NFL Draft Preview: DE
The college football season and Senior Bowl are finished, and the NFL Scouting Combine is coming up before the NFL Draft. Here is our look in order at the top 10 defensive available and a look back at their ranking and recruitment along with an opinion of each from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell.
Ranking: Bosa was rated as the fourth-best strong-side defensive end and No. 47 overall coming out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas in the 2013 class.
Recruiting: After a round of unofficial visits in the spring before his senior season, Bosa released a top four of Alabama, Florida State, Michigan and Ohio State in no order. He returned to Columbus about a week later for the spring game and committed to the Buckeyes.
Overview: In 12 games, Bosa finished with 51 tackles (16 for loss) including five sacks. He also had an interception, forced a fumble and had 14 quarterback hurries.
Farrell’s take: The son of former Boston College defensive end great John Bosa was a monster in high school. He was physically imposing and had the ceiling to warrant five-star status, so we missed a bit there despite his top 50 ranking. His play this season was uninspired at times, but other times he was simply dominant. Bosa's consistency is something that will be questioned at the NFL level, but physically you can’t match his attributes overall. He reminds me a lot of Chris Long -- we’ll see if Bosa can outperform him in the NFL -- but Bosa is worth a very high pick.
Ranking: Lawson was a low four-star and the No. 19 weak-side defensive end out of Central (S.C.) D.W. Daniel. He was moved to a high four-star after a stint at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy.
Recruiting: Lawson committed to Clemson after his junior day visit over early offers from Tennessee, Maryland and East Carolina.
Overview: En route to playing for the national title, Lawson had 60 tackles (25.5 for loss) including 12.5 sacks. He also forced a fumble, recovered one and had five quarterback hurries.
Farrell’s take: Lawson was an absolute beast out of prep school as he began to grow into the body and skills that made him a four-star out of high school. His emergence was not a big surprise when it became his time to shine on the Clemson defense. He sets the edge well and can get after the passer with strength and power. He was the best prep player in the nation in 2013 for good reason and I like him near the Bosa level, much higher than others. He's perfect for a 3-4 defense in the NFL.
Ranking: Out of Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou, Buckner was rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 17 strong-side defensive end in the 2012 class. He was second in the Hawaii state rankings.
Recruiting: Buckner visited Oregon in December and then committed to the Ducks in January over a host of other Pac-12 offers.
Overview: Buckner was second on the team with 83 tackles (17 for loss) including 10.5 sacks. He also recorded six quarterback hurries, five pass deflections and recovered a fumble.
Farrell’s take: Buckner was a four-star out of high school as a tall, skinny kid with a great frame and long arms, but the level of competition in Hawaii made us wary. We felt he would come along slowly and be a boom-or-bust kid and this year he became that boom guy we wanted to see. Now he’s a tall, filled-out monster who has scouts drooling over his athleticism and ceiling at the next level. Buckner plays too high because he’s so tall, but he could be Calais Campbell if he gets stronger.
Ranking: Bullard was a five-star prospect and the top-ranked strongside defensive end in the 2012 class out of Shelby (N.C.) Crest. He was ranked sixth overall and second in the North Carolina state rankings.
Recruiting: Bullard committed to Florida over Clemson, South Carolina and many others at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Overview: Bullard finished with 66 tackles (17.5 for loss) with 6.5 sacks. He also had six quarterback hurries and two pass deflections.
Farrell’s take: Bullard was a late bloomer in high school as a hoops kid who had amazing athleticism. He could play inside or outside at the next level, something scouts love. The former five-star was always quick off the snap, good at shooting the gap and could line up outside and beat you with speed. I like his motor, his ability to push the pocket and he will emerge as a riser on this list after workouts. He’s going to be a very good NFL player.
Ranking: Carl Nassib was not ranked by Rivals.com
Recruiting: Nassib, from West Chester (Pa.) Malvern Prep, went to Penn State as a preferred walk-on and was granted a scholarship prior to the 2013 season.
Overview: Nassib had 46 tackles this season (19.5 for loss) including 15.5 sacks. He added six forced fumbles and an interception.
Farrell’s take: A tall walk-on being snubbed by the world to dominate at the college level and beyond? Sounds familiar. The comparisons to J.J. Watt are still premature, but each time I see Nassib, I believe a little more. His shoulder dip and explosion to the quarterback are amazing and his length disrupts passing lanes. He can do it all and we like him better than many others. You can’t measure his work ethic and underdog mentality that makes him much more attractive.
Ranking: Ogbah was rated as a mid-level three-star prospect in the 2012 class.
Recruiting: Ogbah committed to the Cowboys without visiting campus in early September and did not take a trip to Stillwater until January.
Overview: Ogbah recorded 64 tackles (17.5 for loss) with 13 sacks. He also had 19 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and two recoveries.
Farrell’s take: Ogbah was a solid player in high school, but didn't excel at any one thing with his tall and skinny frame. That has changed now for sure and he's a great example of a late-bloomer who picked the right system to succeed in and made himself a much better player than projected. He plays angry and physical, flattens out around the edge very well and is disruptive in the backfield. He's also an active tackler to the outside and in space and he explodes to the quarterback when he breaks free. He had a weak finish to the 2015 season and that has hurt him a bit, but I think he rebounds at the combine and pro days.
Ranking: Dodd was rated as a three-star coming out of Greer (S.C.) Riverside and then a four-star after a stint at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy.
Recruiting: Dodd committed to Clemson midway through his senior season when it was his only major offer. He visited numerous times and worked out there over the summer.
Overview: Dodd finished with 62 tackles (23.5 for loss) including 12 sacks. He also forced and recovered a fumble and blocked a kick.
Farrell’s take: Dodd was a solid player out of high school, became a better prospect out of prep school (same one Lawson came out of) and improved dramatically this year. He was a bit of a ‘tweener out of high school and projected as a defensive tackle, but became an elite pass rusher and terror in the backfield his last couple of years before college. A very good athlete, Dodd was scheme versatile and has proven to be a guy who has lived up to his four-star ranking after a slow start. However, he’s being over-ranked a bit by NFL scouts for his work in the title game and his body of work is good but not great, keeping him down the list for me a bit.
Ranking: Calhoun was a three-star strong-side defensive end out of Middletown (N.J.) Middletown North.
Recruiting: Deciding between football and basketball, Calhoun chose the gridiron and committed to the Spartans over Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Rutgers and others.
Overview: Calhoun finished with 49 tackles (15 for loss) and 10.5 sacks. He also had 18 quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and he blocked a kick.
Farrell’s take: Another underrated Michigan State commit who turns out to be a stud at the next level? Le’Veon Bell, Trae Waynes, Darqueze Dennard, Connor Cook and Calhoun are good examples. None of these guys showed the potential they reached, so the Spartans coaching staff is clearly doing a great job and Calhoun appeared more to us on a basketball court than he did for football, but he was still a super athletic kid who could have also been a standout tight end. The two-sport guys, especially the ones who are still choosing between sports as seniors, are tough evals, but no excuses here, Calhoun has emerged as a great pass rusher who has to answer questions about how he holds up against the run and sets the edge in the NFL.
Ranking: The Houston, Miss., recruit was rated as a five-star and the second-best strong-side defensive end in the 2013 class.
Recruiting: Two days after working out at Mississippi State's summer camp, Jones committed to the Bulldogs. Jones showed significant interest in Ole Miss close to National Signing Day but decided to stick with Mississippi State.
Overview: Jones had 44 tackles (7.5 for loss) including 2.5 sacks this season. He finished with five quarterback hurries and four pass deflections.
Farrell’s take: Jones was a late five-star discovery for us, and most in the industry, as he was simply dominant at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. He was similarly impressive in the Under Armour All-America Game as well and, like many players from Mississippi, was under-scouted and under-recruited. But, in the end, I feel like we got the ranking correct. We didn’t see him moving inside like he did mainly because he’s so tall and long, but that length allows him to make so many plays around and behind the line of scrimmage. His athleticism could send him soaring up the charts after the NFL Combine and his Pro Day and because he plays high, he could end up as a big end in a 3-4 defense.
Ranking: Tapper was a three-star strongside defensive end out of Baltimore (Md.) City College High. He was No. 21 at his position and No. 11 in the Maryland state rankings.
Recruiting: Tapper committed in the summer before his senior season over offers from Miami, Penn State, West Virginia and others.
Overview: En route to the College Football Playoff, Tapper had 50 tackles (10 for loss) with seven sacks. He also forced four fumbles and recovered one.
Farrell’s take: Tapper isn’t the longest defensive end which will work against him, but he’s a powerful edge guy who is also very good against the run and always has been. He overpowered people out of high school, had a great motor and was a man amongst boys at times. However, he wasn’t very fast off the snap and that’s what kept him in the three-star range way back in 2012. He has played much better than that ranking, but it will be interesting to see if scouts focus on his lack of length and elite speed or focus on his improved production as a senior rushing the passer and disrupting passing lanes. I have a feeling about him which puts him in the top 10 here.