Re: Mel Kiper's Top 10 at each position

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[abcnews.go.com]

Quarterbacks
1. * Josh Rosen, UCLA
2. ** Sam Darnold, USC
3. * Josh Allen, Wyoming
4. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
5. * Drew Lock, Missouri
6. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
7. * Lamar Jackson, Louisville
8. Mike White, Western Kentucky
9. Luke Falk, Washington State
10. Kurt Benkert, Virginia
Lock is an underclassman to keep an eye on. He really finished the season strong as Missouri won six straight games and he had 43 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions.

I agree with his top 4, but I am no fan of either Lock or Rudolph. And Riley Ferguson has to make that list somewhere. And Kiper's getting cute with adding Mike White to his list. He won't be drafted.

Running backs
1. * Saquon Barkley, Penn State
2. * Bryce Love, Stanford
3. * Derrius Guice, LSU
4. * Ronald Jones II, USC
5. * Damien Harris, Alabama
6. Nick Chubb, Georgia
7. * Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
8. Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
9. Royce Freeman, Oregon
10. Sony Michel, Georgia
So Barkley is the clear No. 1, and after that it's going to come down to testing numbers at the combine. Harris is one of my favorite prospects in this class. Johnson is banged up but has had a breakout 2017 season.

Kiper has overreacted to the NCG with Harris, he should move Guice down as well. Move Michel and Johnson way up.

Fullbacks
1. Jaylen Samuels, NC State
2. Dimitri Flowers, Oklahoma
3. Nick Bawden, San Diego State
4. Khalid Hill, Michigan
5. * Winston Dimel, Kansas State
6. Austin Ramesh, Wisconsin
7. Daniel Marx, Stanford
8. Garrett Dickerson, Northwestern
9. J.D. Moore, LSU
10. * Alec Ingold, Wisconsin
Bawden is the best bruising fullback -- he's 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, and paves the way for fringe Heisman candidate Rashaad Penny.

His top 3 are draftable, but I am spending very little time on FBs.

Wide receivers
1. * Calvin Ridley, Alabama
2. * Courtland Sutton, SMU
3. Anthony Miller, Memphis
4. * Christian Kirk, Texas A&M
5. Michael Gallup, Colorado State
6. * D.J. Moore, Maryland
7. * Jordan Lasley, UCLA
8. *Simmie Cobbs, Indiana
9. * Parris Campbell, Ohio State
10. James Washington, Oklahoma State
Lasley has come on as Josh Rosen's No. 1 target, finishing the regular season with back-to-back 200-yard games.

Another guy that loves Miller. I would have Cobbs higher and his 5,6 and 7 lower. Marcel Ateman would make my list

Tight ends
1. Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
2. * Mark Andrews, Oklahoma
3. Mike Gesicki, Penn State
4. Ian Thomas, Indiana
5. * Hayden Hurst, South Carolina
6. Durham Smythe, Notre Dame
7. Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin
8. Tyler Conklin, Central Michigan
9. * C.J. Conrad, Kentucky
10. Christopher Herndon, Miami (Fla.)
Smythe has only 26 career catches for the Fighting Irish, but he has some receiving skills. He might be a better pro than college player.

4 weeks ago I PMed Alyo that Goedert was my #1 TE, so Kiper and I agree for now. The rest is close to how I would have it.

Offensive tackles
1. Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
2. * Connor Williams, Texas
3. * Orlando Brown, Oklahoma
4. Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State
5. Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan
6. Desmond Harrison, West Georgia
7. Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
8. Timon Parris, Stony Brook
9. Brandon Parker, NC A&T
10. Jamarco Jones, Ohio State
Harrison is a Texas transfer who also spent time at a junior college. Jones has really improved from last season.

Agree for the most part. I think Brown is a RT, Williams is going to need a redshirt, same for Okarafor. I would add Kolton Miller somewhere into the middle of that list.

Offensive guards
1. * Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
2. Braden Smith, Auburn
3. Will Hernandez, UTEP
4. Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
5. Cody O'Connell, Washington State
6. * Sam Jones, Arizona State
7. Brendan Mahon, Penn State
8. Austin Corbett, Nevada
9. KC McDermott, Miami (Fla.)
10. Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech
O'Connell is massive -- 6-foot-8, 354 pounds.

Its Nelson and literally everyone else. Nelson is a top 5 pick (imo) and Smith is a 3rd rounder. Unless you want to add Billy Price to this list as a OG

Centers
1. Billy Price, Ohio State
2. Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
3. * James Daniels, Iowa
4. * Will Clapp, LSU
5. Mason Cole, Michigan
6. * Alec Eberle, Florida State
7. Scott Quessenberry, UCLA
8. * Sam Mustipher, Notre Dame
9. Brian Allen, Michigan State
10. Patrick Morris, TCU
It's not a strong center class past the top two, and Ragnow was injured in October and hasn't played since.

The top 2 centers are very good. And there is some depth here after that.

Defensive ends
1. Bradley Chubb, NC State 4-3 end
2. ** Clelin Ferrell, Clemson 4-3 end or 3-4 edge
3. * Rasheem Green, USC Kiper says probably a 3-4 end? He IS a 3-4 end
4. * Sam Hubbard, Ohio State 4-3 end
5. * Austin Bryant, Clemson 3-4 edge
6. Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State 4-3 end or 3-4 edge and way overrated
7. * Ben Banogu, TCU He's going back to school Kiper
8. * Jalen Jelks, Oregon Again, back to school Kiper
9. Duke Ejiofor, Wake Forest 4-3 end and move him up the list
10. Marcus Davenport, Texas (SA) 4-3 end and move him up
Green is probably an end in a 3-4. He has eight sacks this season. Jelks has 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Ends are a weird spot to rank due to being 3-4 edge gius, 4-3 ends and 3-4 DEs and they are mostly totally different. Wilkins, Bryan and Vea could all be 3-4 DEs as well and all are 1st rounders or close.And where is Chad Thomas?

Defensive tackles
1. * Christian Wilkins, Clemson
2. * Vita Vea, Washington
3. Da'Ron Payne, Alabama
4. Maurice Hurst, Michigan
5. * Taven Bryan, Florida
6. * Harrison Phillips, Stanford
7. * Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame
8. **Dre'Mont Jones, Ohio State
9. Derrick Nnadi, Florida State
10. Josh Fatu, USC
I have four tackles in my 25, but it's still early. We still don't have accurate sizes on Wilkins and Vea, who are at the top for now.

Payne is my top DT and it won't change. Love Wilkins and Vea as it is well documented. RJ McIntosh Should be on his list. Tim Settle is a 3-4 NT that had a very good year and could get pushed down the draft due to all the talent and the lack of need for 3-4 noses.

Inside linebackers
1. * Roquan Smith, Georgia
2. Rashaan Evans, Alabama
3. Josey Jewell, Iowa
4. Micah Kiser, Virginia
5. * Cameron Smith, USC
6. * T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin
7. Chris Worley, Ohio State
8. Shaun Dion Hamilton, Alabama
9. * Josh Watson, Colorado State
10. Nyles Morgan, Notre Dame
Kiser has 9.5 tackles for loss and 134 tackles this season.

Still don't trust Smith or Evans. Love Jewell and Kiser and Smith (I have been chatting up LARAM about Smith since his freshman year. Leighton Vander Esch needs to be on this list and so does Nick De Luca. Its a decent ILB year.

Outside linebackers
1. *Tremaine Edmunds , Virginia Tech 19 years old and 6-5 250. I think he could go inside or outside in a 3-4 or 4-3
2. * Arden Key, LSU 3-4 edge
3. Harold Landry, Boston College 3-4 edge
4. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma 3-4 edge
5. * Josh Allen, Kentucky 4-3 OLB
6. Lorenzo Carter, Georgia 3-4 situational pass rusher right now
7. Uchenna Nwosu, USC 3-4 situational pass rusher right now
8. * Jerome Baker, Ohio State 4-3 olb
9. * Malik Jefferson, Texas 4-3 OLB
10. * Jeff Holland, Auburn 3-4 edge
Holland has nine sacks this season after limited playing time in 2016.

Its another fuzzy position with 3-4 and 4-3 OLBs.
Lots of good 3-4 edge rushers in this draft and you should have Dorance Armstrong 3-4 edge in the top 5.Marquise Haynes as a 3-4 situational pass rusher could make the list. Jefferson is a passionless freak athlete that has never lived up to his billing.



Cornerbacks
1. * Denzel Ward, Ohio State
2. * Joshua Jackson, Iowa
3. * Isaiah Oliver, Colorado
4. * Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State
5. M.J. Stewart, North Carolina
6. * Carlton Davis, Auburn
7. * Jaire Alexander, Louisville
8. Anthony Averett, Alabama
9. * Donte Jackson, LSU
10. Darius Phillips, Western Michigan
The cornerback class could be deep. Stewart is a versatile player who will help a team in the return game.

McFadden had a bad season. Alexander should be higher.Mike hughes needs to be in the middle of this list and Kam Kelly could crack the top 10.

Safeties
1. * Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
2. ** Derwin James, Florida State
3. * Ronnie Harrison, Alabama
4. * Justin Reid, Stanford
5. Armani Watts, Texas A&M
6. Kyzir White, West Virginia
7. * DeShon Elliott, Texas
8. Jeremy Reaves, So. Alabama
9. Quin Blanding, Virginia
10. * Jaquan Johnson, Miami (Fla)
Reid, whose brother is NFL safety Eric Reid, has five interceptions and 88 tackles this season.

Glad he has Fitzpatrick as a S. Top 2 aver very good. Reid is steady. Harrison is a player. Jordan Whitehead should be on this list if his off the field checks out.

Kickers and punters
1. Johnny Townsend, Florida (P)
2. JK Scott, Alabama (P)
3. * Michael Dickson, Texas (P)
4. Shane Tripucka, Texas A&M (P)
5. Daniel Carlson, Auburn (K)
6. * Bryce Crawford, San Jose State (K)
7. Trevor Daniel, Tennessee (P)
8. * Matt Gay, PK, Utah
9. * Jake Bailey, Stanford (P)
10. Joe Davidson, Bowling Green (P)
Townsend and Scott are definitely draftable prospects.

Kicks and punters LOL. Carlson should be drafted as well.


my aside
Love him or hate him: Kiper's handicapping has value. Once again, to my eye, a lot of talent to be had not located at the top of board.