My Top 5: Defensive Linemen

By Tre Bailey (@trebailey14)

College Football

My Top 5: Defensive Linemen  

Now I know I said it was difficult to pick out the top 5 offensive linemen, well that’s because there are 5 different offensive line positions. Now there are only 2 Defensive line positions but still tons of talent making it extremely difficult to narrow this list down to just 5.

Honorable Mention

Charles Walker, Junior Oklahoma

Lowell Lotulelei, Junior Utah

DeMarcus Walker, Senior Florida State

Marquis Haynes, Junior Ole Miss

Coming in at number 5

Carlos Watkins (DT), Senior Clemson

2015 Stats: 69 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 int

Reason: Sitting at 6’3” 300lbs this kid is massive. He has explosive strength and is deceptively quick when it comes to getting off of the line. He has the innate ability to take up space on the line which causes running backs to have to hesitate giving his linebackers time to come downhill to make a play. While his stats don’t jump off of the page, he is extremely productive and does exactly what he is supposed to do as a defensive tackle   

Number 4

Jonathan Allen (DE), Senior Alabama

2015 Stats: 36 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks

Reason: As a weak side defensive end his job is to control the edge and apply pressure to the quarterback, hence why he racked up an amazing 12 sacks. While his 36 tackles don’t seem like much with one third being those sacks his play speaks louder than his sacks. He has an engine that doesn’t stop. He has great speed coming off of the edge which causes any opposing quarterback to throw the ball before their routes to develop.  

Number 3

Derek Barnett (DE), Junior Tennessee

2015 Stats: 69 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks

Reason: If you’ve seen Barnett play you’d fully understand what type of talent he possesses. While he saw a slight decrease in stats in the tackle for loss category that is due to the fact that teams need to double team him, or run away from him. With that being the case he still manages to cause trouble in opposing backfields racking up a nice 10 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. While he won’t necessarily be the best defensive end in the nation he will definitely be the second best.

Number 2

Malik McDowell (DT), Junior Michigan St

2015 Stats: 41 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 1int, 2 forced fumbles

Reason: This kid is probably the most versatile lineman on this list. Standing at 6’6’’ he has the ability to go out and play the nose tackle position or out wide at defensive end. He is just as physical as he is big. He excels at plugging holes making it difficult for running backs to run between the tackles. He is an extremely athletic player and has really good speed for his size. His versatility is one of the reasons that Michigan State defense is so successful.  

Number 1

Myles Garrett (DE), Junior Texas A&M

2015 Stats: 57 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 1int, 5 forced fumbles

Reason: Everyone should know who Myles Garrett is by now. If not, you don’t watch that much college football. Think about when Jadeveon Clowney played for South Carolina; that’s who I compare Garrett to. A fast physical defensive end that carries the ability to impact the game instantly. This kid plays with some sort of anger mixed with passion and is so much fun to watch. He consistently makes plays for the Aggie defense and will continue to be productive in what may be his last season.