Mel Kiper Jr., Football analyst 6y

Mel Kiper's Big Board: Ranking top 2018 NFL draft prospects

NFL Draft, NFL

The college football season is over, and there are only four NFL teams left in the playoffs. I released my Mock Draft 1.0 on Thursday for the 2018 NFL draft, and I've updated my Big Board and position rankings -- top 10 for each -- below.

There are some big changes and new names on my Big Board, and I had to remove a few prospects who decided to stay in school. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft has passed, but we don't have the official list just yet. I expect more than 100 underclassmen to declare again.

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. 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:


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 this season 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.

2. Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

Previous rank: 3

Chubb was dominant early in the season against Florida State with two sacks and a forced fumble. He could have entered the 2017 draft and been in the first-round discussion. At 6-4, 260, he shows good takeoff from the edge as a pass-rusher, and he has an excellent mix of speed and power. Chubb had 10 sacks and 25 tackles for loss (tied for second in the FBS) in 2017 and had 10 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss last season. He is the top-ranked pass-rusher in this class.

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