KT: Top 60 Players To Watch In NFL Draft
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With the Cowboys scheduled to select at 28, and 60 in the upcoming draft, I thought it'd be a good idea to put the players in order based on my tape watching and information gathering. To be clear, this isn't a mock, just my order of the top 60 players if we were stacking them top to bottom.
- Myles Garrett EDGE Texas A&M
-Not a flawless prospect, but already has an array of pass rush moves ready to display at the NFL level. He's the clear best player in this draft.
- Jonathan Allen DL Alabama
-News of arthritis in his shoulders could make him fall down the draft board a little bit, but the bottom line is he's powerful and he wins. He constantly beats the man/men in front of him. He's a difference maker.
- Jamal Adams S LSU
-Has the ability to make tackles down in the box, but also has the range to cover the back end.
- Marshon Lattimore CB Ohio State
-Fluid athlete who plays with confidence. You can run every route in the book at him and he'll be right there with it, ready to shut it down. To me, far and away the best CB in this draft.
- Reuben Foster LB Alabama
-He doesn't miss tackles. He's got the speed to get sideline to sideline, showing off his instincts, seeing the play before it develops.
- Malik Hooker S Ohio State
-Hooker is a rangy playmaker showing the speed to cover the entire field. He alone, makes it difficult for teams to challenge deep down the middle of the field. He's got ball skills as well.
- Takkarist McKinley EDGE UCLA
-Long arms with the ability to get the edge. One of his most impressive traits is his closing speed and ability to get the corner.
- Tim Williams EDGE Alabama
-I think Tim Williams is the 2nd best pass rusher in this draft, but there are tons of off the field questions. He wins with his speed and quickness off the snap, giving the tackle hell.
- Dalvin Cook RB Florida State
-Game changing play-maker with unreal acceleration. Good vision and balance, waiting for the backside lanes to open up, before putting the pedal to the metal. A receiving threat out of the backfield as well.
- Malik McDowell DL Michigan State
-McDowell is one of the more freaky players in the draft, always penetrating and causing chaos from all over the defensive line.
- Zack Cunningham LB Vanderbilt
-Cunningham's strength are his hands and his quickness. He sheds blocks like crazy and finds the ball quickly.
- Joe Mixon RB Oklahoma
-He's elusive, powerful, runs with patience, can catch, can block, and looks like a natural runner. He's just got that one thing on his track record.
- Corey Davis WR Western Michigan
-I love everything about Corey Davis. He doesn't excel in one area, but he's very good at everything. Good route runner, decent speed, can make some "wow" catches, tracks the ball well, wins at the catch-point, and the bottom line is he's productive. He had 67, 78, 90, and 91 catch seasons at Western Michigan.
- Teez Tabor CB Florida
-Plays with an edge, confident in his ability to be a lockdown CB. His combine 40 time might scare people, but not me, he's a fluid player who knows how to position his body well and stick to the route runner.
- Solomon Thomas DL Stanford
-I'm not as high on Thomas as most, but he wins with initial quickness off the snap, firing off low and winning at the leverage point. I don't think he's that "War Daddy" 12 sack type of edge guy.
- Leonard Fournette RB LSU
-Has some wiggle for such a powerful runner. Always falling forward and will run through your arm tackles.
- O.J. Howard TE Alabama
-I'm projecting that he turns into a valuable vertical threat. He wasn't used a ton in the passing game at Alabama, but he showed natural hands and clean route running skills. He's a serviceable blocker at the point of attack, using a "get in the way" method, and he has the potential to be a big time mismatch for opposing defenses.
- Mike Williams WR Clemson
-Big receiver who wins with his size and physicality. He's also a really good blocker on the outside, to help spring big plays. His speed scares people off, and he very well could be this year's Treadwell, but Mike Williams has all the ability in the world to be a #1 WR.
- Haasan Reddick LB Temple
-High motor player who should be able to play some at LB or rushing off the edge from time to time, thanks to his speed, athleticism, and relentless nature.
- John Ross WR Washington
-Speedster who is also a really good route runner and should be a dynamic playmaker at the next level.
- Carl Lawson EDGE Auburn
-Lawson has an unorthodox way of getting to the QB, but on tape he was clearly hard to block. He plays with powerful hands and has a knack for anticipating the snap to give him an extra advantage.
- Tre'davious White CB LSU
-He can turn and run with anybody, and is always very competitive at the catch point. Won't offer much, when stepping up to help against the run.
- Fabian Moreau CB UCLA
-Moreau is a physical corner, who does a good job of carrying the receiver across the field. He's also got the recovery speed to make up for anytime he gets beat.
- Derek Barnett EDGE Tennessee
-To me, Barnett isn't that classic 10 sack, get the corner type of guy. He's a strong DE who can hold the edge at the point of attack against the run, and has subtle explosiveness to combine with power. I think he's more of a strong side, left defensive end.
- Christian McCaffrey RB Stanford
-Polished runner, with amazing vision. A threat receiving out of the backfield or in the slot as well. He's a mismatch machine.
- Ryan Ramcyzk OT Wisconsin
-Good weight distribution throughout the body and excellent feet. Does a good job of mirroring the pass rusher.
- T.J. Watt LB Wisconsin
-Profiles best as 3-4 LB, but I think in a 4-3 he could play LB as well as RDE. The motor never quits and he is advanced in his hand usage when coming off the edge. On tape he's always around the ball, and I don't think that's a coincidence.
- Taco Charlton DL Michigan
-I'm probably not as high on Taco as most. I saw a guy on tape who flashed from time to time, but would also disappear from time to time. To me he's a better player against the run than the pass. His spin move gave Ramcyzk hell though!
- Budda Baker S Washington
-One of the more fun players to watch in this draft, Baker throws his body around. He's best as an in the box safety, but I think he can cover in the slot as well if needed. His length is a small problem, but Baker is the type of guy you want on your team.
- Curtis Samuel RB/WR Ohio State
-I think Samuel is a RB, but it'll depend on the team. Kind of like McCaffrey, he's a mismatch weapon. I would give him most of his touches from the RB position, where he can use his immediate burst as a change of pace.
- Derek Rivers EDGE Youngstown State
-Even though he didn't go up against top flight competition, his bend and burst is evident on tape.
- Demarcus Walker DL Florida State
-Has versatility to play all over the line, I actually like him more as a 3-tech, getting up the field.
- Jarrad Davis LB Florida
-Injury concerns loom with Davis, but his tape is strong to quite strong.
- Cordrea Tankersley CB Clemson
-He's a get in your face press cornerback with ideal size and the ball skills that you desire from a CB.
- Corn Elder CB Miami
-One of my favorite players in the draft. A fierce tackler, great blitzer, and to me the best pure nickel CB in this entire draft.
- Desmond King DB Iowa
-I don't know if he profiles best as a safety or a CB but he's mean as hell. I love this player.
- Dalvin Tomlinson DT Alabama
-The best 1-tech defensive tackle in this draft IMO.
- Gareon Conley CB Ohio State
-Playing opposite of Lattimore at Ohio State, Conley has been a little overlooked. The best thing going for him is his length and physical nature at the line of scrimmage.
- Evan Engram TE Ole Miss
-More of a Big WR than a TE, Engram has the speed to get to all levels of the field, and showed the hands to make some really tough catches.
- Caleb Brantley DT Florida
-Playing on the interior, his snap anticipation is special. He does a great job using his hands, and penetrating into the backfield. Able to push the pocket a little bit in pass rush too.
- Marlon Humphrey CB Alabama
-Extremely physical CB who loves coming up to support the run. Has the raw tools, but was noticeably beaten deep multiple times on tape. Are there ball tracking issues? Could he play safety? Teams have a lot to figure out with Marlon, but the size and speed are there.
- David Njoku TE Miami
-Another talented guy in this deep TE crop, Njoku flashes the ability to make a lot of contested catches over the middle, using his size to block out the defender.
- Chad Hansen WR California
-Playing in the California Air Raid offense, Hansen was a considerable deep ball threat for the Golden Bears, and was productive with over 90 catches last year.
- Elijah Qualls DL Washington
-How about a 313 lb defensive lineman who sometimes rushes the passer standing up, rather than with a hand in the ground? Qualls has elite level upper body strength and can create a pile in the middle.
- Mitchell Trubisky QB North Carolina
-The most game-ready QB in this class in my opinion. That seems weird considering the lack of experience starting games in college. Trubisky is mobile and has shown that he can make a lot of NFL caliber throws.
- Chris Godwin WR Penn State
-You don't need my commentary here, just find a way to watch his game against USC.
- Isaiah Ford WR Virginia Tech
-I think Ford is a really smooth player who understands the nuances of route running and how to set up defenders. One of the best route runners in the draft.
- Dion Dawkins OL Temple
-Dawkins has position flex ability but I think his best fit is inside at guard. Dawkins is a mean mauler and one of my favorite offensive lineman in this draft.
- Adam Shaheen TE Ashland
-So weird that a guy from Ashland would be a Top 50 draft prospect, but Shaheen is impressive, moving well after the ball is in his hands. Everything is so natural at the catch point.
- Dan Feeney OG Indiana
-Feeney uses his football smarts to constantly win. He moves well and is a perfect fit for a zone blocking scheme, with his ability to win in space.
- Obi Melifonwu S Connecticut
-Melifonwu wowed everyone with his performance at the combine. To me, his specialty is running downhill and making plays, not coverage.
- Duke Riley LB LSU
-Hard not to love Duke Riley, who runs, sheds, and tackles. Really good tackler who sees the play develop quickly.
- JuJu Schuster-Smith WR USC
-Smart WR who has a knack for finding the hole in the zone. He's not a burner, but he'll go over the middle, make tough catches, and is a really smart player.
- Sidney Jones CB Washington
-Jones would have been Top 40, but I bumped him down due to his achilles injury. On tape he was a late first/early second round grade for me.
- Noah Brown WR Ohio State
-His route running is kind of all over the place, but he's big and physical and wins a bunch of jump balls. Watch the Oklahoma tape if you don't believe me.
- Zay Jones WR East Carolina
-The FBS leader in receptions isn't the most swift player, but he catches everything.
- Charles Harris EDGE Missouri
-Pass rush specialists, who might be a liability in the run game. Harris has the initial quickness and a little bit of bend as well. My concern is the type of player he becomes after someone makes contact with him.
- Amara Darboh WR Michigan
-There's some body-catching issues here, but I really love the unorthodox way he goes about setting up his routes.
- Marcus Maye S Florida
-Maye is a better in the box safety than a coverage safety due to his reliable tackling skills and aggressive nature.
- Ahkello Witherspoon CB Colorado
-The length and speed will leave teams mouth-watering, but there are questions about his ball tracking skills down the field.