Deadpool's 2020 Top 10 by Position List - Defense

These are my final positional rankings. Some of these guys (especially the LBers) could end up on 2 or 3 lists. I put them where I personally like them the best.

I put this is in a separate post from my Big Board to make it easier to ask and answer questions, but if the admins want to join them, I do not care.

I will put my own thoughts under each position as far as depth and what I think of some of the prospects.

The # in the parenthesis is the overall rank of the player in regards to the big board.

This is not a projective list. I am not projecting where players will get picked. I am scoring players and then sorting them high score to low score, tiebreakers go to my personal feeling.

IDL:

1. (3) Derrick Brown - IDL -Auburn - 6'-4" 326 lbs. - Explosive, strong, excellent hand fighter and has an all-day motor. Total package.

2. (11) Javon Kinlaw - IDL -South Carolina - 6'-5" 324 lbs. - Another big, explosive lineman that can get after it. may have some character concerns.

3. (24) Neville Gallimore - IDL - Oklahoma - 6'-2" 304 lbs. - Good athlete with power, all day motor and tough. Not as dynamic as a pass rusher as the top 2 guys.

4. (35) Ross Blacklock - IDL - TCU - 6'-4" 290 lbs. - Incredible feet with good power has him in gaps consistently. Not the fastest react time. Achilles injury 2 years ago.

5. (41) Justin Madubuike - IDL - Texas A&M - 6'-3" 293 lbs. - An explosive, penetrating type DT with good strength that needs to be more consistent.

6. (47) Marlon Davidson - IDL - Auburn - 6'-3" 303 lbs. - 3T or 34 DE. I like him as a penetrating DE in a 34 that can also hold his own against the run. Big time motor.

7. (71) Leki Fotu - IDL - Utah - 6'-4" 330 lbs. - A monster NT with a little pass rush juice to him. Good motor and is almost impossible to move. Not the athletic freak Lawrence was last year.

8. (76) DaVon Hamilton - IDL - Ohio St. - 6'-4" 320 lbs. - A powerhouse run defender that was never tasked to rush the passer. Early 2 down starter with the athletic profile to possibly add some inside pass rush.

9. (85) Raekwon Davis - IDL - Alabama - 6'-7" 311 lbs. - a 34 DE, because he will get out-leveraged on the inside. powerful with a solid anchor against the run, pass rush potential is there, but never developed.

10. (103) Rashard Lawrence - IDL - LSU - 6'-2" 308 lbs. - What you would expect in an LSU DL, tough, strong and excellent against the run. Doesn't offer much in the way of a pass rush.

I like this class more then most (I think). I think Brown could be special, his size, athleticism (regardless of combine) and motor make him very dangerous. Kinlaw, if he gets with the right team, could also be a very dangerous pass rushing 3 tech. No one could block him at the Senior Bowl. In fact the top 5 are all penetrating pass rush types. Perfect for todays NFL DT.

Edge:

1. (1) Chase Young - Edge - Ohio St. - 6'-5" 264 lbs. - Size/speed/strength/athleticism. He is the total package in a prototypical 43 DE body.

2. (9) K'Lavon Chaisson - Edge - LSU - 6'-4" 254 lbs. - My top 34 Edge. Speed to power guy with plenty of athletic ability and a leader mentality. Good motor as well. 3 down edge.

3. (22) A.J. Epenesa - Edge - Iowa - 6'-6" 275 lbs. - A bit stiff, but he works, strong as a bull and I think he gives you End work on early downs and moves inside on 3rds.

4. (28) Yetur Gross-Matos - Edge - Penn St. - 6'-5" 266 lbs. - Raw, but the tools spill out of his toolbox. 43 DE. Love his length and explosiveness from a 3 point stance. high ceiling.

5. (46) Terrell Lewis - Alabama - 6'-5" 262 lbs. - Another high ceiling guy with injury history. Loooong levered. Smooth. Stong. 34 Edge

6. (52) Zack Baun - Edge - Wisconsin - 6'-3" 238 lbs. - A bit smaller edge, but he is smart, relentless and refined. Will have trouble against the run due to size. I think he works best as a LBer you move around inside early, out late.

7. (59) Julian Okwara - Edge - Notre Dame - 6'-4" 252 lbs. - A 34 Edge with a nice blend of explosiveness and flexibility. Needs to get stronger against the run.

8. (63) Josh Uche - Edge - Michigan - 6'-1" 245 lbs. - Smaller edge that will have issues against the run. but he is a flexy, bursty little dude that is also good in space.

9. (79) Jonathan Greenard - Edge - Florida - 6'-4" 263 lbs. - I just love his athletic ability, balance against the run and pass and supposedly a hard worker off the field. Not the most flexible, but his length and strength make up for it. high floor, lower ceiling type.

10. (82) Curtis Weaver - Edge - Boise St. - 6'-3" 265 lbs. - He could either be a 43 or 34. Lacks an ideal athletic profile, but has a hot motor, a good first step, active hands and handles his own against the run. Another high floor, lower ceiling type.

Great class, and deep. Not as good as last years class, but not to shabby. I like Young a tad more then Bosa, and Bosa is a game wrecker. All these guys will be gone by the middle to end of round 3.

LBs:


1. (4) Isaiah Simmons - LB - Clemson - 6'-4" 238 lbs. - ILB, Safety, CB, Edge. Kid can do it all with his blend of elite speed, athleticism and strength. In a league wanting more do it all types, he may be the best of them all.

2. (13) Kenneth Murray - LB - Oklahoma - 6'-2" 241 lbs. - Sideline to sideline ILBer with power and everything you want in a defensive leader.

3. (19) Patrick Queen - LB - LSU - 6'-1" 229 lbs. - A new age ILBer that can run, cover and hit. His lack of length is a bit of a concern.

4. (61) Jordyn Brooks - LB - Texas Tech - 6'-1" 240 lbs. - An absolute heat seeking missile that is devastating going downhill, lacks pass coverage reps. Sideline to sideline.

5. (66) Malik Harrison - LB - Ohio St. - 6'-3" 247 lbs. - Old school type MLBer that stuffs the run and plugs gaps. Quick to react, strong and will drop the hammer. Too stiff to contribute in a lot of coverage.

6. (84) Akeem Davis-Gaither - LB - Appalachian St. - 6'-2" 224 lbs. - Highly productive WILL that plays fast, can cover and rush the QB. I like him outside in a 43, but maybe a MO in a 34...

7. (91) Troy Dye - LB - Oregon - 6'-4" 231 lbs. - Another sees ball, chase ball LBer that needs to add strength. But he makes plays all over the field.

8. (121) Shaquille Quarterman - LB - Miami - 6'-1" 234 lbs. - A real old school MLBer that reads, reacts and then thumps. I think he moves well enough to help in some coverage.

9. (124) Evan Weaver - LB - California - 6'-2" 237 lbs. - Not the world's greatest athlete, but he is so instinctual he's always around the ball. Super productive. Not a hammer and not great in coverage.

10. (127) Willie Gay Jr. - LB - Miss. St. - 6'-2" 243 lbs. - Athletic and quick, will pop you in the mouth. And he did punch his own QB in the face, so there is that. Could be a 3 down ILBer with some seasoning.

Good class, not a ton of depth. The first 4 can all run and cover from the ILBer position. Harrison is more of an old school type, Davis-Gaither is a WILL, maybe a MO in a 34, and can blitz, cover and hit, Gay is the big question mark. A ton of red flags, but real high ceiling. Weaver is a old school throwback with a ton of production.

CB:

1. (2) Jeff Okudah - CB - Ohio St. - 6'-1" 205 lbs. - Big, quick, fast, smooth and physical. Perfect fit in a press man system, but will work in off man and zone.

2. (12) Kristian Fulton - CB - LSU - 6'-0" 197 lbs. - Good size to go with a smooth, athletic profile. Always under control and doesn't panic. Another press man CB.

3. (18) C.J. Henderson - CB - Florida - 6'-1" 204 lbs. - Explosive, smooth and fast, he has a ballhawk mentality. Didn't want to tackle this year. Business decision? Off man or zone corner.

4. (30) Trevon Diggs - CB - Alabama - 6'-1" 205 lbs. - Brother to Stephon, he is a zone/man cb prospect with excellent footwork and fluid movement skills. Add that to his length and he is a handful.

5. (34) Noah Igbinoghene - CB - Auburn - 5'-10" 198 lbs. - Former WR turned college CB, so he needs to be developed, but he is ultra-fast, explosive and just an overall smooth athlete. Zone or man fit.

6. (38) Jeff Gladney - CB - TCU - 5'-10" - 191 lbs. - Physical, hard-nosed press man CB with excellent speed. More than willing to help against the run.

7. (55) Damon Arnette - CB - Ohio St. - 6'-0" 195 lbs. - Easy moving, physical press man CB with very good instincts.

8. (60) A.J. Terrell - CB - Clemson - 6'-1" 195 lbs. - Fast, big press man that needs to rely on his skill set and not resort to getting so handsy. This is football, not the backseat of your dads Olds on date night.

9. (65) Troy Pride - CB - Notre Dame - 5'-11" 193 lbs. - Under-rated athletically, has good speed and can work in man and zone coverages. A perfect #2 CB.

10. Bryce Hall - CB - Virginia - 6'-1" 202 lbs. - Long, physical and smart. Always taking good angles and is in the proper position. Not the world’s best athlete. he will outwork you. Zone CB.

Interesting class. Its really Okudah and everyone else. Good depth throughout and some good value later on.

S:

1. (17) Grant Delpit - S - LSU 6'-2" 213 lbs. - Single high is the safety everyone wants, and Delpit is an excellent single high with great range, smooth change of direction and can drop into the box and blitz.

2. (20) Xavier McKinney - S - Alabama - 6'-0" 201 lbs. - Not a single high, but a tough nosed moveable chess piece that wins everywhere on the field.

3. (31) Antoine Winfield Jr. - S - Minnesota - 5'-9" 203 lbs. - Undersized ball hawking, instinctual and extremely physical S. Again, not a single high, and more of a halves type safety.

4. (49) Kyle Dugger - S - Lenoir-Rhyne - 6'-1" 217 lbs. - Small school kid. Great size and athletic profile that can play free or strong. Excellent blitzer and played really well at the Senior Bowl. Will need some coaching.

5. (53) Ashtyn Davis - S - California - 6'-1" 202 lbs. - A physical safety that works in a variety of sets, works best when he's free to roam in a zone and make plays.

6. (56) Jeremy Chinn - S - Southern Illinois - 6'-3" 221 lbs. - Simmons-lite in a safety body. he could be a LBer a S or an edge rusher with crazy athleticism. Love his physicality and the fact that he is always around the ball.

7. (80) Alohi Gilman - S - Notre Dame - 5'-10" 201 lbs. - A zone safety that is an absolute hammer coming forward. Another versatile player that can do a little of everything.

8. (88) K'Von Wallace - S - Clemson - 5'-11" 206 lbs. - Physical, will stick his face in the fan and has some nice ball production. Not overly athletic or fast, but versatile.

9. (92) Antoine Brooks Jr. - S - Maryland - 5'-11" 220 lbs. - Here is that big nickel LBer or third safety I have been talking about for the last year or so. best working around the box in sub packages. Physical, emotional and not extremely rangy.

10. (109) Brandon Jones - S - Texas - 5'-11" 198 lbs. - A smaller, tad rangier version of Brooks. He is a thumper with an all-day motor, and a nose for the ball

A just ok class. Top 2 are not as good as previous years top 2s. Chinn might end up being a LBer. And not a ton of depth. I personally like Winfield early in the 2nd as my personal favorite. Dugger is close behind. Don't like either as much as Rapp last year.

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Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way. - Ragnar Lothbrok