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Best NFL Draft Eligible Defenders Ranked by Phil Steele
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:23 pm
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:23 pm
247 Sports Article
quote:
Which defensive players have the brightest NFL futures after the 2019 college season?
Only five All-Americans return from last season’s Associated Press teams, which means plenty of new players are about to get a big opportunity to step up on film for NFL scouts.
Seven of the top-10 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft were defensive players with 18 total in the first round.
Which ones could be next and in what order?
Only ranking players in their third year or later, here is how longtime college football analyst Phil Steele views things in his 2019 preseason magazine.
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Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:24 pm to TideSaint
quote:
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
5. K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU — LSU hopes that it has a sack machine in the mix with Chaisson’s return from injury. He was an all-freshman player in the SEC before injury ended his sophomore season in Week 1 against Miami.
4. Darrell Taylor, Tennessee — The fifth-year senior should be in for a big year with Jeremy Pruitt running the show. His first year under Pruitt saw career highs in games (12), tackles (36), TFLs (11) and sacks (8).
3. Patrick Queen, LSU — Another projected star on Ed Orgeron’s defense, Queen made 40 tackles and five TFLs in his first full on-field season.
2. Anfernee Jennings, Alabama — Jennings could have left for the NFL last year but chose to return to Alabama after 51 tackles, 14 TFLs and 6.5 sacks in his best season at the college level.
1. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson — The defensive line got all of the love for Clemson last season, but Simmons was just as valuable as the leading tackler on a national-championship defense. He returns for a fourth year with the Tigers as Phil Steele’s No. 1 outside linebacker.
quote:
INSIDE LINEBACKER
5. Erroll Thompson, Mississippi State — The Bulldogs still have a lot of talent on defense. Thompson is a team captain after a second-team All-SEC season in 2018.
4. Shaq Quarterman, Miami —Quarterman has been some form of an all-conference player for three-straight seasons at Miami. With Manny Diaz now in charge of the program, he will be one of the stars of the 2019 season.
3. Paddy Fisher, Northwestern — Pat Fitzgerald got a steal when he plucked Fisher our of Katy (Texas) High. He’s one of the best in the Big Ten with back-to-back 100-tackle seasons.
2. Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma — The Sooners need help defensively after problems last season led to a coordinator change. Murray will be in the spotlight as a top Big 12 defender after a ball-swarming 155 tackles and 12.5 TFLs last season.
1. Dylan Moses, Alabama — He has massive hype surrounding a third season with the Crimson Tide. Moses will be a defensive leader for Nick Saban. He doubled his TFLs and tripled his tackles last season with 15 games on the field.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:24 pm to TideSaint
quote:
FREE SAFETY
5. Jordan Fuller, Ohio State — He returns as a senior with 38 career appearances under his belt for the Buckeyes. Fuller had 20 tackles and a pick in the decisive final three games of last season.
4. Julian Blackmon, Utah — The Utes roster is loaded fresh off an appearance in the Pac-12 title game. He is a two-time all-conference cornerback with a new position in 2019.
3. Richie Grant, UCF— Grant started all 13 games on last year’s roster with team highs in tackles (109) and interceptions (six).
2. Kenny Robinson, West Virginia (in transfer portal) — Robinson entered the transfer portal since Steele’s magazine went to print. During his time with the Mountaineers, he was an All-Big 12 safety.
1. Richard LeCounte III, Georgia — The Bulldogs had arguably the best cornerback in the country last year, and now bost the top free safety, according to Phil Steele. LeCounte started 13 games and led UGA in tackles last season. He picked off Tua Tagovailoa in the SEC Championship game.
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STRONG SAFETY
5. Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame — The senior from Richmond is an important piece after other losses in the Notre Dame secondary. He picked off four passes last season.
4. Shyheim Carter, Alabama — It is no surprise to see so many Alabama players ranked in an NFL Draft conversation. Just look at the last two Aprils. Carter plays “star” for Alabama and had two pick sixes last season.
3. JR Reed, Georgia — Reed has 29 starts since he transferred into Kirby Smart’s program from Tulsa. Reed tackles well and makes for an excellent counterpart to LeCounte.
2. Xavier McKinney, Alabama — McKinney was the defensive MVP of Alabama’s Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma thanks to four pass breakups against the Heisman Trophy winner.
1. Grant Delpit, LSU — At this point, he may be the most-hyped defensive player in the country. And for good reason. Delpit will be the face of the LSU defense with Greedy Williams and Devin White gone. He was a unanimous All-American during a breakout 2018.
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CORNERBACK
10. DeMarkus Acy, Missouri — Acy was a second-team all SEC selection as a junior with the first three picks of his career.
9. Lavert Hill, Michigan — Hill should climb higher on this list if he plays as expected under Don Brown this season. He was a third-team AP All-American last season.
8. Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State — Dantzler is a preseason All-American for the Bulldogs after 43 tackles and 11 pass breakups as a sophomore. He will get plenty of chances in the SEC West.
7. Trevon Diggs, Alabama — Diggs is back after a foot injury slowed things down last season. The younger brother of Vikings star Stefon Diggs has 31 tackles and 10 pass breakups after converting from wide receiver.
6. CJ Henderson, Florida — This one may also feel too low by the end of the season. Henderson emerged as a full-time starter last season under Dan Mullen, and will have a bright spotlight this season with opportunities against Jake Fromm, Jake Bentley, Kelly Bryant and beyond.
5. Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State — Okudah is a true junior with 27 career games under his belt as a Buckeye. Can he follow recent top selections like Denzel Ward, Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple?
4. A.J. Terrell, Clemson — The third-year corner out of Atlanta was third team in the ACC on last year’s squad. He was a top performer in the secondary with seven deflections and a team-best three picks.
3. Jaylon Johnson, Utah — Johnson started all 14 games with four picks for Utah last season. With Blackmon moved to safety, Johnson will be a top cover corner.
2. Paulson Adebo, Stanford — Phil Steele labels Adebo as a first-team All-American as well as a likely first-round pick after 24 pass defenses last season for the Cardinal.
1. Bryce Hall, Virginia — The top cornerback slot belongs to Virginia. Hall also defended 24 passes last season, including 22 breakups, 62 tackles and two picks.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:24 pm to TideSaint
quote:
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
5. Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina — The Gamecocks veteran is the best defensive tackle in the SEC East in Steele’s opinion. Kinlaw has 58 tackles 12 TFLs eight pass deflections and two blocked kicks in his career.
4. Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M —The Aggies got a big year out of Madubuike under Jimbo Fisher and NFL scouts took notice. The 6-foot-3, 304-pounder was the No. 5 defensive end prospect in the 2016 247Sports Composite rankings.
3. Jay Tufele, USC — last season was Tufele’s debut as a Trojan. After he red-shirted in 2017, Tufele quickly rose to prominence with his size and run-stuffing ability. Will his red-shirt sophomore season be the last at the college level?
2. Marvin Wilson, Florida State — Marvin Wilson is the ACC’s best interior pass rusher, according to Pro Football Focus with a “win” on 14.6 percent of his pass rush snaps last season. Technically a backup for parts of last season, he brings major value to the Seminoles as a returning big man.
1. Derrick Brown, Auburn — Brown did not have to return to Auburn, but he chose to do so with unfinished business under Gus Malzahn. He is the best defensive tackle in college football, per Steele. Right now, CBS Sports likes him as the No. 11 pick in the 2020 draft. In 34 appearances, Brown has 21.5 career TFLs and 8.5 sacks.
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DEFENSIVE END
10. LaBryan Ray, Alabama — Ray registered 39 tackles and six TFLs last season in his first year fully healthy.
9. Julian Okwara, Notre Dame — Steele does not rank Okwara as high as some others. Many project him as a top-15 pick come next April. He led Notre Dame in TFLs and was second in sacks during last year’s run to the College Football Playoff.
8. Jonathan Garvin, Miami — Garvin’s sophomore season was a breakout one with 60 tackles, 17 TFLs and 5.5 sacks for the nation’s No. 4 defense.
7. Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State — Gross-Matos was a breakout star for Penn State last season, and will benefit even more in 2019 with the impressive group of linebackers behind him. He had 20 TFLs last season.
6. Raekwon Davis, Alabama — Davis was a first-round projection at this time last year, too, but Quinnen Williams quickly exploded onto the scene as a defensive lineman. Back for another season, Davis has 128 career tackles and 11 sacks.
5. Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame — Steele ranks Kareem ahead of Okwara on the Notre Dame defensive line. Kareem started off strong in 2018 with eight tackles and a sack against Michigan. He finished with 39 tackles and 11 TFLs.
4. Kenny Willekes, Michigan State — The Spartans have a lot of dangerous pieces on defense, and Willekes may be the top thanks to his presence off the edge. He and Joe Bachie could both finish as first-team All-Americans.
3. Nick Coe, Auburn — Auburn’s defensive line again looks dangerous. Coe already has 18 TFLs and nine sacks with 25 games played in the Tiger rotation. He was second in TFLs behind Deshaun Davis last season.
2. A.J. Epenesa, Iowa — The top two will be no surprise to those that are following closely. Epenesa is almost a consensus top-10 NFL Draft projection out of Iowa, and it is easy to see why when you turn on his film. His 10.5 sacks led the Big Ten last season.
1. Chase Young, Ohio State — It is not often that a team loses a player like Nick Bosa and still has the type of pass rush expected from the Buckeyes this year. Young handled himself well as a sophomore after Bosa went down. He now has the same draft hype that Bosa carried last season at Ohio State. He had 10 sacks last year, including three in the Big Ten Championship game.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:31 pm to TideSaint
Terrell Lewis from Alabama could have a great year if he's back to pre-injury form.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:31 pm to TideSaint
Phil has made a fortune riding Saban's coattails. He knows that he will not have egg on his face with a player and he knows Bama Fans will buy his mag.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:31 pm to TideSaint
#1 DT, Derrick Brown, AUBURN
#3 DE, Nick Coe, AUBURN
Also, Chase Young may be the best pass rushing DE, but AJ Epenesa has a better complete game IMO
#3 DE, Nick Coe, AUBURN
Also, Chase Young may be the best pass rushing DE, but AJ Epenesa has a better complete game IMO
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:34 pm to Irons Puppet
quote:
Phil has made a fortune riding Saban's coattails. He knows that he will not have egg on his face with a player and he knows Bama Fans will buy his mag.
This is a weird melt.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:37 pm to Irons Puppet
quote:And yet he predicts this to be Gus' best year at Auburn and your fans eat it up.
Phil has made a fortune riding Saban's coattails. He knows that he will not have egg on his face with a player and he knows Bama Fans will buy his mag.
Auburn has tons of talent, no excuses this year.
This post was edited on 6/25/19 at 12:38 pm
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:37 pm to TideSaint
Mississippi State will have a DE drafted so we should have 3 on that list Fletcher Adams or Chauncey Rivers or both are draftable.
This post was edited on 6/25/19 at 12:40 pm
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:38 pm to BowlJackson
quote:Both badasses and will show out this season.
#1 DT, Derrick Brown, AUBURN
#3 DE, Nick Coe, AUBURN
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:41 pm to TideSaint
Kristian Fulton anyone?
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:42 pm to TideSaint
No Kristian Fulton at CB is laughable
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:43 pm to TideSaint
These lists .... they all seem fairly well thought-out and justified IMHO.
Steele usually does his homework but making predictions are really tough.
Steele usually does his homework but making predictions are really tough.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:43 pm to The Pirate King
how is patrick queen ranked but jacob phillips isnt?
This post was edited on 6/25/19 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:45 pm to scrooster
That is an exceedingly nice opinion about Lecounte that I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere else (including amongst UGA fans). If he and Reed both play like All Americans it’ll open up a lot for the rest of a good if underrated defense
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:45 pm to TideSaint
Not sure how he can put Queen in the top LB's but not have Jacob Phillips.
Queen: 40 tackles, 1 sack (6'3" 230lbs)
Phillips: 87 tackles, 1 sack, 3 PD, 1 INT (TD) (6'4" 230lbs)
Queen: 40 tackles, 1 sack (6'3" 230lbs)
Phillips: 87 tackles, 1 sack, 3 PD, 1 INT (TD) (6'4" 230lbs)
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:48 pm to yatesdog38
quote:
Chauncey River
Will be a beast
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:56 pm to RT1941
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Auburn has tons of talent, no excuses this year.
Auburn Fan do not put much faith in any of the pre-season mags. After Sept 1, most are forgotten about.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:58 pm to TideSaint
quote:
This is a weird melt.
Not a melt, just a fact of the publishing world. Go to any Bookstore and you will see the nice shinny objects used to attract Bama Fans. Forrest Davis figured it out 30 years ago.
This post was edited on 6/25/19 at 12:59 pm
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