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2014 NFL Draft defensive end rankings

Jadeveon Clowney is the obvious No. 1, but then who?

By Matthew Fairburn
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Say what you want about Jadeveon Clowney's 2013 season, but he's still head and shoulders above the rest of the defensive ends in the 2014 NFL Draft and the top player in the entire class. He's the most explosive defensive end to come out of college football in a long time and he still has room to get even bigger and more explosive in the NFL.

With a few highly ranked defensive ends returning to school, the competition to be the second defensive end off the board should be an interesting one. Schemes always play a big role, and not everyone of these players will be drafted to play defensive end. Missouri's Kony Ealy is our second ranked defensive end. The combination of his physical potential and late-season spike in production has him in position to get drafted early in May. He's a versatile player who can play all along the defensive line but is at his best when coming off the edge.

Stephon Tuitt is an interesting case. He's an ideal fit for the 3-4 defense but could probably slide inside to play defensive tackle as well. A few other prospects are in the same boat. Teams will likely work them out at multiple positions to figure out how they fit best.

Here's our full list of 26 defensive ends for the 2014 NFL Draft.

1. Jadeveon Clowney | 6'6, 272 pounds | Defensive end | South Carolina *
2. Kony Ealy | 6'5, 260 pounds | Defensive End | Missouri *
3. Stephon Tuitt | 6'5, 303 pounds | Defensive end/tackle | Notre Dame
4. Jackson Jeffcoat | 6'5, 250 pounds | Defensive End | Texas
5. Aaron Lynch | 6'6, 244 pounds | Defensive end | South Florida **
6. Scott Crichton | 6'3, 265 pounds | Defensive end | Oregon State *
7. Demarcus Lawrence | 6'3, 245 pounds | Defensive end | Boise State *
8. Kareem Martin | 6'5, 260 pounds | Defensive end | North Carolina
9. Marcus Smith | 6'3, 252 pounds | Defensive end | Louisville
10. Ed Stinson | 6'3, 282 pounds | Defensive end | Alabama
11. Michael Sam | 6'2, 255 pounds | Defensive end | Missouri
12. Chris Smith | 6'2, 266 pounds | Defensive end | Arkansas
13. Cassius Marsh | 6'2, 270 pounds | Defensive end | UCLA
14. Trevor Reilly | 6'5, 255 pounds | Defensive end | Utah
15. Brent Urban | 6'7, 295 pounds | Defensive end | Virginia
16. Larry Webster | 6'7, 250 pounds | Defensive end | Bloomsburg
17. Chaz Sutton | 6'4, 248 pounds | Defensive End | South Carolina
18. Ben Gardner | 6'4, 277 pounds | Defensive end | Stanford
19. Will Clarke | 6'7, 273 pounds | Defensive end | West Virginia
20. James Gayle | 6'4, 255 pounds | Defensive end | Virginia Tech
21. Josh Mauro | 6'6, 282 pounds | Defensive end | Stanford
22. Jeoffrey Pagan | 6'4, 290 pounds | Defensive end | Alabama *
23. Jamil Merrell | 6'4, 255 pounds | Defensive end | Rutgers
24. Darryl Cato-Bishop | 6'3, 266 pounds | Defensive end | North Carolina State
25. Jonathan Newsome | 6'3, 236 pounds | Defensive end | Ball State
26. Ryne Giddins | 6'3, 253 pounds | Defensive end | South Florida


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