Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s thought-provoking Three-Point Stance is here with his top 10 overall 2019 NFL Draft prospects, the best linebacker recruiting for 2019 so far and five teams surprising him on the recruiting trail lately.
MORE THREE-POINT STANCE: Biggest recent commits & coach rankings | Which team has the top OL class in 2019 & coach rankings
TAKE TWO: How long will it take Chip Kelly to turn UCLA around?
1. Top 10 for the 2019 NFL DraftÂ
As we go position by position this week and next taking a very early look at the 2019 NFL Draft, it’s time for my personal top 10. These are the best players, regardless of position, that are expected to be available. We all know a quarterback will go No. 1 overall, that seems to just happen all the time. But this is based on pure quality. Here goes …
1. DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State – It’s hard to pick which defensive lineman I like the best, but I’m giving Bosa the nod because he will get some help from his brother’s success in the NFL so far. This, as you can tell, is an amazing defensive line class.
2. DE Rashan Gary, Michigan – To be honest, Gary hasn’t accomplished as much as a few others on this list but he will break out this season and he will test off the charts. Scouts will fall in love with him if they already haven’t.
3. DT Ed Oliver, Houston – Oliver is one of those rare defensive tackles who can not only stuff the run and run plays down to the outside but can also pursue the passer like a defensive end. It’s a tough call between him and Wilkins.
4. DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson – Wilkins can play end or tackle and has proven it, so he could be higher on this list than I have him. Scouts love his athleticism, so we’ll see how he fares against the other big names including his own teammate (below).
5. WR AJ Brown, Ole Miss – A rare talent who could go top 5 in the draft easily if he continues to develop. I love this kid and everything about his game. He’s a freak.
6. DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson – Again, as with the other defensive linemen, Lawrence could go anywhere near the top. He’s not as athletic as Wilkins, Gary and some others, but he’s huge and plays the run a bit better.
7. OT Greg Little, Ole Miss – Tough call at offensive tackle as well for next year with a lot of top end talent, but Little is the most athletic. How about Ole Miss with two in the top 10? It's the only school, aside from Clemson, to represent that way.
8) QB Jarrett Stidham, Auburn – Stidham takes the next step this season while Drew Lock might step back a bit. Stidham's ability to move around, along with that arm talent, is tough to pass up.
9) OT Jonah Williams, Alabama – Williams is a close second to Little when it comes to surefire NFL 10-year stars. He’s a beast and can play right or left tackle.
10) CB DeAndre Baker, Georgia – Corners are at a premium, especially those who can cover bigger receivers, and Baker is the best of the bunch.
2. Which teams have the top 2019 linebacker groups?
As we continue our look at the best positional recruiting of 2019, the linebacker group was pretty easy to assess. Here are the top teams …
1. Clemson – The Tigers have more linebackers than most, and LaVonta Bentley and Bryton Constantin lead the way. But Greg Williams and Keith Maguire are not too shabby.
2. Alabama – The 1-2 punch of Shane Lee and King Mwikuta is hard to beat, and DeMarcco Hellams could easily grow into a linebacker as well.
3. Georgia – New addition Rian Davis could be special, while JD Bertrand is ultra-talented as well. Trezman Marshall could be the best of all of them when all is said and done.
4. LSU – Donte Starks and Marcel Brooks are both four-star talents, and Kendall McCallum is a solid player, so LSU is squarely on this list.
5. Miami – Avery Huff and Anthony Solomon are a nice 1-2 punch, and Jahfari Harvey has size and upside. Miami has a good core.
3. Five teams rolling on the recruiting trailÂ
There have been so many commitments lately it’s been a bit mind-boggling, and not all of them have been to the blue bloods. Here are five teams that are on a roll …
1. Arkansas – The Hawgs have a very healthy average star ranking, but they have added players like Adonis Otey, Treylon Burks, Zach Zimos, Collin Clay and Eric Gregory since mid-July. Is there a hotter team in the country right now?
2. Ole Miss – I continue to be impressed by the job Matt Luke is doing. Yes, they have a ton of commitments and their ranking might be inflated right now, but adding elite talent like Jonathan Mingo and Darius Thomas recently has this class hitting some key needs.
3. Purdue – Purdue has added two key recruits in the last few days in TJ Sheffield and Steven Faucheux and has a top 20 class right now, something you certainly wouldn’t expect. The Boilermakers have over 20 commitments so their ranking is a bit inflated, but the talent in the class is impressive overall.
4. Colorado – The Buffs are 35th in the country, which may not sound too impressive, but they just landed their second four-star recruit this week and have a ton of talented three-stars. They have added five key guys since the middle of July and are doing a good job on the trail.
5. Iowa State – Iowa State, which has a top 25 recruiting ranking, landed a big-time running back commitment in Jirehl Brock in July and have some momentum going. The Cyclones may not have any four-stars, but they have many talented three-stars.
