1. A.J. Green, WR, Georgia--it was stunning how much he impacted Georgia?s offense and how well he produced despite being the focal point of the defense. He?s as good as Larry Fitzgerald when he came out.
2. Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M--has the right mix of instant impact, long-term greatness potential, and low risk factor. Ideal 3-4 ROLB.
3. Cam Newton, QB, Auburn--there is significant risk involved, but his athletic prowess and ability to learn quickly make his incredibly high ceiling--think Big Ben meets McNabb--more attainable.
4. Da?Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson--lots of Julius Peppers to his game, and his strength against the run makes him safer than a lot of the premium pass rushers.
5. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU--incredible size and his ability to make plays on the ball make Peterson a special prospect. Might be better at safety a la Malcolm Jenkins.
6. Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn--very active interior presence that plays with a rare nastiness and a variety of ways to crash the pocket.
7. Tyron Smith, T, USC--the latest in a line of converted TEs and probably the best natural blocker of the lot. His weight and lower body strength are the only questions.
8. J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin--has impressive size/speed/strength package with an incredible motor and high football IQ. Reminds me of Jared Allen with 30 more pounds.
9. Robert Quinn, OLB, North Carolina--was an elite edge rusher with great instincts in 2009, and he will have fresh legs after a season off for a suspension that isn?t viewed as a big problem in NFL circles.
10. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama--very physical wideout with the size and strength that remind of Anquan Boldin. Great fit for a team looking to complement a deep burner.
11. Nate Solder, T, Colorado
12. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
13. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
14. Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
15. Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State
16. Danny Watkins, G, Baylor
17. Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
18. Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia. Spotlight: as long as his legs are healthy, the big and rangy Dowling is woefully undervalued by most people. Had the best chase gear in the nation pre-injury and his coverage instincts are solid.
19. Justin Houston, LB, Georgia
20. Anthony Castonzo, T, Boston College
21. Rodney Hudson, C, Florida State
22. Jerrel Jernigan, WR/KR, Troy. Spotlight: get bonus points for being a dynamic return man, and has proven his versatility--can play RB, slot WR, or split end. He?s a bigger Dexter McCluster with better leg strength.
23. Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor
24. Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech
25. Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
26. Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida
27. Cameron Jordan, DE, California
28. Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State. Spotlight: if he were 2 inches taller and a little quicker?very sound all-around interior or SAM backer that doesn?t miss tackles or get lost on the field.
29. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
30. Gabe Carimi, T, Wisconsin
31. Drake Nevis, DT, LSU
32. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
33. Derek Sherrod, T, Mississippi State
34. Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois. Spotlight: runs with a similar style to Arian Foster, strong, violent, and subtly quick without elite top-end speed. Foster led the NFL in rushing in 2010 behind an average OL. Just sayin??.
35. Brandon Harris, CB, Miami FL
36. Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple
37. Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State
38. Colin McCarthy, LB, Miami FL
39. Jabaal Sheard, OLB/DE, Pittsburgh
40. Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
41. Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
42. Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
43. Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State. Spotlight: I worry about his ability to stay healthy with his arm-heavy throwing motion, but he?s got very good intermediate and long accuracy to go with strong intangibles.
44. Aldon Smith, LB/DE, Missouri
45. Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
46. Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami FL
47. Titus Young, WR/RS, Boise State
48. Jason Pinkston, T, Pittsburgh
49. Aaron Williams, CB, Texas: Spotlight: coming off a disappointing season, but he generally acquitted himself well amidst the chaos that was Texas? secondary. Was much better in 2009 and has the athletic attributes and mental toughness to return to that level.
50. Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
51. Robert Sands, S, West Virginia
52. Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada
53. Jurell Casey, DT, USC
54. Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois
55. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State. Spotlight: I liked him a lot more before the torn meniscus, his second serious knee injury in 3 years. Tough, nasty, strong, and very good at locating the ball for an interior guy.
56. Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland
57. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA
58. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame
59. Ben Ijalana, T/G, Villanova
60. Curtis Marsh, CB, Utah State
61. Brooks Reid, OLB/DE, Arizona
62. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB/RS, Oregon State
63. Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU. Spotlight: probably my favorite ?better football player than athlete? in this draft, Sheppard has proven a wonderful, innate knack for winding up at the ball at the right time despite not being overly fast or quick.
64. James Carpenter, T, Alabama
65. Mason Foster, LB, Washington
66. D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas
67. Clint Boling, G/T, Georgia
68. Dontay Moch, LB, Nevada
69. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
70. Ryan Jones, CB, NW Missouri State. Spotlight: The star of NFLPA practice week, he was a dominant presence at an elite D-II program. Has the speed and instincts to handle the jump to playing with the big boys.
71. Tim Barnes, C, Missouri
72. Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville
73. Bruce Carter, CB, North Carolina
74. Kenrick Ellis, DT, Hampton
75. Luke Stocker, TE, Tennessee
76. Rashad Carmichael, CB, Virginia Tech
77. Shane Vereen, RB, California
78. K.J. Wright, LB, Mississippi State
79. Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky
80. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
81. Ahmad Black, S, Florida. Spotlight: few question his on-field ability, as he is an instinctive hitter with very good range. His lack of size and height make durability and deep coverage issues that are hard to overlook.
82. Rob Housler, TE, Florida Atlantic
83. Taiwan Jones, RB, Eastern Washington
84. Kendrick Burney, CB/S, North Carolina
85. Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa
86. Jeremy Kerley, WR/RS, TCU
87. Sam Acho, DE, Texas
88. Deandre McDaniel, S, Clemson
89. Jordan Todman, RB, UConn. Spotlight: Smallish but tough, not exceptionally fast but blessed with great vision, consistently productive even against stacked boxes, very good in pass protection.
90. Brian Rolle, LB, Ohio State
91. Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh
92. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State
93. Quan Sturdivant, LB, North Carolina
94. Alex Henery, K, Nebraska. Spotlight: I?m not an advocate of ever drafting a specialist, but Henery is an exception. Great kickoff leg, good boom to his punts, and he is nails to 48 yards on FGs. Better as a kicker than punter in the NFL.
95. Tyler Sash, S, Iowa
96. Davon House, CB, New Mexico State
97. Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina
98. Shareece Wright, CB, USC
99. Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford
100. Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
101. John Moffitt, G, Wisconsin
102. Andy Dalton, QB, TCU. Spotlight: I love his accuracy, his mechanics, and his leadership. But he is visibly slighter than his peers and has some sense of panic when pressured.
103. Jerrard Tarrant, S, Georgia Tech
Top 103: Pre-Combine Edition