<
>

McShay's top 2017 NFL prospects by position

play
McShay sees poise and accuracy with Trubisky (1:51)

Todd McShay says that Mitchell Trubisky's tape was more impressive than every QB in the 2016 draft. (1:51)

With the 2017 NFL draft less than two weeks away, let's take another look at the top 10 prospects at every position.

If you're looking to see which of these players made my latest top 32, check it out here.

Note: Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.

Quarterbacks

1. Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina* (Grade: 89)
2. Deshaun Watson, Clemson* (88)
3. Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech* (84)
4. DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame* (83)
5. Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee (79)
6. Nathan Peterman, Pittsburgh (77)
7. Davis Webb, California (70)
8. Brad Kaaya, Miami (Fla.)* (69)
9. C.J. Beathard, Iowa (59)
10. Alek Torgersen, Penn (35)

Dobbs lands in my top five QBs for the first time. He has excellent intangibles and intriguing physical tools as a dual-threat QB. His Senior Bowl performance, under the tutelage of Browns head coach Hue Jackson, was promising, but Dobbs is still very much a project as a passer and needs the right coaching/scheme to realize his potential.

Running backs

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU* (Grade: 92)
2. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford* (91)
3. Dalvin Cook, Florida State* (90)
4. Joe Mixon, Oklahoma* (85)
5. Alvin Kamara, Tennessee* (82)
6. Samaje Perine, Oklahoma* (77)
7. D'Onta Foreman, Texas* (75)
8. James Conner, Pittsburgh* (68)
9. Kareem Hunt, Toledo (66)
10. Jeremy McNichols, Boise State* (65)

McCaffrey and Cook are going in opposite directions. McCaffrey's versatility -- he's one of the most polished receiving RBs I've ever studied -- has him moving up boards, while concerns over who Cook surrounds himself with has him dropping a bit.

Wide receivers

1. Mike Williams, Clemson* (Grade: 91)
2. John Ross, Washington* (90)
3. Corey Davis, Western Michigan (90)
4. Zay Jones, East Carolina (87)
5. Curtis Samuel, Ohio State* (86)
6. JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC* (82)
7. Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington (79)
8. Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech* (77)
9. Chris Godwin, Penn State* (76)
10. Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky (75)

Williams' elite ball skills are what separate him from the pack. He uses every inch of his 6-foot-8 wingspan to his advantage. Jones could sneak into the bottom of the first round. His performance at the Senior Bowl really boosted his stock.

Tight ends

1. O.J. Howard, Alabama (Grade: 92)
2. David Njoku, Miami (Fla.)* (90)
3. Evan Engram, Mississippi (87)
4. Adam Shaheen, Ashland* (80)
5. Gerald Everett, South Alabama (79)
6. Jake Butt, Michigan (77)
7. Jordan Leggett, Clemson (76)
8. Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech* (75)
9. Cole Hikutini, Louisville (70)
10. George Kittle, Iowa (67)

You won't mistake Engram for a traditional tight end -- he's not much of a blocker -- but at 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, he's very much in the mold of Redskins TE Jordan Reed. He ran an incredible 4.42 40 at the combine and is a big play waiting to happen.

Offensive tackles

1. Garett Bolles, Utah* (Grade: 90)
2. Cam Robinson, Alabama* (88)
3. Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin* (88)
4. Taylor Moton, Western Michigan (79)
5. Antonio Garcia, Troy (78)
6. Jermaine Eluemunor, Texas A&M (72)
7. Zach Banner, USC (70)
8. Will Holden, Vanderbilt (69)
9. Roderick Johnson, Florida State* (65)
10. Julien Davenport, Bucknell (64)

There's a bit of a drop-off after the top three offensive tackles, all of whom have a chance to go in Round 1. Moton is intriguing because of his great experience (52 starts) and his ability to play multiple positions up front.

Guards

1. Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky (Grade: 90)
2. Dion Dawkins, Temple (83)
3. Dan Feeney, Indiana (80)
4. Dorian Johnson, Pittsburgh (78)
5. Nico Siragusa, San Diego State (71)
6. Isaac Asiata, Utah (60)
7. Adam Bisnowaty, Pittsburgh (59)
8. Damien Mama, USC* (56)
9. David Sharpe, Florida* (52)
10. Ben Braden, Michigan (51)

Dawkins has the necessary length (35-inch arms) to potentially play tackle, but he lined up at guard during Senior Bowl practices, and that might end up being his best fit in the NFL.

Centers

1. Pat Elflein, Ohio State (Grade: 75)
2. Ethan Pocic, LSU (72)
3. Jon Toth, Kentucky (61)
4. Tyler Orlosky, West Virginia (60)
5. Chase Roullier, Wyoming (51)
6. Kyle Fuller, Baylor (50)
7. Sean Harlow, Oregon State (45)
8. J.J. Dielman, Utah (40)
9. Cameron Tom, Southern Miss (39)
10. Daniel Brunskill, San Diego State (31)

Toth was a four-year starter at Kentucky who had a reputation for being a film rat. He has the intelligence, toughness and leadership qualities that are coveted at the position. Toth will have to rely on proper technique to mask his lack of ideal athleticism.

Defensive ends

1. Myles Garrett, Texas A&M* (Grade: 95)
2. Derek Barnett, Tennessee* (91)
3. Takkarist McKinley, UCLA (90)
4. Taco Charlton, Michigan (88)
5. Jordan Willis, Kansas State (81)
6. DeMarcus Walker, Florida State (79)
7. Carl Lawson, Auburn* (76)
8. Daeshon Hall, Texas A&M (74)
9. Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova (73)
10. Tarell Basham, Ohio (72)

Garrett is the clear-cut No. 1 overall player in this class but don't forget about McKinley. He has a ton of upside because of his raw athleticism (4.59 40 at 259 pounds) and how hard he plays. If McKinley figures out how to use his hands as a pass-rusher, watch out.

Defensive tackles

1. Jonathan Allen, Alabama (Grade: 93)
2. Solomon Thomas, Stanford* (92)
3. Malik McDowell, Michigan State* (89)
4. Caleb Brantley, Florida* (82)
5. Chris Wormley, Michigan (81)
6. Larry Ogunjobi, Charlotte (79)
7. Carlos Watkins, Clemson (78)
8. Dalvin Tomlinson, Alabama (77)
9. Jaleel Johnson, Iowa (76)
10. Montravius Adams, Auburn (75)

McDowell's success in the NFL could very much hinge on the type of team he goes to. He showed inconsistent effort in his final season at Michigan State, but he has loads of athletic upside. If he lands with a coaching staff that can coax the best out of him, McDowell has a chance to be a really good player.

Inside linebackers

1. Reuben Foster, Alabama (Grade: 92)
2. Haason Reddick, Temple (90)
3. Jarrad Davis, Florida (89)
4. Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt* (82)
5. Duke Riley, LSU (78)
6. Alex Anzalone, Florida* (77)
7. Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State* (76)
8. Kendell Beckwith, LSU (75)
9. Anthony Walker, Northwestern* (69)
10. Blair Brown, Ohio (68)

Reddick, once thought of as a Day 2 prospect, now has a chance to be a top-15 pick after taking full advantage of the pre-draft process. He looks like a three-down linebacker in the NFL, thanks to his athleticism. The same applies for Cunningham: He has the speed to cover in space and get sideline to sideline versus the run.

Outside linebackers

1. Charles Harris, Missouri* (Grade: 89)
2. T.J. Watt, Wisconsin* (88)
3. Tyus Bowser, Houston (86)
4. Ryan Anderson, Alabama (81)
5. Tim Williams, Alabama (80)
6. Derek Rivers, Youngstown (77)
7. Vince Biegel, Wisconsin (65)
8. Josh Carraway, TCU (59)
9. Carroll Phillips, Illinois (57)
10. Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee (51)

Bowser turned heads at the combine, finishing in the top five among linebackers in vertical and broad jumps, along with the 40-yard dash and three-cone drill. His explosive traits give him upside as an edge rusher.

Cornerbacks

1. Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State* (Grade: 92)
2. Gareon Conley, Ohio State* (90)
3. Kevin King, Washington (90)
4. Marlon Humphrey, Alabama* (89)
5. Adoree' Jackson, USC* (88)
6. Quincy Wilson, Florida* (88)
7. Tre'Davious White, LSU (87)
8. Jourdan Lewis, Michigan (87)
9. Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado (83)
10. Teez Tabor, Florida* (79)

Conley and King have both seen their stocks rise after the combine. Conley shows excellent ball skills on tape and he ran a 4.44 40 in Indianapolis, and King checked in at 6-foot-3 and ran a really good 40 time for that size (4.43).

Safeties

1. Jamal Adams, LSU* (Grade: 93)
2. Malik Hooker, Ohio State* (92)
3. Marcus Maye, Florida (87)
4. Josh Jones, NC State* (86)
5. Budda Baker, Washington* (86)
6. Obi Melifonwu, Connecticut (85)
7. Jabrill Peppers, Michigan* (85)
8. Marcus Williams, Utah* (83)
9. Justin Evans, Texas A&M (77)
10. John Johnson, Boston College (69)

Adams and Hooker both have a shot to go in the top seven overall picks. Baker is likely a Day 2 pick, but he's a really good football player. Besides being undersized (5-9⅝, 195 pounds), he has few weaknesses.