Top 5 Defensive Draft Prospects By Position & Sleepers

On the Lightning Round Podcast draft shows, we’ve been doing draft profiles on top prospects by position group and listing in order our Top 5 and some sleepers we like as well. We already released the Top 5 Offensive Players and Sleepers but now here’s the Top 5 defensive guys plus the sleepers. We broke up the Outside Linebackers, Defensive Ends and Defensive Tackles by weight. We put all the Edge Rushers 260 and below under “Outside Linebackers,” then 261-290 as “Defensive Ends” and players that were 291 and above were labeled “Defensive Tackles.” Below is each of our Top 5, our sleepers and a link to each show to hear how we got to these rankings:

Top 5 – Safety

Garrett:

1. Jamal Adams – LSU

2. Budda Baker – Washington

3. Malik Hooker – Ohio St.

4. Tedric Thompson – Colorado

5. Obi Melifonwu – Uconn

Sleepers

Justin Evans – Texas A&M

Marcus Maye – Florida

Jamie:

1. Budda Baker – Washington

2. Jamal Adams – LSU

3. Malik Hooker – Ohio St.

4. Tedric Thompson – Colorado

5. Marcus Williams – Utah

Sleepers

John Johnson – Boston College

Jadar Johnson – Clemson

To hear the full breakdown of these Safeties prospects, you can listen HERE

Top 5 – Cornerbacks

Garrett:

1. Marshon Lattimore – Ohio St.

2. Cordrea Tankersley – Clemson

3. Fabian Moreau – UCLA

4. Kevin King – Washington

5. Sidney Jones– Washington (because of the injury)

Sleepers

Day 2 Sleeper: Fabian Moreau – UCLA

Day 3 Sleeper: Howard Wilson – Houston

Jamie:

1. Sidney Jones– Washington

2. Marshon Lattimore – Ohio St.

3. Kevin King – Washington

4. Marlon Humphrey – Alabama

5. Cordrea Tankersley – Clemson

Sleepers

Day 2 Sleeper: Chidobe Awuzie – Colorado

Day 3 Sleeper: Cameron Sutton – Tennessee

To hear the full breakdown of these Safeties prospects, you can listen HERE

Top 5 – Inside Linebackers

Garrett:

1. Reuben Foster – Alabama

2. Jarrad Davis – Florida

3. Zach Cunningham – Vanderbilt

4. Anthony Walker – Northwestern

5. Raekwon McMillan – Ohio St.

Sleepers

Elijah Lee – Kansas St.

Jamie:

1. Reuben Foster – Alabama

2. Zach Cunningham – Vanderbilt

3. Raekwon McMillan – Ohio St.

4. Blair Brown – Ohio

5. Jarrad Davis – Florida

Sleepers

Blair Brown – Ohio

To hear the full breakdown of these Inside Linebackers prospects, you can listen HERE

Top 5 – Outside Linebackers (260 and below)

Garrett:

1. Derek Barnett- Tennessee

2. Tim Williams – Alabama

3. Jordan Willis – Kansas State

4. Takkarist McKinley – UCLA

5. Haason Reddick – Temple

Sleepers

Tyus Bowser – Houston

Jamie:

1. Derek Barnett- Tennessee

2. Tim Williams – Alabama

3. Jordan Willis – Kansas State

4. T.J. Watt – Wisconsin

5. Takkarist McKinley – UCLA

Sleepers

Ejuan Price – PITT

To hear the full breakdown of these Outside Linebackers prospects, you can listen HERE

Defensive Ends – (261-290)

Garrett:

1. Myles Garrett – Texas A&M

2. Joe Mathis – Washington

3. Solomon Thomas – Stanford

4. Carl Lawson – Auburn

5. Deatrich Wise – Arkansas

Sleepers

Daeshon Hall – Texas A&M

Jamie

1. Solomon Thomas – Stanford

2. Myles Garrett – Texas A&M

3. Carl Lawson – Auburn

4. Taco Charlton – Michigan

5. Joe Mathis – Washington

Sleepers:

Tarell Basham – Ohio

To hear the full breakdown of these Defensive Ends prospects, you can listen HERE

Defensive Tackles – (291 plus)

Garrett:

1. Malik McDowell – Michigan St.

2. Jonathan Allen – Alabama

3. Jaleel Johnson – Iowa

4. Chris Wormley – Michigan

5. Montravius Adams – Auburn

Sleepers

Day 2 Sleeper: Jaleel Johnson – Iowa

Day 3 Sleeper: Tanzel Smart – Tulane

Jamie:

1. Malik McDowell – Michigan St.

2. Jonathan Allen – Alabama

3. Montravius Adams – Auburn

4. Chris Wormley – Michigan

5. Jaleel Johnson – Iowa

Sleepers

Day 2 Sleeper: Jarron Jones – Notre Dame

Day 3 Sleeper: Steve Tu’ikolovatu – USC

To hear the full breakdown of these Defensive Tackles prospects, you can listen HERE