CLASS OF '18 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | State | Position | JUCO
RELATED: Which five-star offensive standout could go No. 1 overall?
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney don’t always see eye to eye. In this edition of Rival Views, the two debate which five-star on defense in this recruiting class could go No. 1 in the NFL Draft years from now.
FARRELL'S VIEW: EYABI ANOMA
It has to be a defensive end, right? We just debated who is the best pass rusher and I picked Xavier Thomas but when it comes to a player who is just scratching the surface of his potential and could make the biggest strides over three years, I’ll go with Eyabi Anoma. The pass rusher from Maryland could fill out to be 265 pounds or more and if he keeps his speed and first step, he will be a freak at the NFL Combine.
Thomas is a great player but I don’t think he has the length NFL scouts will want for a No. 1 overall pick so I’ll take Anoma over Adam Anderson and K.J. Henry.
GORNEY'S VIEW: MICAH PARSONS
Micah Parsons is such an incredibly versatile defensive player that he has the potential to be an absolute superstar at Penn State and emerge as a top NFL Draft pick in the coming years. He could start at inside linebacker for the Nittany Lions - not a bad place to be since it is Linebacker U - but my guess is that Parsons transitions to defensive end as his career continues.
The five-star from Harrisburg, Pa., can have an instant impact on defense and whether it's at linebacker or defensive end, Parsons is the type of player that will work his tail off to get on the field. His athleticism and aggressiveness are off the charts and his relentlessness will assure he's not on the sidelines for very long.
This is a really talented group of defensive ends especially up top with Clemson's Xavier Thomas and K.J. Henry, Alabama's Eyabi Anoma and Georgia's Adam Anderson. All of those players have a chance to be really special. But something tells me Parsons is going to be a star at Penn State and could emerge from this group as the best of the bunch.
