NFL Draft Positional Player Rankings
The best NFL prospect players from all levels of college football met in Indianapolis for the NFL combine. Those who were invited were given the opportunity to showcase their talent in on-field positional drills and while being evaluated by NFL personnel. The following are my top rankings from each positional group, including some players that may not have participated at the NFL Combine. Honorable mentions will be listed in alphabetical order by last name. The height and weight for each player are based upon public information provided on NFL.com from the combine measurements.
Offense
Quarterback
- Kyler Murray, Oklahoma, 5’10” 207lbs
- Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State, 6’3″ 231lbs
- Drew Lock, Missouri, 6’4″ 228lbs
- Daniel Jones, Duke, 6’5″ 221lbs
- Jarrett Stidham, Auburn, 6’2″ 218lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mention: Ryan Finley, NC State; Will Grier, West Virginia
Summary: Kyler Murray was the talk of the entire combine this week. It wasn’t because of how fast he ran or how well he threw. No, it was because he measured in at 5’10” 207lbs. Many scouts had their doubts that he would come in at that height and weight. Dwayne Haskins impressed with his throwing ability like he was anticipated to. He ran the slowest 40 yard dash time (5.04) of all the QBs again proving Stephen A. Smith wrong about Haskins being “more of a runner than a thrower.” Drew Lock still has a cannon for an arm and displayed that. Daniel Jones did not impress me as much as I thought he was going to this weekend but he was throwing to people he’s never thrown to before so I don’t put that much into it. To me, besides Murray and Haskins, I believe Jarrett Stidham had the best combine of the QBs. He impressed me with the throws he made and looked extremely relaxed going through all the drills.
Running Back
- Josh Jacobs, Alabama, 5’10” 220lbs
- Darrell Henderson, Memphis, 5’8″ 208lbs
- David Montgomery, Iowa State, 5’10” 222lbs
- Damien Harris, Alabama, 5’10” 216lbs
- Devin Singletary, FAU, 5’7″ 203lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mentions: Miles Sanders, Penn State; Benny Snell, Kentucky
David Montgomery had a great combine and showed why he is near the top of everyone’s RB position board. Miles Sanders had the best week at the combine of everyone. He ran a 4.49 40 yard dash time, looked smooth in all of the drills, and his cuts were clean. He definitely helped his stock at the combine.
Wide Reciever
- N’Keal Harry, Arizona State, 6’2″ 228lbs
- D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss, 6’3″ 228lbs
- Marquise Brown, Oklahoma, 5’9″ 166lbs
- Kelvin Harmon, NC State, 6’2″ 221lbs
- Deebo Samuel, South Carolina, 5’11” 214lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Brown, Ole Miss; Hakeem Butler, Iowa State
Summary: D.K. Metcalf was the other talk of the combine after Kyler Murray. He confirmed to all of us that he is indeed an athletic freak posting a 4.33 40 and looking exactly like he did as the viral pictures from online. You could make an argument that N’Keal Harry’s combine was just as good as Metcalf’s but was just overlooked by him. N’Keal was projected to run in the 4.7s and came out and ran a 4.53. Take that along with his production in college and that’s why I have him slightly higher than D.K. Deebo Samuel looked great again like he did in the Senior Bowl weeks ago. Samuel looked smooth in routes and ran a 4.48 40.
Tight End
- T.J. Hockenson, Iowa, 6’5″ 251
- Noah Fant, Iowa, 6’4″ 249lbs
- Irv Smith Jr., Alabama, 6’2″ 242lbs
- Jace Sternberger, Texas A&M, 6’4″ 251lbs
- Caleb Wilson, UCLA, 6’4″ 240lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mentions: Isaac Nauta, Georgia; Kaden Smith, Stanford
Summary: T.J. Hockenson does it all. He finishes blocks on defensive linemen in the run game and has great hands in the passing game. He is going to make a team very happy whoever happens to pick him in the 1st round. Noah Fant was the fastest of the TEs running a 4.5 flat. He will be the prototypical pass catching TE that you see more of in the NFL these days. He could potentially go in the late 1st or if someone falls in love with him, before Hockenson. If you are looking for a guy who is right in the middle of both of these players then Irv Smith is your guy. He’s a better blocker than Fant and ran a 4.63 40 which is a little faster than Hockenson. He could sneak into the end of the 1st and if not should be an early 2nd rounder.
Offensive Tackle
- Jonah Williams, Alabama, 6’4″ 302lbs
- Cody Ford, Oklahoma, 6’4″ 329lbs
- Jawaan Taylor, Florida, 6’5″ 312lbs
- Andre Dillard, Washington State, 6’5″ 315lbs
- Yodney Cajuste, West Virginia, 6’5″ 312lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mentions: Greg Little, Ole Miss; Dalton Risner, Kansas State
Summary: You could potentially see 5-7 of these guys in the first round. Jonah Williams and Cody Ford I still believe can be great tackles in the league if a team gives them the opportunity but if not they both will be great on the interior of the offensive line. Jawaan Taylor is ranked by some as the best tackle in the draft but I think that he needs some work but has great potential. Andre Dillard is one of the best pass blockers in this class and I could see a team taking him over some of the others due to the NFL being a passing league.
OG/C:
- Garrett Bradberry, NC State, 6’3″ 306lbs
- Elgton Jenkins, Mississippi, 6’4″ 310lbs
- Chris Lindstrom, Boston College, 6’4″ 308lbs
- Connor McGovern, Penn State, 6’5″ 308lbs
- Erik McCoy, Texas A&M, 6’4″ 303lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Jordan, Ohio State; Dru Samia, Oklahoma
Summary: The interior offensive line is fairly deep this year and could be even deeper if you consider Williams and Ford to be guards. A team may want to pick up one of these guys in the late 1st but I believe that they all will most likely be Day 2 picks. Bradberry had an impressive combine that could potentially help him be a 1st round pick. 2-5 is completely up in the air across all analysts. Jenkins, Lindstrom, McGovern, and McCoy all have solid starter potential and will be a solid day 2 picks.
Defense
DE/OLB (EDGE):
- Nick Bosa, Ohio State, 6’4″ 266lbs
- Josh Allen, Kentucky, 6’5″ 262lbs
- Rashan Gary, Michigan, 6’4″ 277lbs
- Clelin Ferrell, Clemson, 6’4″ 264lbs
- Montez Sweat, Mississippi, 6’6″ 260lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mentions: Brian Burns, Boston College; Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech; Jachai Polite, Florida
DT (Interior DL):
- Quinnen Williams, Alabama, 6’3″ 303lbs
- Ed Oliver, Houston, 6’2″ 287lbs
- Christian Wilkins, Clemson, 6’3″ 315lbs
- Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame, 6’6″ 295lbs
- Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State, 6’3″ 281lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mentions: Dexter Lawrence, Clemson; Jeffrey Simmons, Mississippi State
Summary: Another great class of defensive linemen. It’s unfortunate that Jeffrey Simmons tore his ACL in training for his pro day. He would’ve been a guaranteed top 20ish pick and most likely third in my rankings. Quinnen Williams is absolutely dominant and ran a great 40 yard dash time (4.82) for his size. Ed Oliver demanded double teams and sometimes even triple teams. The only reason why he isn’t a guaranteed top 5 pick is due to him being undersized. This interior DL class should have at least 3-4 players taken on day 1 of the draft.
Linebacker
- Devin White, LSU, 6’0″ 237lbs
- Devin Bush, Michigan, 5’11” 234lbs
- Mack Wilson, Alabama, 6’1″ 240lbs
- Tre Lamar, Clemson, 6’3″ 253lbs
- Ben Burr-Kirven 6’0″ 230lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Summary: This LB class is not the best. Devin White and Devin Bush are projected to go in the 1st and Mack Wilson in the 2nd but after that, it’s up in the air. Devin White ran an impressive 4.42, solidifying himself as a top 20 pick. Devin Bush was right behind him running a 4.43. Bush is undersized but makes up for it on the field. Tre Lamar is the biggest LB of the group and is extremely physical. Ben Burr-Kirven had a strong combine running a solid 4.56 40 and looked great in drills which pushed him into my rankings.
Cornerback
- Greedy Williams, LSU, 6’2″ 185lbs
- Deandre Baker, Georgia, 5’11” 193lbs
- Byron Murphy, Washington, 5’11” 190lbs
- Rock Ya-Sin, Temple, 6’0″ 192lbs
- Trayvon Mullen, Clemson, 6’1″ 199lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Honorable Mentions: Julian Love, Norte Dame; Amani Oruwariye, Penn State
Summary: Greedy Williams posted the 3rd fastest time for a corner at this year’s combine with a 4.37 40 yard dash time. Greedy has all the tools to cover number 1 WRs around the league. Deandre Baker is the best cover corner out of everyone on this list. Baker runs step for step with WRs and excels at breaking up passes. Byron Murphy is quicker than he is fast. He has great anticipation skills. Rock Ya-Sin is a physical corner who was productive in college. He will need to develop a little more than the first 3 guys. Overall, at 3-5 CBs should be 1st round picks.
Safety
- Nasir Adderley, Delaware, 6’0″ 206lbs
- Johnathan Abram, Mississippi State, 5’11” 205lbs
- Deionte Thompson, Alabama, 6’1″ 195lbs
- Taylor Rapp, Washington, 6’0″ 208lbs
- Amani Hooker, Iowa, 5’11” 210lbs
– Complete NFL Draft Rookie Grades.
Summary: As I said in my mock draft, Nasir Adderley is one of my favorite prospects in this draft. When you put on his film, it’s almost jaw-dropping watching the types of plays he makes. He flies to the football and is a rangy ballhawk. Abram will be more of a “hit you in the mouth” type of safety and ran extremely well at the combine running a 4.45 40. Deionte Thompson has great instincts tracking the football and has the ball skills to go with it. Rapp will be perfect in the box safety. He isn’t the greatest in coverage but excels in run support. Hooker is a ball hawk and excels in zone coverage. Hooker also posted a 4.48 40 yard dash time which was top 10 for safety at the NFL Combine.
