Mel Kiper's top 10 prospects at each position for 2018 NFL draft

[Riverumbbq]

• By MEL KIPER via ESPN

Jan 10, 2018, 2:05 PM ET


Time for my latest position rankings for the 2018 NFL draft, which combines seniors and underclassmen and features a top 10 for every position.?



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.

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.

Fullbacks/H-backs
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Defensive ends
1. Bradley Chubb, NC State
2. ** Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
3. * Rasheem Green, USC
4. * Sam Hubbard, Ohio State
5. * Austin Bryant, Clemson
6. Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State
7. * Ben Banogu, TCU
8. * Jalen Jelks, Oregon
9. Duke Ejiofor, Wake Forest
10. Marcus Davenport, Texas (SA)
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.

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.

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.

Outside linebackers
1. * Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
2. * Arden Key, LSU
3. Harold Landry, Boston College
4. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma
5. * Josh Allen, Kentucky
6. Lorenzo Carter, Georgia
7. Uchenna Nwosu, USC
8. * Jerome Baker, Ohio State
9. * Malik Jefferson, Texas
10. * Jeff Holland, Auburn
Holland has nine sacks this season after limited playing time in 2016.

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.

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.

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.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/mel-ki...2018-nfl/story?id=52263598&yptr=yahoo?src=rss

 

[NateDawg122]

Sony Michel isn't the 10th best RB... He's the closest thing you'll see to Alvin Kamara in this Draft and some team is going to get a stud running back with him.

 

[Memento]

Drew Lock shouldn't be on that list. He's staying at Mizzou.

And I totally agree on Michel. He's a stud. I'd love to have him backing up Gurley.

 

[Farr Be It]

Cameron Smith, USC

He's going back for his senior year...

 

[RAMpage28]

I may be biased, but are there really 6 TEs better than Fumagalli?

A GM is gonna fall in love with Michel and he is gonna be a day 2 pick.

I like Josey Jewell as a player, but I find it hard to believe he is the 3rd best inside backer in this draft.

Josh Allen (QB) has to be one of the biggest risks I've seen as a 1st round projected guy.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I love how Josey Jewell plays middle linebacker and that he converted from being a QB, but I doubt he will measure up to be the third rated mlb after the combine.

 

[Merlin]

Edge OLB value at 23 gonna be insane. Not only are there a bunch of guys who might slot into that late first to mid second round area, but the potential for off field concerns on Key might cause him to slide if he doesn't interview well.

This is a huge need area for the Rams that will almost surely be there, and not only that but should be there if the Rams move down a bit to garner another pick.

 

[London59]

I love how Josey Jewell plays middle linebacker and that he converted from being a QB, but I doubt he will measure up to be the third rated mlb after the combine.

People need to check out Leyton Vanderesch out of Boise State. He was the conference defensive player of the year. He is as big as Ogletree, runs very well, covers well, and doesn’t miss tackles! He is just a junior and maybe that is why he wasn’t on the list, but this kid can play ball. Watch their bowl game vs Oregon and watch how many plays he makes.

 

[PressureD41]

Edge OLB value at 23 gonna be insane. Not only are there a bunch of guys who might slot into that late first to mid second round area, but the potential for off field concerns on Key might cause him to slide if he doesn't interview well.

This is a huge need area for the Rams that will almost surely be there, and not only that but should be there if the Rams move down a bit to garner another pick.

Q: Whats the value we gain if say we moved down to the 27th spot? Could we net a 4th Rder?

 

[Merlin]

Q: Whats the value we gain if say we moved down to the 27th spot? Could we net a 4th Rder?

Gotta refer you to last year's value chart. Comes down to how bad the team wants to move up though, as that chart is a rough estimate/starting point.

So yeah 4th rounder would be likely.

 

[Merlin]

I do have to wonder a bit about Kiper's sanity in putting Landry at 3 on his edge OLB list. Wonder whether he really has watched film on all the guys on his list to date, probably not. Either way, in Landry's case, not a fan. Here's his tape vs Notre Dame, and he just looks to me like a dude half @$$ing his way around on way too many plays, not to mention I detest the way he stands out the wrong way with his shirt untucked:



I would love to hear what the BC staff have to say about his work ethic, and if the reviews are good I would doubt their truthfulness.

 

[Merlin]

Now an edge OLB I love, Lorenzo Carter, vs the same offense...


View: https://youtu.be/bDlSjTe0zuE

 

[fearsomefour]

People need to check out Leyton Vanderesch out of Boise State. He was the conference defensive player of the year. He is as big as Ogletree, runs very well, covers well, and doesn’t miss tackles! He is just a junior and maybe that is why he wasn’t on the list, but this kid can play ball. Watch their bowl game vs Oregon and watch how many plays he makes.

Got to see him play in person....dude flies.

 

[NateDawg122]

Now an edge OLB I love, Lorenzo Carter, vs the same offense...


View: https://youtu.be/bDlSjTe0zuE

Carter is a good player with unreal athleticism. He's 6'6" 245 and a lot of his teammates at UGA said he was the fastest player on the entire team! He has a lot of upside and he will turn some heads at the Combine. He's also blocked several kicks in college and Bones could turn him into a special teams monster.

And I'm not trying to name drop, but I can personally attest that he is a stand up dude. Met him on multiple occasions when I was at Georgia and he actually came to my Halloween party one year. Very respectful guy who didn't seem to have that arrogant sense of entitlement like some other players I met.

 

[Merlin]

Carter is a good player with unreal athleticism. He's 6'6" 245 and a lot of his teammates at UGA said he was the fastest player on the entire team! He has a lot of upside and he will turn some heads at the Combine. He's also blocked several kicks in college and Bones could turn him into a special teams monster.

And I'm not trying to name drop, but I can personally attest that he is a stand up dude. Met him on multiple occasions when I was at Georgia and he actually came to my Halloween party one year. Very respectful guy who didn't seem to have that arrogant sense of entitlement like some other players I met.

Good to know, and that character stuff is critical for myself. I'm no Kiper or McShay with time to nuke every single prospect and rank them all out, but just looking at him through the season it is hard for me to think he will be there at 23. Guy like that, even if you run a 4-3 you gotta consider him due to his upside.

He's definitely on my list of players I covet.

 

[iamme33]

People need to check out Leyton Vanderesch out of Boise State. He was the conference defensive player of the year. He is as big as Ogletree, runs very well, covers well, and doesn’t miss tackles! He is just a junior and maybe that is why he wasn’t on the list, but this kid can play ball. Watch their bowl game vs Oregon and watch how many plays he makes.[/QUO

yeah the kid is side line to side line player. very sure tackler. if he does good at the combine he will rocket up draft lists .because if he has good #s at the combine front offices will look at his tape and he will move way up.

 

[den-the-coach]

Sony Michel isn't the 10th best RB... He's the closest thing you'll see to Alvin Kamara in this Draft and some team is going to get a stud running back with him.

Be quiet please, like to see the Rams get a little Sony Michel.