We're without football now until training camps begin in late July. But that means it's NFL draft season. I've released my first Mock Draft before the Senior Bowl, and version 2.0 will be out next week.
Below is my updated Big Board (ranking of the top 25 prospects for the Class of 2018) and position rankings (my top 10 prospects for the 2018 Class at every position).
A reminder about my Big Board:
I'm projecting to the NFL. This is about much more than stats. My projections are based on size, athletic ability, statistics and what I hear from people around the league.
Speaking of size, what's listed here is provided by the schools in most cases, unless they were at the Senior Bowl. These numbers could vary greatly when players show up at the NFL combine. True height and weight matter a lot for almost every position.
Note: One asterisk denotes the player is a junior, and two asterisks denote the player is a redshirt sophomore for the 2017 season.
Click here to go to the position rankings, which are listed after the Big Board.
Quick links: Kiper's Mock 1.0 | McShay's Mock 1.0 | First-round order
1. *Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Previous rank: 1
Barkley is a lights-out athlete with tremendous balance, a great lower body and quick feet. He's a stellar runner -- both inside and outside the tackles -- and he showed in 2017 that he's a true three-down back. He had 54 catches after having 48 combined in his first two seasons at Penn State. I think Barkley will run under a 4.4 40-yard dash and test well at the combine at 5-foot-11, 230 pounds. Is he likely to go No. 1 overall in April? Probably not. But he could be a top-five pick, and he has an elite grade from me.
