McShay's Top 32: College Football Playoff stars dominate rankings
— -- Here, we'll look at which players have moved up and down our Top 32, drawing on the same scouting reports as before and making changes only where necessary.
We'll continue to update our board as we get closer to the 2017 NFL draft. While it's a given that some players will move into the rankings and others will drop out, this provides a good snapshot of which players currently have the most NFL potential based on our evaluations.
Note: Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.
1. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU*
Fournette missed four games in the regular season -- and parts of many others -- because of a nagging left ankle injury. But from a big-picture wear-and-tear standpoint, it might be to his benefit. Fournette has endured only 144 touches this season, far below the 319 he had a season ago. When fully healthy, Fournette is a big-play machine with a rare combination of size, power, agility and speed for the position. His angry running style is something at which to marvel and will translate well to the next level.
2. Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M*
Garrett is the best pure pass-rusher in this class. He has played through an ankle injury for much of this season, and still finished fifth in the SEC with 15.0 tackles for loss. Garrett has a lethal combination of first-step quickness, bend, power and hand-to-hand combat skills. And after adding?10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, he has been stronger setting the edge in the running game.
3. Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
Allen, who lines up all over Alabama's D-line, hasn't matched last year's sack numbers (8.5 versus 12.0), but don't be fooled: He has been every bit the game-plan wrecker with 15 QB hurries and 13 total tackles for loss. Allen has an excellent combination of quickness and power, and is one of the best interior pass-rushers we've studied in this draft class. He constantly pushes the pocket and brings tremendous experience to the table, with 54 games played.
4. Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
Foster is one of the better inside linebacker prospects in recent memory. He just flies to the ball. And when he gets there, he shows explosive tackling ability.?Foster has 10.5 tackles for loss in his past seven games, and 27 more total tackles on the season than his next-best teammate. For a player his size (240 pounds), Foster shows a good combination of agility and speed.
5. Jamal Adams, S, LSU*
Adams is a true difference-maker as an in-the-box defender, racking up six tackles for loss in his past six games. He has an excellent blend of size, length and athleticism, and it shows up on tape. Adams finished the regular season with a team-leading 37 solo tackles and forced a fumble. Even though he has?room to improve his technique in coverage, Adams has shown his ceiling in that area on multiple occasions.
6. Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan*
Peppers is a great fit for the modern NFL, with the speed and athleticism to thrive in space and the toughness to play bigger than his 205-pound frame. He profiles as a hybrid player at the next level -- a Deone Bucannon-type -- who can help your team in a lot of different ways (he finished the regular season with 15.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, seven QB hurries, three rushing TDs and one punt-return TD). A redshirt sophomore, Peppers has a rare ability to keep blockers off his pads, but his lack of ball production is a little concerning (only one career interception).
7. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State*
Cook -- who broke the 2,000 total yards mark in the Seminoles' regular-season finale -- can truly do it all. He makes defenders miss with subtle changes in direction, and he?doesn't need much of a crease to rattle off a big play. At 5-foot-11, 213 pounds, Cook ranks tied for second among all Power 5 RBs this season with 15 touches of 25 yards or more.
8. Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State*
A first-year starter, Lattimore is more naturally gifted than former Ohio State CB Eli Apple, who went No. 10 overall to the Giants in the 2016 draft. At 6-foot, 192 pounds, Lattimore has good length and really fluid movement skills. He has taken full advantage of a spike in playing time, posting four interceptions and nine pass breakups this season.
9. Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama
Williams was M.I.A. to start the season, but he has proven to be a disruptive player, posting 14 of his 15.5 total tackles for loss against SEC opponents. He has excellent first-step quickness and explosive power. But teams will have to take into account Williams' character; he was arrested earlier this season on a misdemeanor gun charge.
10. Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State*
McDowell officially declared for the NFL this week after missing the regular season's final three games because of an ankle injury. His film and production (1.5 sacks; 7.0 TFLs) dipped from last season, but from a big-picture standpoint, McDowell gives good effort despite facing what seems like constant double-teams. He's an elite athlete who has the ability to move around a defensive front at the next level.
11. Charles Harris, DE, Missouri*
Harris finished the regular season on a tear, with 5.5 sacks, six QB hurries and a forced fumble in his final four games. This comes after he led the SEC with 18.5 tackles for loss in 2015. A twitchy athlete off the edge, Harris is just scratching the surface as a pass-rusher. If he adds some bulk to his frame, watch out.
12. Mike Williams, WR, Clemson*
Williams scored 10 touchdowns in a nine-game span this season, showing good versatility in the process. He has taken the top off defenses with big plays down the field, made clutch catches over the middle, and skied over defenders for scores. At 6-foot-3, Williams has the size-speed combo you look for in a home-run threat.
13. Jarrad Davis, OLB, Florida
Davis showed great toughness playing through a severely sprained ankle against Georgia earlier this season. He had one of his best games of the season, recording 2.5 tackles for loss as coach Jim McElwain called him "the heart and soul of this team." Davis reminds me a little of?Bucs OLB Kwon Alexander?because of his excellent range and a relentless motor.
14.? Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida*
Brantley is more of a disruptor than someone who's going to put up eye-popping production. He has a good combination of quickness and functional strength to excel as an interior player at the next level. When he's at his best -- as he was in back-to-back games against LSU and Florida State (5.0 tackles for loss) -- Brantley can be a load to handle in the run game.
15. Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama*
Robinson has been a force for Alabama, particularly in the run game, where the Crimson Tide averaged 260 rushing yards per game in SEC play. He consistently drives defenders off the ball when he's playing with leverage. But I'd like to see some more consistency in pass protection, and teams will?need to investigate Robinson's character after an arrest in May 2016?for possession of marijuana and illegal possession of a stolen firearm (charges were eventually dropped).
16. Teez Tabor, CB, Florida*
Tabor has some of the best ball skills among cornerbacks in this draft class, with four interceptions, five pass breakups and a defensive TD in 11 games. His technique still has some room to grow, but it's hard to ignore Tabor's natural anticipation and elite production, including five interceptions and 22?pass breakups in the two seasons before this one.
17. Charles Walker, DT, Oklahoma*
Walker -- who has already decided to leave Oklahoma to prepare for the NFL draft -- has suffered two concussions in the past 11 months. But when healthy, he has the quickness to shoot gaps and disrupt run plays in the backfield. Walker could still improve as a pass-rusher, but his lower-body strength and low center of gravity give him a lot of upside.
18. D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texas
Foreman's stock has exploded this season, as he ranks first in the FBS with 184.4 rushing yards per game. At 6-1 and 249 pounds, Foreman is a load to bring down, and he has really good feet for his size. Creating a ton of yards after contact each week, he doesn't get tackled in the backfield very often. And as a bonus, Foreman is excellent in pass protection.
19. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC*
Smith-Schuster had 368 yards and six TDs in a three-game span in October before battling injuries and seeing his production fall off a bit. When healthy, he shows the ability to create?late separation while the ball is in the air, and he does a good job?weaving through traffic in the open field.
20.? Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn*
Lawson, who has already declared for the draft, has shown just how explosive he can be after coming off back-to-back injury-plagued seasons. He has 24 QB hurries this season, including seven against Arkansas alone. And Lawson is converting his consistent pressure into production, with nine sacks. Also an elite run-defender, Lawson has the skill set of a potential first-rounder if his long-term medical prognosis comes up clean.
21. Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA
McKinley has been one of this season's biggest draft risers. He parlayed his elite speed off the edge into 18.0 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks in 11 games (both of which are second overall in the Pac-12). To put that in perspective, McKinley had 11.0 total TFLs and 7.0 sacks in his first two seasons combined. He brings a ton of upside to the table.
22. Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
Ramczyk transferred to Wisconsin after two seasons at UW-Stevens Points (Division III), and he has been absolutely dominant this season. With an ideal frame (6-6, 314) and long arms, Ramczyk has been very consistent as a run-blocker and in pass-protection for the Badgers.
23. O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
Howard doesn't get a ton of targets in an Alabama offense that runs the ball about 60 percent of the time, but at the next level, he profiles as a tight end who can create big plays with his size/speed combination. Don't forget, this is the same guy who posted 208 receiving yards and two TDs in last year's College Football Playoff National Championship.
24.? Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee*
Barnett leads the SEC in both tackles for loss (18.0) and sacks (12.0). Perhaps more impressive, all of his sacks came against SEC opponents. Barnett is efficient at keeping blockers off his frame, and he plays with good discipline, a consistent motor and impressive physicality. He has terrific intangibles and finds a way to affect the game in multiple ways with his natural instincts.?
25. Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan*
Lewis is the top man-to-man cover corner I saw in college football this season. He had one of the best interceptions?you'll ever see, and in the last five games of the season, he accumulated seven pass breakups and another pick. Lewis has shown the ability to lock down half of the field with regularity.
26. Jake Butt, TE, Michigan*
Much like Alabama's Howard, Butt isn't going to put up incredible numbers in a Michigan offense that ranks 95th in the FBS with 27.7 pass attempts per game. But he's very reliable (43 catches, 518 yards, 4 TDs), and at 6-6, 250 pounds, he will be able to stretch the seam in the NFL and make tough catches in traffic.
27.? Mike McGlinchey,?OT, Notre Dame
McGlinchey is long enough to protect the edge against most speed-rushers when his footwork is sound. With that said, he's?best suited to initially play on the right side?in the NFL. He flashes a nasty disposition and gets under the skin of defenders.
28. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford*
McCaffrey finished the season on a tear playing against some overmatched defenses (222.4 total yards per game and 12 TDs in final five contests). By all accounts, McCaffrey practices as hard as he plays, and it shows in his stamina on Saturdays. From rushing to receiving to returning, McCaffrey is asked to do a ton for the Cardinal, and he delivers with a rare combination of vision, lateral agility and acceleration.
29.? Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina*
In his first year as a full-time starter, Trubisky has shown good accuracy (68.9 completion percentage) and an ability to limit mistakes (only four turnovers all season). Trubisky's 12 career starts are a bit concerning, since the history of quarterbacks leaving school early without a ton of game reps isn't great (just look at Mark Sanchez). The ability is certainly there with Trubisky, but you just want to see more of a sample size.?
30. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame*
Nelson has established himself as one of the best guards in the country. He shows good effort, toughness and technique in the running game, and it's tough for pass-rushers to get around his 6-5, 325-pound frame. Nelson projects as a day one NFL starter.
31. Cordrea Tankersley, CB, Clemson*
Tankersley had two interceptions against Virginia Tech in the ACC championship game, including one that sealed the game late in the fourth quarter. That's now eight picks and 19 pass breakups in his past two seasons. At 6-1 and with the strength and length to disrupt bigger receivers, Tankersley fits best in a press-heavy scheme. He is confident enough to hold up on an island and has borderline outstanding ball skills.
32. Bucky Hodges, TE, Virginia Tech*
A three-year starter, Hodges has 20 touchdowns during that span, best in the FBS among Power 5 tight ends. Seven of those scores came this season, as he proved to be a big target who's versatile enough to move around the formation. Long, fast and athletic, Hodges is a tough matchup for smaller cornerbacks when split out wide.
