The college football season has moved through two months. In these two months, some players have clearly performed better than others, although in some cases, the quality of the player doesn’t necessarily mean that player’s team is doing well. Nevertheless, scouts and coaches know who’s a next-level athlete when looking on film. Through two months in the current system, these are the best prospects on defense in the 2017 NFL Draft. Only one spot might be up for grabs at most.
Carl Lawson, Auburn Tigers
The Auburn defense has been great all season, doing well even on those occasions when the offense wasn’t very good. Lawson is at the heart of the action for Auburn. His strength and agility plus his nose for the ball enable him to make several game-influencing plays every Saturday. Lawson plays defensive end, and a player who plays his position has to have imposing athletic skills. Lawson fits that bill – he’s been close to unblockable this year. He’s the kind of player college offensive lines have to either double-team or at least chip, which means that a running back or fullback has to be involved not in consistently blocking him, but knocking him off course. The running back has to at least move in his direction to divert him and make his task tougher. That kind of play might be smart for an offense, but the instructive point is that if a running back is sent to chip the defensive end on one side, it can’t deal with the defensive end or the corner or safety blitz on the other side. This is how an elite defensive end influences a college football game and an opposing offense.
Jabrill Peppers, Michigan Wolverines
The obvious value of Peppers to an NFL team is that he is ridiculously fast. The more complicated but still evident source of value is that Peppers can do so many different things on a football field and can be used in so many different ways. NFL coaches will be challenged to use him widely but not too widely, to take advantage of what he brings but not overextend him to the point that he gets worn down. Nevertheless, Peppers is extremely fast to the ball on defense and can provide man-to-man coverage with the best of them if need be. He is responsive on run support. He returns kicks really well, juking defenders out of their shoes. The diversity of Peppers’ skill set will be impossible to pass up for a bad NFL team. This is a top-10 pick in the making.
Jonathan Allen, Alabama Crimson Tide
It’s quite possible that Jonathan Allen is the best defensive lineman in college football. He’s been more dominant than Carl Lawson. The only drawback is that Allen plays with other studs on Alabama’s defensive line. Opposing offensive coordinators have to respect each Alabama lineman; it’s not as though Allen is the only one doing damage to other offensive linemen. This might have a slight effect on his draft positioning, but Allen remains a beast – physical enough to overwhelm offensive linemen, but quick enough to get to the ball and bother quarterbacks or running backs when they have the ball. He’s extremely disruptive, which is what a great defensive college football playmaker is supposed to be. That’s what is going to make him a top draft pick in the NFL.
Derek Barnett, Tennessee Volunteers
Myles Garrett of Texas A&M could easily be here, but Barnett has had the better season. When it comes Garrett, he should get the chance to shine in combines and pro days, but Barnett has really stood out in games this year. He has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Volunteers. He has shifted the flow of games, a number of which Tennessee won due to a second-half comeback. Barnett has been a force of nature this season, and NFL organizations always look for that kind of player at the top of their draft boards. Barnett has made himself a lot of money this season, provided he doesn’t get injured in November or a college football bowl game.
