NFL position rankings: Leonard Williams by far the best interior defender

For clarity’s sake, we’ve divided the front-seven players on defense into three categories — interior linemen, edge rushers and off-the-line linebackers.

The interior group includes nose tackles and “under” tackles (or 3-techniques) in four-man fronts and defensive ends (or 5-techniques) in three-man fronts. That hopefully takes the confusion out of the difference between ends in 3-4 and 4-3 schemes, which most often are vastly different body makeups.

And while this year’s edge-rushing class has been touted as a borderline great one, the interior talent can’t quite make that claim. There could be seven or eight players in this designation who are picked in the top 50 selections, and perhaps four or five rookie starters, but there is lacking a truly obvious game-changing talent from Day 1.

Leonard Williams comes the closest, and he has been touted by some as the best defensive player in the draft. The USC big man has the talent to be an impact player immediately and for the long haul, but he almost certainly won’t be an interior penetrator and disruptor in the Ndamukong Suh mold, nor a edge wrecker like J.J. Watt. Williams, stout as he is, appears to fall just short of that lofty level.

A full tier below him are several solid talents, including bigger interior players such as Eddie Goldman, Danny Shelton, Jordan Phillips and Mario Edwards; there also are quicker, leaner rushers such as Malcom Brown and Arik Armstead.

This group is not to be dismissed at all, as it should provide needy teams with good reinforcements up front. But is there a potential franchise player in the lot outside Williams? We lean towards no.

Here are our top 10 interior defensive line prospects for the 2015 NFL draft:

SLEEPER

Darius Philon, Arkansas

The third-year sophomore will be a 21-year-old rookie and was just starting to show what he was capable of this past season, when he was starting to make a living in opposing backfields down the stretch. The Arkansas defense was outstanding the final five games, allowing a mere nine points per game and snuffing out opposing run games. Scouts who were focusing more initially on DE Trey Flowers noted that Philon repeatedly flashed and has the potential to be a sneaky-good 3-technique in time. Keep an eye on Philon in the middle rounds.

OVERRATED
Shelton

One west-coast scout who has seen Shelton develop and been through the Washington campus multiple times said that it’s clear he possesses good penetrative ability for a man his size, nice stamina (playing a high volume of snaps last season) and good base strength to anchor against inevitable double teams. But the scout also notes that his short arms, which were not an issue against the weaker interior offensive lines of the Pac-12, could give him trouble in the NFL against centers and guards adept at reach blocking and steering with great length and leverage. Plus, that playmaking ability Shelton displayed as a senior might be a bit of a mirage. He’s a very good, dependable player, but not a great one — he’s not Haloti Ngata as everyone likes to say.

SMALL-SCHOOL WONDER
Derrick Lott, Tennessee-Chattanooga

The Georgia transfer is a massive man who showed great bench-press prowess (30 reps) despite nearly 34-inch arms. Lott can bull rush effectively and might end up being a solid 5-technique for a 3-4 defense, able to stack against power and keep tackling lanes clear for teammates. Although some have said Lott is not special in any way, he could end up being a dependable anchor.

COULD RISE IN DRAFT
Edwards

This one is a bit confusing, as Edwards got way too heavy as a junior (over 310 pounds), appeared disinterested at times and made surprisingly few plays on one of the more talented defenses in the country. He was miscast as a 4-3 end, and his most likely mode to success is as an interior player — either as a 4-3 tackle or a 3-4 end. And since the end of the season, there has been a lot of positive momentum for Edwards, reminding people that he once was the top-rated high-school prospect coming into FSU. Sources we’ve talked to insist there’s a darned good chance Edwards hears his name called in the first 40 or so picks.

LATE-ROUND STEAL
Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Southern Miss

With interesting measurables and quickness off the snap, Nunez-Roches had a strong season on a bad defense (despite many double teams) as a penetrating nose tackle with 14 tackles for loss. He has a good frame, showed some real explosion with a 34-inch vertical at the NFL scouting combine and could interest some one-gap, penetrating teams later on in the draft.

PLAYER WHO WILL GO UNDRAFTED BUT SHOULDN’T
David Irving, ex-Iowa State

Irving had his share of problems at Iowa State, and he was kicked off the team when a picture of him carrying a detached stop sign was passed on to the university. (He also was arrested on domestic violence charges, which later were dropped.) Irving opted to come out for the draft early this season instead of transfer to an FBS school, and yet NFL teams (he has met with the Seahawks, Chiefs and Raiders) have not shied away. He put on a show at his pro day, running a 4.84 40-yard dash, a 4.53 short shuttle and a 7.27 3-cone drill and jumping 10’8” in the broad and 38 inches in the vertical at nearly 6-8 and 273 pounds with an insane wingspan of almost 88 inches. If he hadn’t gotten in trouble in college, those are first-round measurable we’re talking about. A fascinating 5-technique prospect.

IDEAL FIT
Shelton to the Browns

We actually wouldn’t love if they took him with their first selection, at No. 12, but would be OK with him landing there with their second first-round pick, at No. 19. Either way, he’s a good run-stopping force — a big need for the Browns — who can help tighten things up defensively. Moreover, he appears to be a high-floor selection, which the Browns have made precious few of in Round 1 in recent years.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm