Joe Mazzulo’s 2014 NFL Draft Defensive Rankings

With the Combine around the corner and pro days following in March/April, here is an early look at the defensive landscape of the 2014 NFL Draft class. This is not necessarily an order in which I believe these players will come off of the board, but more or less a general ranking of which players I believe stand the best chance at achieving NFL success regardless of the situation they’re drafted into, as well as where I believe their final draft status will end up. As the draft approaches I will be releasing more in depth and analytical breakdowns of individual positions, follow me on twitter @JoeMazzulo for updates…..

Defensive End

1. Jadeveon Clowney – South Carolina – Top 5

2. Kony Ealy – Missouri – Top 15

3. Scott Crichton – Oregon State – Late 1st round

4. Dee Ford – Auburn – Early 2nd round

5. Jackson Jeffcoat – Texas – Mid 2nd round

6. Chris Smith – Arkansas – Mid 2nd round

7. Trent Murphy – Stanford – Mid 2nd round

8. Aaron Lynch – Early 3rd round

9. James Gayle – Virginia Tech – Mid 3rd round

10. Kareem Martin – North Carolina – Mid 3rd round

Defensive Tackle

1. Ra’Shede Hageman – Minnesota – Mid 1st round

2. Timmy Jernigan – Florida State – Mid 1st round

3. Stephon Tuitt – Notre Dame – Mid 1st round

4. Louis Nix – Notre Dame – Late first round

5. Aaron Donald – Pittsburgh – Early 2nd round

6. Kelcy Quarles – South Carolina – Mid 2nd round

7. Dominique Easley – Florida – Late 2nd round

8. Will Sutton – Arizona State – 3rd round

9. Daniel McClullers – Tennessee – 3rd round

10. Caraun Reid – Princeton – 3rd round