The Big 12 has plenty of senior talent returning to the conference in 2014.
ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper has multiple Big 12 standouts atop his position-by-position lists of top seniors available in the 2015 NFL Draft, and several underclassmen also make appearances on Kiper’s lists of top non-senior NFL prospects for 2015.
Kiper has Baylor’s Bryce Petty as one of the top senior quarterbacks
in the nation. He writes:
“He put up exceptional totals last season and should be in line for a big senior year with plenty of offensive talent still on hand around him.”
He also has Texas defensive end Cedric Reed as one of the top five senior defensive ends. Writes Kiper:
“Reed broke through last season with 10.0 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss.”
TCU’s Devonte Fields and Baylor’s Shawn Oakman are considered among the nation’s top defensive end prospects as well. He called Fields “unstoppable as a freshman” and said Oakman is a “breakout candidate.”
No Big 12 running backs made Kiper’s list, but a pair of Red River rivals landed on his list of top underclassmen at defensive tackle in Oklahoma’s Jordan Phillips and Texas’ Malcom Brown. Kiper believes Phillips could have a breakout season if healthy and said Brown has “a great nose for the ball.”
