After talking about the top running backs and linebackers last week, I want to shift my focus towards the perimeter players. In this episode of positional rankings, we start with the offensive side of the ball – the wide receivers to be more exact. This group of pass-catchers is very diverse and offers a multitude of different bodies, which will lead to major variations in team’s rankings, depending on what they are looking for.

To be honest, I only see one guy in this draft class, who I think could develop into an elite WR1. However, there are a bunch of excellent second and third options available. I believe you can steal some eventual starters on day three. In the end, there might be 15 or 16 receivers, who I’d pick within the first four rounds.

Once again, my rankings are purely based on what I’ve seen on tape and in pre-draft events. However, with this positional group, there was one name with just too many red flags to judge him based on his pure talent and you will find his name at the very end.

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Continuing my series on the top ten prospects at each position, I want to take a look at this year’s class of linebackers. To make this clear – I differentiate between interior defensive linemen, edge rushers and off-the-ball linebackers. So this list won’t include guys like Arden Key or Harold Landry, who most would call 3-4 outside linebacker, because they primarily will still play on the line, despite maybe not putting their hand in the dirt a lot. So these upcoming prospects can be anywhere from true 4-3 middle linebackers to outside guys in a scheme with three down-linemen, if I think they will have a large role off the ball as well.

This linebacker class has a quadruple of headliners and then a bunch of guys, who I have rated very closely together. Of course, these lists deviate strongly depending from team to team, depending on their defensive scheme and what their coaches value. The trend that is clear with these guys though, is the fact, that the NFL is looking for more and more athletic guys at the position.

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Over the next six weeks, I will break down my top ten (plus) prospects at each position heading into the draft in late April. These rankings are solely based on what I’ve seen on tape and in pre-draft events. Neither do I have exclusive medical reports of these players, nor did I have the chance to sit down with each and everyone of them. Today I’m starting with the running backs.

Much like last year, this RB class has a lot of talent at the top and depth throughout the top 20 or so. While there is a clear number one guy for me, from two until fifteen, there will be a multitude of opinions and my rankings may vary heavily from the mainstream media, once we get past the top spots. Here it is:

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After publishing my rankings on all the other positions in the draft, I want to wrap things up with the quarterback class. Overall this is a pretty weak group of signal-callers coming into the league for this upcoming season. There are four of them that could end up being selected in the first round because of how many teams are looking for a QB. After that the other players available all have question marks, whether those are injuries, a lack of size or arm strength, accuracy or decision-making. Personally I would only select two of them in the first round and maybe another five on day two.

I watched tape on a few other guys if you want my opinion on them, but this is a very good and deep draft at many positions. Some teams will reach to find their solution at the most important position, while better prospects stay on the board.

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This year’s linebacker class is pretty interesting. There’s the All-Conference players most college football viewers know, but there are a couple of guys who have helped there stock immensely in the pre-draft process. I include inside- and outside in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. Some of the players mentioned could have also been mentioned among the edge rushers, but I decided to list them here because I see the versatility to fit multiple schemes. I think my LBs froms one to ten are all top 100 prospects and there are a bunch of guys I really like, who will probably hear their names called on day three.

I mentioned a number of extra guys at the bottom. If you’re interested in a scouting report on one of them, just let me know. I didn’t want to make this article even longer.

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If this year’s class of tight-ends isn’t the best in recent years, it’s definitely the fastest and most explosive one. There are a couple of different type of players at the position – more of the traditional in-line blockers as well as the modern-day move-tight-ends – but those guys overall look more like big receivers every year. With the NFL turning into a matchup-league, a big target in the passing game is of higher value in today’s game. I think there are three potential first rounders among them and another six that could go on day two. This is a strong group and even after my top ten there are some special athletes, that could develop into offensive weapon at the next level.

Once again this list doesn’t consider injuries and off-the-field concerns, those will show up on my big board.

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After talking about the top centers and guards a couple of days ago, I want to take a look at the guys matched up against them. In this category I include everything from true nose tackles, over 3-tech penetrators to base defensive ends in a 3-4 scheme. Even though I judge each of them individually about where I think they can and will play, something I’m really excited about when discussing this group is the versatility they offer. The NFL doesn’t really look for many 350-pound rocks in the middle, they want guys who can push the pocket and make quarterbacks move off their spot as well destroying running plays by showing up in the backfield.

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This week I’m going to talk about the big guys in the middle, starting with the offensive side. This list includes guards and centers, which to me have much more talent and depth than the tackle class. It was rather easy for me rank them one to ten, but I don’t see that much of a drop-off at some point. I like the talent at the top, but I think there are some sleepers that not a lot of scouts give love to, because they aren’t quite the athletes they are looking for.

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Similar to the wide receivers, this year’s cornerback class features a lot of different body types and style of play. You have guys that shut offensive weapons down, some true playmakers, big bodies that get knocked for being slow and others, scouts say won’t survive against the tall NFL wideouts. All I know is that this corner group is extremely talented and deep. I’m talking about a total of 16 players, because I truly believe all of them should get drafted over the first two days in Philly.

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With this class of wide receivers I think it’s really about what your taste is and what you need on your roster. If you just look at the top three guys you have a huge target to bail his quarterback out, a precise route-runner who hurts defenses after the catch and a true burner, who can get by anybody with his speed. I don’t have any doubt all three of them will go in the first round. After that it gets a little more complicated. The question is: Do you trust production or do you solely look at potential? I don’t count in off-the-field stuff in my rankings, I only look at talent and competitiveness.

I go at least 20 to 25 prospects deep in my evaluations at every position. So if there are any players you’d like to hear my opinion about, just let me know in the comments.

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