This year I rated 406 prospects overall. The complete list can be found here.

The lists are broken down into five different categories this year: Quarterbacks/Running backs, Receivers/Tight ends, Offensive line (T/G/C), Defensive front (DE/DT) and Defensive back (LB/CB/S). It’s important to note these are my personal rankings after months of evaluation. To be rated I need to have seen at least two full games of a player, preferably more. This is not in any way indicative of anticipated draft order. 

As a general rule of thumb, I am more wary of injuries and age as negatives than most evaluators. Character concerns are tricky because much of the information is one-sided. Convictions speak a lot louder than allegations. 

Defensive Tackles

This group is fairly deep, with solid options in every round. There is a fairly high bust factor throughout the position, but also a lot of players who can outplay their ranking here.

Williams is the best player in this draft. He’s not an overwhelming presence like J.J. Watt or Ndamukong Suh, but he’s a very skilled player in his own right. He can win in a variety of ways and line up anywhere from 3 to 7 technique. The sack totals might disappoint some, but his overall game is higher-end than Gerald McCoy.

I’m an unabashed Danny Shelton fan, which makes me in a distinct minority. Yes, he might still be finishing his 40 from the Combine and a lot of his sack production came against inferior competition. Mountains of men his size (6’2”, 339) aren’t supposed to have the kind of range Shelton does. Teams looking for someone to soak up double-teams but still make plays against the run will love him. Can be the next Vince Wilfork, and his floor is the healthy Shaun Rogers.

Jarrett is notable in that I watched four Clemson games and never once saw him move or get moved backwards. He’s a classic 1-technique even though he’s smaller than ideal at just 6’1” and 304. He uses his squat stature to his advantage and consistently dominates the leverage battle. Not a great pass rusher but has some sneaky moves.

Phillips, Bennett, Brown and Davis all fall in the same kind of lump for me. All have flashed ability to dominate, but also disappear a little more frequently than they should. Phillips is a natural wide-bodied nose with powerful arms and active eyes, and his history of back trouble--though cleared by team doctors--gives pause.

Bennett is the most creative of the bunch as a pass rusher, and his best position is as a 5-technique in an attacking front a la Houston or Arizona. Brown played the 5-tech at Texas last year but is better as a true 3-tech. Neither plays with the kind of anchor desired and rely more on being quicker than the man across from them, an advantage which will be far less frequent in the NFL. Brown is the better interior run defender. Davis underwhelmed for the Hawkeyes but was dominant during Senior Bowl practices, looking more inspired and in command of his tremendous upper-body strength and length.

Cooper is just a notch below, though he’s got higher upside than advertised. He’s a lightweight tackle probably better-served playing as a base end and nickel interior rusher the way the Lions use Jason Jones. He’s the quickiest, twitchiest tackle in this draft and has the upside of Seattle’s Michael Bennett but a very low floor.

Goldman was a reliable force against the run for Florida State but just doesn’t make plays behind the line. He’d make a nice companion piece for an attack dog tackle like Suh or vintage Kevin Williams.

There is a lot of athletic potential with guys like Davidson, Richardson, Walton and Hardison as disruptive penetrators. Davidson has a lethal swim move and can burst out of it too.

Parry, Williams, McCarthy and Kilgo are nose tackles and all should be effective in that role. Williams is much more skilled than his ranking indicates but he’s got major character flags after being suspended at least once in each of his last three seasons for the Pirates. Mbu is a nice sleeper and perhaps the smartest player in the draft, though he’s a tweener with the frame of a nose but lacking the base strength.

I’d be remiss to not talk up my fellow Ohio Bobcat Crutcher, who was more effective as a junior with better talent around him and has a nice blend of power and agility. He’s my pick for Mr. Irrelevant.

Defensive Ends

It’s often difficult to differentiate between defensive ends and outside linebackers in today’s NFL. The better way to divvy them up is with an “Edge” rushing designation and a base/5-technique end label. The players here and not at linebacker are players I believe are better-suited to play with a hand in the dirt, though most players who qualify as “edge” wound up in the linebacker group.

Dupree has a sky-high ceiling with his muscular build, great first step and outstanding power for the position. He’s a technical naïf, however, and that makes him a classic boom/bust prospect.

Smith is an underrated athlete with excellent length and functional power. He’s an ideal 4-3 base end but he has impressive bend around the edge, too. The Bulldog could be a better pro than collegian.

“Diggy” is the most polished pass rusher of this group and would be higher if he hadn’t missed an entire season with hip surgery. That’s a burnt orange flag to me, even though he showed little issue with it while terrorizing the Pac-12 last year.

Anderson is an analytical darling with a great motor and high football IQ. He’s on the ground way too much for my liking and accumulated most of his stats against lousy competition. If he can harness his impressive workout athleticism, he’s a perennial Pro Bowler.

Armstead holds great potential as a 5-technique with outstanding length and raw natural strength, but he’s very much a boom/bust developmental project.

Flowers and Orchard are both high-effort overachievers in college who lack the sizzling athleticism to make such a dent in the NFL. Both figure to be solid, productive players for many years but not poised for wide accolade. Think Cliff Avril or Robert Ayers. Orchard is probably a better fit at 3-4 OLB as he showed some aptitude for coverage.

The Mario Edwards of 2012-13 would be no lower than 2^nd on this list, but his excess weight made him a zero in ’14. He’s back down to his more effective weight and holds the promise of the man who single-handedly wrecked Auburn a couple years ago. High risk/reward player who will be drafted much higher than I have him ranked.

Kikaha’s ability to get around the edge and close on the ball merits a much higher rating, but he’s battling chronic knee issues and can be very stiff when he doesn’t win right off the snap. He is off several team’s boards because of the knees and would be off mine as well.

Of the later prospects, Clark stands out for his field on the play. Unfortunately he’s been convicted of rather serious crimes twice and didn’t exactly help himself by victim blaming the woman he smacked around. Sokoli is a freak athlete with a cool back story, though he probably lacks a real NFL position.