Excerpt from USA Today’s Red Line prospect report by chief scout Kyle Woodlief on this year’s draft eligible defensemen:

This year’s blue line brigade boasts both high-end talent and tremendous depth. In fact, Red Line Report projects that perhaps as many as 15 rearguards will be selected in the first round, with a strong likelihood that at least five will be taken among the top 10 picks. With those kinds of numbers, it’s clear that defense is the strength of this year’s crop.

While the talent and depth are obvious, what is less clear in our crystal ball is which of these top defensemen will be the first one off the board, and how high he go? The three main challengers for the title of first defender chosen should be Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian and Luke Schenn.