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Mike Mayock released his latest draft positional rankings yesterday, and while there's a few eyebrow-raising changes here, we're more interested in seeing how the draft might shake out at key positions of need for the Falcons.
Mayock has his flaws as an evaulator, chief among them that he's prone to changing his mind at a frequency that can't be accounted for with new information alone. His rankings are still a useful glimpse into how evaluators and media alike are viewing prospects, which is why I'm sharing them here. You'll be particularly interested in pass rushers.
Gigantic tip of my jaunty chapeau to HogHunter at Hogs Haven, who pulled together these neat positional ranking charts you see below. If you're going to discuss these or share them in any fashion, please give credit where it is due.
Check out these charts and let us know who you're hoping the Falcons will target.
Quarterbacks
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Jameis Winston, FSU |
Jameis Winston, FSU |
Marcus Mariota, Oregon |
|
2 |
Marcus Mariota, Oregon |
Marcus Mariota, Oregon |
Jameis Winston, FSU |
|
3 |
Bryce Petty, Baylor |
Bryce Petty, Baylor |
Bryce Petty, Baylor |
|
4 |
Brett Hundley, UCLA |
Brett Hundley, UCLA |
Garrett Grayson, Colorado St. |
|
5 |
Garrett Grayson, Colorado St. |
Garrett Grayson, Colorado St. |
Brett Hundley, UCLA |
Running Backs
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin |
Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin |
Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin |
|
2 |
Todd Gurley, Georgia |
Todd Gurley, Georgia |
Todd Gurley, Georgia |
|
3 |
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska |
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska |
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska |
|
4 |
Duke Johnson, Miami |
Duke Johnson, Miami |
Duke Johnson, Miami |
|
5 |
Tevin Coleman, Indiana |
Tevin Coleman, Indiana |
Tevin Coleman, Indiana |
Wide Receivers
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Kevin White, West Virginia |
Kevin White, West Virginia |
Kevin White, West Virginia |
|
2 |
Amari Cooper, Alabama |
Amari Cooper, Alabama |
Amari Cooper, Alabama |
|
3 |
DeVante Parker, Louisville |
DeVante Parker, Louisville |
DeVante Parker, Louisville |
|
4 |
Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri |
Jaelen Strong, Arizona St. |
Breshad Perriman, Central Fla |
|
5 |
Devin Funchess, Michigan |
Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri |
Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri |
|
5(t) |
Breshad Perriman, Central Fla |
Nelson Agholor, USC |
Tight Ends
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Maxx Williams, Minnesota |
Maxx Williams, Minnesota |
Maxx Williams, Minnesota |
|
2 |
Clive Walford, Miami |
Clive Walford, Miami |
Clive Walford, Miami |
|
3 |
Nick O'Leary, FSU |
MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois |
Blake Bell, Oklahoma |
|
4 |
Tyler Kroft, Rutgers |
Blake Bell, Oklahoma |
Nick O'Leary, FSU |
|
5 |
Ben Koyack, Notre Dame |
Nick O'Leary, FSU |
Tyler Kroft, Rutgers |
Interior Offensive Linemen
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Brandon Scherff, Iowa |
Brandon Scherff, Iowa |
Brandon Scherff, Iowa |
|
2 |
Cameron Erving, FSU |
Cameron Erving, FSU |
Cameron Erving, FSU |
|
3 |
Laken Tomlinson, Duke |
Laken Tomlinson, Duke |
Laken Tomlinson, Duke |
|
4 |
A.J. Cann, South Carolina |
A.J. Cann, South Carolina |
A.J. Cann, South Carolina |
|
5 |
Tre' Jackson, FSU |
Tre' Jackson, FSU |
Tre' Jackson, FSU |
Offensive Tackle
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh |
La'el Collins, LSU |
La'el Collins, LSU |
|
2 |
Andrus Peat, Stanford |
T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh |
Ereck Flowers, Miami |
|
3 |
La'el Collins, LSU |
Andrus Peat, Stanford |
D.J. Humphries, Florida |
|
4 |
Ereck Flowers, Miami |
Ereck Flowers, Miami |
Andrus Peat, Stanford |
|
5 |
Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M |
D.J. Humphries, Florida |
T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh |
|
5(t) |
D.J. Humphries, Florida |
Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M |
Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M |
Interior Defensive Linemen
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Leonard Williams, USC |
Leonard Williams, USC |
Leonard Williams, USC |
|
2 |
Danny Shelton, Washington |
Danny Shelton, Washington |
Arik Armstead, Oregon |
|
3 |
Malcom Brown, Texas |
Malcom Brown, Texas |
Malcom Brown, Texas |
|
4 |
Arik Armstead, Oregon |
Arik Armstead, Oregon |
Danny Shelton, Washington |
|
5 |
Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma |
Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma |
Eddie Goldman, FSU |
|
5(t) |
Eddie Goldman, FSU |
Eddie Goldman, FSU |
Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma |
Edge Rushers
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida |
Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida |
Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida |
|
2 |
Randy Gregory, Nebraska |
Shane Ray, Missouri |
Randy Gregory, Nebraska |
|
3 |
Shane Ray, Missouri |
Vic Beasley, Clemson |
Vic Beasley, Clemson |
|
4 |
Vic Beasley, Clemson |
Randy Gregory, Nebraska |
Bud Dupree, Kentucky |
|
5 |
Bud Dupree, Kentucky |
Bud Dupree, Kentucky |
Shane Ray, Missouri |
Inside Linebackers
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Paul Dawson, TCU |
Paul Dawson, TCU |
Paul Dawson, TCU |
|
2 |
Benardrick McKinney. Mississippi St. |
Eric Kendricks, UCLA |
Eric Kendricks, UCLA |
|
3 |
Denzel Perryman, Miami |
Stephone Anthony, Clemson |
Stephone Anthony, Clemson |
|
4 |
Eric Kendricks, UCLA |
Benardrick McKinney. Mississippi St. |
Denzel Perryman, Miami |
|
5 |
Stephone Anthony, Clemson |
Denzel Perryman, Miami |
Benardrick McKinney. Mississippi St. |
Cornerbacks
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Trae Waynes, Michigan State |
Trae Waynes, Michigan State |
Trae Waynes, Michigan State |
|
2 |
Marcus Peters, Washington |
Jalen Collins, LSU |
Jalen Collins, LSU |
|
3 |
Jalen Collins, LSU |
Marcus Peters, Washington |
Marcus Peters, Washington |
|
4 |
P.J. Williams, FSU |
Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest |
Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest |
|
5 |
Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest |
Byron Jones, UConn |
Eric Rowe, Utah |
|
5(t) |
P.J. Williams, FSU |
Byron Jones, UConn |
Safeties
|
Rank |
Position Rankings 1.0 |
Position Rankings 2.0 |
Position Rankings 3.0 |
|
1 |
Landon Collins, Alabama |
Landon Collins, Alabama |
Landon Collins, Alabama |
|
2 |
Shaq Thompson, Washington |
Shaq Thompson, Washington |
Shaq Thompson, Washington |
|
3 |
Derron Smith, Fresno State |
Derron Smith, Fresno State |
Damarious Randall, Arizona St. |
|
4 |
Jaquiski Tartt, Samford |
Damarious Randall, Arizona St. |
Quinten Rollins, Miami |
|
5 |
Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern |
Jaquiski Tartt, Samford |
Alex Carter, Stanford |