4-3 Defensive Ends:

3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE are fairly interchangeable positions as most of you know. Most players can be formed to play either position depending on what their team runs. So, in these lists (3-4 olb and 4-3 DE) I’ll order the positions after a player’s name for what they are best fit for. Example: Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M, this is saying Moore is best suited for a DE position but can still play the OLB spot. But, if a player has only DE or OLB in their position spot that doesn’t mean they can’t play the other, it just means they are much better off in that one position.

1) Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU – Ansah is my favorite all around pass rusher in this year’s draft but he needs to play DE. I put him in the 3-4 OLB list as well just because he is so incredibly raw and new to football I believe that, if need be, he could make the transition given the proper time.

2) Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M – Moore has the size and speed you want to see in your pass rusher. He’s better suited for a 4-3 DE position and can cause some major headaches for NFL QBs.

3) Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State – Werner is a strong bull rusher. He fits well in a 4-3 but will most likely be unable to make the transition to a 3-4 as an OLB so whoever drafts him needs to keep that in mind.

4) Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon – I like Jordan a lot. He’s a former TE so you know he has some ball skills. He played a lot in coverage at Oregon so his pass rush opportunities were cut down some but he still was able to be a force to be reckoned with. He’s a monster of a man at 6’7’’, 234lbs and has some nice speed to him. He can be a dominate DE or outside linebacker because he’s still fairly raw to football. So, whichever team takes him, they’ll be able to shape him into their system. Not very often is a project first rounder a sleeper but I consider Jordan a sleeper, he could turn into the top pass rusher from this draft.

5) Barkevious Mindo, OLB/DE, LSU – Mingo simply does not have the strength to be a DE in the NFL and that was proven this past season. He needs to play in a 3-4 as an OLB to be very effective. If that’s the case, he can be a disruptive force for any team that takes him. I’m not particularly a fan of either LSU pass rusher (Mingo and Montgomery) but I can’t leave them out entirely haha.

6) Alex Okafor, DE, Texas – Okafor is built to play in a 4-3 as a DE. He has the size, strength and speed to do whatever is asked of him. If need be he could stand up and play OLB but I don’t think it’d be worth it to even try. He should be quite the talent for whoever lands him.

7) Margus Hunt, DE, SMU – Hunt is one of my absolute favorite players in this year’s draft. He is an absolute freak standing at 6’8’’, 277lbs and to back that up, he’s a projected 4.79 40, that’s fucking insane for that size haha. He’s strong as an ox and has all the tools needed to be a dominate 3-4 DE/DT. If push comes to shove though, he’ll be just as dominant in a 4-3.

8) Sam Montgomery, DE/OLB, LSU – Unlike Mingo, Montgomery is much more suited to play as a 4-3 DE but Montgomery has a little bit more versatility to him so he could stand up and play as a 3-4 OLB without as much trouble as Mingo would have trying to play DE. If Montgomery can have a good showing at the combine, he may be able to leap over a handful of these other guys.

9) Datone Jones, DE, UCLA – Jones brings a nice combination of size and speed to the NFL. He’s a solid pass rusher and can do well as a 4-3 DE if it’s asked of him but he’ll be best suited in a 3-4.

10) John Simon, DE, Ohio State – Simon can be a dominate force in the NFL but he won’t be that right away. Whoever takes him will need to know he will need some time to develop but given the proper coaching, he can turn into something quite nice.

11) Corey Lemonier, DE/OLB, Auburn – Lemonier is a great athlete who simply needs to bulk up some to be great in the NFL. He’s much more naturally suited for a 4-3 but he has the athleticism to play OLB If needed in a 3-4.

12) Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State – Carradine is a 4-3 DE and probably will be unable to play ina 3-4 at OLB. Carradine is big and physical but needs to add some weight to be a 4-3 DE in the NFL.

13) Brandon Jenkins, DE/OLB, Florida State – Jenkins probably should have gone back to school but he entered the draft. He can play DE or OLB but he’s probably better set at DE if he can add some weight.

14) Quanterus Smith, OLB/DE, Western Kentucky – Smith will be great in a 3-4 as an OLB. He had an ACL tear late in the season and that is going to kill his stock but if he can come back from that and be what he was, some team is going to strike gold here late in the draft. Smith had a 3 sack game against Alabama and it’s NFL caliber blockers, that is really all I need to know to be willing to spend a 5th round pick on this potential gigantic steal.

15) William Gholston, DE, Michigan State – Gholston is solid in defending the run but struggles in the pass rush. Being a 3-4 DE is ideal for him since he can rely on his OLBs to get to the QB. He needs to show that he can pressure the quarterback to impress anyone at the NFL level though.



Other Positions

QB: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66429688&f=204
RB: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66443964&f=204
TE: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66483178&f=204

DT/NT: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66457812&f=204
3-4 DE: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66495698&f=204
4-3 DE: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66495692&f=204
3-4 OLB: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66495708&f=204
4-3 OLB: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66495722&f=204
CB: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=66470785&f=204

EDIT: Putting in the links to all of today's lists.

This post was edited by Randolph on Feb 16 2013 06:12pm

Werner going to be a stud.

figured ghoulston would have been higher but thats prob just me being a homer

I have Werner as the top 4-3 DE and do believe in certain 3-4 systems he can stand-up, but yeah he's an ideal fit for the 4-3. I know quite a few people have had him in the top-3 overall prospects in this draft. Moore I like more as a 3-4 rush LB than 4-3 DE actually, and his build currently supports that. Even heard some rumblings that teams could look at him as a 4-3 SAM, though I think the combine will establish what kind of athlete he is.
Jordan's an interesting case but if reports that he's not even 230 are true, I would be very concerned. Can't play front-7 anywhere at that weight. With a good strength coach that can improve, but its going to be alot of work getting him in the 250-260 range, and how that affects his athleticism will be interesting.
Hard to evaluate Mingo with the contain that LSU asked him to play this past season. Might make him a better player in the long run, but pass rushing is obviously his strength and its a shame he didn't get to consistently show it this past season, which could hurt his stock.

Overall this defensive line group is incredibly deep and could fall in any order. My favorite group in this class by far, between the DTs and DEs there could be 16 different players that could go in the 1st round. They won't, but their names have been talked in that regard.

agree with everything stated... Yes they said Jordan prolly 3 or so weeks ago weighed in at like 226 or something at some sports performance facility (also believe this is why he skipped the senior bowl). Obvioulsy he is continually putting on lbs and said that his diet if goes as planned should have him at around 250 at the combine. They did state that their main concern is to keep him at a nice weight as well as keep his athleticism in place. Mingo was also talked about is being too liight but I saw him not so long ago and he looked pretty solid.

Hey, they're my rankings, how I see players to fit, etc etc.

Do your own if you want to see different input.

I can't wait to see what Werner can do in the coming years (as long as it's not with a division rival). Something alluring about a raw power rusher like him

Could be Cleveland haha.

I know, I've seen it projected a lot that way... Kid needs to put on a lot of weight before the combine and slow it down, gobble down dä German sausage & beer.

I have different rankings for every scheme/position. The amount of different positions I'd have to rank guys would take too much time.



Don't see Ray Horton viewing Werner as the best fit for his 3-4, though we'll know more about his athleticism after the combine.