2013 NFL Draft Positional Rankings (Defense)

Now onto the defensive side of the ball.

-Edge Rushers (4-3 DE/3-4 OLB)-
1. Jarvis Jones, Georgia
2. Barkevious Mingo, LSU
3. Dion Jordan, Oregon
4. Ezekiel Ansah, BYU
5. Bjoern Werner, Florida State
6. Datone Jones, UCLA
7. Alex Okafor, Texas
8. Cornelius Carradine, Florida State
9. Damontre Moore, Texas A&M
10. Jamie Collins, Southern Miss
11. Corey Lemonier, Auburn
12. Sam Montgomery, LSU
13. Margus Hunt, SMU
14. Devin Taylor, South Carolina
15. Brandon Jenkins, Florida State
16. John Simon, Ohio State
17. William Gholston, Michigan St.
18. Quanterus Smith, Western Kentucky
19. Malliciah Goodman, Clemson
20. Chase Thomas, Stanford

Jones is still #1 despite the 40.  Most productive career of this group.  One of the most highly recruited of this group.  He's a good football player, athleticism or not.  Back is a non-issue.  Mingo had great Soph. tape, showed flashes as a Jr.  He's over Jordan because he actually did rush the passer primarily (and did it well) in college.  Jordan and Ansah are this high for athletic ability.  Wouldn't be surprised if both are busts.  I probably wouldn't take either if I'm picking in the top 8.  Okafor is very underrated.  Consistent player without elite athleticism, but experienced and a savvy pass rusher.  Numbers 10, 11, 14, 15, 18 and 19 may all have their best football ahead of them.  Smith, in particular, was leading the nation in sacks before tearing his ACL...including doing a huge number on Bama's DJ Fluker.  Potential steal if his knee checks out.

-Interior DL (4-3 DT, 3-4 DE, 3-4 NT)-
1. Star Lotulelei, Utah
2. Sharrif Floyd, Florida
3. Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
4. Kawaan Short, Purdue
5. Sylvester Williams, North Carolina
6. Bennie Logan, LSU
7. Jesse Williams, Alabama
8. Jonathan Hankins, Ohio State
9. Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern State
10. John Jenkins, Georgia
11. Jordan Hill, Penn State
12. Akeem Spence, Illinois
13. Montori Hughes, Tennessee-Martin
14. Everett Dawkins, Florida State
15. Kwame Geathers, Georgia

Floyd has shot up draft boards.  Richardson probably was the most productive/unblockable player of this group, but Lotulelei is still a freak.  Star's size, strength, athleticism combo is elite.  Hard not to think of Hloti Ngata watching him play.  Short is underrated.  Looked like he had some conditioning issues, but he'll wreak havoc in the opponents backfield for 30 plays a game.  Logan from LSU has his best football ahead of him.  Like him about as much as I liked his teammate Michael Brockers last year.  Probably even more productive in college.  Brandon Williams is somewhat of a sleeper who also has a great size/speed/strength combination.  Hughes is also extremely talented, but has to get his head on straight. 

-Linebackers (All 4-3 LBs, 3-4 ILBs)-
1. Alec Ogletree, Georgia
2. Arthur Brown, Kansas State
3. Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
4. Khaseem Greene, Rutgers
5. Kevin Minter, LSU
6. Jon Bostic, Florida
7. Sio Moore, UConn
8. Zaviar Gooden, Missouri
9. Kevin Reddick, North Carolina
10. Kiko Alonzo, Oregon
11. DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina
12. Sean Porter, Texas A&M
13. Trevardo Williams, UConn
14. Jelani Jenkins, Florida
15. Vince Williams, Florida State

The popular thing to do is to question Ogletree's instincts, but you don't make 109 tackles in 9 games and not know what's going on.  Granted, he's no Ray Lewis out there, but he's possibly the best specimen at the LB position since LaVar Arrington came out.  I think he can be coached up.  Start him out at SLB, eventually move him to the middle, get a star if he stays out of trouble.  It's also popular to talk bad about Manti Te'o.  Part of the reason he looks so bad right now is because people for some reason called him a top 10 pick at one point.  That was a mistake, and he's back now where he should be a late 1 to mid-2 pick.  Has all the instincts in the world.  Really like players 6-8, Moore is very versatile.  Looks like a 4-3 SLB who can really blitz and rush the passer on 3rd down.  Gooden is extremely athletic.  Kind of like Zach Brown who had a strong rookie year for Tennessee last year.  Can probably cover any TE in the league.  Jenkins would be higher if he could stay healthy.

- Cornerbacks-
1. Dee Milliner, Alabama
2. Xavier Rhodes, Florida State
3. Desmond Trufant, Washington
4. Jamar Taylor, Boise State
5. David Amerson, North Carolina State
6. DJ Hayden, Houston
7. Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State
8. Jordan Poyer, Oregon State
9. Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
10. Logan Ryan, Rutgers
11. Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana
12. Dwayne Gratz, UConn
13. Darius Slay, Mississippi State
14. Brandon McGee, Miami
15. Terry Hawthorne, Illinois
16. Leon McFadden, San Diego State
17. Blidi Wreh-Wilson, UConn
18. Steve Williams, California
19. B.W. Webb, William & Mary
20. Sanders Commings, Georgia

I'm very particular about my CBs.  I don't know why anyone spends a top 15 pick on one unless you know for a fact they are going to be a stud....talking Deion Sanders, Patrick Peterson type.  There's no such player in this class.  Rhodes is a close 2 for me.  Milliner's ball skills are iffy, but he shutdown everyone he played.  Interested to see how he does without 7 all americans surrounding him on every play.   4-6 are guys I would take between 25-40 and probably get as much production as the top 3.  Amerson had some ugly games this year, but he's a big CB who intercepted 10 passes as a Soph.  Play him in some off man or zone, and I like his ability to make plays on the ball.  Not as big as most on Wreh Wilson.  Steve Williams is my big sleeper of the group.  Blazing speed, good enough size.

-Safeties-
1. Eric Reid, LSU
2. Matt Elam, Florida
3. Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
4. Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International
5. Shamarco Thomas, Syracuse
6. JJ Wilcox, Georgia Southern
7. TJ McDonald, USC
8. Baccari Rambo, Georgia
9. DJ Swearinger, South Carolina
10. Philip Thomas, Fresno State
11. Shawn Williams, Georgia
12. Duke Williams, Nevada
13. Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma
14. Josh Evans, Florida
15. Earl Wolff, North Carolina State

Great class.  There's no way 15 safeties go on the first 2 days, but I think all these guys are worth top 90 picks.  Not a big fan of Vaccaro, though I see the versatility and why teams/scouts like him.  His slow 40 is a concern that I've always had and I don't know that he's "great" at any area (tackling, man, deep middle/half zone) other than blitzing.  Reid had great Soph tape.  Looked like he was trying to make splash plays too much last year (big hit or INT).  But can't teach 6'2" with that speed/range.  Good coach makes him a star.  My co-writer is a big fan of Elam, and I agree.  If he was a little bigger, he'd be my #1.  Swearinger, Shawn Williams, Evans and Wolff look like solid/reliable players.  Rambo, Duke, the Thomases and Jefferson all have big upside or bust potential.