Three-Point Stance: Prospects ranked too low, outliers, NFL Draft

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with a look at a few of the more controversial rankings of the 2018 class, five players who could be ranked too low and the 10 most valuable NFL Draft prospects.

MORE: Final position rankings for the 2018 class

Last year was easy when it came to rankings discrepancies across the industry, at least for Rivals.com. Everyone else seemed to have Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith No. 1 overall or very close while we had him down at No. 50 in the Rivals100. Time will tell who is right and who is wrong, but his first year in Knoxville has us looking a bit off.

Here are five players the industry doesn’t seem to agree with us on now that the 2018 rankings are over with.

TE Jeremy Ruckert – Is Ruckert the best tight end prospect in several cycles or does he project to be just a solid tight end at the next level? We like Ruckert a lot but tend to gravitate toward the latter. Others have him ranked as a five-star and one of the top 35 prospects in the country, while we have him at No. 101 in the Rivals250.

CB Brendan Radley-Hiles – We have him ranked as a five-star while everyone else has him far from it. He’s top 50 on one site and in the 160s elsewhere. I assume the main concern with him is his lack of size. We are overlooking that and taking a chance on a kid who loves to hit and has amazing instincts.

RB Lorenzo Lingard – We think he’s a franchise running back and a five-star while everyone else has him outside that range - in some cases by quite a bit. Will he be the next running back star at Miami and bring the swagger back to the position?

S Tyreke Johnson – We are the only network to have him as a five-star because we love his willingness to give up his body and hit as well as his potential in coverage. The rest of the industry isn’t far off, but they apparently don’t see him becoming as special as we do.

DT Josh Belk – We have him ranked as a four-star outside of the Rivals250, while one network has him ranked as a five-star and another as a top 100 player. We’ll see if he outplays his ranking for us.

We rank as an analyst team at Rivals.com but there are still some prospects I think we have underrated. Last year I worried we had running back D’Andre Swift, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and defensive back Grant Delpit ranked too low and all three had terrific freshman seasons. Who could we have slighted this year?

1. DE Tyreke Smith – Smith is not ranked low, let’s make that clear. He’s the top-ranked four-star prospect in the country. However, based on the gains he keeps making and his ceiling, I think he could end up being one of the top two or three defensive ends in this class and someone that the NFL eventually falls in love with.

2. WR Blue Smith – He’s so big and fluid that he’s a matchup nightmare. Once he works out some of the kinks at the college level, he could be unstoppable.

3. QB Joey Gatewood – This obviously won’t happen next season, but down the line we could be looking at a kid who becomes a star in the SEC.

4. WR Ja’Marr Chase – He’s tough to cover on the outside or from the slot and I have a feeling he will put up monster numbers in college.

5. DB Leon O’Neal – His non-stop motor, athletic ability and willingness in run support makes him a potential defensive leader and star down the line.

These are the 10 players, regardless of position, I feel bring the most value to the 2018 NFL Draft.

1. RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State – Running backs are risky, but the recent first-rounders have panned out and really changed their teams. Barkley could be the best of the lot.

2. QB Josh Rosen, UCLA – Despite some being scared of his attitude or whatever, he’s clearly the most talented quarterback in this year’s draft and a franchise guy.

3. OL Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame – Looking for a 10-year starter and constant All-Pro? This is your guy. Just take him and plug him in.

4. CB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama – He could play corner or safety and has a knack for being around the ball. He’s also a terrific blitzer.

5. DE Bradley Chubb, NC State – The best pure pass rusher in the draft might not last beyond the first three picks.

6. LB Roquan Smith, Georgia – One of the best pure tacklers I’ve seen at linebacker in some time. He doesn’t have great size but he covers a ton of space.

7. DT Da’Ron Payne, Alabama – Why isn’t he higher on many draft boards and in mock drafts? He’s a pocket crushing defensive tackle who can get after the passer as well. He’s the full package.

8. CB Josh Jackson, Iowa – His ball skills are off the charts and he’s got length and great instincts. Like Payne, he should be higher on many lists.

9. S Derwin James, Florida State – I am still a believer despite his injury his sophomore season and an average junior year. He can be one of the most dominant defenders in the NFL.

10. DT Maurice Hurst, Michigan – Like Payne, he flushes the passer. He’s not quite as stout against the run but finding 4-3 defensive tackles who can provide pressure is very hard and he’s adept at it