Here are my top five rankings at each defensive position for the 2018 NFL Draft.
Defensive End
1 Bradley Chubb (N.C. State)
2 Marcus Davenport (University of Texas at San Antonio)
3 Sam Hubbard (Ohio State)
4 Arden Key (LSU)
5 Harold Landry (Boston College)
Davenport is the guy to watch at the combine as he should wow everyone. Landry could be more of an outside linebacker.
Defensive Tackle
1 Vita Vea (Washington)
2 Da’Ron Payne (Alabama)
3 Maurice Hurst (Michigan)
4 Taven Bryan (Florida)
5 Harrison Phillips (Stanford)
It’s a pretty deep group at defensive tackle this year. Vea has been compared to former Baltimore Raven Haloti Ngata and you can see why on tape. Tim Settle from Virginia Tech could jump into the top five as the pre-draft season moves along.
Inside Linebacker
1 Rashaan Evans (Alabama)
2 Darius Leonard (South Carolina State)
3 Josey Jewell (Iowa)
4 Leighton Vander Esch (Boise State)
5 Tegray Scales (Indiana)
Outside Linebacker
1 Roquan Smith (Georgia)
2 Tremaine Edmunds (Virginia Tech)
3 Malik Jefferson (Texas)
4 Uchenna Nwosu (USC)
5 Dorance Armstrong Jr. (Kansas)
So what makes an inside linebacker or outside linebacker is in the eye of the beholder. Smith and Edmunds could play either position, so can Jefferson. Smith and Edmunds are the top two linebackers in the draft, period. Play them anywhere you wish; they should both be top 15 picks.
Cornerback
1 Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama)
2 Joshua Jackson (Iowa)
3 Denzel Ward (Ohio State)
4 Carlton Davis (Auburn)
5 Jaire Alexander (Louisville)
5t. Mike Hughes (University of Central Florida)
Safety
1 Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama)
2 Derwin James (Florida State)
3 Ronnie Harrison (Alabama)
4 Justin Reid (Stanford)
5 Jessie Bates (Wake Forest)
Is Fitzpatrick a cornerback or a safety? Didn’t we do this same thing with current Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey? Did it matter? Fitzpatrick is a top five pick and will be a Pro Bowl player at either position. So I have him as my top cornerback and safety. Some think Jackson will be better at safety as well, but I like him at cornerback, and he could be a top 10 pick.
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