Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

Roquan Smith could be the first linebacker taken in the NFL Draft later this month but out of high school, he was ranked No. 6 at outside linebacker. We take a look at the five linebackers rated ahead of him and call this Ranking with the Stars.

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The skinny: After trimming his list down to Texas, Texas A&M and UCLA, Jefferson committed to the Longhorns a few days before Christmas, along with his high school teammate DeAndre McNeal. Jefferson made an immediate impact in Austin, quickly becoming one of the more reliable Longhorn defenders. Finishing his three-year collegiate career with 231 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks, he declared for the NFL Draft, in which he is projected by many to be selected in the second half of the first round.

Farrell’s take: Jefferson was a fun kid to cover, a driven player who made sacrifices like pushing through family hardship to play in the Under Armour All-America Game when he could have easily gone the local U.S. Army All-American Bowl route. Jefferson was a five-star, and he has certainly delivered for Texas. His early impact was a surprise, but the fact that he became a defensive leader is not surprising at all. He is projected to go in Round 2 in this year’s draft, and could sneak into Round 1.

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The skinny: While Houston listed USC, Miami, Arizona State, Oklahoma and Oregon as his five finalists leading up to his decision on National Signing Day, it did not come as much of a surprise when he committed to the Trojans. Houston redshirted in 2015 and then saw part-time duty in 2016 before hitting his stride last season with 84 tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss. He decided to return for the 2018 season, where he is expected to be one of the leaders of the Trojans’ defensive unit.

Farrell’s Take: We loved his range and quickness to the ball out of high school, as well as his length, and we saw him as a guy who could play a few different linebacker roles if needed. His career has been up and down, but he’s starting to come into his own and is making a case to be one of the top linebackers in next year’s draft.

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The skinny: Masina took official visits to UCLA and Arizona State in October and USC in November before committing to the Trojans in January. After one season at USC, when he finished with 25 tackles, Masina was suspended by the school after being arrested for sexual assault. In December of 2017 he pleaded guilty to three separate counts of misdemeanor sexual battery and was sentenced to three years in a Utah prison.

Farrell’s take: What a shame, because this kid could ball. He was powerful, could shed blocks well and he was able to run from sideline to sideline. His off-field issues ruined a promising career and there’s no reason to say much more.

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The skinny: Smith, who was offered by Clemson in January, committed to the Tigers over Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and Pittsburgh in April. Smith redshirted during the 2015 season, and has only totaled 34 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in limited action over the last two seasons. During this off-season he will be battling for the back-up spot behind Kendall Joseph, who decided to return for his senior season.

Farrell’s take: It hasn’t gone that smoothly for Smith, mainly because there is so much talent on the Clemson roster. Smith had good size and range and was excellent in coverage. He could still have a breakout season, but he hasn’t panned out as we expected.

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The skinny: Baker initially committed to Florida during the summer, but with the Gators struggling on the field and coach Will Muschamp’s future in doubt, he flipped to Ohio State in October. Baker emerged as one of the Buckeyes' defensive leaders during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. After totaling 155 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks during that time, he declared for the 2018 NFL Draft, where he is projected to be selected in the first two rounds.

Farrell’s take: Baker is a terrific athlete, but he has been way too inconsistent this year which, is why he’s fallen out of most first-round discussions. He wasn’t that tall or long, but he was sudden, explosive and arrived at the ball with a thump out of high school. His instincts were off the charts, and he played bigger than his size and continues to do so when he wants to. He’s an effective blitzer when needed, but has been erratic.

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The skinny: Smith took official visits to Georgia, Michigan, UCLA, Texas A&M and USC before committing to the Bruins on National Signing Day. However, upon finding out that his recruiting coach, Jeff Ulbrich, was leaving UCLA, Smith never faxed over his letter of intent. After taking a step back, he then committed and signed with Georgia two weeks later. Plenty was expected from Smith coming into the 2017 season, and he responded by becoming the leader of the Bulldogs defense while totaling 137 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Forgoing his senior season, he is projected to be selected within the first 15 picks of the upcoming NFL Draft.

Farrell’s take: Smith has emerged as the best quick-twitch option at linebacker in the draft, and scouts are overlooking his lack of length. When Smith decided not to head West and delayed his recruitment, I didn’t think a ton of it, because I was still iffy on how effective he would be at the next level. Man, was I wrong. He’s an absolute terror, and you could argue that no linebacker in the country arrives to the football faster. He has added good size and someone will covet him highly as a terrorizing outside linebacker. It’s either Smith or Tremaine Edmunds as the top linebacker - and there won’t be a big gap between them.

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