Moses, Jackson top preseason DL rankingsBy Todd McShayScouts Inc.Looking for the defensive ends who will pressure the quarterback in 2006? Georgia's Quentin Moses and USC's Lawrence Jackson top that list. Searching for the defensive linemen who will keep the middle clogged? Start with Ohio State's Quinn Pitcock and Texas' Frank Okam. Take a look at my preseason rankings for the nation's top returning defensive linemen. 1. Quentin Moses (DE), Georgia, SR, 6-foot-4, 251 poundsMoses finally had a chance to take over as a full-time starter last season, and he lived up to the hype with 20? tackles for loss and 11? sacks to go along with his mind-boggling 38 quarterback pressures. A bigger, stronger and more experienced Moses could become college football's most feared pass-rusher in 2006. 2. Lawrence Jackson (DE), USC, JR, 6-4, 263Jackson is only a junior, but he already has amassed 24 tackles for loss and 16 sacks during his first two seasons as a starter. He also led USC in sacks (10), forced fumbles (4) and fumble recoveries (2) in 2005. Jackson must improve his ability to split the double-team in order to maximize his outstanding combination of size, speed and athletic ability. The combination of Jackson and NT Sedrick Ellis will give USC an excellent nucleus in 2006. 3. Adam Carriker (DE), Nebraska, SR, 6-6, 290Carriker has always been supremely talented thanks to his impressive combination of size and agility. After suffering through a couple of injury-riddled, disappointing seasons, Carriker finally broke through as a junior in 2005 with 17 tackles for loss, including 9? sacks. Carriker has one season left to leave his thumbprint on a re-emerging "Black Shirt" defense that returns seven starters from last year's much-improved unit. 4. Gaines Adams (DE), Clemson, SR, 6-4, 260The Tigers caught a big break when Adams elected to return to school instead of entering the 2006 NFL draft. If he picks up where he left off during the second half of 2005 (16 quarterback pressures in the final six games), Adams should solidify himself as a first-round pick in next year's draft while also helping Clemson stay in the ACC title hunt. 5. Baraka Atkins (DT/DE), Miami, SR, 6-4, 282Atkins' versatility has been of tremendous value to the Hurricanes' defense. He has posted 16? tackles for loss and 11? sacks while playing defensive end and tackle the past two seasons. Atkins will move back to defensive end in 2005 after starting most of last season inside. Regardless, defensive coordinator Randy Shannon has the luxury to shift Atkins around to generate mismatches for a talented UM defensive line that includes Kareem Brown, Bryan Pata and Teraz McCray. 6. Quinn Pitcock (DT), Ohio State, SR, 6-3, 295Pitcock will never rank among the nation's leaders in tackles for loss or sacks because that's not his job. Instead, he uses his excellent size and strength to clog the middle to free up the Buckeyes' linebackers to make plays in space. Pitcock's leadership also will be vital for a talented but young Ohio State defense. 7. Dan Bazuin (DE), Central Michigan, SR, 6-3, 268Bazuin does not play against top-shelf talent on a weekly basis, which must be taken into account. Even so, the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year deserves to be on this list. After all, he led the nation last season with 26? tackles for loss and finished second nationally with 16 sacks. Along with his nonstop motor, Bazuin's combination of size and athleticism is earning him attention from NFL scouts as a potential first-day pick in next year's draft. 8. Frank Okam (DT), Texas, JR, 6-4, 317Okam emerged as a full-time starter (all 13 games) last year despite the presence of two returning defensive tackle starters (Rodrique Wright and Larry Dibbles). His 48 tackles and 11 quarterback pressures earned Okam second-team All-Big-12 honors on a unit that finished 10th nationally in total defense in '05. With Wright and Dibbles moving on, Okam must anchor the middle of a Longhorns defense that is expected to once again rank among the elite in college football. 9. Mkristo Bruce (DE), Washington State, SR, 6-5, 263Bruce lacks ideal speed and lower body strength in the eyes of NFL scouts, which is why he'll slip to the middle rounds of next year's draft. As it pertains to college football, though, few defensive linemen in the nation are as productive. Tall, rangy and relentless, Bruce returns for one more go-around after pacing the Cougars defense with 27? tackles for loss, including 16? sacks the past two seasons. 10. Victor Abiamiri (DE), Notre Dame, SR, 6-4, 267A situational pass-rusher early on, Abiamiri graduated to a full-time starter's role for the Irish defense as a junior in 2005; he accounted for 46 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks and one forced fumble. With that experience behind him and another full offseason of weight training under his belt, the exceptionally talented Abiamiri is expected to compete for All-America honors as a senior this fall.The next best 15:11. Brandon Mebane, DT, Cal, senior12. Larry McSwain, DE, UAB, senior13. Brian Robison, DE, Texas, senior14. Alan Branch, DT, Michigan, junior15. Tim Crowder, DE, Texas, senior16. Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida, senior17. Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn, junior18. Loren Howard, DE, Arizona State, senior19. Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee, senior20. DeMario Pressley, DT, NC State, senior21. Tommy Blake, DE, TCU, junior22. Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech, junior23. Brian Smith, DE, Missouri, senior24. Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M, junior25. Chase Ortiz, DE, TCU, junior
