1. Quinnen Williams (Alabama)– He was the leader of that defensive front for the Crimson Tide and their best defensive player. I think he makes a smooth jump over to the NFL. He’s a low man winner who plays from a consistent position of leverage, he has the quick and accurate hands to set up shop on blockers. He always wants to take it up a notch at the point of attack. He’s fluid on his feet, he can bulrush and despite just having a single season of headline production, his quickness, instincts and athleticism are traits that should transfer over quickly to the NFL. He can also accelerate through blockers and get to the quarterback. I can’t wait to see what Quinnen does at the next level.
2. Ed Oliver (Houston)– At one time, I thought he was the best all-around player in college football. He’s been the next big defensive star in the NFL for obvious reasons. He’s an elite athlete with high-end foot quickness, agility and fluidity, he plays with leverage, has rare initial quickness to disrupt in gaps, plays with disruptive hands to play under the opponents’ pads. He has linebacker speed to close in on shutting down the run which is rare to see from a guy playing on the interior of your defensive line.
3. Christian Wilkins (Clemson)– He was the man in the middle for the Clemson Tigers defensive line. He’s a very athletic defensive tackle. He’s 6’3, 315 pounds that can play as a defensive end in a base look and his primary position which is a defensive tackle. First, he’s a natural leader that can set the example both on and off the field. As a football player, he’s highly efficient in his movements. He can stay under his opponents’ pads and drive them out the play, he has the lateral quickness to disrupt in the gaps and he contorts himself to disrupt in the gaps. He can shift his hips for optimal cornering inside the pocket to pressure the quarterback. He also has long arms which allowed him to bat down 15 passes during his time at Clemson.
4. Jerry Tillery (Notre Dame)– I remember the first game of last season against Michigan. He took over and dominated himself. He has size, athleticism and quickness, he’s long and uses those long arms to affect plays of all times (run or pass) and he’s a pocket pusher. Over the years, Jerry has played well for the Fighting Irish and has been active at the point of attack. His 2018 stats consisted of 30 tackles, eight sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He’s a guy you can plug into your scheme right away if you ask me.
5. Dre’Mont Jones (Ohio State)– Throughout his time in high school, he was a basketball player until his final two years where he made the transition to football. Last season when Bosa went down for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Jones had to step it up and be that guy for the defense. What I enjoy about his game is his first step. He’s extremely quick with a strong desire to out of his stance. He attacks with good lateral agility and speed to penetrate between the gaps. He’s compact, powerful slaps shed blocker’s punch to access their edge. He always plays with bouncy feet. He’s every down defensive tackle which is a huge positive.
