Zach Metkler’s 2018 NFL Draft Pre-Combine Positional Rankings

Three weeks have passed since the end of the NFL season, which only means one thing: the 2018 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. Before we get to that point, one more massive event will take place where many prospects will see their stocks soar or plummet.

From February 27 to March 5, prospects will test their skills and athleticism in various events at the NFL Scouting Combine to see how they compare to not only each other but to prospects that have come before them.The NFL Combine isn’t the only evaluation tool for prospects heading into the draft, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to put on a great performance.

But before that happens, I have gone through hours of film study putting together my pre-Combine big board and positional rankings. There will likely be plenty of shakeups in the positional rankings below after the Combine concludes and we head into Pro Days and individual workouts (plus, continued film study never hurt anybody) but for the time being, my positional rankings are finally (temporarily) completed.

Quarterback

  1. Josh Rosen, UCLA
  2. Sam Darnold, USC
  3. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
  4. Josh Allen, Wyoming
  5. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
  6. Lamar Jackson, Louisville
  7. Luke Falk, Washington State
  8. Kyle Lauletta, Richmond
  9. Mike White, Western Kentucky
  10. Chase Litton, Marshall

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Running Back

  1. Saquon Barkley, Penn State
  2. Derrius Guice, LSU
  3. Ronald Jones II, USC
  4. Sony Michel, Georgia
  5. Nick Chubb, Georgia
  6. Royce Freeman, Oregon
  7. Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
  8. Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
  9. Akrum Wadley, Iowa
  10. Kalen Ballage, Arizona State
  11. Mark Walton, Miami (FL)
  12. Josh Adams, Notre Dame
  13. Nyheim Hines, NC State
  14. Bo Scarbrough, Alabama
  15. John Kelly, Tennessee

Wide Receiver

  1. Courtland Sutton, SMU
  2. Calvin Ridley, Alabama
  3. Anthony Miller, Memphis
  4. James Washington, Oklahoma State
  5. Christian Kirk, Texas A&M
  6. Auden Tate, Florida State
  7. Marcell Ateman, Oklahoma State
  8. Michael Gallup, Colorado State
  9. Dante Pettis, Washington
  10. D.J. Moore, Maryland
  11. Deon Cain, Clemson
  12. Equanimeous St. Brown, Notre Dame
  13. Deontay Burnett, USC
  14. Cedrick Wilson, Boise State
  15. D.J. Clark, LSU
  16. Jordan Lasley, UCLA
  17. Allen Lazard, Iowa State
  18. Jaleel Scott, New Mexico State
  19. DaeSean Hamilton, Penn State
  20. Simmie Cobbs Jr., Indiana

Tight End

  1. Mark Andrews, Oklahoma
  2. Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
  3. Mike Gesicki, Penn State
  4. Hayden Hurst, South Carolina
  5. Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin
  6. Ian Thomas, Indiana
  7. Durham Smythe, Notre Dame
  8. Tyler Conklin, Central Michigan
  9. Ryan Izzo, Florida State
  10. Dalton Schultz, Stanford

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Offensive Tackle

  1. Orlando Brown, Oklahoma
  2. Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
  3. Connor Williams, Texas
  4. Kolton Miller, UCLA
  5. Chukwuma Korafor, Western Michigan
  6. Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
  7. Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State
  8. Jamarco Jones, Ohio State
  9. Will Richardson, NC State
  10. Joseph Noteboom, TCU
  11. Brian O’Neill, Pittsburgh
  12. Alex Cappa, Humboldt State

Offensive Guard

  1. Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
  2. Will Hernandez, UTEP
  3. Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
  4. Braden Smith, Auburn
  5. Austin Corbett, Nevada
  6. Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech
  7. Sean Welsh, Iowa
  8. Taylor Hearn, Clemson
  9. Sam Jones, Arizona State
  10. Tony Adams, NC State

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Center

  1. Billy Price, Ohio State
  2. James Daniels, Iowa
  3. Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
  4. Coleman Shelton, Washington
  5. Bradley Bozeman, Alabama
  6. Will Clapp, LSU
  7. Mason Cole, Michigan
  8. Brian Allen, Michigan State
  9. Scott Quessenberry, UCLA
  10. Austin Golson, Auburn

Defensive Line

  1. Vita Vea, Washington
  2. Da’Ron Payne, Alabama
  3. Maurice Hurst, Michigan
  4. Taven Bryan, Florida
  5. Tim Settle, Virginia Tech
  6. Harrison Phillips, Stanford
  7. Derrick Nnadi, Florida State
  8. R.J. McIntosh, Miami (FL)
  9. Rasheem Green, USC
  10. Da’Shawn Hand, Alabama
  11. B.J. Hill, NC State
  12. Nathan Shepard, Fort Hays State
  13. Trenton Thompson, Georgia
  14. Justin Jones, NC State
  15. Folorunso Fatukasi, Connecticut

Defensive End/EDGE

  1. Bradley Chubb, NC State
  2. Harold Landry, Boston College
  3. Marcus Davenport, UTSA
  4. Arden Key, LSU
  5. Sam Hubbard, Ohio State
  6. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma
  7. Duke Ejiofor, Wake Forest
  8. Jeff Holland, Auburn
  9. Chad Thomas, Miami (FL)
  10. Dorance Armstrong Jr., Kansas
  11. Josh Sweat, Florida State
  12. Andrew Brown, Virginia
  13. Hercules Mata’afa, Washington State
  14. Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State
  15. Joe Ostman, Central Michigan

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Linebacker

  1. Roquan Smith, Georgia
  2. Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
  3. Rashaan Evans, Alabama
  4. Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State
  5. Malik Jefferson, Texas
  6. Darius Leonard, South Carolina State
  7. Josey Jewell, Iowa
  8. Uchenna Nwosu, USC
  9. Lorenzo Carter, Georgia
  10. Jerome Baker, Ohio State
  11. Tegray Scales, Indiana
  12. Dorian O’Daniel, Clemson
  13. Fred Warner, BYU
  14. Micah Kiser, Virgina
  15. Shaun Dion Hamilton, Alabama

Cornerback

  1. Joshua Jackson, Iowa
  2. Denzel Ward, Ohio State
  3. Jaire Alexander, Louisville
  4. Isaiah Oliver, Colorado
  5. Mike Hughes, Central Florida
  6. Donte Jackson, LSU
  7. Nick Nelson, Wisconsin
  8. Carlton Davis, Auburn
  9. Kameron Kelly, San Diego State
  10. Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State
  11. Holton Hill, Texas
  12. D.J. Reed, Kansas State
  13. Duke Dawson, Florida
  14. M.J. Stewart, North Carolina
  15. Levi Wallace, Alabama

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Safety

  1. Derwin James, Florida State
  2. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
  3. Ronnie Harrison, Alabama
  4. DeShon Elliott, Texas
  5. Jessie Bates, Wake Forest
  6. Armani Watts, Texas A&M
  7. Justin Reid, Stanford
  8. Kyzir White, West Virginia
  9. Jordan Whitehead, Pittsburgh
  10. Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech
  11. Marcus Allen, Penn State
  12. Quin Blanding, Virginia
  13. Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern
  14. Tray Matthews, Auburn
  15. Damon Webb, Ohio State

Stay tuned to Steel City Underground for full 2018 NFL Scouting Combine and NFL Draft news.


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