Ranking The Defensive Ends

The top flight defensive ends in the NFL today all have tremendous strength and speed. The defensive ends are becoming so fast, that the offensive tackles are struggling to contain the outside pass rush. Recent draftees, Mario Williams, Trent Cole and 2008 draftee Chris Long have all brought a new level to the position. These three players and many more around the league have superb quickness that generates a lot of pressure on the Quarterbacks. The 2009 draft prospects have the quickness to make any offensive tackle look bad on Sundays. The crop of defensive ends in 2009 are a rare find. Many have the neccessary strength and quickness off the edge that all NFL scouts want. So which defensive ends make the top five list?

1. Brian Orakpo, Texas
2. Everette Brown, Florida State
3. Aaron Maybin, Penn State
4. Tyson Jackson, LSU
5. Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech

Ranking The Defensive Tackles

Every NFL fan knows that the game is won in the trenches. The biggest part of the defense, literally the "biggest" part, is the defensive tackle. When a team has a big time defensive tackle, life is much easier for everyone else on the defensive side. A defensive tackle who can stop the run, but still apply pressure on the Quarterback, is the most worthy component on the defense. Just look at some of the league's top defenses. The Ravens have Haloti Ngata and the Super Bowl champs have Casey Hampton, both are tremendous run stuffers and both have the ability to wreck havoc in the backfield. For the teams who are still searching for a gifted defensive tackle to complete their defense, what better place to start then the draft. This year's group of defensive tackles is a great one, with many prospects who could complete any team's defense. The top five defensive tackles in the 2009 NFL Draft are:

1. B.J Raji, Boston College
2. Peria Jerry, Ole Miss
3. Fili Moala, USC
4. Sen'Derrick Marks, Auburn
5. Ron Brace, Boston College

Ranking The Offensive Linemen

What position is the most physically grueling of them all? Who is the foundation of the offense, but gets overlooked by the media? The answer is the offensive linemen. There may be no position that is as important as the offensive line. How do you think those flashy 50 yard runs develop? The offensive linemen are the men behind the offense's success. Just look at some of the top teams in the NFL. Most of them, if not all of them, have a terrific line. In recent draft history, we have many linemen go in the top five of the NFL draft. In this year's draft, I expect to see many linemen go high, with mulitple linemen going top ten. This may be the hardest position to rank, and trust me, there are much more than five linemen who could play in the NFL.

1. Andre Smith, Alabama
2. Eugene Monroe, Virgina
3. Jason Smith, Baylor
4. Michael Oher, Ole Miss
5. Duke Robinson, Oklahoma