For the offensive rankings click here:

Here are the top 10 players at each position heading into the Combine.

As I tend to evaluate offensive players before defensive players, these ratings are subject to more volatility over the next few weeks. These rankings do not attempt in any way to project the order in which these players will be drafted.

Defensive Tackles

Because of the increased specialization of schemes, I rope all players who project as everything from a 3-4 end (5-technique) to nose tackle (0-technique).

1. Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh--Short but destructive interior rusher with electrifying first step and a wide array of pass rush moves.

2. Timmy Jernigan, Florida State--Excels at shedding and stacking with great pad level and brute strength, quick feet for a big man.

3. Louis Nix, Notre Dame--Fell off in ’13 with a knee issue but has legit strength/speed combo and a higher ceiling than either guy above him.

4. RaShede Hageman, Minnesota--Speaking of high ceilings, Hageman has the highest of all DTs but carries a high bust factor as well, in part because he plays so high.

5. Will Sutton, Arizona State--Short and short-armed, gained bad weight in ’13, yet his spins and twists are devastatingly effective to get into the backfield with alarming consistency.

6. Dominique Easley, Florida--Possesses a dynamite first step, but doesn’t always know how to parlay that into anything productive. Coming off second torn ACL.

7. Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina--Overshadowed a bit, but knows how to get into the backfield and has closing burst. Pad level and base strength are issues.

8. Ego Ferguson, LSU--Ego offers lots of quickness and relentless hustle, good eyes vs. the run. Technique needs a lot of work.

9. Anthony Johnson, LSU--Not as athletic as linemate Ferguson but a better run defender and closer; motor doesn’t always run hot. Has upside galore.

10.  Caraun Reid, Princeton--Dominated the Ivy League with his bullish build, powerful swim and shoulder moves, and energy, but I worry he’s a DT/DE tweener.

Best of the rest: Taylor Hart, Oregon; Justin Ellis, Louisiana Tech; Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame; Ryan Carrethers, Arkansas State; DaQuan Jones, Penn State; Deandre Coleman, California; Dan McCullers, Tennessee; Zach Kerr, Delaware; Brent Urban, Virginia;

Edge Rushers

Instead of listing defensive end and outside linebacker, I’ve divided them up between edge pass rushers and more traditional outside backers. These players are either 4-3 rush ends or 3-4 OLBs.

1. Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina--The best overall player in this draft, a transcendent talent with potential to be an immediate star.

2. Khalil Mack, Buffalo--Excellent do-it-all backer has both power and speed, great awareness in coverage and against screens. Legit top 5 talent.

3. Kony Ealy, Missouri--Ealy has great versatility; can play any technique from 3-7 and has some experience as a stand-up rush LB too.

4. Dee Ford, Auburn--Undersized but not lacking strength, though speed and quickness are his calling cards. Strictly a 3-4 OLB, lacks size/strength to play in-line.

5. Kyle Van Noy, BYU--Smooth athlete with high football IQ and a powerfully quick closing burst, but not a premium sack artist.

6. Anthony Barr, UCLA--Freakishly fast around the corner and closing on the QB, but right now that’s all he offers; has to develop more all-around skills to merit a higher value.

7. Scott Crichton, Oregon State--Muscled-up strongside end with deceptive burst and great balance, very adept at attacking the ball.

8. Carl Bradford, Arizona State--Instinctive attack dog with outstanding closing speed, has the build & eyes to move to 3-4 ILB.

9. Jerry Attaochu, Georgia Tech--Read-and-react athlete with good length and a lot of functional strength. Can be tight and unfocused.

10.  Marcus Smith, Louisville--Explosive first step with good balance and agility, still learning how to get off blocks and developing countermoves.

Best of the Rest: Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State; Shaq Barrett, Colorado State; Chris Smith, Arkansas; Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas; Trent Murphy, Stanford; James Gayle, Virginia Tech; Aaron Lynch, South Florida; Michael Sam, Missouri; Kareem Martin, North Carolina; Will Clarke, West Virginia; Ethan Westbrooks, West Texas A&M; Devon Kennard, USC

Linebackers

These are more traditional linebackers whose primary role is not as pass rushers, though some of them are accomplished there too.

1. C.J. Mosley, Alabama--Off-the-charts instincts and intangibles, very quick and fluid, competitive. Durability and strength are the only questions.

2. Ryan Shazier, Ohio State--Undersized but very quick and strong, has a chase gear. Needs to develop patience vs. the run.

3. Chris Borland, Wisconsin--Thickly-built throwback with off-the-charts instincts and tackling power. Short but understands how to counter it. Reminds me of Chris Speilman.

4. Yawin Smallwood, Connecticut--Traditional 4-3 MLB is a terror between the tackles, lacks elite range and size. Echoes of AJ Hawk.

5. Christian Kirksey, Iowa--Very fluid, quick read-and-react backer with cover skills but lacking bulk and strength. Flashed blitz ability at Senior Bowl.

6. Christian Jones, Florida State--Incredibly versatile, explosive athlete with great leadership and intangibles, needs to play stronger. Needs a position.

7. Shayne Skov, Stanford--Intense, very physical between-the-tackles sledgehammer, a poor man’s Brian Cushing with two bad knees.

8. Preston Brown, Louisville--High-cut, instinctive 3-4 ILB prospect with surprisingly adept short-area cover skills. Lacks range and fast-twitch muscle.

9. Andrew Jackson, Western Kentucky--Compactly built downhill thumper with limited range, will be a 3-4 ILB. Poor man’s Curtis Lofton.

10.  Jordan Tripp, Montana--Proved during Senior Bowl he can swim in the big pond, very quick and smart. Great 4-3 WLB prospect, but not a consistent tackler.

Best of the rest: Jordan Zumwalt, UCLA; Telvin Smith, Florida State; Tyler Starr, South Dakota; Adrian Hubbard, Alabama; Boseko Lokombo, Oregon; DeDe Lattimore, South Florida; Uani Unga, BYU; Max Bullough, Michigan State

Cornerbacks

1. Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State--Savvy press corner who plays bigger than his size, excellent with the ball in the air.

2. Jason Verrett, TCU--Naturally sticky cover man with great fight/size of dog ratio; lack of size and bulk is a valid concern.

3. Bradley Roby, Ohio State--Play fell off in ’13 but has all the physical tools and competitiveness to bounce back and be best-in-class.

4. Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech--Lost half ’13 with an injury, and that gives pause with his frame, but showed great instincts and awareness when healthy.

5. Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State--Playmaker. Undersized and a lousy tackler, but nobody attacks the football better. Might be better as sub-package safety hybrid.

6. Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State--Has outstanding size and movement skills, but didn’t always play smart or tough. Arrow pointing way up based on ’13.

7. Terrance Mitchell, Oregon--Doesn’t stand out at any one thing but really has a complete game that should translate well to the NFL.

8. E.J. Gaines, Missouri--Tough off-man corner can also play over the slot, might be best run defender of the class. Lacks elite speed & quickness.

9. Victor Hampton, South Carolina--Aggressive, talkative, physical big corner with great speed and closing burst. Can be overaggressive and sloppy at times.

10.  Marcus Roberson, Florida--Inconsistent performer with big peaks but deep valleys. Has the size and speed teams want to work with, has special teams value.

Best of the rest: Pierre Desir, Lindenwood; Bashaud Breeland, Clemson; Nevin Lawson, Utah State; Aaron Colvin, Oklahoma (would be higher if not injured); Jaylen Watkins, Florida; Philip Gaines, Rice; Keith McGill, Utah; Rashaad Reynolds, Oregon State; Ross Cockrell, Duke; Bennett Jackson, Notre Dame; Ricardo Allen, Purdue; Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida; Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska

Safeties

1. Jimmie Ward, Northern Illinois--Raised his stock with a terrific Senior Bowl, proved he could cover the slot or range deep vs. better competition. Grade A hitter too.

2. Hasean Clinton-Dix, Alabama--Big, athletic, well-schooled safety. Good-not-great across the board, lower ceiling than widely advertised.

3. Dion Bailey, USC--Very heady, rangy, instinctive safety with cover skills and great athleticism. Needs to play tougher, struggled to bring down bigger receivers.

4. Deone Bucannon, Washington State--Downhill thumper with short-range cover skills is strictly a strpong safety, must clean up his pursuit angles. Echoes of Louis Delmas.

5. Calvin Pryor, Louisville--Big-time hitter with great size, confidence and decent range, but often lacks positional discipline and sees coverage responsibilities late. A bigger Matt Elam.

6. Ahmad Dixon, Baylor--Another strong safety only, has some tightness but closes in a flash with ferocity. Compares to an uninflated Laron Landry.

7. Terrance Brooks, Florida State--Undersized former corner might serve best as nickel back, has the football IQ and smooth movement skills to succeed.

8. Jemea Thomas, Georgia Tech--Smallish but very quick and fluid, has shown he can play over the slot. Should make a strong nickel back. Competitive.

9. Kenny Ladler, Vanderbilt--Very quick, smooth athlete with great instincts and leadership. Small frame lacks power, however. Was productive playmaker at Vandy.

10.  Tre Boston, North Carolina--Verbose, highly confident hit-and-miss gambler makes plays, but needs to make better decisions. Might have best hands in class.

Best of the rest: Craig Loston, LSU; Ed Reynolds, Stanford; Sean Parker, Washington; Ty Zimmerman, Kansas State; Marqueston Huff, Wyoming; Nate Berhe, San Diego State; Jonathan Dowling, Western Kentucky; Brock Vereen, Minnesota; Dezmen Southward, Wisconsin; Isaiah Newsome, UL-Monroe

Any questions or comments, find me on Twitter @JeffRisdon or hit the message board here.