Who are the top 10 players at each position? I’ll give you my rankings with several notes after each position. With that said, let’s take a look.

 

QB

1. DeShone Kizer ND
2. Mitchell Trubisky UNC
3. Deshaun Watson CLE
4. Pat Mahomes TTU
5. Brad Kaaya MIA
6. Josh Dobbs TENN
7. Chad Kelly OLE
8. Davis Webb CAL
9. Jerod Evans VT
10. Nate Peterman PITT

 

Notes:

• I will continue to scream it: Kizer is QB1! I have a really hard time envisioning him not being good.
• Dobbs is really intriguing as a mid round QB.
• Kelly is still firmly on my board in the mid rounds.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7MlOhU10-s[/embedyt]

RB

1. (1a) Joe Mixon OKL
2. (1b) Christian McCaffrey STAN
3. Leonard Fournette LSU
4. Dalvin Cook FSU
5. Alvin Kamara TENN
6. Jeremy McNichols BSU
7. D’onta Foreman TEX
8. Joe Williams UTAH
9. Kareem Hunt TOL
10. James Connor PIT

 

Notes:

• This will raise some eyebrows. We have been evaluating RBs incorrectly for a few years now. The league is a passing league, and 62% of plays were passes in 2016. If you cannot play on 3rd down, then you lose significant value. Mixon and McCaffrey excel in the pass game and making defenders miss.
• McNichols, Foreman, and Joe Williams are nice mid-round players.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5k_A7atcmY[/embedyt]

WR

1. Corey Davis WMU
2. John Ross WASH
3. Mike Williams CLE
4. Carlos Henderson LTU
5. Chris Godwin PSU
6. Taywan Taylor WKU
7. Zay Jones ECU
8. Ardarius Stewart BAMA
9. Curtis Samuel OSU
10. JuJu Smith-Schuster USC

 

Notes:

• Three different types of players are at the top, and they are really interchangeable. Davis is the route runner/YAC guy, Ross the absolute speed demon, Williams the contested catch machine. Today’s game centers around speed and space, and Davis and Ross are the best at that. Henderson, Taylor and Stewart also excel in these areas.

 

TEs

1. OJ Howard BAMA
2. David Njoku MIA
3. Evan Engram OLE
4. Bucky Hodges VTU
5. Adam Shaheen ASH
6. Jake Butt MICH
7. Jordan Leggett CLEM
8. Jeremy Sprinkle ARK
9. Jonnu Smith FIU
10. Jason Croom TENN

 

Notes:

• The top 4-5 players of this group are phenomenal.
• Howard and Njoku are superior prospects to former top 10 pick Eric Ebron.
• Engram and Hodges are matchup nightmares built for a 2017-style passing attack.
• Shaheen is a late riser but very athletic.

 

OT

1. Garrett Bolles UTAH
2. Cam Robinson BAMA
3. Ryan Ramczyk WIS
4. Roderick Johnson FSU
5. Antonio Garcia TROY
6. Taylor Moton WMU
7. Will Holden VAND
8. David Sharpe FLA
9. Adam Bisnowaty PITT
10. Julie’n Davenport BUCK

 

Notes:

• Many say this is a bad OT class, but I think they may be underselling this class.
• Bolles has the athleticism to be a very good LT.
• Johnson, Garcia, Moton, and Holden are a few of my favorites as potential pro starters.
• I would avoid Ramczyk at the end of Round 1.

 

OG/C

1. Forrest Lamp WKU
2. Dion Dawkins TEMP
3. Pat Elflein OSU
4. Dan Feeney IND
5. Dorian Johnson PITT
6. Isaac Asiata UTAH
7. Ethan Pocic LSU
8. Jordan Morgan KUTZ
9. Danny Isidora MIA
10. Nico Siragusa SDST

 

Notes:

• Lamp is the headliner and a potential mid Round 1 selection.
• I like Pat Elflein as a round 2 center pick.
• Dawkins has a chance to play right tackle if needed, but I would keep him inside for now.

 

EDGE

1. Myles Garrett TAMU
2. Solomon Thomas STAN HYBRID
3. Charles Harris MIZZ
4. Tim Williams BAMA
5. Takarrist Mckinley UCLA
6. Derek Rivers YST
7. Carl Lawson AUB
8. Taco Charlton MICH
9. Derek Barnett TENN
10. Tyus Bowser HOU

 

Notes:

• This is an awesome group. I see 7-8 potential 8+ sacks per season players in this group.
• Rivers is the guy that you probably haven’t heard of that you need to look up. He’s excellent and is a borderline 1st rounder.
• I’m not a Barnett fan. Guys whose strength is playing the run are devalued in today’s league.
• Bowser is a sleeper on Day 2.

 

DT

1. Malik McDowell MICH ST
2. Jonathan Allen BAMA
3. Chris Wormley MICH
4. Caleb Brantley FLA
5. Jaleel Johnson IOWA
6. Dalvin Tomlinson BAMA
7. Larry Ogunjobi CHAR
8. Montravious Adams AUB
9. Carlos Watkins CLEM
10. Nazair Jones UNC

 

Notes:

• I would say this is the weakest group of the entire draft class. The depth just is not there, and there really is not any sure thing at the top.
• McDowell is an extremely high upside player.
• Allen is a force, but Alabama defenders often have longevity concerns. Allen’s shoulders are an issue here.
• I like Wormley and Brantley as penetrators. Wormley was the best Michigan defender this season and no one is talking about him.

 

OTB LB

1. Reuben Foster BAMA
2. Haason Reddick TEMP
3. Jarrad Davis FLA
4. Zach Cunningham VANDY
5. Raekwon McMillan OSU
6. Duke Riley LSU
7. Alex Anzalone FLA
8. Elijah Lee KSU
9. Anthony Walker Jr. NWST
10. Kendall Beckwith LSU

 

Notes:

• I pretty much will not draft you if you can’t cover well. It is a passing league. 
• McMillan and Beckwith will not be on my team, but I will make room for Reddick and Davis, two of the biggest risers this draft.
• I almost moved Reddick above Foster, but just could not bring myself to do it. Davis is a potential value at the end of day 1/beginning of day 2.

 

CB

1. Marshon Lattimore OSU
2. Gareon Conley OSU
3. Marlon Humphrey BAMA
4. Chidobe Awuzie COL
5. Sidney Jones WASH
6. Tre’Davious White LSU
7. Teez Tabor FLA
8. Kevin King WASH
9. Fabian Moreau UCLA
10. Quincy Wilson FLA

 

Notes:

• Another tremendous group. The OSU corners are the headliners.
• Lattimore has shutdown ability if his hamstrings remain healthy.
• I have been on Conley for awhile. He is not getting the hype because of Lattimore.
• I’m not a Humphrey fan because zone corners are pretty easy to find. This is a draft in which a 2nd-3rd round player may start on day 1.

 

S

1. Malik Hooker OSU
2. Jamal Adams LSU
3. Marcus Williams UTAH
4. Obi Melifonwu UCONN
5. Desmond King IOWA
6. Budda Baker WAS
7. Jabrill Peppers MICH
8. Justin Evans TAMU
9. Marcus Maye FLA
10. Eddie Jackson BAMA
11. Josh Jones NCST

Notes:

• Hooker is an absolute game/scheme changer. A top 5 lock.
• I almost put Adams below Marcus Williams. That is how unimportant his skill set is in today’s NFL. Most have him as a top 5-10 player. His raw skills are tremendous, and would be perfect if this was 1981. It is 2017, and his average coverage ability makes him replaceable. He won’t be on my team.
• I’m a big Marcus Williams fan. Coverage safeties are king in 2017.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oyU2913awI[/embedyt]

Next up: the complete database. I’ll have round-by-round grades for all positions and players. Find out who has a first round grade in my book.