NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah named his updated Top 50 Draft Prospects. Here's who moved up and who moved down:
NFL.com names the top 50 prospects in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Now that scouts and draft experts have had time to digest the college all-star games, an inevitable shakeup came in the prospect rankings.
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On Tuesday, NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah released his updated Top 50 list, which includes four new names amid the dozens of risers and fallers. The changes are based on his initial rankings that were released on Jan. 17, the week of the East-West Shrine Game and a week before the Senior Bowl. The next checkpoint is the NFL Scouting Combine, which runs February 28 to March 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The first round of the draft kicks off April 27 in Philadelphia, where the Giants hold the 23rd pick.
With that in mind, let's take a look at Jeremiah's rankings 2.0.
The top five – defensive end Myles Garrett (Texas A&M), safety Malik Hooker (Ohio State), cornerback Marshon Lattimore (Ohio State), safety Jamal Adams (LSU) and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (Alabama) – remained unchanged. The first movement came right after them with Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster moving up one spot to No. 6 and switching places with LSU running back Leonard Fournette.
However, that wouldn't be the last – or the biggest – leap made by a member of the Crimson Tide. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey made the biggest jump, moving up nine spots to No. 36. Tight end O.J. Howard (now No. 13) and outside linebacker Ryan Anderson (No. 42) went up by five apiece.
"Humphrey has an outstanding combination of size, speed and toughness," Jeremiah wrote. "At his best in press coverage, he is patient and flashes a quick two-hand jam. He has the speed to turn and mirror vertical routes, and he's fluid to open up underneath. In off coverage, he isn't as consistent. He plays out of a side turn and has struggled vs. double moves.
"His biggest issue is playing the ball down the field. He's normally in position, but he loses too many 50-50 balls to wide receivers. He is an aggressive run defender who has an edge to him after the play is over. Overall, Humphrey has starting ability, but his ball awareness down the field is a major concern."
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey (up 4 to No. 21) and Ohio State running back Curtis Samuel (up 2 to No. 39) were the other two players to move up multiple spots. Miami tight end David Njoku (No. 12), Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett (No. 16), Missouri defensive end Charles Harris (No. 35) and Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis (No. 48) all moved up by one. Temple linebacker Haason Reddick (No. 41), Mississippi tight end Evan Engram (No. 43), UCLA cornerback Fabian Moreau (No. 47) and Ohio defensive end Tarell Basham (No. 49) cracked the Top 50 after not being ranked the first time around.
Conversely, the biggest drop came with South Alabama tight end Gerald Everett, who fell nine places to No. 44. Florida State defensive end DeMarcus Walker (No. 46) fell four spots; Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer (No. 18) fell three spots; and Washington cornerback Sidney Jones (No. 14), Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton (No. 25) and California wide receiver Chad Hansen (No. 50) all fell two spots.
"Everett usually lined up flexed in the slot, but on occasion he put his hand on the ground," Jeremiah wrote. "He has average size and bulk for the position, but he is an excellent athlete. In the passing game, he is sudden in his release and very quick in and out of breaks at the top of his route. He has strong hands to pluck the ball in traffic and has produced some huge plays on simple underneath throws.
"After the catch, he uses his speed to pull away from defenders and has the ability to make people miss as well. In the run game, he isn't very physical, but his effort is strong and he effectively mirrors and walls off opponents. Overall, don't let the smaller school fool you. This is a big-time talent who could emerge as a top-tier tight end in the NFL."