In today's look at the top players who should be available in the 2014 NFL draft class, we shift our focus to the defensive side of the ball. This year's draft was a defense heavy class, with most of the best players coming from this side of the ball. I see that trend continuing this year, starting with the presumed number one overall pick, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Let's take a look at who I think makes up the top 5 prospects on the defensive line.
1.) Jadeveon Clowney, University of South Carolina*. As I previously mention, all conventional wisdom points to Clowney being the first player selected in the 2014 draft, pretty much regardless of who ends up with the pick. Clowney would most likely have been the first overall pick in this year's draft had he been eligible. I would venture to say that the same thing goes for the year prior to that too. Clowney has been a top-tier NFL talent since coming out of high school, and I would venture to say that he has the potential to become the best defensive end since Bruce Smith. If you need convincing, just go to YouTube and search for the hit he put on Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl back in January. Enough said.
2.) Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame*. Another defensive end, Tuitt was instrumental in leading the Fighting Irish to the National Championship game last season. Without the performances turned in by Tuitt and his partner at defensive tackle Louis Nix, Manti Te'o would not have gone on to become the phenomenon that he did. Without those two guys eating up blockers and rushing the passer, Te'o is just another guy. Tuitt will get a chance to prove this year that he deserves just as much (if not more) recognition for the Notre Dame resurgence as Te'o got last season. If Tuitt meets or exceeds his numbers from last year, I expect him to be taken in the top half of the first round.
3.) Louis Nix, Notre Dame. As previously mentioned, Nix (along with Tuitt) was a lynch-pin in the success and recent resurgence of the Notre Dame football program. Nix is a beast in the middle, measuring 6'3" and 340lbs. Nix eats blockers with the best of them, freeing up guys like Tuitt and (last year) Te'o to make big plays. Every defense needs a guy like Nix. But Nix's value isn't only in his ability to be a big body in the middle. He is also quite agile for a man of his size and is very capable in both the pass and run game. With 95 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and six passes batted down, Nix has an all-around game that should see him selected with Clowney and his Notre Dame counterpart in the top half of the first round.
4.) Anthony Johnson, Louisiana State University*. Johnson is the next in a long line of great defensive players to come from the SEC powerhouse that is LSU. Following in the footsteps of guys like Michael Brockers, Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne, and others, Johnson has a mighty big legacy to uphold, and he has all the talent to do just that. At 6'3 and 304 lbs, Johnson has the size to play either inside or outside. And he has the speed and athleticism to do both very well. With his combination of size, speed, and God given ability, it's hard for me not to put Johnson higher on this list. The only reason I have him at number 4 on this list instead of number 2 or 3 is that he's only been a starter one year. I want to see him produce for one more season before I put him ahead of the likes of Nix and Tuitt. If he has the kind of year that he is capable of having this year, I may have to revise this list and bump him up.
5.) Timmy Jernigan, Florida State University*. Jernigan has all the physical tools to be a force to be reckoned with, standing 6'2" and weighing in at just a shade under 300lbs, while also running a 40 yard dash in under 5 seconds. After a disappointing 2012 that saw Jernigan be overshadowed by the likes of Bjoern Werner, Tank Carradine, and Everette Dawkins, Jernigan looks to redeem himself and equal or surpass the numbers he posted in his breakout freshman season. That season (2011), Jernigan led the D-line with 30 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. If Jernigan can expand those numbers now that he is the "big man on campus" so to speak, he should find his way into the latter half of the first round.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the next to last segment in my look at the 2014 NFL draft, when I break down the top 5 linebacker prospects.
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