TOP 10 DEFENSIVE ENDS IN 2017 DRAFT
1. Myles Garrett – Texas A&M – Junior – 6-4, 272 – 4.64
It’s hard to remember a player who was crowned the mock draft king as early as Myles Garrett was for this cycle – even the Andrew Luck year had Robert Griffin III. We’ve heard rumbling of the Browns thinking of going a different direction, but this one is all Garrett. His size, speed and natural ability are freakish at a position that we’ve seen can determine games as important as Super Bowls.

2. Solomon Thomas – Stanford – RS Sophomore – 6-3, 273 – 4.69
Thomas is a bit of a “tweener”, probably more so than people care to admit. If you watch his style of play, it’s easy to like him as a defensive tackle, however, at 6-foot-3, 273 pounds, his size predicts he’ll struggle to hold blocks and gaps in run defense if played on the interior (which he does). Instead he’s a bull rushing edge player to most who covet him.

3. Derek Barnett – Tennessee – Junior – 6-3, 259 – 4.88
Anytime you out-produce the likes of one of the best to ever play your position, you know you’re doing something right. That’s exactly the case with Derek Barnett as his 32 career sacks was more than Hall of Fame defensive end, Reggie White, had at Tennessee. Barnett plays a true 4-3 defensive end role with ideal size and production to be taken in the Top 20.

Missouri DE Charles Harris – Photo by: Getty Images

4. Charles Harris – Missouri – Junior – 6-3, 253 – 4.82
Harris is a player who some in the media either seem to love or are totally skeptical on. When he flashes everything he can be, he’s one of the best pass rushers in this class, but some are worried that the consistency isn’t there. Multiple coaching changes can sort of excuse that, and the 34.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks in his career speak for themselves. He’s another true 4-3 defensive end.

5. Taco Charlton – Michigan – Senior – 6-6, 277 – 4.92
Taco Charlton is a player whose buzz has been quieting down over the last few months in the media, but on the other side of things (the NFL side), his stock has remained a first round pick. Charlton was the featured edge player for a stellar Michigan defensive line. He recorded 13 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2016.

6. Jordan Willis – Kansas State – Senior – 6-4, 255 – 453
Jordan Willis was a fan favorite defensive end to some, but when he came into the NFL Combine and performed better than ever edge player not named Myles Garrett, peoples’ attention for him was fully caught, and the interest for him went to an all-time high. With 39.5 career tackles for loss and 25.5 career sacks, the production is surely there. He’s a bit stiff for an edge rusher, but his Combine numbers suggest he has the athleticism to become more fluid than his tape shows currently.

7. Carl Lawson – Auburn – Junior – 6-2, 261 – 4.67
Carl Lawson is the first 3-4 defensive end on this list, which is surprising because, as of late, we’ve seen the NFL really covet the 3-4 pass rush specialists who rush from a stand-up position, not with their hand in the ground. Regardless, Lawson can play some of both, and will likely be the first “hybrid” rusher picked because of it. He doesn’t have a lot of time on the field due to injuries, but when he is on the field, he’s a special player.

8. Derek Rivers – Youngstown State – Senior – 6-4, 248 – 4.61
Youngstown State’s Derek Rivers is the man most likely crowned for having the best offseason of the defensive end group. Coming from a small school, you’d figure there wouldn’t be much buzz on him (and there wasn’t). However, school records of 57.5 tackles for loss and 37.5 sacks in a career were hard to miss for long. After a solid Combine and a good showing at the Senior Bowl, his stock has been on the rise ever since. Now he’s a Top 50 player.

9. Tarell Basham – Ohio – Senior – 6-4, 269 – 4.70
In the lower level competition of the MAC conference, Basham had his way with offensive players. In his four years as a starter for Ohio, Basham recorded 38.5 tackles for loss and 27 sacks. He looks the part of an NFL defensive end, but there will certainly be a learning curve for him, at least early on.

10. Tim Williams – Alabama – Junior – 6-3, 244 – 4.68
Tim Williams was one of the best pass rushers in college football history on a snap-to-snap basis. His 30 tackles for loss and 20 sacks in the limited amount of time he was on the field for Alabama is nearly historic in terms of efficiency. He’s a pure 3-4 pass-rush specialist, and has some off the field question marks. However, if he’s just as efficient in the NFL, he deserves to go much higher on this list.

BEST OF THE REST
11. DeMarcus Walker – Florida State – Junior – 6-4, 280 – 4.88
Walker was a very productive defensive end for the Seminoles over the last two seasons with 33.5 tackles for loss and 25 sacks, but might be in a bit of position change going to the NFL. He doesn’t have the lateral quickness you’d like to see from edge players, but his power and motor cannot be denied. He might be defensive tackle in the NFL, but either way is worth a mid-round pick.

12. Deshon Hall – Texas A&M – Senior – 6-5, 266 – 4.76
Hall was the running mate on the opposite side of the defensive line to Myles Garrett. It’s easy to say that because Garrett was so good, Hall got the better match ups that produced his 34.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks during his career, but the truth is, he a good pass rusher in his own right, just not as gifted as Garrett.

Villanova DE Tanoh Kpassagnon – Photo by: Getty Images

13. Tanoh Kpassagnon – Villanova – Senior – 6-7, 289 – 4.83
Kpassagnon is the most interesting, or intriguing pass rusher in this class due to his measureables (he’s 6-foot-7). Though bigger is often better in the game of football, when you’re talking about defensive line play, too much height makes obtaining leverage difficult. Kpassgnon naturally has that problem, but not as much as you’d expect. His 37.5 tackles for loss and 22 sacks were the still the product of good pass rushing.

14. Dawuane Smoot – Illinois – Senior – 6-3, 264 – 4.77
As a former track athlete, it’s easy to see the strength in Smoot’s game – his explosiveness off the snap. He had good production with 38.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and five forced fumbles over 24 starts. Though he has good speed, he is undersized.

15. Trey Hendrickson – FAU – Senior – 6-4, 266 – 4.65
Production, thy name is Henderson. Henderson recorded 41 tackles for loss and 29.5 sacks in his three years as a starter for FAU. He’s a high effort player who never gives up a play and will work for every stat he gets. Natural athletic limitation will drop him to the mid-rounds, but I’m sure some coaching staff fell in love with him during the pre-draft process.

16. Keionta Davis – Tennessee-Chattanooga – Senior – 6-3, 271 – 4.72
Davis had a nice college career where he finished with 29.5 sacks and was an FCS All-American the last two seasons. If the Bucs can’t grab one of the top pass rushers with one of their first three picks, he’s a player who could be a target in the later rounds.