Championships are won with defense, and most NFL clubs invest as many high draft picks on defenders as their more publicized offensive performers. Each April, NFL clubs invest heavily on the premier pass rushers and cover men to stop the potent passing offenses that operate in the pro game.

Defensive end and cornerback are a priority for every team in the NFL Draft. Pass rushers might provide the most busts on the defensive side of the ball in the draft as most clubs are willing to roll the dice on a player they feel has the athletic talent and prototypical numbers to become an NFL impact player.

Florida State has provided a steady stream of pass rushers to the NFL, and this season has blue-chip prospects in defensive ends Jamal Reynolds and Roland Seymour. Reynolds has pushed himself to the head of the class off a nice early showing. Seymour has not been 100 percent yet this season and will have to make up ground later in the year. UCLA defensive end Kenyon Coleman has the package to be a complete prospect with the size, speed and athleticism to be a factor in both run and pass defense. Cal defensive end Andre Carter has bulked up this season to improve as a run defender. He is one of the premier pass rushers in this class.

Jamal Reynolds is one of the top defensive ends in this year's draft pool.(AP)

The defensive tackle group is a deep class that features Georgia's twin towers, Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud. Both carry a high grade into their final season. Stanford defensive tackle Willie Howard might be the best defender on the West Coast but must prove he is all the way back from a knee injury.

Other defensive tackles considered among the best in the country are USC's Ennis Davis, Miami's Damione Lewis and the Texas duo of Casey Hampton and Shaun Rogers. Lewis is a quick inside defender who gets consistent penetration into the backfield. Hampton might be the strongest lineman in the nation.

This year's linebacker class is not as strong as last season's bumper crop, but it does have some highly regarded talent. FSU's Tommy Polley, USC's Markus Steele and Miami's Dan Morgan have the physical skills, intangibles and experience to be fine pros with another year of seasoning.

Polley returns from a knee injury sustained in last year's Sugar Bowl. Steele is a playmaker with the ability to rush the passer and stuff the run. Morgan is a savvy defender with the versatility to play both inside and outside.

Senior cornerbacks Gary Baxter (Baylor), Andre Lott (Tennessee), Will Allen (Syracuse) and Eric Kelly (Kentucky) have proven to be quality cover men as underclassmen. Baxter has the size, speed and agility to rank as the highest prospect at this point.

Safeties Derrick Gibson (FSU), Robert Carswell (Clemson), Jarrod Cooper (Kansas State) and Tony Driver (Notre Dame) are fine athletes with the size, hitting power, speed and agility to warrant a long look this fall. Gibson carries the athletic numbers the NFL scouts covet but must prove he can match up in pass coverage to carry a blue-chip label into the spring.

Coyle, a full-time NFL scout, has published Draft Insiders' Digest, an NFL Draft and free agency publication for the last 10 years.

He attends practices, games and individual workouts across the country as well as breaking down game films to study the nation's top players. He writes for numerous pro weeklies on the NFL Draft and free agency in addition to game matchups and player profiles.

Coyle attends NFL minicamps in May and June and numerous training camps throughout the summer. He is a frequent guest on sports talk shows from coast-to-coast, and has also been a personnel consultant to several NFL teams in recent years.