The 2014 NFL Draft defensive end class has a few elite talents and then a bunch of players in the second to third-round mix. South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney and South Florida’s Aaron Lynch are the two players I have pegged as potential difference makers at the next level.
However, prospects like South Carolina’s Chaz Sutton, Purdue’s Ryan Russell and others show the natural ability to develop into something special.
Please keep in mind that the defensive end and outside linebacker position has sort of blured together over the past few years. So, there will be a few on this list that may fit better at outside linebacker and a few on the linebacker list that might fit better at defensive end.
1. Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina ( Top 3)
There’s really not much to say about Jadeveon Clowney that hasn’t been said already. He’s an elite talent with the potential to be a dominant player in the NFL. Clowney is squarely in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick and at this point should be considered the favorite.
However, I have some concerns about his overall motor. There’re times when Clowney doesn’t give 100% of his effort. This is just a minor concern because South Carolina doesn’t really take him off the field. In that case, Clowney taking a few plays off is more about fatigue than effort.
2. Aaron Lynch, South Florida (Top 5)
Don’t sleep on Aaron Lynch, as he has enough talent to give Jadeveon Clowney a run for his money. Lynch is flying under the radar a little mainly because he was forced to sit out last year as a result of his decision to transfer from Notre Dame to South Florida.
Lynch features excellent size, explosiveness, raw power and plays with a really high motor. This is a player who has the ability to dominate a game and generate consistent pressure on the quarterback.
3. Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame ( 1st Round)
Stephon Tuitt possesses a ton of natural talent that allows him to impact the game on multiple levels. He uses a combination of good size and surprising quickness to make plays all over the field. However, he needs to improve a few areas of his game to get the most out of his talents.
Tuitt has a tendency to play a finesse game which limits the impact of his size and strength. He also features poor snap awareness and is routinely the last guy off the line of scrimmage. However, he’s still a high impact player with a plenty of potential.
4. Chaz Sutton, South Carolina ( Early 2nd Round)
Chaz Sutton flashes tremendous potential but is still very raw. He shows the quickness, suddenness and motor needed to consistently make plays in the backfield. Offensive linemen have a tough time mirroring his movements.
Because of his athleticism, South Carolina uses Sutton all over the field from defensive end to linebacker. There’re even situations where they’ll line him up at defensive tackle in order to create a mismatch.
If he finds a way to develop more pass-rush moves and a game plan for when to use those moves Sutton could be an unstoppable force.
5. James Gayle, Virginia Tech ( Early 2nd Round)
James Gayle is a good athlete who shows the ability to generate pressure in the backfield. He uses his long arms to create space and work his way to the quarterback. Gayle has all the physical abilities needed to succeed at the next level, but he needs to show more consistency.
To this point in his career, Gayle’s production hasn’t matched his talent level. This season will go a long way in determining his draft position.
6. Ryan Russell, Purdue ( Early 2nd Round)
Ryan Russell is a terrific athlete who gets the most of his physical abilities because of his high motor. He makes life difficult for offensive linemen because he’s always on the attack and a relentless pass rusher.
His quick and violent hands play a major role in his ability to generate pressure. They allow him to keep clean while he employs several different pass-rush moves. Purdue asked Russell to drop in coverage from time to time where he showed potential, but his real value comes from rushing the passer.
7. Kony Ealy, Missouri (2nd Round)
Kony Ealy has unlimited potential, but is very raw and has some issues with his effort level. He needs to show more tenacity and effort in order to make the most of his physical talents. Ealy is able to find success because of his long arms, overall quickness and fluid movements.
Some might talk about moving Ealy to outside linebacker in a 3-4 system, but he absolutely has the length and bulk to stick at defensive end in the NFL.
8. Morgan Breslin, USC (2nd Round)
Morgan Breslin is a savvy player who knows how to get after the quarterback. He uses his snap awareness, inside hand placement and balance to employ a wide variety of pass-rush moves. His most effective attack centers around his ability to flatten out around the edge and close on the quarterback.
Breslin’s main issues are that he’s a little undersized and looks to be maxed out physically. He doesn’t offer as much upside as the other players in the same draft range. However, this doesn’t mean he won’t be a successful NFL player.
9. Trey Flowers, Arkansas (2nd Round)
Trey Flowers is able to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback because of his long arms, explosive first step and non-stop motor. Offensive linemen have a tough time sticking with Flowers because he features violent hand movements and excels at making himself thin to shoot the gap. Flowers is someone who should start to get more and more attention as the season progresses.
10. C.J. Johnson, Ole Miss (Early 3rd Round)
C.J. Johnson looks to be a better fit at outside linebacker in a 3-4 system, but shows some potential to generate pressure as a defensive end. He’s able to get after the quarterback because of his explosive first step, non-stop motor and a very effective bull rush.
Johnson needs to develop more as an all-around player, but he has the athleticism and potential to move continue to improve his draft stock.
11. Zach Hodges, Harvard (3rd Round)
Zach Hodges will need to overcome questions about his lack of bulk and the fact he faces lesser competition in the Ivy League, but he has a chance to make an impact at the next level. Hodges is a disruptive player who consistently makes plays in the offensive backfield.
He does a good job generating pressure on the quarterback because of his intensity, explosive burst, long arms and instincts. Hodges has a real feel for rushing the passer which includes the ability to change speeds and change direction.
It’s also important to point out that he does a great job defending the read option. He’s committed to breaking down, reading the play and using his closing burst to make a play.
12. Ed Stinson, Alabama (3rd Round)
Ed Stinson doesn’t offer much versatility, but he’s very good at what he does. His role at the next level will be as a two-gap defensive end in a 3-4 alignment. Stinson uses his thick lower half, inside hand placement and raw power to hold at the point of attack.
His upper body strength allows him to deliver a powerful initial jolt which helps him create space and disengage from blocks. He best fits the five-technique spot (two-gap system) because he really doesn’t offer much in the pass-rush department.
13. Kareem Martin, North Carolina (3rd Round)
Kareem Martin needs to develop a better feel for the game in order to help his draft stock. He plays way to hesitant which keeps him from making full use of his athletic ability. His lack of a game plan as a pass rusher limits the pressure he’s able to create. However, this is a player with natural athleticism and upside. He just needs to put it all together and play with more confidence.
14. Trent Murphy, Stanford (3rd Round)
Trent Murphy is the type of player who does everything well, but doesn’t have a skill set that really stands out. Stanford uses him at both defensive end and outside linebacker. His main responsibilities include rushing the passer and setting the edge against the run.
Murphy is able to generate some pressure on the quarterback because of his effort, use of leverage (bull rush) and snap awareness. He needs to rely on his savvy because he lacks an elite short-area burst.
15. Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (3rd Round)
Jackson Jeffcoat faces an uphill battle in becoming a major contributor at the next level. He lacks the size to be a good fit at defensive end and he isn’t a fluid enough athlete to hold up in coverage as a linebacker.
Jeffcoat also doesn’t have the short-area burst needed to consistently generate pressure on the quarterback. The plays where he is able to work into the backfield are a result of good snap awareness and savvy.
This isn’t to say Jeffcoat is a terrible athlete; he just doesn’t have the explosiveness we typically see in elite pass-rushers.
16. Scott Crichton, Oregon State (3rd Round)
Scott Crichton is an undersized defensive end prospect who generates some pressure on the quarterback because of his effort, use of leverage and snap awareness. The issue is that he lacks great explosives and struggles gaining the edge. His size issues also make it difficult for him to keep clean as he pursues the quarterback. Offensive linemen have a relatively easy time neutralizing Crichton once they get their hands on him.
17. DeMarcus Lawrence, Boise State (4th Round)
Boise State uses DeMarcus Lawrence all over the field in an attempt to create mismatches. Lawrence does a good job getting after the quarterback because of his quickness, effort and hand usage.
However, it’s tough to identify where he’ll fit best at the next level. He’s a little thin through the hips which might limit his ability to play defensive end. Lawrence also isn’t an extremely fluid mover which could limit his ability to drop into coverage.
This is someone who could move up my rankings once I get a chance to see more.
18. Vic Beasley, Clemson (4th Round)
Vic Beasley found a way to make a big impact in limited action with Clemson last season. His natural athleticism and quickness helped him generate pressure on the quarterback and register a team-high eight sacks.
The issue is that Beasley doesn’t play with a lot of technique and basically gets by just because of his physical attributes. If he shows a deeper pass-rush arsenal this stock could see a major rise.
19. Taylor Hart, Oregon (4th Round)
Taylor Hart is a difficult prospect to evaluate because he shows promise in some areas but struggles in others. The best example surrounds his athleticism where he features a good short-area burst and natural strength. However, he plays too high and struggles changing direction.
So, in one sense he can shoot the gap from time to time and generate pressure off the edge. In the other, he’s quickly shutdown if the offensive lineman is able to get into position. There’s a spot in the NFL for someone like Hart. The issue is that his overall potential and impact might be limited.
20. IK Enemkpali, Louisiana Tech (4th Round)
IK Enemkpali is an undersized defensive end prospect who is likely facing a move to outside linebacker. He’s a good athlete with quickness and balanced movements. However, he’s very raw and has a limited feel for the game.
21. Denico Autry, Mississippi State (5th Round)
Denico Autry’s lack of hand usage really limits his impact on the game. Offensive linemen easily get into his frame and control his movements. He isn’t strong enough to disengage which results in a large amount of plays where he has no chance. Autry shows good overall athleticism, but needs to learn out to play with better technique.
22. Art Norman, NC State (6th Round)
Norman is on the shorter side for a defensive end and appears too stiff to move to outside linebacker. He shows a decent burst off the line, but nothing that speaks to him being able to consistently generate pressure on the quarterback. Norman lacks any go-to pass-rush moves and basically just tries to run around the blocker. In the run game, Norman was pushed several yards off the ball and straight on his back. Overall, there’s minimal upside and not much of a prospect here.
23. Darryl Cato-Biship, NC State (6th Round)
Cato-Bishop is a raw defensive line prospect who flashes some athleticism. However, he just doesn’t show any skills that will translate to the next level. He doesn’t use his hands, rarely uses any type of pass-rush move, struggles to anchor and show little feel for the game. This is a player who needs to make a major step in his development.
24. Chris Smith, Arkansas (7th Round)
Chris Smith is an undersized defensive end/linebacker prospect who Arkansas uses mainly to rush the passer. The issue is that Smith has limited pass-rushing skills and tends to rely on his quickness and athleticism. His arm length is less than ideal and limits his ability to keep clean. It allows the offensive linemen to easily get a piece of his frame and Velcro. Smith lacks the upper body strength to disengage and work his way to the football. This is true in both the run and passing game. Overall, Smith might be a better fit as a traditional linebacker because he doesn’t show a whole lot of promise as a pass rusher.
25. Larry Webster, Bloomsburg (7th Round)
Larry Webster has good overall size and bulk for the defensive end position. He also has long arms that help him keep clean at times. However, he just doesn’t show enough explosiveness nor does he consistently dominate at a much lower-level of competition. It’ll be tough for him to really work his way into the draft picture without stepping up his game.
26. Anthony Chickillo, Miami (7th Round)
Anthony Chickillo is a limited athlete who struggles to consistently make plays on the football. His poor snap awareness combines with a lack of explosiveness to prevent him from working his way into the backfield. Chickillo also isn’t committed to using his hands to create space. In fact, he tends to just run into the offensive line and try to force his way past with his body. He appears to always be a step or two late to the play. Chickillo just doesn’t show the athleticism to make it at the next level.
Others to Watch: Chidera Uzo-Diribe- Colorado, Tyler Scott- Northwestern, Ethan Westbrooks- West Texas AM, Ryan Giddins- South Florida and Ben Gardner- Stanford