Top 50 NFL Franchise Cornerstones

With the influx of young talent the last several years have brought through the NFL Draft, it’s inevitable that these players will forever be compared to one another. Accordingly here’s an early look at the top 50 franchise cornerstones under the age of 27. These players are ranked based on a combination of production, talent, and the importance of their position. To qualify, players must have been under the age of 27 as of June 1st.

This list also includes several rookies from last April’s draft. While none of these rookies have played a down in the NFL, these players received my highest pre-draft grades.

Positions you won’t find among the 50 best are fullback, guard, center, and outside linebacker (4-3). Very rarely are these positions able to be built around and their impacts are felt primarily as contributing positions on the field. To give credit to standouts at these positions, as well as others who just missed the top 50 list, here’s a list of players on the bubble.

Just Missed (alphabetically): Shawn Andrews [OG, Philadelphia Eagles, 25], Jon Beason [OLB, Carolina Panthers, 23], Antoine Bethea [S, Indianapolis Colts, 23], Michael Boley [OLB, Atlanta Falcons, 25], Trent Cole [DE, Philadelphia Eagles, 25], Karlos Dansby [OLB, Arizona Cardinals, 26], Tamba Hali [DE, Kansas City Chiefs, 24], Santonio Holmes [WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, 24], Thomas Howard [OLB, Oakland Raiders, 24], Logan Mankins [OG, New England Patriots, 26], Kirk Morrison [MLB, Oakland Raiders, 26], Reggie Nelson [S, Jacksonville Jaguars, 24], Darrelle Revis [CB, New York Jets, 22], Michael Roos [OT, Tennessee Titans, 25], Joe Staley [OT, San Francisco 49ers, 23], Donte Whitner [S, Buffalo Bills, 22], D.J. Williams [OLB, Denver Broncos, 25], Tony Ugoh [OT, Indianapolis Colts, 24]

50. Marion Barber III [RB, Dallas Cowboys, 24]
Stats: 204 car, 975 yards, 4.8 avg, 10 TD, 44 rec, 282 yards, 6.4 avg, 2 TD, 3 fumbles
Marion Barber is the most complete back under 25. He's a bruising runner that leaves defenses sapped in the 4th quarter. Because of his role a "back-up" to Julius Jones, he has yet to carry 500 times in his career, leaving plenty of gas in the tank. He has plenty of tread left and would be a great asset to any offense because of his ability to do it all. He's a powerful runner between the tackles, can bounce it outside, catches the ball out of the backfield, and is a good pass protector. All of these abilities leave Barber as a good candidate to start a franchise with; however his lack of explosiveness prevents him from sneaking up on the list.

49. Luis Castillo [DE, San Diego Chargers, 24]
Stats: 33 tackles (23 solo), 2.5 sacks
Castillo is one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the league. He's stout against the run, but is special because he can also rush the passer from the position. He brings strength and leverage from the position, two things essential to playing up front in the scheme. Castillo demands double teams because of his ability to beat one-on-ones with ease. For any team looking to build a team with a 3-4 base defense, Castillo would be a great cornerstone of the defense.

48. Amobi Okoye [DT, Houston Texans, 20]
Stats: 32 tackles (23 solo), 5.5 sacks
Okoye has the makings of a perfect 3-technique tackle. He's athletic with a deadly first step, but also has size to hold his own in the trenches. After amassing 5 sacks through his first 9 games, he hit a bit of a rookie wall. Okoye has flashed the signs of becoming an elite pocket collapser from the middle and is a good candidate to give 10+ stellar years in the middle. When you factor in the effect of explosive under tackles of the past (Warren Sapp) and the spread of the Tampa 2 defense, Okoye's value begins to skyrocket.

47. Reggie Bush [RB, New Orleans Saints, 23]
Stats: 157 car, 581 yards, 3.7 avg, 4 TD, 73 rec, 417 yards, 5.7 avg, 2 TD, 8 fumbles, 3 lost
Reggie Bush is hardly the runner you'd expect when you pay a player the salary commanded by the number two overall selection. However, Bush is an electric weapon that has to be keyed in on. The Saints are using him as a complementary runner where he should eventually find success. However, where he contributes most is as a receiver out of the backfield and lined up out wide. If you can get him about 10-15 touches per game on offense and line him up as a returner, Bush could be a very lethal weapon.

46. Jake Long [OT, Miami Dolphins, 22]*Rookie*
Stats: *119 knockdowns, 18 TD-resulting blocks, 1 QB sack (423 plays), 1 penalty, 87.85% blocking consistency, All-American*
Jake Long possesses great upside and versatility at left or right tackle. His lack of elite athleticism and no NFL experience thus far leaves him lower on this list, but he plays with sound technique and can drive opponents off the line of scrimmage. Long is a great leader and a hard worker. Though he hasn't yet played an NFL down and doesn't have All-Pro potential year in and year out, he's a good, safe bet as a blindside tackle, one of the most important positions in the NFL.

45. DeMeco Ryans [ILB, Houston Texans, 23]
Stats: 128 tackles (99 solo), 2 sacks, 7 PDef, INT
While there are many young linebackers taking over the league, DeMeco Ryans tops most of them because of his upside. There aren't too many linebackers you can build a defense around, but I think Ryans has that potential. As of now, he's a sure tackler, takes sound angles, and has great instincts. These three traits lead to a high tally count under the tackles column on the stat sheet. Since a rookie, Ryans has transformed the mentality of the defense as its unquestioned leader. If he can improve on his playmaking (blitzing and dropping into coverage), he can become one of the greats in the league and a perennial pro bowler.

44. Devin Hester [KR/WR, Chicago Bears, 25]
Stats: 20 rec, 299 yards, 2 TD, 7 fumbles, 21.7 KR avg, 2 KR TD, 15.5 PR avg, 4 PR TD
How can a kick returner possibly make this list? Devin Hester is, bar none, the most exciting player to watch on Sundays. His abilities are unique not only to this day, but are something different than what this league has seen in the history. He's already the most prolific returner to ever set foot on the field, setting several records en route. All of this in only two years as a Chicago Bear. I'm very interested in seeing the type of salary this potent weapon will command and if Chicago isn't willing to dish out the dough, I'll bet several other teams will. Devin can outrun any player in the league in a race, but also has the vision and wiggle to beat the opposition in the open field. When a returner can give you this type of field position, be it on a kickoff out of bounds, a shanked directional punt, or an electric return, a half decent offense will be able to take the step to the next level. His uniqueness alone justifies his ranking in my opinion. He's mastered his arts one step at a time. Can he add exhilarating deep threat to his resume?

43. Osi Umenyiora [DE, New York Giants, 26]
Stats: 52 tackles (40 solo), 13 sacks, 5 forced fumbles
After leaving his mark on Winston Justice, beating him for many of his six sacks on the night, Osi Umenyiora continued to make a splash on the league. Partly due to his presence, the Giants defensive line was able to become the most dominant pass-rushing unit and the biggest reason to beating the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Having a deadly pass rusher like Umenyiora transforms the way in which you can play defense. He frees up teammates by sucking in double teams from an extra tight end or back. He pressures the passer, allowing the back 7 to play more coverage. A defensive end can disrupt the game like no other player on the defense on his best night and Umenyiora has proven he can become that factor on a consistent basis.

42. Vernon Gholston [DE/OLB, New York Jets, 21]*Rookie*
Stats: *37 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 14 sacks, FR*
Gholston's athletic prowess should be enough to warrant this spot. However, when you look at Vernon, he's more than meets the eye. He's intelligent and productive. He does what's asked of him and excels at it. Whether it’s tearing up quarterbacks or containing the edge, Gholston has the god given ability to do it all. In the Jets system, he'll be asked to play the rush linebacker position where he'll have the luxury to plow through backs to get to the quarterback. What makes Gholston special is that if he can play 100% for just half the downs, the team should have one of the best defensive weapons in the league. It takes a tremendous rookie to make the list, which Gholston is.

41. Brandon Marshall [WR, Denver Broncos, 24]
Stats: 102 rec, 1325 yards, 13.0 avg, 7 TD, 3 fumbles
While Marshall slipped on draft day, I had Marshall slated as a late first round talent. Two years later, he has lived up to that billing and even more. What Denver fans have come to love about Marshall are his size and strength. What makes Marshall great is his ability to use to use his big frame, which many bigger guys fail to grasp. He has great body control in the air and uses his tools to create after the catch, ala Anquan Boldin. Unlike many prima donna wide receivers in the league, Marshall is a ferocious and very willing blocker. While you may not label him the Randy Moss/Terrell Owens type, he has the size and game speed to become a constant headache who will command double teams. Marshall is still young and need to mature to avoid the silly things like his freak injury this offseason to develop into the dominant wide receiver we all know he can become.

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