National Signing Day 2019: The year of the defensive end

“This is a good quarterback year. This is a bad linebacker year.”

That’s a phrase you probably hear if you watch the NFL Draft. With the draft process, it’s commonly accepted that the quality of player available at each position varies with each cycle.

But the same is true at the college level, even though it’s less frequently discussed. Talent distribution is not equal across positions from year to year.

There’s just a ton of elite talent at DE, in all shapes and sizes.

Because positional labels vary from service to service, it’s helpful to compare ratings and body types, rather than just going by who played DT and DE in high school. The 2019 recruiting class has eight five-star defensive linemen who are under 290 pounds, roughly the upper range for a college DE. The average over the previous decade was 5.67 per class. This is the highest number of five-star DEs in a decade.

In fact, three of the four players who could be considered 2019’s No. 1 recruit are all defensive ends. Two services rate a different defensive end No. 1 overall, and a composite average of all three services has yet another DE at the top.

Let’s look at 10 of the best, and break them into two groups.

These players are likely to play at 275-plus pounds, yet have the athleticism to remain on the edge, as opposed to having to move to solely a defensive tackle role.

Alfano has a tremendous case to be the top player in the nation. This is what I wrote about the Jersey star heading to Alabama.

If Alabama’s coaches could be guaranteed a virtual clone of Jonathan Allen (2013-16), they’d be over the moon. That is essentially what the Tide are getting in Alfano. Allen was 6’4, 269 coming out of high school. Alfano is 6’4, 274 as of late December. That is tremendous size, but what truly made Allen special, and what will make Alfano special, is the ability to stay outside as a five- or six-technique, as opposed to having to move inside to defensive tackle. Most players this size cannot do that.

It takes unique athleticism to be able to “play up”, as opposed to having to move inside as a player becomes bigger and stronger. Allen left Alabama at 296 pounds, and Alfano should be able to do the same. When you see Alfano in person, it’s just different. He moves like a player who is 244, not 274. He has heavy, violent hands. He plays hard. A legitimate three-down impact player, he is perhaps the surest thing in the 2019 recruiting class.

Harrison has tremendous potential. He has run a 10.7-second 100-meter dash and 21.5 200-meter at 6’5.5, 250. That’s ... freaky. He is a bit more raw than some in the class, but his ceiling is also quite projectable. Harrison is literally lining up at receiver and Mossing fellow high schoolers.

Ohio State is thrilled to have beaten out Michigan and other elite powers for his signature, even if it might take a year for him to explode onto the college scene.

As a senior, Pickens ran for 889 yards on just 104 carries and made 91 tackles against strong competition at 6’5 and 280 pounds. When he gets to focus solely on defense in college, forget it. Pickens’ power-and-speed combination is special.

Pickens signed with South Carolina, which has a habit of moving bigger ends inside, but the five-star does have the athleticism to play outside.

The Purdue commit is really, really good. And he has upside, since he has not been playing football for all that long. At 6’4, 265, the four-star has college-ready size, yet he can make impact plays from a stand-up position. He also had an enormous senior season with 17 sacks and 56 TFLs.

Karlaftis also has impressive track numbers in the shot put, plays hoops, and comes from an extremely athletic family.

Texas A&M is getting a stud. At 6’4 and 289 pounds, Leal can really do it all. He has length, is explosive, and has excellent body control for having such a large build. Leal also shows athleticism in basketball and track.

F-R-E-A-K. Walker is 6’5, 289, and moves like he is 240. He’ll likely end up playing five-technique (head up on the offensive tackle) in Georgia’s defense, and he has a chance to be a special player at 300-plus pounds. Walker is a bit raw, but the upside for this five-star far exceeds that of many other prospects.

Logue is a personal favorite of mine, someone I feel like I “found” at the 2018 Army All-American Bowl combine, at least in terms of the national radar. The 6’6, 285-pound Logue had no FBS offers at that point and weighed probably 25 pounds less than he does now, but he moved extremely well and had no idea yet how good he could be. Logue is raw, but the upside is there, and Georgia is happy to have him signed.

While the big guys are fun, it’s also a blast to watch the players you can lose in the blink of an eye.

Smith is a 6’3, 22-pound edge rusher from IMG Academy. Originally from Georgia, the five-star signed with the Bulldogs. Though two other DEs on this list have No. 1 ratings by individual services, the 247Sports Composite grades Smith as 2019’s No. 1 recruit.

I can pretty much guarantee you Smith is going to be a high-level pass rusher in college. While he isn’t tall or exceptionally long, he is jacked and extremely explosive. He gets off the ball like few I’ve seen. Smith has the combine testing numbers to back up his ranking, including a verified vertical leap exceeding 40 inches.

He is also extremely competitive. I have seen him chastise his own teammates in practice for not giving him a good enough rep to prepare for the upcoming all-star game.

Smith compares favorably to a player like Von Miller at the same age. The question will be how natural he is playing more as a linebacker at the college level.

Thibodeaux also is rated No. 1 overall, by ESPN.

At 6’5, 240, he has an ideal build for a pass rusher coming out of high school. He stars for Thousand Oaks (California) Christian and enrolled at Oregon in January after committing to the Ducks shortly before Christmas.

Thibodeaux brings a high floor and sky-high potential. He has perhaps the best blend of speed, strength, and length in the class. He explodes off the football and can win with a speed rush. He can also counter with a spin or a rip. And he is also able to bullrush tackles who attempt to set too quickly in anticipation of his speed. Thibodeaux can also use his quickness and length against the run, though he is a better pass rusher and backside defender than he is setting the edge.

If Thibodeaux is able to put on the 25 to 30 pounds his frame suggests he can, and play with great intensity all the time, he could be a No. 1 draft choice.

Bogle is an explosive edge rusher from South Florida with a real knack for getting to the passer. He is also a good basketball player and has the 6’3.5 frame to add more weight. Bogle signed with Florida, flipping from Alabama on National Signing Day..

Alabama really reloaded with Alfano, Justin Eboigbe, Kevin Harris, King Mwikuta, Braylen Ingraham — five of the top 20 defensive end types in the nation. Georgia — with Smith, Walker, Bill Norton, and Logue — has a special group. And Mississippi State has an excellent crop with De’Monte Russell, Ani Izuchukwu, and Nathan Pickering (if he signs), who is listed by some as a defensive end, though he’ll likely play tackle.

In the Big Ten, Ohio State has a great trio with Harrison, Cade Stover, and Noah Potter. And it is easy to see Penn State having an awesome group with Adisa Isaac, Hakeem Beamon, and Brandon Smith, who could easily play defensive end.

This crop of defensive line talent is a welcome infusion for college football, just as the elites like Nick Bosa, Josh Allen, Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, Ed Oliver, Christian Wilkins, Brian Burns, Clelin Ferrell, Jachai Polite, and Zach Allen cycle out of college to the pro game.

And it’s noteworthy that this year’s loaded position is such a premium one. Pass rushers and edge players are always coveted, but even more so now due to the increased passing approach at the college and NFL level.

Expect lots of these names to come off the board early in the 2022-23 NFL drafts.