Daniel Jeremiah Releases Top 50: Clowney Best Prospect Ever?

January 1,2013; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (7) rushes as Michigan Wolverines quarterback Devin Gardner (12) throws the ball during the second half of the 2013 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. South Carolina won 33-28. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Network analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah has become one of the most beloved NFL Draft ‘guys’ on the Twittersphere, and he recently released his initial list of the top 50 players in college football.

The list includes all college players, not limited to seniors or even seniors and juniors. Jeremiah has included seven players in his top 50 that aren’t even eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft.

The headliner on this list, however, is South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney. Barring injury, Clowney will remain the top player on this list all year long. He is a dominant prospect that Jeremiah gave the highest grade he has ever given a player. He went so far as to say that Clowney is already proving to be a better collegiate player than former #1 overall pick Mario Williams, who was drafted in 2006 by the Houston Texans.

This is an impressive evaluation, considering that players like Von Miller and J.J. Watt have just entered the NFL. Miller was the 2nd overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, while Watt was nearly an afterthought in the top 10 picks.

Clowney is almost assured to be the top pick in the draft, just as much in my mind as Andrew Luck was considered to be the top pick. He stands alone at the top of the pack of college players, and there is a significant gap between he and Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater, the #2 player on Jeremiah’s list.

There are four Alabama players in Jeremiah’s top 11, and three in the top six. Amari Cooper earned his highest ranking, coming in at fourth overall. Follwed in order by linebacker C.J. Mosley and offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio. Running back T.J. Yeldon earned the 11th spot on the list.

Interestingly enough, Jeremiah ranks Clemson’s star quarterback Tajh Boyd all the way down at 20th on the list, behind QBs Teddy Bridgewater and Brett Hundley (UCLA).

Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel came in at 22nd on Jeremiah’s list, four spots above Alabama’s star signal caller A.J. McCarron.

In all, nine quarterbacks made Jeremiah’s list, so it’s a good year to need a QB if you are running an NFL team. You will have to suffer through the 2013 season, but once 2014 rolls around, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a signal caller of your choosing.

I thought it was really intriguing that Jeremiah ranked USC WR Marqise Lee lower than Alabama’s Amari Cooper, but he must see something in Cooper that really jumps out. Hard to believe after having watched Lee play last year, putting up the numbers he did.

What do you think of Jeremiah’s list? Let us know in the comments.