This is the last set of rankings you'll see from me, store these and the other two sets away for draft day.

If you have any questions/comments, see my thread in the Main forum – I’d be happy to go further in depth regarding a specific player, ranking, what I was thinking that specific day, etc.   Now sit back, grab your beverage of choice, enjoy, and then tell me how little of a clue I have.   I’ll be waiting.

Note

*** à Player I’m high on and may be a bargain

xxx à Player I’m not high on and feel will be over drafted

LB – Like so many other positions there is no elite talent but a lot of good talent. Depending on what your team is looking for there will be a player for you available in the mid rounds, but if you want a stud and the top ones (Lofton, Mayo, and Goff) fall to the late 1^st/early 2^nd take ‘em away.

1. Curtis Lofton Oklahoma (*** - late 1^st rounder) – I see a lot of David Harris in this kid’s game.

2. Jerod Mayo Tennessee (early 2^nd rounder) – You could make an argument for either him or Lofton being #1, I think Lofton will be a greater asset in run support.

3. Jonathon Goff Vanderbilt (*** - mid 2^nd rounder) – The complete package, not a weakness in this kid’s game either.
4. Dan Connor Penn St (mid 2^nd rounder) – He can go inside and out, I still have serious doubts about pass coverage but like most Penn St LB's he knows the game very well.
5. Keith Rivers USC (xxx - late 2^nd rounder) – I believe the great performance you saw from him on the field was in large part due to the superior DLine in front of him.   I believe there are some serious holes in his game and any talk of him being a top 15 pick is foolish.

6. Xavier Adibi Va Tech (mid 3^rd rounder) - Solid ball skills, breaks well to it. He’s slower than most, but should be an average but effective LB in NFL. He isn’t anything special, but good enough to be an average starter…problem will be how he deals with position change (S in college, LB in pros).

7. Shawn Crable Michigan (late 3^rd rounder) – Physical freak and pass rushing nightmare, limited in the rest of his game will make him a day 2 pick though.

8. Tavares Gooden Miami (late 3^rd rounder) – Like Crable, think this kid has a promising future as a pass rushing specialist.

9. Ezra Butler Nevada (4^th rounder) – He has a tendency to get swallowed up, but can play multiple positions and offers several different skills for a coach to play with.

10. Joe Mays North Dakota (4^th rounder) – Liability in pass coverage, but should be a solid two down player.   He is smart, instinctive, aggressive, and moves very well laterally.

11. Jameel McClain Syracuse (4^th rounder) – Offers a similar game as Ezra above, but may not be much of a help in pass coverage.

12. Beau Bell UNLV (4^th rounder)

13. Gary Guyton Ga Tech (4^th rounder) – Reminds me a lot of Adibi, not a big time play maker but should be an average NFL starter and there aren’t any real weaknesses in his game.   Adibi has much better ball skills though.

14. Wesley Woodyard Kentucky (5^th rounder) – Appears to have the makeup of a good niche LB in pass coverage.   He has good speed, agility, and change in direction; should cause lots of problems for opposing TE’s.   His lack of size limits his ceiling though.

15. Spencer Larson Arizona (5^th rounder)

16. Erin Henderson Maryland (xxx – 5^th rounder) – For a guy known best for his rushing ability he does not move well laterally or downhill.   He may be best off bulking up and moving inside.

17. Phillip Wheeler Ga Tech (5^th rounder) – Horrible in pass coverage and will likely be limited to a 2 down role if he makes it in the NFL.

18. Jordan Dizon Colorado (5^th rounder) – A Cover 2 team will likely take him earlier than I have him valued, which I won’t view as a mistake.   He is made for that defense, but needs to be more instinctive.

19. Steve Octavian Nebraska (5^th rounder) – Another moderate risk high reward player, he has the skills, tools, and the body but just cannot stay healthy.

20. Cliff Avril Purdue (5^th rounder) – A 3-4 team will probably be looking for him about this pot in the draft, could prove to be a tremendous value.

21. J Lehman Illinois (late rounds) – Asset in the locker room and possesses the heart and desire to succeed, but has a tendency to get swallowed up against superior competition due to a lack of size and speed.   Plus that profile picture…c’mon, you know you want that on your team.

22. Alvin Bowen Iowa St (late rounds) – A Cover 2 team will take a shot at him late, he will be transitioning from SS in college so it may be some time before any results are made.

23. Ali Highsmith LSU (late rounds) – I had my doubts coming into the offseason as he seemed to take a lot of plays off, but then he came out and absolutely flopped the last three months.   He may not even be drafted.

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