Steve " @k9cane " Kim has spent decades ranking the best fighters on the planet regardless of weight class, so we asked him to do it with our roster. Six games in, here's his pound-for-pound top 10, built on impact, mastery of the position and reliability.
1. Malachi Toney
The easiest call on the list. A friend told Steve last year that Toney would be one of the all-time greats, and Steve told him to pump the brakes. Now Steve says Toney is trending toward the velvet-rope tier with Ted Hendricks, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Jim Kelly, Michael Irvin and Jerome Brown, and that if he stays healthy he can challenge for greatest Hurricane of all time. What gets him there is what he does without the ball. The blocking and the coverage he draws make everybody else on the field better.
2. Darian Mensah
A lot of people called last week's FSU performance his worst game as a Cane. If that's the floor, the ceiling is absurd, and he's still completing right around 80 percent. Steve's critiques are fair: he holds the ball too long against pressure up front, and the pick against FSU was a risk that game couldn't afford.
What I see at practice is the most enthusiastic quarterback we've had. Carson Beck and Cam Ward were cool customers. Mensah runs to the defense, runs to the young guys, then turns cold-blooded when it's his turn.
3. Bryce Fitzgerald
OJ Frederique went down on the second play at Stanford, Xavier Lucas got hurt after that, and the back end had to be rebuilt on the fly. Fitzgerald is a natural ball-hawking free safety who moved outside and anchored the corner spot, and Steve thinks that tape pays off with NFL teams. My take: he has Kamren Kitchens-level IQ and leadership with an athleticism Kitchens never had. The interceptions are down from six last year, but they come in bunches. Physicality is the one thing between him and best DB in the country, and he's getting better there.
4. Samson Okunlola
Left for dead three years ago. Now Landon Tengwall calls him maybe the best left tackle in the country, and some mock drafts have him inside the top 50 for next spring. The twists gave our line problems last week. But when Mensah drops back, the one thing he never worries about is blindside pressure.
5. Marquise Lightfoot
The Windy City Wrecker. He showed up thin, and you wondered if he'd ever fill out. Jason Taylor has turned him into a complete monster: power, spin, speed, better against the run, unhinged on the field without the dumb penalties. Steve's point is that sacks undersell him, because he lives in the backfield. Do not leave him out of your top five.
6. Javian Mallory
The run to tie the game in the second half had everything. He pressed the hole, read the blocks, then made a guy miss at the second level at top speed, which is rare. Last summer he was the fallback option behind Derrek Cooper. Now it isn't even a choice. Steve's clear this isn't a shot at Mark Fletcher Jr., who he calls the fine china you break out for big moments. 247Sports named Mallory a midseason freshman All-American this morning.
7. Ethan O'Connor
Remember the slander over a couple of back-shoulder throws? He's been our best corner this year by far, and one of the best in the ACC. He added real weight and moves exactly like he did before, takes on blocks and suplexes people. The late interception against Wake Forest, right as they were threatening to make it a one-possession game, was one of the plays of the season, and the punch-out against FSU set the place on fire.
8. Elija Lofton
Last year's blocking was clearly limited by an injury, and this year he's a hammer in the run game. The NFL will probably want him taller, but nobody's measuring the toll he puts on people. He's underused in the passing game. The early screen against FSU that Mensah put in the dirt goes a long way if it gets there, and Steve still expects a game where Lofton explodes for eight to ten touches.
9. Damon Wilson II
People were impatient early. Starting around the third quarter of Wake Forest, he's been exactly what we needed, more physical at the point of attack and fast off the edge. Every game he's pressuring, drawing holds or finishing. He's at three and a half sacks, and Steve expects him to push nine or ten by the end of the year.
10. Zechariah Poyser
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. The stat sheet doesn't say much. But once he was out against Florida State, the very back end of our defense fell into disarray. He's solid, reliable, sound and fast, even if the angles aren't always perfect.
The pushback, and the honorable mentions
It's harsh to have a top 10 without Mark Fletcher Jr. and Ahmad Moten Sr. They're two of our five best players, and they were two of the most dominant players on the field in the championship game.
Steve's answer: this is a stock report through six games and both have missed time; if we were going to the playoffs today, both are top five, and Fletcher is top three.
JJ Dunnigan was as advertised and is trending towards being a freshman All-American. Mohamed Toure and Chase Smith have given us very good linebacker play, Armondo Blount has been disruptive when healthy, and Ryan Rodriguez has anchored the center spot. Keep an eye on Cooper Barkate and Xavier Lucas as both have the talent to have big second halves.
Six games left, and half this list could look different by December. I'd bet on Toney still sitting at No. 1.
Watch the full conversation on the CanesInsight YouTube channel and drop your own top 10 in the comments.
1. Malachi Toney
The easiest call on the list. A friend told Steve last year that Toney would be one of the all-time greats, and Steve told him to pump the brakes. Now Steve says Toney is trending toward the velvet-rope tier with Ted Hendricks, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Jim Kelly, Michael Irvin and Jerome Brown, and that if he stays healthy he can challenge for greatest Hurricane of all time. What gets him there is what he does without the ball. The blocking and the coverage he draws make everybody else on the field better.
2. Darian Mensah
A lot of people called last week's FSU performance his worst game as a Cane. If that's the floor, the ceiling is absurd, and he's still completing right around 80 percent. Steve's critiques are fair: he holds the ball too long against pressure up front, and the pick against FSU was a risk that game couldn't afford.
What I see at practice is the most enthusiastic quarterback we've had. Carson Beck and Cam Ward were cool customers. Mensah runs to the defense, runs to the young guys, then turns cold-blooded when it's his turn.
3. Bryce Fitzgerald
OJ Frederique went down on the second play at Stanford, Xavier Lucas got hurt after that, and the back end had to be rebuilt on the fly. Fitzgerald is a natural ball-hawking free safety who moved outside and anchored the corner spot, and Steve thinks that tape pays off with NFL teams. My take: he has Kamren Kitchens-level IQ and leadership with an athleticism Kitchens never had. The interceptions are down from six last year, but they come in bunches. Physicality is the one thing between him and best DB in the country, and he's getting better there.
4. Samson Okunlola
Left for dead three years ago. Now Landon Tengwall calls him maybe the best left tackle in the country, and some mock drafts have him inside the top 50 for next spring. The twists gave our line problems last week. But when Mensah drops back, the one thing he never worries about is blindside pressure.
5. Marquise Lightfoot
The Windy City Wrecker. He showed up thin, and you wondered if he'd ever fill out. Jason Taylor has turned him into a complete monster: power, spin, speed, better against the run, unhinged on the field without the dumb penalties. Steve's point is that sacks undersell him, because he lives in the backfield. Do not leave him out of your top five.
6. Javian Mallory
The run to tie the game in the second half had everything. He pressed the hole, read the blocks, then made a guy miss at the second level at top speed, which is rare. Last summer he was the fallback option behind Derrek Cooper. Now it isn't even a choice. Steve's clear this isn't a shot at Mark Fletcher Jr., who he calls the fine china you break out for big moments. 247Sports named Mallory a midseason freshman All-American this morning.
7. Ethan O'Connor
Remember the slander over a couple of back-shoulder throws? He's been our best corner this year by far, and one of the best in the ACC. He added real weight and moves exactly like he did before, takes on blocks and suplexes people. The late interception against Wake Forest, right as they were threatening to make it a one-possession game, was one of the plays of the season, and the punch-out against FSU set the place on fire.
8. Elija Lofton
Last year's blocking was clearly limited by an injury, and this year he's a hammer in the run game. The NFL will probably want him taller, but nobody's measuring the toll he puts on people. He's underused in the passing game. The early screen against FSU that Mensah put in the dirt goes a long way if it gets there, and Steve still expects a game where Lofton explodes for eight to ten touches.
9. Damon Wilson II
People were impatient early. Starting around the third quarter of Wake Forest, he's been exactly what we needed, more physical at the point of attack and fast off the edge. Every game he's pressuring, drawing holds or finishing. He's at three and a half sacks, and Steve expects him to push nine or ten by the end of the year.
10. Zechariah Poyser
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. The stat sheet doesn't say much. But once he was out against Florida State, the very back end of our defense fell into disarray. He's solid, reliable, sound and fast, even if the angles aren't always perfect.
The pushback, and the honorable mentions
It's harsh to have a top 10 without Mark Fletcher Jr. and Ahmad Moten Sr. They're two of our five best players, and they were two of the most dominant players on the field in the championship game.
Steve's answer: this is a stock report through six games and both have missed time; if we were going to the playoffs today, both are top five, and Fletcher is top three.
JJ Dunnigan was as advertised and is trending towards being a freshman All-American. Mohamed Toure and Chase Smith have given us very good linebacker play, Armondo Blount has been disruptive when healthy, and Ryan Rodriguez has anchored the center spot. Keep an eye on Cooper Barkate and Xavier Lucas as both have the talent to have big second halves.
Six games left, and half this list could look different by December. I'd bet on Toney still sitting at No. 1.
Watch the full conversation on the CanesInsight YouTube channel and drop your own top 10 in the comments.
