Four NFL Team Employees Rate the Top Three Players at Each Non-Special Teams Positions
Four of my friends who are NFL team employees agreed to give me their top three players at every non-special teams position leading up to the draft. They represent four different teams. Two from the NFC and two from the AFC.
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I will keep each of their identities confidential as you can imagine that their respective teams wouldn’t appreciate their participation in this endeavor. All I asked from them was that they give me their list. I weighed all four lists and put them in the appropriate order. I weighed them as I do the top twenty lists. Three points are awarded for a #1 rating, two for a #2 rating and one for a #3 rating. In case of a tie, I add a fifth persons list. With the top twenty list a prospect is given 20 points when rated #1 and a prospect rated #20 would get one point.
This list is not the order that I think they will be drafted, it is simply four men who get paid to do this for a living and who they think are the best three at each non-special teams position.Â
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I will also have them all give me a mock first round draft, as the draft gets closer. Obviously they know other teams better than any of us, so I have asked each for their mock draft and why they think each team does what. As with this list, I will weigh each of their picks and see if there is consensus on what they think. I will post at least one of their comments about each pick.
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So here are the top three players at the non-special teams positions.
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QB
- Mark Sanchez USC
- Matt Stafford Georgia
- Josh Freeman Kansas State
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RB
- Knowshon Moreno Georgia
- Chris “Beannie†Wells OSU
- Donald Brown UCONN
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FB
- Quinn Johnson LSU
- David Johnson Arkansas State
- Travis McCall Alabama
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WR
- *Michael Crabtree Texas Tech
- Jeremy Maclin Missouri
- Percy Harvin Florida
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TE
- *Brandon Pettigrew Oklahoma State
- Travis Beckum Wisconsin
- Chase Coffman Missouri
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OT
- +Jason Smith Baylor
- +Eugene Monroe Virginia
- Andre Smith Alabama
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OG
- Duke Robinson Oklahoma
- Kraig Urbik Wisconsin
- Trevor Canfield Cincinnati
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C
- Alex Mack CAL
- A.Q. Shipley PSU
- Max Unger Oregon
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DE
- *Brian Orakpo Texas
- Aaron Maybin PSU
- Robert Ayers Tennessee
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DT
- B.J. Raji Boston College
- Peria Jerry Mississippi
- Ron Brace Boston College
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ILB
- Rey Maualuga USC
- James Laurinaitis OSU
- Darry Beckwith LSU
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OLB
- +*Aaron Curry Wake Forest
- Brian Cushing USC
- Clay Matthews USC
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CB
- @Malcolm Jenkins OSU
- Alphonso Smith Wake Forest
- Vontae Davis ILL
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S
- Louis Delmas WMU
- William Moore Missouri
- Patrick Chung Oregon
* = Unanimous on all four scouts lists as the best at their position.
+ = Received at least one vote by the scouts as the best player in the draft in our top 20 list.
@ = Received one vote as a top three player at another position: safety.