NFL Draft 2012: Mike Mayock Releases Pre-Combine Positional Rankings

Defensive End

1. Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
2. Quinton Coples, North Carolina
3. Andre Branch, Clemson
4. Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
5. Nick Perry, USC

Rise: Ingram, Branch
Fall: Coples, Mercilus, Perry
Out: Syracuse’s Chandler Jones

Defensive Tackle

1. Michael Brockers, LSU
2. Jerel Worthy, Michigan State
3. Dontari Poe, Memphis
4. Devon Still, Penn State
5. Fletcher Cox, Mississippi St.

Rise: Brockers, Poe
Fall: Still
Out: Clemson’s Brandon Thompson

This group is absolutely loaded. Mayock has first-round grades on 5-7 of the defensive tackles in this year’s draft class. That speaks volumes for the amount of talent on the board. If you have a need in the middle of your defensive line, this is a great year to fill that void.

Linebacker

1. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
2. Luke Kuechly, Boston College
3. Dont’a Hightower, Alabama
4. Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma
5. Sean Spence, Miami (Fla.)

New entries: Lewis, Spence
Out: North Carolina’s Zach Brown, Arizona State’s Vontaze Burfict

Vontaze Burfict has fallen from the top five linebackers. Burfict reportedly showed up out of shape for his combine preparation and his work ethic continues to be a major issue. Mayock is not a fan of Burfict’s instincts as a football player. He was very unimpressed with Vontaze Burfict, even putting the penalty issue aside.

Cornerback

1. Morris Claiborne, LSU
2. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
3. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama
4. Trumaine Johnson, Montana
5. Leonard Johnson, Iowa State

Rise: Kirkpatrick
Fall: Jenkins, Leonard Johnson
New entry: Trumaine Johnson
Out: Nebraska’s Alfonzo Dennard

Alfonzo Dennard and Stephon Gilmore have been slated into the first-round of many mock drafts, but Mayock does not even mention them in his top five. He appears to be very high on the small school Trumaine Johnson and he keeps Leonard Johnson in his top five.

Safety

1. Mark Barron, Alabama
2. Harrison Smith, Notre Dame
3. George Iloka, Boise State
4. Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State
5. Phillip Thomas, Syracuse

New entry: Phillip Thomas
Out: South Carolina’s Antonio Allen

The top two safeties in this class — Mark Barron and Harrison Smith — hold firm at positions one and two, despite Barron’s double-hernia surgery. This is a relatively weak safety class, so don’t expect any major changes in this group.

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