis #2 after Russell Okung. My 2 favorite guys, Maryland junior Bruce Campbell (#8) and LSU junior Joseph Barksdale (#11), are both projected as 3rd round prospects, which seems low. Pauline ranks Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi #6 and projects him to the 2nd round, but calls him "solid pass protecting LT", whereas Carimi seems to be a pure RT or possibly even OG prospect.
TFY
OG/C
Among OG's Pauline ranks Idaho's Mike Iupati 1st, as his only projected clear 1st day pick (borderline 1st/2nd round). He doesn't even list Stanford OG Andrew Phillips, who has been destroying people.
Pauline lists Maurkice Pouncey #1 among center prospects and projects him as a 1st round pick. He only projects Penn St. center Stefan Wisniewski and USC center Kris O'Dowd (#9) as 5th-6th round picks, which seems ridiculous.
TFY
TFY
RB
Pauline projects Jonathan Dwyer, Jahvid Best, CJ Spiller and Ryan Mathews as his top 4 backs, with Dwyer and Best as 1st round picks. He projects Anthony Dixon (#8) and Toby Gerhart (#9) as 3rd-4th round picks, Dexter McCluser (#21) as a 4th-5th round pick, and LaGarrette Blount as a 7th round pick.
TFY