Rankings By Position

April 13, 2015

by Pigskin Paul Guillemette, GBN Associate Editor

We’re closing in on the 2015 Draft and I felt a need to make a few positional ranking changes. So here they are, subtle as most may be.

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.
JAMEIS WINSTON/FLORIDA STATE*
MARCUS MARIOTA/OREGON
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.
TODD GURLEY/GEORGIA*
MELVIN GORDON/WISCONSIN*
JAY AJAYI/BOISE STATE*
TEVIN COLEMAN/INDIANA*
DAVID JOHNSON/N/IOWA

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
DeVANTE PARKER/LOUISVILLE
JAELEN STRONG/ARIZONA STATE*
BRESHARD PERRIMAN/UCF*
DORIAL BECKHAM-GREEN/OKLAHOMA*

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
DEVIN FUNCHESS/MICHIGAN*
JESSE JAMES/PENN 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
LA’EL COLLINS/LSU*
ERECK FLOWERS/MIAMI*
ANDRUS PEAT/STANFORD*
JAKE FISHER/OREGON
DJ HUMPHRIES/FLORIDA
TJ 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

EDGE RUSHERS This is a group of players, whose actual NFL position title has yet to be determined. But they are all defined by their ability to rush the QB, with speed around the edge. IN today’s NFL that skill outweighs any concerns about what traditional position group to label them in.
VICTOR BEASLEY/CLEMSON*
DANTE FOWLER/FLORIDA*
RANDY GREGORY/NEBRASKA*
BUD DUPREE/KENTUCKY*
SHANE RAY/MISSOURI*

DL: This is your more traditional group of DL who play with their hand in the dirt and must stop the run first, then work at collapsing the pocket.
LEONARD WILLIAMS/USC*
DANNY SHELTON/WASHINGTON
ARIC ARMSTEAD/OREGON*
EDDIE GOLDMAN/FLORIDA STATE*
MALCOM BROWN/TEXAS*

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
ERIC KENDRICKS/UCLA
DENZEL PERRYMAN/MIAMI
PAUL DAWSON/TCU*

OLB: This group looks a bit thin, but only because I have moved some top prospects into the new Edge Rusher group. Some of that group will clearly play as OLB in a 3-4 scheme.
SHAQ THOMPSON/WASHINGTON*
ELI HAROLD/VIRGINIA*
KWON ALEXANDER/LSU*
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*
KEVIN JOHNSON/WAKE FOREST
MARCUS PETERS/WASHINGTON*
JALEN COLLINS/LSU*
IFO EKPRE-OLOMU/OREGON#

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*
QUINTEN ROLLINS/MIAMI (O)
JAQUISKI TARRT/SS/SAMFORD
CODY PREWITT/FS/OLE MISS
DERRON SMITH/FRESNO STATE

Now let’s hope we don’t read any startling headlines about what Bad Boys might be in this group over the next two weeks.

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