2010 Defensive End Rankings

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Here are the rankings of 93 draft eligible defensive ends as we head down the stretch of the college season. Though by no means a group which offers a lot of impact at the top of the class, there is tons of potential on this list assuming the prospects remain healthy and fulfill their potential. We are excited about the top 14 players and feel many more could contribute on the NFL level.

Rank	Rnd	Name	Analysis
1	1st	Greg Hardy Mississippi	Dominant difference maker on the defensive line. Fast, quick and very explosive. Creates a lot off havoc off the edge and makes plays in all directions of the field. Lacks bulk and out positioned by large tackles. Must stay healthy and keep his head in the game but a potential top six pick in '10.
2	1st	Greg Romeus Pittsburgh	Athletic defender who is a big time prospect. Flashes power, explosion and makes a lot of plays behind the line. Expected to enter the 2010 draft.
3	1st	Jason Pierre-Paul South Florida	Junior college transfer that's turning in a sensational season. Likely to enter the draft and a first round selection.
4	1st	Ricky Sapp Clemson	Athletic college defensive end that may transition to rush linebacker in the NFL. Plays with great balance, speed and effective up the field or in backside pursuit. Needs to stay healthy and a big year could push him into the top half of round one.
5	1-2	Corey Wootton Northwestern	Dominant defensive lineman coming off a major knee injury. Takes over games with his ability to be a disruptive force. Big, athletic and strong. Possible two-gap lineman or lined up across right tackle. Need to improve the details of his game, develop more moves and just needs more playing time. Has been slow returning from his knee injury.
6	1-2	Cameron Heyward Ohio State	Large, athletic junior with a great amount of upside potential. Possible two game lineman in a 3-4.
7	1-2	Carlos Dunlap Florida	Big, dominant defensive lineman who has the makings of a premiere two-gap end. Destroys opponents and can take over plays yet very raw and rough around the edges. Top twelve pick if he puts it together and consistently plays at a high level.
8	1-2	Derrick Morgan Georgia Tech	Smooth defensive end who flashes speed off the edge while also displaying the ability to squeeze through blocks on the inside. Plays with balance, body control and a good athlete with nice upside.
9	2nd	Jeremy Beal Oklahoma	Fast, athletic defensive end best in a conventional system.
10	2nd	Allen Bailey Miami-Fl
11	2nd	Brandon Graham Michigan	Sensational football player who plays with a non-stop motor. Fast up the field, pursues with speed off the edge and a disruptive force who makes a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. Plays bigger than his size (270lbs) and constantly doubled by opponents. Growth limitations will knock him out of the draft's top two rounds yet a quality one-gap defensive lineman.
12	2-3	Willie Young North Carolina State	Explosive college pass rusher who may be best at linebacker in the NFL. Fast off the edge, quickly changes direction and constantly doubled by opponents. Shows an array of moves getting off blocks yet lacks bulk and handled by opponents.
13	2-3	Kao Misi Utah	Underrated prospect expected to blow it up at pre-draft workouts.
14	2-3	Cameron Jordan California	Great junior prospect that can play in a conventional line up or as a two-gap end. Athletic, fluid moving about the field and defeats blocks getting to the play. Possesses great upside.
15	2-3	Everson Griffin USC	Terrific athlete with a high upside. Makes plays in every direction, shows speed out to the flanks and covers a lot of area on the field.
16	2-3	Justin Houston Georgia	Good athlete with great upside. Fires off the snap,. Fast off the edge and effective making plays from the backside.
17	3rd	Cliff Matthews South Carolina	Fluid defensive end who moves well on his feet and makes plays in every direction.
18	3rd	Jeffrey Fitzgerald Kansas State	Virginia transfer who displayed a lot of skill as a junior at UVA in '07.
19	3rd	Brandon Lang Troy State	Fast defensive end who makes a lot of plays in the backfield or in pursuit. Rarely off his feet, uses his hands well and forces the action. Lacks bulk and handled in one-on-one blocking. Slow to locate the ball. May be best as a stand up rush linebacker.
20	3rd	Sam Acho Texas
21	3rd	Ryan Kerrigan Purdue
22	3rd	George Selvie South Florida	Explosive pass rusher whose play fell off last season. At his best Selvie looks like another Simeon Rice in size and style.
23	3rd	Jermaine Cunningham Florida	Solid college defensive end with a nice combination of speed and athleticism. Struggles against blocks but would suit a one-gap system.
24	3rd	Kentrell Lockett Mississippi	Explosive yet undersized college pass rusher who may ultimately line-up at linebacker in the NFL.
25	3-4	Will Tukuafu Oregon	Athletic, smooth defensive end who makes plays in every direction of the field. Overaged, lacks strength and does not have a high ceiling.
26	3-4	Jason Worilds Virginia Tech
27	3-4	Greg Middleton Indiana	Fluid athlete with excellent movement skills. Rarely off his feet, flashes speed off the edge and pursuit skills from the backside. Coming off a horrible junior season after setting the world on fire in 2007. Offers top 60 skills but many intimate in the program feel Middelton's best days are behind him.
28	3-4	Jabaal Sheard Pittsburgh	Overshadowed defensive lineman with NFL skills. Fluid, easily moves about the field and plays with a nasty attitude. Makes plays in every direction of the field.
29	4th	Markus White Florida State	Explosive defensive tackle who knifes between blockers on the inside or immediately alters his angle of attack to make plays down the line.
30	4th	John Fonoti Hawaii	Solid edge rusher best in a 4-3 alignment.
31	5th	Erik Lorig Stanford	Fluid defensive end with good size and length. Plays with good pad level, works hard to get involved and plays with excellent balance. Must add bulk and get stronger as he's handled by tight ends. Has an upside.
32	5th	Pierre Allen Nebraska	Long, lengthy defensive end who moves well about the field yet shows minimal explosion and strength. Offers and upside and must be watched.
33	5th	C.J. Wilson East Carolina	Resilient defensive lineman best in a one-gap system. Plays with good knee bend and stays with the action. Small, engulfed by opponents and displays marginal edge speed.
34	5th	Kevin Basped Nevada
35	5th	Adrian Clayborn Iowa
36	5-6	Christian Anthony Grambling	Possibly the best defensive end no one talks about. Creates a lot of havoc up the field out of a three point stance yet has enough athleticism to stand up over tackle.
37	5-6	Auston English Oklahoma	Fast, edge rusher who makes a lot of plays up the field. Instinctive and hard working. Offers a decent amount of upside yet may only fit certain schemes.
38	5-6	James Ruffin Northern Iowa
39	5-6	Alex Carrington Arkansas State	Fluid lineman who makes a lot of athletic plays. Plays with good pad level and tough to move off the point. Must add bulk to his frame and improve his strength yet has an upside.
40	6th	Lindsey Witten Connecticut	Tall, slim college defensive end who plays with good fundamentals and smoothly moves about the field. Handled at the point out of a three point stance and may be best as a stand-up, rush linebacker.
41	6th	George Johnson Rutgers	Quick, fluid athlete who makes plays in every direction of the field. Could follow in the footsteps of Jamaal Westermann and move to linebacker at the next level.
42	6th	Ugo Chinasa Oklahoma State
43	6th	Wes Brown Tennessee
44	6-7	Marcus Tillman Mississippi	Hard working athlete on the defensive line who makes plays in every direction. Possesses the physical skills to play in a four man front but instincts leave a lot to be desired.
45	6-7	Justin Trattou Florida	Fluid defensive end with good movement skills. Works hard to make positive plays yet easily knocked from his angle of attack and possesses just an average burst.
46	6-7	Rahim Alem LSU	Good athlete with terrific movement skills and edge speed. Rarely off his feet but struggles against the run,
47	6-7	Adrian Tracy William & Mary	Small school defensive end on the rise.
48	7-FA	Broan Coulter Missouri	Tall, thin college defensive end who occasionally stands up over tackle. Fluid moving about the field and shows ability in space. Lacks the strength and bulk needed at defensive end and best as a rush linebacker in a 34.
49	7-FA	Jammie Kirlew Indiana	Small yet hard working defensive end who makes plays in every direction of the field. Quick, resilient and plays with great balance. Fights hard but growth limitations will hamper him.
50	FA	Jan Jorgensen BYU
51	FA	Carl Ihenacho San Jose State
52	FA	Austen Lane Murray State
53	FA	Roderick Battle Georgia	Fluid athlete who must get bigger and stronger.
54	FA	John Russell Wake Forest
55	FA	Marcus Broxie Tennessee State
56	FA	Demarcus Dobbs Georgia	Mechanically sound defensive end who lines up at defensive end or stands up over tackle. Shows the ability to makes plays in every direction and fast.
57	FA	Aaron Morgan La-Lafayette
58	FA	Eric Childs Kansas State	Athletic defensive end who must step up his play.
59	FA	Junior Galette Stillman	Temple transfer. Physically stands out yet desire and attitude have been questioned.
60	FA	EJ Wilson North Carolina	Athletic defensive end that plays with leverage, balance and makes plays in all directions of the field. Fluid getting down the line to the ball carrier but lacks strength at the point and handled by a single blocker.
61	FA	Jason Lamb Baylor
62	FA	Michael Janac Marshall	Hard working yet undersized defender who makes plays in every direction of the field.
63	FA	Danny Batten South Dakota State
64	FA	Eric Moncur Miami-Fl	Undersized yet explosive defensive end returning from injury. Fast off the edge and solid in pursuit.
65	FA	Marc Schiechl Colorado Mines
66	FA	Lawrence Wilson Ohio State	Good athlete whose career has been hampered by injury.
67	FA	John Fletcher Wyoming
68	FA	Adrian Davis Arkansas	Tall, angular college pass rusher who may gets looks as an outside linebacker in the NFL.
69	FA	Kevin Alexander Clemson
70	FA	Jayson Ayers South Carolina St
71	FA	Broderick Stewart Vanderbilt
72	FA	Mitch Unrein Wyoming
73	FA	Derrick Onwuachi Minnesota	Athletic defensive end who makes plays in every direction of the field. Undersized and easily controlled by a single blocker.
74	FA	Steven Stone Vanderbilt	Terrific edge rusher with outstanding edge speed. Plays with good leverage and fluid changing direction but really struggles getting off blocks.
75	FA	Doug Pilcher Illinois	Quick yet undersized defensive end who plays with good technique. Potential nickel rusher in the NFL.
76	FA	Trevor Anderson Michigan State	Undersized defensive end with good movement skills. Hustles around the field yet lacks size, strength and handled at the point by a single blocker.
77	FA	Kevin Dixon Troy State
78	FA	Frank Zombo Central Michigan	Athletic pass rushing defensive end in college who may need to transition to outside linebacker in the NFL.
79	FA	Robert Rose Ohio State	Quick, athletic lineman with limited size and strength. Needs to add bulk to his frame and also needs more playing experience.
80	FA	Kevin Kooyman Washington State	Fluid lineman with great hand technique. Not quick nor explosive.
81	FA	Matt Marcorelle Delaware
82	FA	Justin Mincey Florida State	Relatively athletic defensive end that must improve all aspects of his game.
83	FA	Shaun Mohler Colorado
84	FA	Barry Turner Nebraska
85	FA	Aaron King UTEP
86	FA	Eugene Germany Central Washington
87	FA	Tim Knicky Stephen F. Austin
88	FA	Jesse Feagin Washington State
89	FA	Hall Davis La-Lafayette	Size/speed guy who started his career at Eastern Michigan.
90	FA	Andy Mattingly Washington State
91	FA	Chris Lyle Iowa State
92	FA	Gary Watts Rutgers?
93	FA	William Croner Howard

Updated 1/31

Rank	Rnd	Name	Pos	Year
1	1st	Ndamukong Suh Nebraska	DT	5Sr
2	1st	Eric Berry Tennessee	S	3Jr
3	1st	Gerald McCoy Oklahoma	DT	4Jr
4	1st	Russell Okung Oklahoma State	T	4Sr
5	1st	Joe Haden Florida	CB	3Jr
6	1st	Dez Bryant Oklahoma State	WR	3Jr
7	1st	Anthony Davis Rutgers	T	3Jr
8	1st	Jason Pierre-Paul South Florida	DE	3Jr
9	1st	Damian Williams USC	WR	4Jr
10	1st	Brian Price UCLA	DT	3Jr
11	1st	Derrick Morgan Georgia Tech	DE	3Jr
12	1st	Sam Bradford Oklahoma	QB	4Jr
13	1st	Taylor Mays USC	S	4Sr
14	1st	Bruce Campbell Maryland	T	3Jr
15	1st	Rolando McClain Alabama	ILB	3Jr
16	1st	Earl Thomas Texas	S	3So
17	1st	Jared Odrick Penn State	DT	4Sr
18	1st	Sergio Kindle Texas	OLB	4Sr
19	1-2	Bryan Bulaga Iowa	T	3Jr
20	1-2	Demaryius Thomas Georgia Tech	WR	4Jr
21	1-2	Charles Brown USC	T	5Sr
22	1st	Jerry Hughes TCU	OLB	4Sr
23	1-2	Brandon Graham Michigan	DE	4Sr
24	1st	Ricky Sapp Clemson	DE	4Sr
25	1st	Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame	QB	4Jr

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