2021 NFL Position Rankings: Top 30 Guards

()=2020 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible in 2020

30.(+) Ereck Flowers (Football Team)

29.(+) A.J. Cann (Jaguars)

28.(+) Alex Cappa (Buccaneers) 

27.(27) Greg Van Roten (Jets)

26.(26) Laurent DuVernay-Tardif (Chiefs)

25.(+) Connor Williams (Cowboys)

24.(+) Austin Corbett (Rams)

23.(20) James Daniels (Bears)

22.(11) Richie Incognito (Raiders)

21.(12) Issac Seumalo (Eagles)

20.(+) Laken Tomlinson (49ers)

19.(21) Mark Glowinski (Colts)

18.(16) Gabe Jackson (Seahawks)

17.(19) Elgton Jenkins (Packers)

16.(17) Graham Glasgow (Broncos)

15.(+) Chris Lindstorm (Falcons)

14.(+) Michael Owenu (Patriots)

13.(15) Andrew Norwell (Jaguars)

12.(3) Brandon Brooks (Eagles)

11.(6) Kevin Zeitler (Ravens)

10.(5) David DeCastro (Steelers)

9.(12) Rodger Saffold (Titans)

8.(+) Wyatt Teller (Browns)

7.(7) Shaq Mason (Patriots)

6.(9) Brandon Scherff (Football Team)

5.(10) Ali Marpet (Buccaneers)

4.(4) Joe Thuney (Chiefs)

3.(9) Joel Bitonio (Browns)

2.(1) Zack Martin (Cowboys)

1.(2) Quenton Nelson (Colts)

Julianne Moore Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked", where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out various accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Julianne Moore-whose latest project "Spirit Untamed" hits theaters on June 4th.

Julianne Moore's Filmography Ranked:

21.Next (D)

20.Freedomland (D+)

19.Gloria Bell (D+)

18.The Kids Are All Right (D+)

17.Maps to the Stars (C-)

16.Don Jon (C+)

15.The Lost World: Jurassic Park (C+)

14.Boogie Nights (B-)

13.Far from Heaven (B-)

12.Still Alice (B-)

11.The Ladies Man (B)

10.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 (B)

9.The Woman in the Window (B)

8.Evolution (B)

7.Eagle Eye (B)

6.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (B)

5.Children of Men (B)

4.Crazy, Stupid, Love (B+)

3.Non-Stop (B+)

2.Kingsman: The Golden Circle (B+)

1.The Big Lebowski (B+)

Top Dog: The Big Lebowski (1998)

While I'm not fully onboard The Big Lebowski hype train, it is certainly a great film that's worthy of admiration. With its dry wit, rampant absurdity and deep roster of eccentric characters, The Big Lebowski represents the Coen Brothers at their smartest and funniest.    

Lowlight: Next (2007)

Leave it to legendary hack Lee Tamahori to turn a film where Nicolas Cage plays a sleazy Las Vegas magician with the ability to see a few minutes into the future who's recruited by the US government to stop some Russian terrorists from dropping a nuclear bomb on Los Angeles into something exceptionally boring. So how did Tamahori and co. manage to screw up this golden premise? Very simple: Instead of mining its incredible B-movie potential, the overwhelming focus is put on a shitty cornball love story between Cage's character and some mysterious woman (Jessica Biel in a career worst performance) that he believes holds the key to thwarting the nuke plot. Based on the horrible creative instincts he displayed here, it's no wonder that Tamahori's workload started to shrink considerably after Next (he's only directed 2 movies since-the last of which was a small indie called Mahana that was released in his native New Zealand back in 2016) 

Most Underrated: Non-Stop (2014)

Liam Nesson's late career transformation into a grizzled B-movie star has been an interesting, lengthy experiment that has produced a wide variety of results. This plane-set whodunit thriller from frequent collaborator Jaume Collet-Serra(Unknown, The Commuter) easily ranks near the top of these efforts. Collet-Serra makes excellent use of the setting's confined space to tell a story that keeps the tension and intrigue at a consistently high level before dropping a suitably ridiculous killer reveal that gives way to a near perfect over-the-top action climax.     

Most Overrated: Boogie Nights (1997)

Paul Thomas Anderson's breakout film Boogie Nights stands out among the array of vastly overrated creations he's birthed on the basis of being the most puzzling misstep he's made to date. In what is an ass backwards sort of way a remarkable accomplishment, he was able to make a movie about the crime, sleaze and drug-driven early days of the porn industry boring. Scandal, intrigue and frantic energy are practically baked into that subject matter yet Anderson approaches the material with zero urgency or emotion, leaving the Oscar-worthy efforts of his incredible ensemble cast (Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, Alfred Molina) as the only sources of life that keep this bloated DOA ship from completely going under.

Top Sequel That's Almost as Good as the Original: Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is about a half step weaker than the cult favorite 2015 original, which qualifies it as a very successful sequel in my mind. Moore makes for a better cartoony villain than Samuel L. Jackson did in the first film, the new actors (Pedro Pascal, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum) are all quality additions that fit in well with the established cast and most importantly, the over-the-top stylized action/goofy humor balance remains in tact. If Matthew Vaughn is able to find similar success with the long delayed early 1900's-set agency origin story The King's Man, Kingsman will go down as a mighty impressive trilogy.           

2021 NFL Position Rankings: Top 30 Tackles

()=2020 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible in 2020

30.(+) Brian O'Neill (Vikings)

29.(+) Mekhi Becton (Jets)

28.(4) Mitchell Schwartz (Free Agent)

27.(26) Charles Leno (Football Team)

26.(13) Alejandro Villanueva (Ravens)

25.(+) Isaiah Wynn (Patriots)

24.(+) Daryl Williams (Bills)

23.(+) Rob Havenstein (Rams)

22.(16) Taylor Lewan (Titans)

21.(7) Tyron Smith (Cowboys)

20.(+) Mike McGlinchey (49ers)

19.(+) D.J. Humphries (Cardinals)

18.(22) Taylor Decker (Lions)

17.(11) Andrew Whitworth (Rams)

16.(25) Dion Dawkins (Bills)

15.(+) Tristian Wirfs (Buccaneers)

14.(20) Braden Smith (Colts)

13.(+) Orlando Brown Jr. (Chiefs)

12.(21) Taylor Moton (Panthers)

11.(2) Lane Johnson (Eagles)

10.(14) Duane Brown (Seahawks)

9.(19) Laremy Tunsil (Texans)

8.(9) Jake Matthews (Falcons)

7.(6) Ronnie Stanley (Ravens)

6.(23) Garrett Bolles (Broncos)

5.(12) Jack Conklin (Browns)

4.(5) Terron Armstead (Saints)

3.(17) Trent Williams (49ers)

2.(3) Ryan Ramcyzk (Saints)

1.(1) David Bakhtiari (Packers)

Movie Review: Army of the Dead

Being at the forefront of DC's connected universe experiment really restricted what Zack Snyder was able to do creatively for the better part of a decade. Once the Justice League debacle happened, the relationship between Snyder and Warner Brothers deteriorated to the point where all of his future projects in that world were shelved and the cult favorite filmmaker was free to embark on another endeavor for the first time since 2011. So what did Snyder do with his newfound flexibility? What any ambitious director who has routinely clashed with overbearing studio executives would do: Take advantage of Netflix's deep pockets and reputation as the greatest champion of giving artists total creative control in the industry right now to make a passion project that nobody else would let him make. That project ended up being Army of the Dead, a zombie heist movie that Snyder has had on the back burner since 2007, and after the relentlessly dour nature of his superhero trilogy, this big, dumb adrenaline rush makes for a pretty ideal pallet cleanser.

Army of the Dead is akin to watching a kid react to getting out of school for the summer. After being cooped up with a bunch of sticklers asking him to play by their rules for such a long time, Snyder is (rightfully) feeling liberated and ready to have some fun now that he's the one setting the agenda. Given that the freewheeling, wide-eyed version of Snyder has been buried since Sucker Punch, it's a more than welcome sight to see it resurface.

As messy as some key elements of the story and undead mythology can be-particularly in the last 25 minutes when some puzzling, easily avoidable writing missteps get in the way of an otherwise appropriately explosive finale to a story about a horde of zombies greatly complicating the theft of $200 million from the vault of a long-vacated Las Vegas casino-there's a giddy, frantic energy behind this project that is reminiscent of Snyder's best work (Dawn of the Dead, 300). Through the confident direction and abundance of nice little touches including the refreshing dose of humor to the proceedings, everything from the centerpiece safecracking/zombie showdown setpieces down to the obligatory "assemble the team" chunk of the story that eats up much of the first hour is approached with such a natural ease that it allows the movie to fly by. Having a project be so effortlessly engrossing and electrically paced is a great turnaround for Snyder-whose DCU efforts struggled mightily on that front- that will hopefully become a staple of his work moving forward.     

Of course, the area where Snyder's enthusiasm shines through the most is the birth and realization of the zombies. True to his excess-ridden style, he used the opportunity to write his own lore to create a universe where the slow, weak zombies have all perished and the remaining undead are an evolved species that have heightened speed/strength and can communicate in a sophisticated fashion that rivals or even exceeds what humans are capable of. In some ways, he goes completely overboard by alluding to variants in the undead DNA that are never explained or just plain stupid, but the general design and traits of these zombies are so cool that the more absurd elements of their being are easy enough to forgive. 

When it comes to the actual zombie action, Army of the Dead does it big and right. Characters both human and zombie meet gruesome demises that leave an impact, the arsenal of weapons used is just preposterous and there's a couple of sequences that display downright masterful levels of tension and panache. Staging gory, extravagant dismemberments of and by the undead is partly how the cult status surrounding Snyder came to be and 16 years after he burst onto the scene with Dawn of the Dead, that deft touch remains completely in tact.

While Army of the Dead is unquestionably held back a bit by Snyder's glaring deficiencies as a writer (unfocused storytelling and coming up with truly memorable characters), it's still easily his most rewarding project since 300. Getting a chance to make a completely original project where his vision was completely unimpeded is a needed reminder as to why he's one of the best architects of pure spectacle working in Hollywood today. This is likely just the start of the creatively unchained Snyder-era at Netflix and it's exciting to think about what kind of exhilarating nonsense he's going to come up with next now that he's found the ideal partner to fund his wildest ideas.          

Grade: B+

2021 NFL Position Rankings: Top 20 Tight Ends

()=2020 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible 

20.(12) Kyle Rudolph (Giants)

19.(17) Jack Doyle (Colts)

18.(+) Logan Thomas (Football Team)

17.(+) Robert Tonyan (Packers)

16.(3) Zach Ertz (Eagles)

15.(11) Evan Engram (Giants)

14.(9) Tyler Higbee (Rams)

13.(+) Noah Fant (Broncos)

12.(5) Austin Hooper (Browns)

11.(+) Mike Gesicki (Dolphins)

10.(18) Jonnu Smith (Patriots)

9.(+) Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers)

8.(7) Jared Cook (Chargers)

7.(10) Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

6.(8) Hunter Henry (Patriots)

5.(+) T.J. Hockenson (Lions)

4.(4) Mark Andrews (Ravens)

3.(6) Darren Waller (Raiders)

2.(1) George Kittle (49ers)

1.(2) Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Zack Snyder Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out various accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Zack Snyder-whose latest project "Army of the Dead' is in select theaters now and premieres on Netflix tomorrow.

Zack Snyder's Filmography Ranked:

(Note: Since it's now painfully obvious that Joss Whedon was responsible for it, the theatrical cut of Justice League has been excluded from inclusion here.)

8.Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (D)

7.Man of Steel (D)

6.Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (B-)

5.Watchmen (B)

4.Zack Snyder's Justice League (B)

3.Sucker Punch (B+)

2.Dawn of the Dead (A)

1.300 (A)

Top Dog: 300 (2007)

Seeing 300 in IMAX remains one of the greatest moviegoing experiences I've ever had. The visuals, stylized action and big, melodramatic pre-battle hype speeches from Gerard Butler's King Leonidas  packed such an insane punch in that maximalist setting that I'm getting chills just thinking about it. While each subsequent viewing at home hasn't been quite as special, it's still an incredible meathead action epic that has made a huge impact on the genre landscape since its release.  

Lowlight: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)

Snyder's unwavering ambition is one of his best qualities as a filmmaker, but his desire to push boundaries and try new things doesn't always yield favorable results. His biggest failure to date in this area came with his pretty much completely unwatchable animated film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. By trying to pack its absurdly convoluted mythology into 90 minutes and sticking to a relentlessly bleak tone that drops a string of misery bombs on its presumably young audience with barely any levity, the whole thing ends up coming across as a dreary and dull miscalculation from a director that is completely out of their comfort zone.

Most Underrated: Sucker Punch (2011)

Sucker Punch is often the top target for Snyder's detractors and to be completely honest, it's not hard to understand to why. A combination of some clunky writing and *surprise surprise* studio interference from Warner Brothers makes the messaging behind its dream-driven storyline damn near impossible to fully decipher and there's an even higher volume of his signature slow motion-driven action sequences than there was in 300. However, Sucker Punch also happens to be arguably the purest showcase of Snyder's strengths as well. His ability to build this breathtaking, wonderous fantasy world from scratch and stage consistently clever, massive fight scenes provides enough exhilarating visceral entertainment to make up for the narrative/thematic shortcomings. 

Most Overrated: Watchmen (2009)

If Watchmen was limited to scenes featuring Rorschach, The Comedian and Silk Spectre, it would be a near-perfect gritty superhero/vigilante film. Unfortunately, there's a slew of other characters that range from boring (Doctor Manhattan, Nite Owl II) to distractingly annoying (Silk Spectre II, Ozymandes) that routinely overshadow the film's many genuinely stunning moments.   

Most Admirable Piece of Indulgence: Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

The reality of the almost mystical Snyder cut of Justice League is that it's an exhaustively detailed and comically indulgent superhero movie that is made exclusively for the most diehard DC comic fans on the planet. Underneath all of its wall-to-wall fan service, Zack Snyder's Justice League is a fascinating love note to this universe that has such a sweeping scope and strong desire to flesh out its characters that it miraculously manages to justify its physically and psychologically draining 4 hour runtime.

Worst Superhero Effort: Man of Steel (2013)

With the inept three headed snake of woeful pacing, headache-inducing action scenes and embarrassing acting (particularly from Michael Shannon and Henry Cavill) driving the bus, Man of Steel is a completely worthless superhero movies that is tortuous to sit through.

Movie Review: The Woman in the Window

Being a "serious" actor, writer or director can be quite the albatross in the realm of entertainment. Once your name becomes associated with widespread acclaim, high profile awards, etc., people begin to expect excellence out of you every single time you make or appear in something and the pressure that comes from being perceived as someone who has to deliver the goods with a 100% efficiency rate seems like it would drain some of the fun out of the process. The Woman in the Window is what happens when a bunch of these people choose to let their hair down and have some fun for a bit before they return to their normal roles as esteemed creatives.

As strange as it is to see people like period piece savant Joe Wright (Darkest Hour, Atonement), dual threat Broadway icon Tracy Letts and 8 zillion time Oscar nominee Amy Adams be the driving forces  behind a project that is primarily designed to be a sleazy mindfuck, it's pretty cool to see this much fawned-over talent being placed in a space they don't usually occupy. That's not to say that The Woman in Window has no room for flourishes of traditional cinematic proficiency-Adams is terrific as the titular anxiety-ridden, substance-abusing agoraphobic woman who is desperately trying to convince people that she saw her neighbor (Julianne Moore) get murdered and the eerie cinematography from Bruno Delbonnel (Inside Llewyn Davis, Across the Universe) does an exceptional job of establishing a sense of paranoia-induced claustrophobia that brings a haunting tangibility to the fears of Adams' character. It just happens to be the type of movie where getting the audience to constantly question what's real and what's not and cooking up big, implausible plot twists that answer the burning questions driving the central mystery take precedent over pure artistic craftsmanship.

The opportunity to play around in such an undemanding sandbox is something that the key players here seem to have really relished. Through their perfectly synchronized efforts, they've created a trashy world where everybody's got sinister secrets, picture-esque pieces of property and not even an ounce of respect for each other's privacy. Considering that this could've easily turned into a deeper exploration of mental illness and the trauma that can cause it, it's great to see them fulfill their desire to create something that is strictly dedicated to being the type of engrossing diversion that is best consumed with no regard for the trappings of the real world and/or a bottomless supply of the viewer's illicit substance of choice on a lazy weekend afternoon or Friday night. Nobody wants Adams, Letts, Wright or any of the other amazing actors (Moore, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Wyatt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Tyree Henry) that pop into play bit parts of varying importance here to step away from their more prestigious endeavors for long, but low stakes entertainment like The Woman in the Window is certainly a good look for all of them that they should continue to indulge in from time to time.       

Grade: B

2021 NFL Position Rankings: Top 50 Wide Receivers

()=2020 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible in 2020

50.(22) John Brown (Raiders)

49.(39) Jamison Crowder (Jets)

48.(+) CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)

47.(+) Russell Gage (Falcons)

46.(+) Jakobi Meyers (Patriots)

45.(+) Chase Claypool (Steelers)

44.(35) Emmanuel Sanders (Bills)

43.(+) Antonio Brown (Buccaneers)

42.(+) Nelson Agholor (Patriots)

41.(41) Deebo Samuel (49ers)

40.(36) Mike Williams (Chargers)

39.(31) D.J. Chark (Jaguars)

38.(+) Brandon Aiyuk (49ers)

37.(46) Cole Beasley (Bills)

36.(+) Curtis Samuel (Football Team)

35.(+) Tee Higgins (Bengals)

34.(26) Courtland Sutton (Broncos)

33.(23) DeVante Parker (Dolphins)

32.(25) Tyler Boyd (Bengals)

31.(44) Marvin Jones Jr. (Jaguars)

30.(11) T.Y. Hilton (Colts)

29.(49) Will Fuller (Dolphins)

28.(+) Corey Davis (Jets)

27.(19) JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers)

26.(42) Robby Anderson (Panthers)

25.(21) Robert Woods (Rams)

24.(27) Brandin Cooks (Texans)

23.(18) Kenny Golladay (Giants)

22.(8) Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns)

21.(15) Amari Cooper (Cowboys)

20.(24) D.J. Moore (Panthers)

19.(16) Jarvis Landry (Browns)

18.(+) Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

17.(13) Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)

16.(17) Cooper Kupp (Rams)

15.(29) Terry McLaurin (Football Team)

14.(40) D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks)

13.(4) Mike Evans (Buccaneers) 

12.(28) Calvin Ridley (Falcons)

11.(30) A.J. Brown (Titans)

10.(5) Chris Godwin (Buccaneers) 

9.(7) Keenan Allen (Chargers)

8.(3) Julio Jones (Falcons)

7.(12) Adam Thielen (Vikings)

6.(14) Allen Robinson (Bears)

5.(10) Stefon Diggs (Bills)

4.(1) Michael Thomas (Saints)

3.(6) Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)

2.(9) Davante Adams (Packers)

 1.(2) DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals)

Movie Review: Those Who Wish Me Dead

Taylor Sheridan set such a high bar for himself as a writer and director with his initial run of projects (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River) that it was seemingly only a matter of time before he failed to clear it. That fateful day where Sheridan fell short of top-tier excellence has finally come with the release of his third directorial effort Those Who Wish Me Dead. Although not quite as sharply written or unrelentingly tense as his prior movies, this survival thriller isn't even close to being a lackluster affair.

Those familiar with Sheridan's work will likely get many of the same pleasures out of Those Who Wish Me Dead that they did with his past projects, just on somewhat of a lesser scale. This story of a veteran firefighter (Angelina Jolie) assigned to a desolate lookout tower in a Montana forest that stumbles upon a panicked teenage boy (Finn Little) who is being pursued by a pair of assassins (Aiden Gillian, Nicolas Hoult) that just killed his forensic accountant father (Jake Weber)-who had incriminating information on a powerful mob boss (Tyler Perry) and other people of status in his possession-is another rich playground for Sheridan's gritty contemporary Western aesthetic to thrive on. The cat-and-mouse-style narrative paired with the reliably tight pacing and taut direction leads to some really thrilling setpieces-particularly when the danger level escalates with the presence of a raging forest fire in the film's final third and while there's a bit too much mystery to most of the characters save for Jolie's PTSD-suffering heroine, the assured performances allow each grizzled hero and intimidating villain archetype to ring true. Sheridan has done more than enough exemplary work to not get dumped on when he makes a movies that's well-crafted and very entertaining, but not incredible and if Those Who Wish Me Dead proves to be one of the less effective uses of his visceral, streamlined approach to filmmaking, his status among the elite creators in the industry will never fade away.          

Grade: B+

2021 NFL Position Rankings: Top 50 Running Backs

()=2020 ranking

(+)=Unranked or not eligible in 2020

50.(47) Tony Pollard (Cowboys)

49.(29) Sony Michel (Patriots)

48.(+) Jeff Wilson Jr. (49ers)

47.(+) Jerrick McKinnon (Chiefs)

46.(+) J.D. McKissic (Football Team)

45.(+) Zack Moss (Bills)

44.(43) Jammal Williams (Lions)

43.(+) Chase Edmonds (Cardinals)

42.(+) Darrell Henderson (Rams)

41.(26) Tarik Cohen (Bears)

40.(17) Phillip Lindsay (Texans)

39.(+) D'Andre Swift (Lions)

38.(21) James White (Patriots)

37.(35) David Johnson (Texans)

36.(22) Devin Singletary (Bills)

35.(+) Wayne Gallman (49ers)

34.(20) James Conner (Cardinals)

33.(24) Raheem Mostert (49ers)

32.(+) Nyhiem Hines (Colts)

31.(+) Myles Gaskin (Dolphins)

30.(37) Alexander Mattison (Vikings)

29.(+) Mike Davis (Falcons)

28.(38) Latavius Murray (Saints)

27.(36) Gus Edwards (Ravens)

26.(+) Cam Akers (Rams)

25.(+) Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs)

24.(18) Kenyan Drake (Raiders)

23.(15) Leonard Fournette (Buccaneers) 

22.(+) Kareem Hunt (Browns)

21.(+) Damien Harris (Patriots)

20.(+) J.K. Dobbins (Ravens)

19.(28) Miles Sanders (Eagles)

18.(14) Chris Carson (Seahawks)

17.(+) Antonio Gibson (Football Team)

16.(13) Austin Ekeler (Chargers)

15.(40) Ronald Jones (Buccaneers)

14.(11) Melvin Gordon (Broncos)

13.(41) David Montgomery (Bears)

12.(9) Joe Mixon (Bengals)

11.(7) Josh Jacobs (Raiders)

10.(+) James Robinson (Jaguars)

9.(5) Saquon Barkley (Giants)

8.(+) Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

7.(2) Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

6.(10) Aaron Jones (Packers)

5.(6) Nick Chubb (Browns)

4.(4) Alvin Kamara (Saints) 

3.(1) Christian McCaffery (Panthers)

2.(8) Dalvin Cook (Vikings)

1.(3) Derrick Henry (Titans)

Chris Rock Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out various accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Chris Rock-whose latest project "Spiral: From the Book of Saw" hits theaters on Friday.

Chris Rock's Filmography Ranked:

20.Grown Ups 2 (C)

19.Grown Ups (C+)

18.I Think I Love My Wife (C+)

17.Dr. Dolittle (C+)

16.Down to Earth (C+)

15.The Week Of (B-)

14.Beverly Hills Cop II (B)

13.CB4 (B)

12.Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (B)

11.Lethal Weapon 4 (B)

10.Osmosis Jones (B)

9.Head of State (B)

8.I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (B)

7.Death at a Funeral (2010) (B+)

6.The Longest Yard (2005) (B+)

5.New Jack City (A-)

4.Dogma (A)

3.Top Five (A)

2.Dolemite is My Name (A)

1.Pootie Tang (A)

Top Dog: Pootie Tang (2001)

My initial exposure to Pootie Tang came when a friend and I followed through with a long running joke to watch it about 13-14 years ago. Both of us came away genuinely shocked with how laugh-out-loud funny it was. That appreciation has only grown as I've gotten older and realized that in addition to being an incredible absurdist comedy on its own terms, it's also an inspired, spot-on parody of Blaxploitation movies. Long live the legend of musician/crime fighter/global role model Pootie Tang and to anyone who doubts his power, tread lightly because you might end up having to sine your pitty on the runny kine.     

Lowlight: Grown Ups 2 (2013)

Grown Ups 2 takes such a weird approach to everything from deploying jokes to cobbling together something that even somewhat resembles a plot that it develops this fascinating surrealist quality that almost makes it worth watching. However, the amount of embarrassingly cringey fart humor and phoned-in performances from every lead actor (Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek) ultimately manages to overshadow its bizarrely endearing qualities.  

Most Underrated: Top Five (2014)

Rock's heartfelt semi-autobiographical reflection on fame, addiction and creating art is easily his most accomplished effort as a director as well as the funniest project he's been involved in since Pootie Tang. 

Most Overrated: N/A

Rock's filmography is so widely maligned that only a handful of the titles (Top Five, Pootie Tang, Dolemite is My Name, Dogma, New Jack City, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka) he's appeared in that could qualify for the overrated mantle and there isn't a single film from that bunch that comes anywhere close to being in that camp for me.

Most Educational Kids Film: Osmosis Jones (2001)

Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Up are great and all, but did they teach kids the value of good hygiene, medicine working in tandem with the body to stamp out illnesses and seeking medical attention when needed? Sure didn't, which is why Osmosis Jones is the most important and educational movie aimed at kids that's ever been released.  

2021 NFL Position Rankings: Top 25 Quarterbacks

The spring/summer tradition continues! Over the next several weeks, I'll be exploring the current landscape of NFL players heading into the 2021 season through a series of lists showcasing the best players at each position. Before we get started, here are a few notes on the rules and criteria I use to assemble these rankings:

1.Rookies are excluded from inclusion.

2.Players are judged on where they currently stand in my opinion, not the player they once were or potentially could be.

3.Each player is listed as a member of the team they are currently expected to play for in 2021. If they are not on a roster at the time of posting, they will be listed as a free agent.

Now that the ground rules have been established, let's get the party started with the always fun to debate quarterback hierarchy.

Note: Due to the ongoing legal issues and unmet trade demands threatening his playing status for the 2021 season, Deshaun Watson will be excluded from this list.

()=2020 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible in 2020 

25.(23) Sam Darnold (Panthers)

24.(+) Andy Dalton (Bears)

23.(+) Daniel Jones (Giants)

22.(25) Jameis Winston (Saints)

21.(13) Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)

20.(+) Ryan Fitzpatrick (Football Team)

19.(16) Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

18.(+) Joe Burrow (Bengals)

17.(11) Carson Wentz (Colts)

16.(18) Derek Carr (Raiders)

15.(17) Jared Goff (Lions)

14.(24) Kyler Murray (Cardinals)

13.(+) Justin Herbert (Chargers)

12.(9) Dak Prescott (Cowboys)

11.(21) Baker Mayfield (Browns)

10.(14) Matthew Stafford (Rams)

9.(8) Matt Ryan (Falcons)

8.(10) Kirk Cousins (Vikings)

7.(15) Ryan Tannehill (Titans)

6.(7) Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

5.(22) Josh Allen (Bills)

4.(5) Tom Brady (Buccaneers) 

3.(1) Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

2.(2) Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

1.(3) Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

Movie Review: The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Although they only serve as producers on the project, it's easy to tell that The Mitchells vs. the Machines had the backing of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). Co-writer/director Mike Rianda shares his collaborators gift for spicing up simple stories (the plot surrounds a dysfunctional Michigan family that is tasked with saving the world from a robot apocalypse while taking a road trip to California) with irreverent humor, richly detailed animation and finding creative ways to explore certain parts of the human experience that tend to get lost in the shuffle (here its primarily the lack of understanding kids have for the sacrifices for the parents made to give them the best life possible and parents not understanding the aspirations of their kids). While that approach isn't quite as rewarding as it was seven years ago when the original Lego Movie came out, it's still different enough from what other animated films are doing right now that it remains fresh. Plus it would be impossible for me to not like a film that features a key scene that portrays Furby's as the horrifying monsters that they truly are and a voice cast that's almost exclusively compromised of hilarious people (Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Olivia Colman, Eric Andre, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Conan O'Brien) bringing their razor sharp comedic sensibilities to their characters. The Lord/Miller machine may break down eventually if they don't create or back projects with more dynamic storytelling, but for now they've carved out their own eccentric, heartfelt corner of the animation universe that is worthy of widespread admiration.  

Grade: B+

Movie Review: Without Remorse

 

Nostalgic odes to the past have a huge presence in entertainment, but how often does a movie or TV show really feel like it could've/should've been released during another time period? The latest Tom Clancy novel adaptation Without Remorse is so indebted to 90's action movies that it becomes moderately shocking when the character's break out modern technology.

This story's hero John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) is an ex-NAVY SEAL who gets forced back into action once a team of heavily armed/trained men murder his pregnant wife (Lauren London) in their home. After going on a solo vengeance-driven reconnaissance mission that lands him in hot water with the law, Kelly soon finds himself embroiled in a vague international conspiracy involving Russian nationals, potential corruption within the highest levels of the American government agencies and the true intent of a mission in Aleppo, Syria he ran shortly before his retirement from the military. Increasingly desperate and facing prison time, he has to enlist the help of a former squadmate (Jodie Turner-Smith) and CIA contact (Jamie Bell) to free him from jail so he can get to the bottom of who killed his wife and why these shadowy figures wanted him dead.

Doesn't that righteous solider forced to avenge the death of the one person that provided him with a lifeline to get out of his life of violence by cracking a mystery and going on killing sprees that span multiple continents storyline just ooze Cold War-era action movie? Probably the only way Without Remorse could've been more authentic to the True Lies/Under Siege/Clear and Present Danger-era is if the Russian villains broke out the most god awful cartoon stereotype accents they could conjure up and threatened to launch a nuke on American soil. 

So does this classic playbook still work? To a degree, yes. Jordan plays the hardass hero with nothing to lose archetype very well and director Stefano Sollima (Sicario: Day of the Soldado) brings some real intensity to the string of shootouts/covert missions/rigorous questioning that keep the thin, idiotic plot moving. No one is going to mistake Without Remorse for a particularly impressive piece of genre filmmaking or anything more than a minor footnote in Jordan's already accomplished career, but it's gritty and effective throwback entertainment that fits in well with the other Clancy adaptations that have made it to the screen over the past 30 years.   

Grade: B

Guy Ritchie Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Guy Ritchie-whose latest project "Wrath of Man" hits theaters on Friday.

Guy Ritchie's Filmography Ranked:

11.Swept Away (F)

10.King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (C)

9.Revolver (C+)

8.Aladdin (B)

7.The Gentlemen (B)

6.The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (B)

5.Sherlock Holmes (B+)

4.RocknRolla (B+)

3.Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (A-)

2.Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (A+) 

1.Snatch (A+)

Top Dog: Snatch (2000)

Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels are effectively tied for me as they are both full of incredible characters, snappy dialogue and slick, energetic filmmaking. What pushes Snatch ahead of Lock Stock by the smallest of margins is its deeper stable of great actors (namely Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina, Lennie James and Ade-who all steal every scene they're in) and an ending that remains the funniest twist Ritchie has ever conceived.  

Lowlight: Swept Away (2002)

If somebody were to destroy any trace of Swept Away's existence, they would be doing the future generations of film fans a great service. Not only is Ritchie's awful vanity project with his then-wife Madonna poorly acted and exceptionally boring, it's a wannabe romance movie that portrays a relationship that blossoms out of relentless abuse and repulsive predatory behavior that has the stones to to expect the audience to feel sad when their toxic love affair doesn't end in a happily ever after. Seriously, fuck this disgusting movie.      

Most Underrated: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Courtesy of a great villain turn by Jared Harris as the devious Professor Moriarty, bigger action setpieces that showed off more of Ritchie's signature visual flair and a slight improvement of the already great respectfully combative rapport between Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Homes and Jude Law's Watson,  A Game of Shadows manages to be the rare example of a blockbuster sequel that is more inspired and entertaining than its predecessor. 

Most Overrated: The Gentlemen (2020)

To be fair to The Gentleman, a recent rewatch resolved many of the issues I had surrounding the pacing, humor and general rhythm of the storytelling that made my initial viewing such an underwhelming experience. However, I still strongly disagree with the pretty popular sentiment that it's on the same level as Snatch and Lock Stock and am of the belief that Ritchie's time away from the crime comedy genre has dulled his sensibilities a bit (at least for now).

Top Piece of Proof that Every Disney Live Action Reboot Doesn't Have to Be a Soulless Attack on Creativity: Aladdin (2019)

Watching yet another bland Disney live action reboot in Mulan earlier this year has made me appreciate Aladdin even more. While it's certainly not perfect (Mena Mossaud is a pretty mediocre Aladdin and Marwan Kenzari went a little overboard trying to make Jafar menacing), some outstanding performances (Naomi Scott, Will Smith, Nasim Pedrad), the increased development and clever modernizing of Jasmine and The Genie's character arcs and vivid energy that was poured into every big musical setpiece provided a notable creative spark that made this such a refreshing departure from the lifeless, transactional nature that has defined the other entries in this wing of the Mouse House Empire.  

Most Underrated "Guy Ritchie" Movie: RocknRolla (2008)

Ritchie quickly bounced back from the convoluted mediocrity of Revolver with what proved to be his last manic, winding British crime saga until The Gentleman.  Per usual with Ritchie's worthwhile work, there's enough amusing quips, colorful criminals and ridiculous sidebars to keeps things very compelling throughout, and the cast-which includes Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, Thandiwe Newton, Tom Wilkinson, Toby Kebell and a pre-international superstar Tom Hardy-shows up to play and effortlessly embodies these wild characters.  

10 Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2021

As the United States appears to be closing in on entering the latter stages of the pandemic, kicking around plans for this summer and beyond is a popular trend among Americans right now. People are excited to travel, see friends and family and get back to engaging in hobbies that they weren't able to partake in during COVID. Returning to movie theaters is very close to the top of the list of things I'm excited to do once I'm fully vaccinated and fortunately for me, that magical date where relief and relative freedom is finally achieved happens to land in the middle of summer movie season. 

After missing out on a year of huge titles, movie fans are getting treated to a slate so massive that it feels like Hollywood is unleashing two year's worth of carefully aged wine from their vault over the next four months (in a way, they are since the movies slated for release during this period are a combination of delayed 2020 titles and stuff that was originally dated for 2021). With everything from the return of the A24 prestige machine (False Positive, Zola, The Green Knight) to twist maestro M. Night Shyamalan (Old) to some of the biggest blockbuster franchise's on the planet (Black Widow, F9) occupying space on the loaded dance card, the industry is really pulling out all the stops to celebrate audiences returning to cinemas. Here are the 10 movies from this delightfully busy and diverse May-August slate that I'm most excited to watch.  

10.Candyman (August 27th):

Nia DeCosta made a hell of a first impression with her riveting 2019 directorial debut Little Woods and I'm excited to see if the strong grasp of building a haunting atmosphere and getting quietly commanding performances out of actors she displayed in that neo-western thriller translates to her modern re-imagining of one of the most influential slasher movies ever made. 

9.Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 16th):

Like a lot of people who were born in the late 80's to mid 90's, the original Space Jam was my favorite movie as a kid. I'm hopeful that making a spiritual sequel with some of the biggest basketball stars of today led by LeBron James will be able to invoke the same joyous feelings I experienced out of this generation of youth as well as honor the endearingly goofy yet important legacy that Space Jam has built up over the past 25 years.

8.Wrath of Man (May 7th):

After a 15 year span of not working together, Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie immediately joining forces on another movie -an untitled spy thriller previously known as Five Eyes that recently wrapped filming in Turkey and is expected to release sometime next year-after Wrath of Man is a great sign that their long-awaited reunion didn't result in another Revolver. Plus Ritchie making something that's more in line with the gritty action fare that's driven Statham's career since his initial breakout roles in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch than his usual darkly comedic crime sagas could be super cool. 

7.The Forever Purge (July 2nd):

Although I'm concerned that The Purge franchise is going to be bookended by mediocre movies, the groove this series has settled into since switching genres from home invasion to action horror with the initial sequel Anarchy has been so impressive that it would be silly to completely doubt franchise architect James DeMonaco's ability to deliver a satisfying final installment. 

6.A Quiet Place Part II (May 28th):

The first film to be taken off the schedule because of COVID (it was originally set to release on March 20th of last year) is ironically the first major film set to be released theatrically this summer. While I'm still not sure that a sequel was necessary given how A Quiet Place ended, there was enough impressive acting and technical filmmaking present in the original to make another go-round in this world appealing.  

5.Black Widow (July 9th):

Marvel's return to their big ticket items represents a terrific opportunity for the MCU to atone for the drawn out yet still underdeveloped storytelling and bland action sequences that have plagued their initial Disney+ series offerings.   

4.Army of the Dead (May 21st):

Netflix handing Zack Snyder $90 million to make his first original (as well as non-DCU) project since 2011's Sucker Punch feels like an open invitation for the polarizing cult blockbuster filmmaker to go completely fucking wild. If the trailer for this zombie/heist movie hybrid-which features star Dave Bautista lighting up zombies while jumping between game tables in the casino that he and his team of mercenaries are robbing, an undead CGI tiger and fistfights between man and the highly intelligent/athletic zombies that have overrun Las Vegas is any indication, Mr. Snyder has taken full advantage of this opportunity to have unimpeded creative control.     

3.F9 (June 25th):

The promise of seeing the Fast and Furious crew head to space on the big screen is what got me through the darkest days of the pandemic and in just under two month's time, I'll finally get to see their historic launch into orbit take place. All good things really do come to those who wait people. 

2.The Suicide Squad (August 6th): 

Proud oddball James Gunn birthed what remains one of the most off-kilter and uniquely entertaining MCU films in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. Now without the constraints of both the PG-13 rating and having to make something that is required to neatly fit into a broader superhero universe, he'll look to do the same thing for the DCU with The Suicide Squad. Considering the quality of the trailers and talent of the ensemble cast (Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Daniela Melchoir, David Dastmalchian, Sylvester Stallone, Peter Capaldi, Michael Rooker, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, Flula Borg, Taika Waititi, Storm Reid), I'm bullish on his odds of pulling it off. 

1.Those Who Wish Me Dead (May 14th):

Taylor Sheridan has started off his career behind the camera on an unreal heater (Hell or High Water, Wind River, both Sicario films) and with his second directorial effort Those Who Wish Me Dead boasting yet another group of incredible actors (Angelina Jolie, Jon Bernthal, Nicolas Hoult, Aiden Gillen, Tyler Perry, Tory Kittles) and premise that feels like an organic breeding ground for his signature suffocating suspense to build up to unrelenting levels (two assassins in pursuit of a young boy-whose father they just killed in front of him and the fire marshal who provided him with shelter in her lookout tower intentionally start a forest fire with the hopes of drawing out their prey), that absurd winning streak seems like a good bet to continue.

Also Plan on Watching:

Initiation (May 7th)

Monster (May 7th)

Oxygen (May 12th)

Spiral: From the Book of Saw (May 14th)

The Woman in the Window (May 14th)

Blast Beat (May 21st)

The Dry (May 21st)

Riders of Justice (May 21st)

Cruella (May 28th)

Plan B (May 28th)

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (June 4th)

Flashback (June 4th)

Awake (June 9th)

Censor (June 11th)

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (June 16th)

Fatherhood (June 18th)

Luca (June 18th)

False Positive (June 25th)

The Ice Road (June 25th)

Werewolves Within (June 25th)

Zola (June 30th)

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (July 2nd)

The Tomorrow War (July 2nd)

Escape Room 2 (July 16th)

First Date (July 23rd)

Mandibles (July 23rd)

Old (July 23rd)

Snake Eyes (July 23rd)

The Green Knight (July 30th)

Jungle Cruise (July 30th)

The Last Mercenary (July 30th)

Stillwater (July 30th)

John and the Hole (August 6th)

CODA (August 13th)

Don't Breathe 2 (August 13th)

Free Guy (August 13th)

Demonic (August 20th)

The Night House (August 20th)

The Protégé (August 20th)

Reminiscence (August 20th)

Sweet Girl (August 20th)

Beckett (August 27th)

Gunpowder Milkshake (TBD)

2021 NFL Draft Recap: Winners, Losers, Team-By-Team Grades and More

Biggest Winners: Los Angeles Chargers

This year's unconventional draft process saw many veteran GM's veer away from their traditional strategies. In the case of Tom Telesco, that meant selecting high floor prospects at positions of need throughout instead of routinely pulling the trigger on guys with raw athletic traits and not much else-regardless of position. That change in approach resulted in what might just be the most exciting rookie class Telesco has assembled during his time with the Chargers. Rashawn Slater is one of the most technically-sound and versatile offensive line prospects to come out of the draft in the past 5 years, Asante Samuel Jr. has the speed, technique and ball skills to be a starting slot corner who can kick outside when called upon, Josh Palmer was one of the most intriguing sleeper receiver prospects in this draft given what he was able to do with his very limited opportunities in a poor Tennessee offense and every one of their day 3 picks (edge rusher Chris Rumph, tackle Brenden Jaimes, running back Larry Rountree III, inside linebacker Nick Niemann) should have a chance to immediately contribute as rotational players.     

Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans

Biggest Losers: Houston Texans

Given the continued hemorrhaging of assets from the Laremy Tunsil trade paired with the additional moving of late round picks to bring in the steady-ish veteran pieces (Shaq Lawson, Marcus Cannon, Ryan Izzo) that they couldn't land in free agency, the Texans weren't exactly set up to have a great draft. Even with that established low bar in place, Nick Caserio came out and put together such an embarrassing effort that it was reasonable to wonder if Bill O'Brien was still secretly running the front office. Selecting Davis Mills-an iffy, inexperienced passer with an extensive list of injuries whose stock is being propped up because he was highly recruited out of high school- as a potential successor to the embattled Deshaun Watson and burning even more of their limited draft assets (3 picks including next year's 4th rounder) to move up to pick a deep threat WR in Nico Collins who struggled to consistently gain separation at the college level alone re-confirmed that this team is currently a certified clown show that makes the Jets, Bengals and Washington Football Team look like model organizations. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints

Best Value Pick: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, inside linebacker  (Selected 52nd overall by the Cleveland Browns)

The size concerns (he weighed in at 220 lbs at his pro day) that sent Owusu-Koramoah tumbling down the board are absolutely absurd. He was always projected to be a Shaq Thompson/Jeremy Chinn-type hybrid linebacker/defensive back in the pros and since he's not going to line up with his hand in the dirt, his "thin" frame isn't going to have any effect on the player he ends up becoming in the NFL. Considering the rare instinctiveness, speed and cover skills he possesses, he could very well turn into a versatile weapon on the Browns emerging defense 

Honorable Mentions: Christian Darrisaw, tackle (Selected 23rd overall by the Minnesota Vikings), Christian Barmore, defensive tackle (Selected 38th overall by the New England Patriots), Azezz Ojulari, edge rusher (Selected 50th overall by the New York Giants

Worst Value Pick: Alex Leatherwood, tackle (Selected 17th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders)

From Clelin Ferrell to Damon Arnette to Jonathan Abram, Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden's tenure as the Raiders personnel braintrust has been defined by overdrafting players. Once their reported top 1st round target Alijah Vera-Tucker got picked by the Jets at #14, they naturally bypassed the other higher-upside lineman available (Christian Darrisaw, Teven Jenkins, Samuel Cosmi) and reverted to embracing their brand. Despite being a dominant run blocker and cutting his teeth in the powerhouse SEC as a member of the juggernaut Alabama Crimson Tide, Leatherwood's inconsistency as a pass blocker and questionable athleticism for the position made him a consensus mid-2nd round pick-meaning the Raiders could've almost certainly gotten him with their next pick (#48th overall prior to trading up to #42 to land Trevon Moehrig) and addressed another of their pressing needs (wide receiver, corner, defensive tackle) at #17.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Aaron Banks, guard (Selected 48th overall by the San Francisco 49ers), Dayo Odeyingbo, edge rusher (Selected 54th overall by the Indianapolis Colts), Tutu Atwell, wide receiver (Selected 57th overall by the Los Angeles Rams)

Top Undrafted Player: Ar'darius Washington, safety (Signed by the Baltimore Ravens)

Although a bit undersized (5'8, 178 lbs), Washington was among the toughest and most instinctive safeties available in this year's draft. I really like his chances of making the roster in Baltimore and wouldn't be remotely surprised if he ends up turning into a solid pro under the tutelage of Don Martindale and Chris Hewitt.

Honorable Mentions: Cade Johnson, wide receiver (Signed by the Seattle Seahawks), Marvin Wilson, defensive tackle (Signed by the Cleveland Browns), Drake Jackson, center (Signed by the Detroit Lions)  

Team-by-Team Grades (Full Draft Classes can be found be here:https://www.nfl.com/news/2021-nfl-draft-final-quick-snap-grades-for-all-32-teams)

Arizona Cardinals: B

Atlanta Falcons: B+

Baltimore Ravens: A-

Buffalo Bills: B+

Carolina Panthers: A-

Chicago Bears: A

Cincinnati Bengals: A-

Cleveland Browns: A-

Dallas Cowboys: B

Denver Broncos: A

Detroit Lions: A-

Green Bay Packers: D+

Houston Texans: D-

Indianapolis Colts: D+

Jacksonville Jaguars: B-

Kansas City Chiefs: A-

Las Vegas Raiders: B

Los Angeles Chargers: A

Los Angeles Rams: C

Miami Dolphins: B-

Minnesota Vikings: B-

New England Patriots: B+

New Orleans Saints: C-

New York Giants: B+

New York Jets: A-

Philadelphia Eagles: A-

Pittsburgh Steelers: B

San Francisco 49ers: C+

Seattle Seahawks: C+

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C

Tennessee Titans: A

Washington Football Team: A-

2021 NFL Draft: Top 50 Prospects and Top 5 by Position (Updated w/NFL Landing Spots)

Top 50 Overall Prospects:

1.Trevor Lawrence, quarterback (Clemson), selected 1st overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars

2.Penei Sewell, tackle (Oregon), selected 7th overall by the Detroit Lions

3.Ja'Marr Chase, wide receiver (LSU), selected 5th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals 

4.Zach Wilson, quarterback (BYU), selected 2nd overall by the New York Jets

5.Patrick Surtain II, cornerback (Alabama), selected 9th overall by the Denver Broncos

6.DeVonta Smith, wide receiver (Alabama), selected 10th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles

7.Kyle Pitts, tight end (Florida), selected 4th overall by the Atlanta Falcons

8.Rashawn Slater, tackle/guard (Northwestern), selected 13th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers

9.Christian Barmore, defensive tackle (Alabama), selected 38th overall by the New England Patriots

10.Rashod Bateman, wide receiver (Minnesota), selected 27th overall by the Baltimore Ravens

11.Jaycee Horn, cornerback (South Carolina), selected 8th overall by the Carolina Panthers

12.Trey Lance, quarterback (North Dakota State), selected 3rd overall by the San Francisco 49ers

13.Christian Darrisaw, tackle (Virginia Tech), selected 23rd overall by the Minnesota Vikings

14.Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, inside/outside linebacker, selected 52nd overall by the Cleveland Browns

15.Justin Fields, quartetback (Ohio State), selected 11th overall by the Chicago Bears

16.Caleb Farley, cornerback (Virginia Tech), selected 22nd overall by the Tennessee Titans

17.Azeez Ojulari, edge rusher (Georgia), selected 50th overall by the New York Giants

18.Trevon Moehrig, safety (TCU), selected 43rd overall by the Las Vegas Raiders

19.Zaven Collins, inside/outside linebacker (Tulsa), selected 16th overall by the Arizona Cardinals

20.Alijah Vera-Tucker, guard/tackle (USC), selected 14th overall by the New York Jets

21.Kwity Paye, edge rusher (Michigan), selected 21st overall by the Indianapolis Colts

22.Terrace Marshall Jr., wide receiver (LSU), selected 59th overall by the Carolina Panthers

23.Elijah Moore, wide receiver (Old Miss), selected 34th overall by the New York Jets

24.Najee Harris, running back (Alabama), selected 24th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers

25.Travis Etienne, running back (Clemson), selected 25th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars

26.Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver (Alabama), selected 6th overall by the Miami Dolphins

27.Rondale Moore, wide receiver (Purdue), selected 49th overall by the Arizona Cardinals

28.Gregory Rousseau, edge rusher (Miami), selected 30th overall by the Buffalo Bills

29.Nick Bolton, inside linebacker (Missouri), selected 58th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs

30.Teven Jenkins, tackle (Oklahoma State), selected 39th overall by the Chicago Bears

31.Mac Jones, quarterback (Alabama), selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots 

32.Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback (Florida State), selected 47th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers

33.Dyami Brown, wide receiver (North Carolina), selected 82nd overall by the Washington Football Team

34.Richie Grant, safety (UCF), selected 40th overall by the Atlanta Falcons

35.Carlos Basham Jr., edge rusher (Wake Forest), selected 61st overall by the Buffalo Bills

36.Dillon Radunz, tackle (North Dakota State), selected 53rd overall by the Tennessee Titans

37.Odafe Oweh, edge rusher (Penn State), selected 31st overall by the Baltimore Ravens

38.Javonte Williams, running back (North Carolina), selected 35th overall by the Denver Broncos

39.Ronnie Perkins, edge rusher (Oklahoma), selected 96th overall by the New England Patriots 

40.Micah Parsons, inside linebacker (Penn State), selected 12th overall by the Dallas Cowboys

41.Greg Newsome II, cornerback (Northwestern), selected 26th overall by the Cleveland Browns

42.Samuel Cosmi, tackle (Texas), selected 51st overall by the Washington Football Team

43.Jalean Phillips, edge rusher (Miami), selected 18th overall by the Miami Dolphins

44.Kadarious Toney, wide receiver (Florida), selected 20th overall by the New York Giants

45.Creed Humphrey, center (Oklahoma), selected 63rd overall by the Kansas City Chiefs

46.Jamar Johnson, safety (Indiana), selected 164th overall by the Denver Broncos

47.Pat Friermuth, tight end (Penn State), selected 55th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers

48.Jabril Cox, inside linebacker (LSU), selected 115th overall by the Dallas Cowboys

49.Quinn Meinerz, guard/center (Wisconsin-Whitewater), selected 98th overall by the Denver Broncos

50.Liam Eichenberg, tackle (Notre Dame), selected 42nd overall by the Miami Dolphins

Top 5 Prospects by Positions:

Quarterback:

1.Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) NFL Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

2.Zach Wilson (BYU) NFL Team: New York Jets

3.Trey Lance (North Dakota State) NFL Team: San Francisco 49ers

4.Justin Fields (Ohio State) NFL Team: Chicago Bears

5.Mac Jones (Alabama) NFL Team: New England Patriots

Running Back:

1.Najee Harris (Alabama) NFL Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

2.Travis Etienne (Clemson) NFL Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

3.Javonte Williams (North Carolina) NFL Team: Denver Broncos

4.Michael Carter (North Carolina) NFL Team: New York Jets

5.Trey Sermon (Ohio State) NFL Team: San Francisco 49ers

Wide Receiver: 

1.Ja'Marr Chase (LSU) NFL Team: Cincinnati Bengals

2.DeVonta Smith (Alabama) NFL Team: Philadelphia Eagles

3.Rashod Bateman (Minnesota) NFL Team: Baltimore Ravens

4.Terrace Marshall Jr. (LSU) NFL Team: Carolina Panthers

5.Elijah Moore (Old Miss) NFL Team: New York Jets

Tight End:

1.Kyle Pitts (Florida) NFL Team: Atlanta Falcons

2.Pat Friermuth (Penn State) NFL Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

3.Tommy Tremble (Notre Dame) NFL Team: Carolina Panthers

4.Hunter Long (Boston College) NFL Team: Miami Dolphins

5.Brevin Jordan (Miami) NFL Team: Houston Texans

Tackle:

1.Penei Sewell (Oregon) NFL Team: Detroit Lions

2.Rashawn Slater (Northwestern) NFL Team: Los Angeles Chargers

3.Christian Darrisaw (Virginia Tech) NFL Team: Minnesota Vikings

4.Teven Jenkins (Oklahoma State) NFL Team: Chicago Bears

5.Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State) NFL Team: Tennessee Titans

Guard:

1.Alijah Vera-Tucker (USC) NFL Team: New York Jets

2.Quinn Meinerz (Wisconsin-Whitewater) NFL Team: Denver Broncos

3.Wyatt Davis (Ohio State) NFL Team: Minnesota Vikings

4.Kendrick Green (Illinois) NFL Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

5.Ben Cleveland (Georgia) NFL Team: Baltimore Ravens

Center:

1.Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma) NFL Team: Kansas City Chiefs

2.Landon Dickerson (Alabama) NFL Team: Philadelphia Eagles

3.Drew Dalman (Stanford) NFL Team: Atlanta Falcons

4.Drake Jackson (Kentucky) NFL Team: Detroit Lions

5.Josh Myers (Ohio State) NFL Team: Green Bay Packers

Edge Rusher:

1.Azeez Ojulari (Georgia) NFL Team: New York Giants

2.Kwity Paye (Michigan) NFL Team: Indianapolis Colts

3.Gregory Rousseau (Miami) NFL Team: Buffalo Bills

4.Carlos Basham Jr. (Wake Forest) NFL Team: Buffalo Bills

5.Odafe Oweh (Penn State) NFL Team: Baltimore Ravens

Defensive Tackle:

1.Christian Barmore (Alabama) NFL Team: New England Patriots

2.Alim McNeill (NC State) NFL Team: Detroit Lions

3.Tommy Togiai (Ohio State) NFL Team: Cleveland Browns

4.Milton Williams (Louisiana Tech) NFL Team: Philadelphia Eagles

5.Davyion Nixon (Iowa) NFL Team: Carolina Panthers

Inside Linebacker:

1.Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame) NFL Team: Cleveland Browns

2.Zaven Collins (Tulsa) NFL Team: Arizona Cardinals

3.Nick Bolton (Missouri) NFL Team: Kansas City Chiefs

4.Micah Parsons (Penn State) NFL Team: Dallas Cowboys

5.Jabril Cox (LSU) NFL Team: Dallas Cowboys

Cornerback:

1.Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) NFL Team: Denver Broncos

2.Jaycee Horn (South Carolina) NFL Team: Carolina Panthers

3.Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech) NFL Team: Tennessee Titans

4.Asante Samuel Jr. (Florida State) NFL Team: Los Angeles Chargers

5.Greg Newsome II (Northwestern) NFL Team: Cleveland Browns

Safety:

1.Trevon Moehrig (TCU) NFL Team: Las Vegas Raiders

2.Richie Grant (UCF) NFL Team: Atlanta Falcons

3.Jamar Johnson (Indiana) NFL Team: Denver Broncos

4.Elijah Molden (Washington) NFL Team: Tennessee Titans

5.Andre Cisco (Syracuse) NFL Team: Jacksonville Jaguars  

2021 NFL Draft: Top 25 Prospects Available on Day 3

1.Jamar Johnson, safety (Indiana)

2.Jabril Cox, inside linebacker (LSU)

3.Tylan Wallace, wide receiver (Oklahoma State)

4.Amon-Ra St.Brown, wide receiver (USC)

5.Michael Carter, running back (North Carolina)

6.Ar'darius Washington, safety (TCU)

7.Rashad Weaver, edge rusher (Pittsburgh)

8.Cade Johnson, wide receiver (South Dakota State)

9.Jaelon Darden, wide receiver (North Texas)

10.Tommy Togiai, defensive tackle (Ohio State)

11.Cam Sample, edge rusher (Tulane)

12.Thomas Graham Jr., cornerback (Oregon)

13.Stone Forsythe, tackle (Florida)

14.Kenneth Gainwell, running back (Memphis)

15.Tay Gowan, cornerback (UCF)

16.Jamien Sherwood, safety (Auburn)

17.James Hudson, tackle (Cincinnati)

18.Dax Milne, wide receiver (BYU)

19.Davyion Nixon, defensive tackle (Iowa)

20.Tre Brown, cornerback (Oklahoma)

21.Khalil Herbert, running back (Virginia Tech)

22.Marvin Wilson, defensive tackle (Florida State)

23.Patrick Johnson, edge rusher (Tulane)

24.Chris Evans, running back (Michigan)

25.Trey Smith, guard (Tennessee)