B/R CFB 250: Top 25 Defensive Ends

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B/R Media Lab Bleacher Report's CFB 250 is an annual ranking of the best players in college football, regardless of NFL potential. Brian Leigh and Kynon Codrington have studied, ranked and graded the top athletes in the country, narrowed that list to 250 and sorted by position. Today, we present the Top 25 Defensive Ends. Other CFB 250 Positions

Defensive end was the deepest, most talented position in college football during 2014.

Declarative statements such as that are often hyperbolic, but this one is not. It is simply the truth. As many as 14 players could have made a convincing argument to land in the top five. And many of the top 14 have already announced they'll return next season.

Part of this depth has to do with the way we defined "defensive end." Certain players who are technically listed as linebackers were included if they played the majority of snaps with their hand down. Even though they are capable of standing up and playing linebacker, it feels more honest to call them 9-technique ends.

Before we start, please note that these players were graded as college linemen, not on how they project as NFL linemen.

Targeted skills such as run defense are important at both levels, but there is a difference between college run defense and professional run defense. If a lineman is strong enough to set the edge in the SEC or the Big 12, it doesn't matter that he can't set the edge against the NFC North. At least not here it doesn't.

This is all about his college performance.

Note: If two players finished with the same grade, a subjective call was made based on whom we would rather have on our team right now.