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Friday, Mar 16, 2012 03:05 PM

NFL draft positional rankings: Board shifts before event

Mike Mayock

NFL Media draft analyst

Mayock's top 100 prospect rankings

With the highly anticipated 2012 NFL Draft nearly here, Mike Mayock updates his position-by-position prospect rankings. Changes are noted below each position, with the player's former ranking in parentheses.

Quarterback

  1. Andrew Luck, Stanford
    1. Robert Griffin III, Baylor
    2. Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M
    3. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
    4. Kirk Cousins, Michigan State

Running Back

  1. Trent Richardson, Alabama
    1. Doug Martin, Boise State
    2. David Wilson, Virginia Tech
    3. LaMichael James, Oregon
    4. Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati

New entry: Pead
Rise: James (5)
Out:Lamar Miller, Miami (4)

Wide Receiver

  1. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
    1. Michael Floyd, Notre Dame
    2. Kendall Wright, Baylor
    3. Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech
    4. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

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Tight End

  1. Coby Fleener, Stanford
    1. Dwayne Allen, Clemson
    2. Orson Charles, Georgia
    3. Ladarius Green, Louisiana-Lafayette
    4. James Hanna, Oklahoma

Offensive Tackle

  1. Matt Kalil, USC
    1. Riley Reiff, Iowa
    2. Cordy Glenn, Georgia
    3. Jonathan Martin, Stanford
    4. Jeff Allen, Illinois

New entry: Allen
Rise: Glenn (5)
Out:Mike Adams, Ohio State (3)

Guard

  1. David DeCastro, Stanford
    1. Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin
    2. Amini Silatolu, Midwestern State
    3. Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State
    4. Brandon Brooks, Miami (Ohio)

Center

  1. Peter Konz, Wisconsin
    1. Philip Blake, Baylor
    2. Ben Jones, Georgia
    3. David Molk, Michigan
    4. Quentin Saulsberry, Mississippi State

New entry: Saulsberry
Out:Michael Brewster, Ohio State (5)

Defensive End

  1. Chandler Jones, Syracuse
    1. Quinton Coples, North Carolina
    2. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
    3. Vinny Curry, Marshall
    4. Bruce Irvin, West Virginia

New Entry: Irvin
Rise: Jones (4), Curry (5)
Fall: Coples (1), Upshaw (2)
Out:Nick Perry, USC (3)

Defensive Tackle

  1. Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
    1. Dontari Poe, Memphis
    2. Jerel Worthy, Michigan State
    3. Michael Brockers, LSU
    4. Devon Still, Penn State

Rise: Poe (4)
Fall: Worthy (2), Brockers (3)
Out:Kendall Reyes, Connecticut (5t)

Outside Linebacker

  1. Shea McClellin, Boise State
    1. Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
    2. Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
    3. Lavonte David, Nebraska
    4. Andre Branch, Clemson

New Entry: David
Rise: McClellin (2)
Fall: Ingram (1), Branch (4)
Out:Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma (5)

Inside Linebacker

  1. Luke Kuechly, Boston College
    1. Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
    2. Mychal Kendricks, California
    3. James-Michael Johnson, Nevada
    4. Tank Carder, TCU

New Entry: Johnson, Carder
Out:Keenan Robinson, Texas (4); Sean Spence, Miami (5)

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Cornerback

  1. Morris Claiborne, LSU
    1. Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
    2. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
    3. Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt
    4. Trumaine Johnson, Montana

New Entry: Hayward, Johnson
Out:Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama (4); Josh Robinson, Central Florida (5)

Safety

  1. Mark Barron, Alabama
    1. Harrison Smith, Notre Dame
    2. Brandon Taylor, LSU
    3. DeQuan Menzie, Alabama
    4. Phillip Thomas, Syracuse