6/6/2015 football Edit

Five-Star Challenge: Top defensive performers

Adam Friedman and Woody Wommack

Publisher

Wilson made the list because of an explosive first step and violent hands. At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, he was too big and too strong for most interior linemen to handle, quickly knocking his opponents off balance and driving them backward. Wilson's pass rushing technique is impressive, especially for an interior lineman.

Devin Bush

Pembroke Pines (Fla.) Flanagan

Bush, who came up with two interceptions, is a very smart linebacker that is much faster in the open field than the tight ends and running backs originally thought. One interception was in the flat near the sideline and one was downfield when covering a wheel route. Bush knows when to bump the running backs and tight ends, and knows when to jump so he can knock down the pass.

Rashan Gary

Paramus (N.J.) Paramus Catholic

Gary brings a "wow" factor because he is so quick and aggressive for a player his size. He won one-on-one reps in a variety of ways. Gary used a rip move to the outside a lot but came back to the inside a few times, using his speed to cut across the face of the offensive lineman. A lot of times it looked like the offensive lineman's initial punch was going to knock him off balance but Gary was able to keep his feet and use the momentum to get to the quarterback.

Lavert Hill

Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King

Hill stepped up against top-notch competition and showed a nice ability to cover bigger wide receivers and keep up with smaller, speedier players. He's physical at the line of scrimmage and plays with an edge, something that's needed in a loaded event like the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. After excelling in one-on-ones, Hill has shown that he has the potential to be a lockdown guy in man coverage.

Jonathon Cooper

Gahanna (Ohio) Lincoln

Cooper has added some mass to his frame but hasn't lost one bit of the quickness that makes him such a terror off the edge. Once he adjusted to the talent in attendance, he started to gain traction and return to his dominant form. With his pass-rushing skills and now improved physicality to match, it looks like his best days are still in front of him.

Lamont Wade

Clairton, Pa (2017)

Despite his small stature, Wade was one of the most physical defensive backs on the field. He routinely ripped the ball out of receivers' hands just after they caught it and even went to the ground to try to wrestle it away. Whether Wade would be able to stay with the faster, bigger receivers has always been the question but he proved that he can hang with them.

Jack Jones

Long Beach (Calif.) Poly

Jones is known for his ability to light it up on both sides of the ball, but Saturday his focus was on defense and he rose to the occasion. Jones has long arms and quick feet, and he was in the hip pocket of every receiver he went against in one-on-ones. He takes gambles at times but his ball skills allow him to take some risks that lead to big rewards.

Jeffrey Okudah

Grand Prairie (Texas) South Grand Prairie (2017)

Okudah is a versatile athlete and continues to add size to his frame, and is beginning to look more like a full-time safety. Despite his added weight, he didn't lose any of the athleticism that makes him such a talented defender. Okudah is physical enough to jam at the line but is also good in man-to-man coverage.

JoeJuan Williams

Nashville (Tenn.) Father Ryan

Williams is a big, rangy defensive back that drives very well when the ball is thrown in front of him. He did a good job of sticking his hand in at the last minute and knocking the ball away from the receiver. Williams is definitely more of a safety than he is a cornerback but still had a lot of success during the one-on-one session cover routes with multiple cuts.

Dexter Lawrence

Wake Forest, N.C.

Lawrence, the new No. 1 player in the Rivals100, played like a top prospect should. His speed off the line of scrimmage is exceptional for a player his size. Lawrence uses his hands and leverage so well. He was able to get his hands into the offensive lineman's chest and knock him off-balance before running past him. Lawrence won a lot of reps using rip moves to the left and right side. He even showed off his strength by shrugging off an offensive lineman that was clearly holding him.

Kendell Jones

Killeen (Texas) Shoemaker

The sheer size of Jones is one of the most impressive aspects of any of the players at the camp. His pure strength is enough to put most offensive linemen on skates. Jones used an outside rip move almost exclusively but there weren't really any offensive linemen that could stop him. Baveon Johnson slowed Jones down a few times and even knocked him off balance once but Jones was almost unstoppable.

Michael Divinity

Marrero (La.) John Ehret

Divinity was so good in coverage that you might have thought he was a defensive back and not a linebacker. When matched up with tight ends he was almost perfect and he capped his day with an impressive interception. As a guy who will be asked to cover against spread offenses at the next level, Divinity looks like the perfect fit for several types of schemes.

Lamar Jackson

Elk Grove (Calif.) Franklin

Jackson is easily the biggest defensive back at the camp but did surprisingly well in one-on-one coverage. He used his length to his advantage and the bigger receivers were not able to take advantage of him. Jackson was physical with the smaller receivers and messed up their timing with the quarterbacks. With his size and speed, Jackson's future could be at outside linebacker.

William Poole III

Atlanta (Ga.) Hapeville Charter (2017)

Poole's terrific spring continued on Saturday with an excellent showing in both drills and one-on-ones. Despite being an underclassman and a little less physically developed than some of his counterparts, Poole more than held his own during one-on-ones. With long arms, great feet and good speed, Poole looks like a future star.

Ben Davis

Gordo, Ala.

Davis is up to 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds but looked terrific in coverage with his long frame. Davis looks like the ideal prospect to fit in a variety of schemes and he has the ability to play either inside or outside at the next level. He seems to save his best play for the biggest events, and Saturday was no exception.

Daelin Hayes

Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline

Hayes looks like the thickest linebacker in attendance but still ran well in the open field. He did a better job covering tight ends than running backs and was very physical near the line of scrimmage. Hayes maintained coverage for longer than many expected and his length gave some of the quarterbacks problems.

Nate McBride

Vidalia, Ga. (2017)

McBride spent the spring dominating on the track but it didn't hurt his football prowess one bit. The physical specimen moves very well in space and can cover running backs and tight ends with the best of them. With his physical tools, McBride belongs with the elite prospects and once he adjusted to the competition level he had an excellent day.