Which Underclassmen From The G5 And Below Declared For The Draft: Defensive Edition

As is the case in any off season, players make the decision to stay or forgo their final year of college football and head to the NFL Draft. Some make it while others fizzle out due to lack of talent, a bad fit, or other circumstances.

We have already taken a look at the offensive side of the ball so it is only fair to take a look at defense. Led by All-American Ed Oliver, there are 15 underclassmen defensive players looking to make an NFL roster via the draft.

Defensive Line: (8)

• Ed Oliver, DT, Houston: 192 tackles, 53.0 tfl, 13.5 sacks, 11 pd. 1 fr, 5 ff in 32 games played. Two-time All-American, 2017 Outland Award winner. 2017 AAC Defensive Player of the Year. #2 ranked interior lineman according to USA Today. 
• Maxx Crosby, DE, Eastern Michigan: 162 tackles, 41.0 tfl, 8 ff, 20.0 sacks, 1 int in 37 games played. 
• Trysten Hill, DT, Central Florida: 71 tackles, 20 tfl, 6 sacks, 1 ff in 33 games played. 
• Darryl Johnson, DE, North Carolina A&T: 106 tackles, 41 tfl, 19 sacks, 5 ff, 2 fr. 
• Youhanna Ghaifan, DT, Wyoming: 135 tackles, 27 tfl, 11 sacks, 5 pd, 4 ff in 30 games played. 
• Sutton Smith, DE, Northern Illinois: 139 tackles, 58.5 tfl, 30 sacks, 4 pd, 6 fr, 7 ff, 3 TD in 37 games played. Two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year. 2017 All-American. 
• Sean Adesanya, DE, Central Michigan: Transfer from Illinois. 10 tackles, 1 tfl, 1 sack in 6 games at Illinois. 29 tackles, 7 tfl, 3 sacks in 12 games at CMU. Led nation in tfl and sacks in 2017. Led nation in tfl in 2018. 
• D'Andre Ferby, DE, Western Kentucky: 344 carries for 1,297 yards and 20 TD in 34 games. Listed as a DE in NFL information, so a position change looks to be imminent. 

Let's start with the obvious and discuss Ed Oliver. The junior from Houston is one of the most physically gifted player to come out of college football in a long time. Every defensive lineman gets compared and falls well short of Aaron Donald, but Oliver is a good comparison. I will get into the similarities in a later article. Oliver is the truth and I believe he will be the best of the best in one of the best defensive lineman groups in NFL Draft history.

While not a household name like Oliver, Sutton Smith is no slouch. He put up mind boggling stats at NIU and deserved every accolade thrown at him. The biggest issue with Smith is how he will be used in the NFL. His size mandates a move to linebacker and question abound about his ability to defense the pass. The combine will make or break his draft ranking.

Crosby, Hill, Ghaifan, Adesanya, and Johnson will not hear their names called early, but have the chance to make a roster. For those players, it is all about the fit they show within a defensive scheme. It may be better if some do not get drafted so that they can find the right fit in free agency.

Linebacker: (2)

• Jeff Allison, LB, Fresno State: 267 tackles, 11.0 tfl, 2 int, 2 ff, 2.5 sacks in 34 games played. 2018 MWC Defensive Player of the Year.  
• Josiah Tauaefa, LB, UTSA: 255 tackles, 22.5 tfl, 11.5 sacks, 1 int, 1 fr, 2 ff in 32 games played. 

Of the two G5 linebackers adding their names to the draft list, Tauaefa is the more explosive player. He is a hybrid DE/OLB that may need to find his true position at the NFL level. Can he cover backs and tight ends or is he an undersized pass rusher in a 3-4 scheme?

Allison may not make as many splashy plays in the backfield as other linebackers, but he is a smart and instinctive tackler. He is always around the ball and makes plays in the passing game when needed. Think of a player like Wesley Woodyard when you think of Allison. A leader in the huddle and during play.

Secondary: (5)

• Mike Bell, S, Fresno State: 199 tackles, 9.0 tfl, 4 int, 1 ff, 0.5 sacks in 37 games played.  
• Sean Bunting, CB, Central Michigan: 104 tackles, 3.5 tfl, 9 int, 4 ff in 35 games played.
• Clifton Duck, CB, Appalachian State: 158 tackles, 8.5 tfl, 1 sack, 12 int, 10.5 pr average on 31 returns in 38 games played. 
• Malik Gant, DB, Marshall: 190 tackles, 14.0 tfl, 1 sack, 2 int, 13 pd in 29 games played. 
• Xavier Crawford, CB, Central Michigan: Transfer from Oregon State. 87 tackles, 2 tfl, 1 sack, 1 int, 12 pd in 17 games at Oregon State. 24 tackles, 3 tfl, 1 int, 12 pd, 2 fr at CMU. 

This is a not so ready for the NFL group of players, except for Clifton Duck. The junior has shown up since his freshman season in big games and has the play-making ability that NFL teams love. He can make plays and isn't afraid to take a chance or two in order to change a game. If he does not hear his name called in the first 100 picks, I would be very surprised.

Honestly, the rest of the group will need to have very good pro days and combines, if they are invited, to get on the NFL radar. Choices like Xavier Crawford smell of a player ready to leave college behind and see what happens rather than being truly ready for the NFL.