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All-Decade: How players ranked No. 2 overall fared

Josh Rosen
Josh Rosen

The decade is coming to an end so we continue to look at Rivals.com rankings and commitments from 2010-2019. Today, we look at the players that finished No. 2 overall in the rankings for each year and how they panned out.

MORE ALL-DECADE: Top QB | Top RB | Top WR/TE | Top OL | Top DT | Top DE | Top LB | Top DB | Biggest flips | Programs trending up, down | Biggest busts | Ranking the No. 1s | Crazy recruiting storylines in 2010 | Most polarizing prospects

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State


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2010: OL Seantrel Henderson

Henderson was No. 1 at one point in this rankings cycle and was one of the most formidable and intimidating offensive tackles I’d seen. Ronald Powell pushed ahead of Henderson in the end due to his versatility, but injuries derailed his career. Henderson was also a very good basketball player and went on to college and NFL success.


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2011: LB Curtis Grant 

Grant was never in consideration for No. 1 because Jadeveon Clowney was such a rare prospect and went bell to bell as our top guy. However, Grant was a massive linebacker with excellent sideline-to-sideline speed and he loved to play physically. It’s stunning he didn’t have a great career at Ohio State and isn’t playing in the NFL.

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  2012: OL DJ Humphries  

Humphries pushed No. 1 Dorial Green-Beckham but couldn’t overcome Beckham’s incredible upside as a wide receiver. In the end, they both had average college careers and Humphries went on to become a first-rounder, while DGB was a second-rounder. However, Humphries is still in the NFL as a starter with the Arizona Cardinals.

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  2013: CB Vernon Hargreaves  

Robert Nkemdiche was No. 1 from bell to bell for 2013 and Hargreaves ended up as our highest-ranked cornerback ever despite my questions regarding his size. He had a very good college career and became a first-rounder, so he checked all the boxes. He’s still in the NFL, while Nkemdiche has been through two teams and is waiting on a third. Hargreaves is on his second team as well.


2014: DE Myles Garrett  

There was quite a debate between the analysts between Garrett and Da’Shawn Hand and Hand ended up No. 1. Garrett had a better college career and went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but his future is uncertain after his helmet-swinging incident. Hand moved to defensive tackle in college and is now with the Detroit Lions after being a fourth-round pick.

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2015: QB Josh Rosen  

Rosen, like Henderson, was No. 1 at one point in his rankings cycle but we went with defensive tackle Byron Cowart in the end mainly because he had an amazing Under Armour week and Rosen decided not to play. Rosen went on to a solid career at UCLA and became a first-round pick but he’s already on his second NFL team. Cowart transferred to Maryland from Auburn and is now with the New England Patriots.


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2016: DT Dexter Lawrence  

Lawrence was No. 1 at one time during his cycle but was passed by Rashan Gary in the end. Both players went on to have great college careers and became first-round draft picks. They were one slot apart out of high school and four slots apart in the NFL Draft.


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2017: DT Marvin Wilson  

Wilson was also No. 1 at one point during his cycle but lost out to running back Najee Harris in the end. Wilson and Harris are both still in college and it’s unclear where they will go in the NFL Draft. Wilson had some projecting him as a first-rounder before a season-ending injury at Florida State.


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2018: QB Justin Fields  

Fields finished second to No. 1 overall Trevor Lawrence and they could go No. 1 and No. 2 in the 2021 NFL Draft. After not being used properly at Georgia, Fields is now tearing it up at Ohio State, while Lawrence has already won a national title and is going for another with Clemson.

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2019: LB Nolan Smith  

Smith finished No. 2 to Derek Stingley Jr. in what wasn’t really a hotly contested battle. We liked Stingley Jr. from the start but pushed Smith up to No. 2 at the end. Both have played as true freshmen and Stingley Jr. has been called the best defender on the LSU team by many.

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