Deshaun Watson won't know his place in the NFL draft for a couple more weeks, but for NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock, his place among the quarterback prospects is at the top.
The former Clemson star overtook Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer for the No. 1 quarterback spot in Mayock's latest positional rankings, which were released on Wednesday.
Watson is projected to be the first quarterback selected in the mock drafts of NFL.com analysts Bucky Brooks, at No. 6 to the New York Jets, and Charley Casserly, at No. 27 to the Kansas City Chiefs. Plenty of NFL clubs could be looking to add a rookie quarterback -- some with an immediate need, others more as a long-term investment -- and Watson has positioned himself as potentially the best option after strong performances at the NFL Scouting Combine and Clemson's pro day.
Kizer tumbled to the No. 4 spot, behind North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky (No. 2) and Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes (No. 3), and ahead of Cal's Davis Webb (No. 5).
Here are a few other things we learned from the third release of Mayock's positional rankings:
2. Williams on the rise. Watson wasn't the only Clemson player to ascend to the top. Mike Williams now ranks as the No. 1 wide receiver, over Western Michigan's Corey Davis (now No. 3), and Washington's John Ross moved up to No. 2. Davis was been unable to perform for NFL scouts at either the NFL Scouting Combine or WMU's pro day due to an injury. This trio is widely regarded as the draft's best three receivers, but they offer differing skills and styles to NFL evaluators looking to separate them. For those in search of a big target who can make more of a red-zone impact, Williams is the answer at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds.
3. Robinson joins tackles. Alabama's Cam Robinson has to like this: after being listed as the No. 2 interior lineman in the draft, he's now ranked as the No. 1 tackle. Tackle is a premium position and one that's not especially deep in this draft, two factors that bode well for the Crimson Tide's three-year starter. Robinson's move was just part of a big shakeup in the tackle rankings, which saw FSU's Roderick Johnson and Texas A&M's Jermaine Eluemunor fall out of the top five.
4. Make way for Wormley. Michigan's Chris Wormley jumped three spots to the No. 2 ranking among interior defensive linemen. If he's fortunate enough to be the second defensive tackle drafted, however, that might not guarantee much. To wit: Top-ranked Jonathan Allen is the only interior DL among the draft's top 50 prospects, per NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah.
5. Peppers falls. Jabrill Peppers slipped from the No. 1 ranking at safety to No. 3, giving way to LSU's Jamal Adams for the top spot. Ohio State's Malik Hooker wasn't able to work out for scouts at the combine or pro day, but nevertheless moved up from No. 3 to No. 2. Mayock attended both Michigan and LSU pro days and got to see both Peppers and Adams go though position drills for a large contingent of NFL scouts.
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