The 2015 NFL draft is nearly a year away and doesn't even have a determined location, so why should you get excited about it? Because the Big Ten could have a breakthrough.
ESPN's Mel Kiper has produced lists of top prospects at quarterback, defensive end, running back and defensive tackle. If Kiper's projections prove true, it will be a very good draft for the Big Ten, which hasn't had a top-10 pick since 2008, when Michigan tackle Jake Long went No. 1 overall.
Check out each of Kiper's lists on ESPN Insider for more detailed analysis, but here's where the Big Ten players stack up.
Quarterback
Ohio State's Braxton Miller is the No. 3 senior (behind Baylor's Bryce Petty and Oregon State's Sean Mannion)
Michigan State's Connor Cook is the No. 4 junior
Defensive end
Nebraska's Randy Gregory is the No. 1 junior
Michigan State's Shilique Calhoun is the No. 3 junior
Michigan's Frank Clark and Purdue's Ryan Russell are among the three seniors tied for the No. 5 spot
Running back
Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah is the No. 1 senior
Michigan State's Jeremy Langford is the No. 3 senior
Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon is the No. 2 junior (behind Georgia's Todd Gurley)
Defensive tackle
Ohio State's Michael Bennett is the No. 1 senior
Iowa's Carl Davis is the No. 2 senior
We know about the Big Ten's strength at running back with Abdullah and Gordon at the top, but defensive line once again figures to be the league's strength when it comes to top draft prospects. Two players soaring on the early draft boards: Nebraska's Gregory and Ohio State's Bennett.
What do you think about the Big Ten projections?
