NFL Draft 2019: Early look at top five defensive ends

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

College football is only weeks away. There's no better time than now to look at five defensive ends who could be early-round NFL Draft picks after this season.

MORE EARLY LOOKS AT THE 2019 NFL DRAFT: QB | RB | WR/TE | OL | DT

Recruiting: The younger brother of Joey Bosa, the five-star defensive end predictably picked Ohio State over Florida, Florida State and others in the summer before his senior season.

Stats: Bosa finished with 34 tackles last season with 16 for loss and 8.5 sacks, both team highs. He added nine quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Farrell’s take: Bosa was drawing comparisons to his brother, Joey, before his ACL injury in November of his senior season. Some said he would be even better. We had him ranked higher than Joey out of high school, but we whiffed on Joey being a five-star, so there’s that. Nick was as athletic and physical as his brother and loved to hit. We knew he’d be special, and he’s emerged as one of the best defensive ends in the country and is my No. 1 overall for the draft right now.

Recruiting: On National Signing Day, Gary picked Michigan over Clemson. The Wolverines were considered the front-runner for some time. Alabama and Auburn were also in the running late in the recruiting cycle.

Stats: Gary finished with 67 tackles including 12 for loss with six sacks last season. The No. 1 player in the 2016 Rivals100, Gary added seven quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Farrell’s take: He is arguably the most athletic player in the country for his size and pushed to our No. 1 overall spot based on his ability to play end or tackle with ease and dominate at both. He has No. 1 overall pick potential; he’s that freaky. I remember his improvement in high school from a kid who was very upright and raw to a terror by his senior year. With a breakout season he could surpass everyone.

Recruiting: While it came down to Clemson, South Carolina and Virginia Tech, the Tigers were always thought to be his leader and he ultimately pulled the trigger for Dabo Swinney's program during the summer before his senior season..

Stats: Ferrell finished last season with 63 tackles and team highs in tackles for loss (18) and sacks (9.5). He also added 12 quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles.

Farrell’s take: Many felt that this past season would be Ferrell’s breakout year at Clemson, and it appears it was as he was in the offensive backfield often. I always liked his athletic upside, although he was a bit stiff at times, but I questioned his aggressiveness, so it has been interesting watch him mature and come into his own in that area. His ceiling is very high for the NFL and keeps rising. He’s playing up to his lofty ranking.

Recruiting: During Miami’s Junior Day, Jackson committed to the Hurricanes along with high school teammate Cedrick Wright. His other close friend, Dionte Mullins, had already been a Miami pledge. Jackson said playing with his “brothers” in college was an important consideration.

Stats: Jackson finished last season with 59 tackles including 11.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks. He also had six quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Farrell’s take: Jackson was deciding between tight end and defensive end in high school and was a tough eval because he didn’t really dominant at either. However, based on his frame, build and explosive ability, we liked him enough to have him right outside our Rivals100. He had a high ceiling and is developing into the prospect many felt he could be as the NFL is noticing.

Recruiting: On National Signing Day, Burns committed to Florida State over Florida, Georgia and others. He had taken a late official visit to Tallahassee and it paid off with his signature.

Stats: Burns totaled 48 tackles including a team-high 13.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks. He added three forced fumbles, two blocked kicks, a fumble recovery and five quarterback hurries.

Farrell’s take: Burns was a Rivals100 prospect with excellent speed around the edge and a great first step, but we had questions about his ability to handle the run. Size is still a question, but his play in the backfield has been stellar and speaks to his ability to disrupt plays with speed and acceleration. As he adds strength, he will become more well-rounded, but right now he’s already emerging as one of the elite pass rushers in the ACC and he had a really strong first two seasons.