After unveiling my early Big Board for the 2020 NFL draft, let's get to my first set of position rankings.
You'll notice I have separated seniors and underclassmen, and the reason is simple: The seniors are at least guaranteed to be in the draft process based on eligibility, so they deserve to be separate for now. The underclassmen could obviously choose to return and play more college football. I'll merge these rankings in the fall as we get closer to the draft in Las Vegas next April.
Here we go:
Top prospects by position
Quarterbacks
Seniors
1. Justin Herbert, Oregon
2. Nate Stanley, Iowa
3. Steven Montez, Colorado
4. Jake Bentley, South Carolina
5. Bryce Perkins, Virginia
Stanley has the tools to be an NFL starter -- and Todd McShay put him in his mock draft -- but he isn't a consistent passer. Can he take the next step in 2019?
Underclassmen
1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
2. Jake Fromm, Georgia
3. Jacob Eason, Washington
4. K.J. Costello, Stanford
5. Jordan Love, Utah State
Eason looked like an intriguing prospect as a freshman at Georgia in 2016, but Fromm took his job after he got injured, and Eason transferred to Washington. At 6-foot-6, 227 pounds, Eason is one to watch this season as he takes over as the starter.
Running backs
Seniors
1. Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt
2. Zack Moss, Utah
3. Scottie Phillips, Ole Miss
4. Patrick Taylor Jr., Memphis
5. Joshua Kelley, UCLA
Vaughn averaged 7.9 yards per carry last season, and I thought he might enter the 2019 draft. Taylor will become Memphis' primary back after Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard were both drafted.
Underclassmen
