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McShay's Top 32: Alabama and Clemson stars dot rankings

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Here, we'll look at which players have moved up and down our Top 32, drawing on the same scouting reports as before and making changes only where necessary.

We'll continue to update our board as we get closer to the 2017 NFL draft. Although it's a given that some players will move into the rankings and others will drop out, this provides a good snapshot of which players currently have the most NFL potential, based on our evaluations.

Note: Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.


1. Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M*

Grade: 95

For the first time this season, Garrett moves to No. 1 on my board. This is the best pure pass-rusher in the 2017 draft. Garrett has played through an ankle injury for much of this season and still finished tied for sixth in the SEC with 15.0 tackles for loss (including 8.5 sacks). He has a lethal combination of first-step quickness, bend, power and hand-to-hand combat skills. After adding 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, he has been stronger setting the edge in the running game.

2. Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama

Grade: 94

Allen has 7.5 tackles for loss in his past four games. He's a true game-wrecker, with 15 QB hurries and 9.5 sacks. Allen's excellent combination of quickness and power makes him one of the best interior pass-rushers we've studied in this draft class. He constantly pushes the pocket and brings tremendous experience to the table, with 55 games played.

3. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU*

Grade: 94

Fournette, who had a nagging ankle injury all season, finished the year with only 144 touches, far below the 319 he had a season ago. That works to his benefit from a wear-and-tear standpoint. When fully healthy, Fournette is a big-play machine with a rare combination of size, power, agility and speed for the position. His angry running style is something to marvel at, and it will translate well to the next level.

4. Jamal Adams, S, LSU*

Grade: 93

Adams is one of the most complete players in this class. He's is a true difference-maker as an in-the-box defender, racking up 7.0 tackles for loss in his past seven games. Even though he has room to improve his technique in coverage, Adams has shown his ceiling in that area on multiple occasions. He has an excellent blend of size, length and athleticism, and it shows up on tape.

5. Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama

Grade: 93

Foster is one of the better inside linebacker prospects in recent memory. He just flies to the ball, and when he gets there, he shows explosive tackling ability. Foster has 10.5 tackles for loss in his past nine games and 28 more total tackles this season than his next-best teammate. For a player his size (240 pounds), Foster shows a good combination of agility and speed.

6. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State*

Grade: 92

Cook -- who ranked second in the FBS with 2,253 total yards this season -- can truly do it all. He makes defenders miss with subtle changes in direction, and he doesn't need much of a crease to rattle off a big play. At 5-foot-11, 213 pounds, Cook is a big play waiting to happen (18 touches of 25 yards or more this season, tied for first among all Power 5 RBs).

7. Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State*

Grade: 91

A first-year starter, Lattimore is more naturally gifted than former Ohio State CB Eli Apple, who went No. 10 overall to the Giants in the 2016 draft. At 6-foot, 192 pounds, Lattimore has good length and really fluid movement skills. He took full advantage of his spike in playing time, with four interceptions and nine pass breakups this season.

8. Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan*

Grade: 91

Peppers is a polarizing player because it's a little tricky to find him a true position, but I see him as a great fit for the modern NFL. He has the speed and athleticism to thrive in space and the toughness to play bigger than his 205-pound frame. Think of Peppers as a hybrid player at the next level -- a Deone Bucannon-type -- who can help your team in a lot of ways (he finished the regular season with 15.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, seven QB hurries, three rushing TDs and one punt-return TD). The biggest concern for me is his lack of ball production at Michigan (he has only one career interception).

9. Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee*

Grade: 91

Barnett led the SEC in both tackles for loss (19.0) and sacks (13.0). Perhaps more impressive, all but one of his sacks came against SEC opponents. Barnett is efficient at keeping blockers off his frame, and he plays with good discipline, a consistent motor and impressive physicality. He has terrific intangibles and finds a way to affect the game in multiple ways with his natural instincts.

10. Mike Williams, WR, Clemson*

Grade: 91

Williams scored 10 touchdowns in a nine-game span this season and showed all the skills you look for in a legit No. 1 NFL wide receiver. He shows an excellent ability to create late separation when the ball is in the air. At 6-foot-3, Williams has a good size-speed combination.

11. Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State

Grade: 90

Only two players in college football had more interceptions this season than Hooker's seven picks. In his first season as a starter in Columbus, Hooker showed great instincts and range in coverage. He always seems to be around the ball, and as a redshirt sophomore who has already declared for the draft, Hooker has a lot of upside.

12. Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama

Grade: 90

Williams wasn't playing as consistently as you'd hope to start the season, but he proved to be a disruptive player down the stretch (14.5 tackles for loss in his final 10 games). He has excellent first-step quickness, explosive power and a really high ceiling. But teams will have to take into account Williams' character; he was arrested earlier this season on a misdemeanor gun charge.

13. Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan

Grade: 90

Charlton finished the season on a tear, compiling 10 sacks in his final 10 games. He has always had the raw ability, but this season, he showed more consistency and refined technique. Charlton has the ability to be an edge defender in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme in the NFL.

14. Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State*

Grade: 89

McDowell missed the regular season's final three games because of an ankle injury, and before that, his film and production (1.5 sacks, 7.0 TFLs) had taken a dive from last season. He just isn't the consistent grinder who typically comes out of Michigan State. But McDowell has elite athleticism and can play multiple positions along the D-line at the next level.

15. Charles Harris, DE, Missouri*

Grade: 89

Harris finished the regular season on a tear, with 5.5 sacks, six QB hurries and a forced fumble in his final four games. That came after he led the SEC with 18.5 tackles for loss in 2015. A twitchy athlete off the edge, Harris is just scratching the surface as a pass-rusher. If he adds some bulk to his frame, watch out.

16. Jarrad Davis, OLB, Florida

Grade: 89

Davis was hampered by an ankle injury toward the end of the season, but when healthy, he finds so many ways to affect a game. He makes plays in the backfield (six tackles for loss and five QB hurries) and is athletic enough to hold up in coverage. Davis reminds me a little of Bucs OLB Kwon Alexander because of his excellent range and relentless motor.

17. Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida*

Grade: 89

Brantley is more of a disruptor than someone who is going to put up eye-popping production. He has a good combination of quickness and functional strength to excel as an interior player at the next level. When at his best -- as he was in back-to-back games against LSU and Florida State (5.0 tackles for loss) -- Brantley can be a load to handle in the running game.

18. Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama*

Grade: 89

Robinson has been a force for Alabama, particularly in the running game, in which the Crimson Tide averaged 260 rushing yards per game in SEC play. He consistently drives defenders off the ball when he's playing with leverage. But I'd like to see more consistency in pass protection, and teams will need to investigate Robinson's character after an arrest in May 2016 for possession of marijuana and illegal possession of a stolen firearm (charges were eventually dropped).

19. Teez Tabor, CB, Florida*

Grade: 89

Tabor has some of the best ball skills among cornerbacks in this draft class, with four interceptions, five pass breakups and a defensive TD in 11 games. His technique still has some room to grow, but it's hard to ignore Tabor's natural anticipation and elite production, including five interceptions and 22 pass breakups in the two seasons before this one.

20. D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texas*

Grade: 89

Foreman's stock has exploded this season, as he ranked first in the FBS with 184.4 rushing yards per game. At 6-foot-1 and 249 pounds, Foreman is a load to bring down, and he has really good feet for his size. He creates a ton of yards after contact each week, and he doesn't get tackled in the backfield very often. As a bonus, Foreman is excellent in pass protection.

21. John Ross, WR, Washington

Grade: 89

Ross has always had great speed, but he improved his route running this year and saw immediate dividends with a 17-touchdown season. His stock shot up this season after he showed the ability to handle physical coverage. If he runs as fast as expected at the NFL combine, Ross could very well be a first-rounder.

22. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC*

Grade: 88

Smith-Schuster had 368 yards and six TDs in a three-game span in October before he battled through injuries and saw his production fall off a bit. He looked explosive -- and healthy -- in USC's Rose Bowl win over Penn State (seven catches, 133 yards and one touchdown). Smith-Schuster shows really good run-after-catch ability, and he has the size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds), ball skills and toughness to be in the first-round mix.

23. Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA

Grade: 88

McKinley has been one of this season's biggest draft risers. He parlayed his elite speed off the edge into 18.0 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks in 11 games (both of which are second in the Pac-12). To put that in perspective, McKinley had 11.0 total TFLs and 7.0 sacks in his first two seasons combined. He brings a ton of upside to the table.

24. Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin*

Grade: 88

Ramczyk transferred to Wisconsin after two seasons at UW-Stevens Points (Division III), and he was absolutely dominant this season. With an ideal frame (6-foot-6, 314 pounds) and long arms, Ramczyk proved to be very consistent as a run-blocker and in pass protection. He recently confirmed that he played through a hip injury and is still weighing whether he needs to undergo surgery.

25. O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama

Grade: 88

At 6-foot-6, 251 pounds, Howard's size-speed combination gives him a lot of upside as a big-play threat in the NFL, but his production has been streaky in Alabama's run-heavy offense. Don't forget: This is the guy who posted 208 receiving yards and two TDs in last year's College Football Playoff National Championship.

26. Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida*

Grade: 88

I haven't watched as much tape on Wilson as I have on his teammate Tabor, but some scouts I've talked to think Wilson's ceiling is higher. At 6-foot-1, he has a good length/speed combination, and he's experienced, with 39 games played, including 24 starts.

27. Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan

Grade: 87

Lewis has some size limitations (5-foot-11, 186 pounds), but he's the top man-to-man cover corner I saw in college football this season. He had one of the best interceptions you'll ever see, and in the last six games of the season, he accumulated eight pass breakups and another pick. Lewis has shown the ability to lock down half the field with regularity.

28. Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn*

Grade: 87

Lawson has shown just how explosive he can be after coming off back-to-back injury-plagued seasons. He has 24 QB hurries this season. He has a great combination of production, upside and intangibles. Also an elite run defender, Lawson has the skill set of a potential first-rounder if his long-term medical prognosis comes up clean.

29. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

Grade: 87

McGlinchey is long enough to protect the edge against most speed-rushers when his footwork is sound. That said, he's best suited to initially play on the right side in the NFL. He flashes a nasty disposition and gets under the skin of defenders.

30. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford*

Grade: 87

McCaffrey finished the season on a tear against some overmatched defenses (222.4 total yards per game and 12 TDs in his final five contests). From rushing to receiving to returning, McCaffrey was asked to do a ton for the Cardinal, and he delivered with a rare combination of vision, lateral agility and acceleration.

31. DeMarcus Walker, DE, Florida State

Grade: 87

A hugely productive senior, Walker ranked second in the FBS this season with 16.0 sacks, and he was second overall on his teams in tackles (67). Walker is quite the film junkie, and he clearly bought into the process this season, with the results speaking for themselves. He lacks an elite size/speed combo, but Walker does a nice job of maximizing his tools.

32. Budda Baker, S, Washington*

Grade: 87

At 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds, Baker is an undersized safety prospect, but when you watch the film, he's all over the field. A three-year starter, Baker was the only Pac-12 defensive back to finish this season with double-digit tackles for loss. He also added two interceptions and six pass breakups.