Pigskin Paul’s Top 5 by Position

Pigskin Paul’s Top 5 by Position
Rankings By Position
Posted: February 1, 2015 | No Comments

by Pigskin Paul Guillemette, GBN Associate Editor
http://gbnreport.com/pigskin-pauls-top-5-position/
All-Star games are in the books, and Underclassmen have been approved for inclusion in the 2015 DRAFT and now the Combine has added to the information pool. Therefore I want to present you with my updated (hopefully new & improved) Top 5-6 by position.

QB: Sure things here do not exist. Between off-field baggage and read/option offenses the reality is risk and uncertainty run rampant. That and a pure lack of a deep talent pool. Expect some reaches and forces here to fill empty Franchise QB slots. Buyer beware.
MARCUS MARIOTA/OREGON
JAMEIS WINSTON/FLORIDA STATE*
BRETT HUNDLEY/UCLA
BRYCE PETTY/BAYLOR
GARRETT GRAYSON/COLORADO STATE

RB: If we can assume that injured guys like GURLEY will be ready by Training Camps then this is a strong RB group that should end the 2-year draught of no 1st Rounders.
MELVIN GORDON/WISCONSIN*
TODD GURLEY/GEORGIA*#
TEVIN COLEMAN/INDIANA*
JAY AJAYI/BOISE STATE*
DUKE JOHNSON/MIAMI*
JEREMY LANGFORD/MICHIGAN STATE

WR: Beyond COOPER no one is elite, but a lot of guys from this group have strong potential as No. 2 & 3 wideouts at the next level. Depth here is outstanding.
AMARI COOPER/ALABAMA*
KEVIN WHITE/WEST VIRGINIA
DAVANTE PARKER/LOUISVILLE
JAELEN STRONG/ARIZONA STATE*
DORIAL GREEN-BECKHAM/OKLAHOMA*
SAMMIE COATES/AUBURN

TE: Any team in need of a all-around inline TE is going to be in danger of over-drafting someone in this position group. THank goodness MAXX decoded to come out early.
MAXX WILLIAMS/MINNESOTA*
CLIVE WALFORD/TE/MIAMI
NICK O’LEARY/FLORIDA STATE
NICK BOYLE/DELAWARE
E.J. BIBBS/IOWA STATE

OT: This is a deep and solid group, but the closest guys to having elite potential are Underclassmen who still have much to learn. CLEMMINGS demonstrated that with a poor/mediocre Senior Bowl showing. Some would argue that both SCHERFF & COLLINS might be better fits at OG in the pro game.
BRANDON SCHERFF/IOWA
ERECK FLOWERS/MIAMI*
JAKE FISHER/OREGON
ANDRUS PEAT/STANFORD*
LA’EL COLLINS/LSU
T.J. CLEMMINGS/PITT

C/G This is a deeper group than many years, but lacking in top end talent. CANN might make it late in Round 1, but that would be it.
A.J. CANN/SOUTH CAROLINA
CAMERON ERVING/C/FLORIDA STATE
LAKEN TOMLINSON/DUKE
TRE’ JACKSON/FLORIDA STATE
ALI MARPET/HOBART
HRONISS GRASU/C/OREGON

DT: Some elite talent amongst this group, but SHELTON is the only real Nose in the group. ARMSTEAD might be better at DE in a 3-4 scheme.
DANNY SHELTON/NT/WASHINGTON
MALCOLM BROWN/TEXAS*
EDDIE GOLDMAN/FLORIDA STATE*
JORDAN PHILLIPS/OKLAHOMA*
MICHAEL BENNETT/OHIO STATE

DE: This group is solid, but some guys who game is primarily pass-rush look too thin to stop the run. GREGORY comes to mind as a real quandary to find the ideal pro position for. And if he’s only a pass-rusher how high can you afford to take him.
LEONARD WILLIAMS/USC* 3-4
ARIK ARMSTEAD/OREGON
RANDY GREGORY/NEBRASKA* OLB
MARIO EDWARDS/FLORIDA STATE
NATE ORCHARD/UTAH
ZA’DARIUS SMITH/KENTUCKY

ILB: Elite guys here are few and far between, but there is some interesting variety to select from.
BENARDRICK McKINNEY/MISS STATE*
STEPHONE ANTHONY/CLEMSON
ERIK KENDRICKS/UCLA
DENZEL PERRYMAN/MIAMI
TAIWAN JONES/MICHIGAN STATE

OLB: As has been the case in recent memory the talent here is good, but almost half of your candidates are converting from pass-rush DE slots in college. There are no guarantees in those scenarios despite the talent level. THOMPSON is the only one listed who didn’t play a DE position in college.He dabbled at RB.
VICTOR BEASLEY/CLEMSON
ALVIN DUPREE/KENTUCKY
SHAQ THOMPSON/WASHINGTON*
SHANE RAY/MISSOURI*
ELI HAROLD/VIRGINIA*

LORENZO MAULDIN/LOUISVILLE

CB: With a large number of talented juniors coming out this became a position of strength on January 15th. But I still don’t see more than 3 CB really being in demand in Round 1, if that.
TRAE WAYNES/MICHIGAN STATE*
MARCUS PETERS/WASHINGTON*
KEVIN JOHNSON/WAKE FOREST
IFO EKPRE-OLOMU/OREGON#
QUINTEN ROLLINS/MIAMI (O)
P.J. WILLIAMS/FLORIDA STATE*

Safety: Much is asked of today’s S slot players. And very few provide the type of coverage and run-stopping skill combination that teams are looking for in Round 1.
LANDON COLLINS/SS/ALABAMA*
CODY PREWITT/S/OLE MISS
JAQUISKI TARRT/SS/SAMFORD
ANTHONY HARRIS/VIRGINIA#
DERRON SMITH/FS/FRESNO STATE

As usual these player rankings change as new numbers roll in. One never wants to over-react to the Combine, but watching guys compete head to head with up to the minute sizes and body shapes in Indy would be foolish to completely ignore. You will note that not only has my order of players changed in multiple places, but I have even moved some of them between position groups.

The characters behind some of the names are as follows: */official underclassman, #/injury?