Mock draft: Scouts Inc. picks the top 20 players in the Big Ten

No. 1 pick: Muench takes Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

There are a number of talented players I considered here. But I couldn't justify taking any of them ahead of Elliott, whom Kevin took third overall when we drafted our top 20 skill players in the nation last week. The 225-pound Elliott is quick for his size, powers through contact in addition to making defenders miss and is fast enough to break away when he gets a seam. He ranks first in the Big Ten in rushing yards (885) and rushing touchdowns (10) while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. This bell cow back has also carried the ball 20-plus times in four of Ohio State's six games. Finally, he's an underrated receiver who caught six passes against Maryland last week.

No. 2 pick: Weidl takes Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State

Strong pick by Muench -- I would have scooped up Elliott with the first pick as well. With Elliott off the board, I'll take Bosa, who I believe is not only the top NFL prospect in the conference, but a difference-maker along the Buckeyes' defensive line. While he is off to a slower start this year statistically (including an opening-game suspension against Virginia Tech), he is still making a significant impact and has demanded attention from blockers, freeing up teammates to put up the big numbers. Bosa has an excellent combination of quickness, size, attitude and power to go along with active hands.

No. 3 pick: Muench takes Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State

I'm seeing the same things about Bosa on tape and wouldn't be surprised to see him have a monster game against an overmatched Penn State offensive line this weekend. Bosa's ability to take over a game highlights the importance of having a premier offensive tackle, and I've targeted one of the best in the country in Decker. To be honest, I favor Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin by the narrowest of margins, but this is about constructing a team that would win this Saturday and I'm playing it safe. Conklin has missed the past two games with a knee injury and I'm concerned that he won't be at his best if he plays this weekend. While he doesn't finish quite as well as Conklin at times, there's an edge to Decker's game, and the third-year starter is a powerful run-blocker who overwhelms smaller defenders. At 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, his wide frame and quick set also make it tough for defenders to beat him in pass pro.

No 4. pick: Weidl takes Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan

Not in love with taking Decker third overall. By Steve's own admission, Decker isn't even the best tackle in the conference. In addition, I have several of Decker's teammates who are higher on my board. Anyway, at No. 4, let me break up the Buckeyes lovefest and scoop up Peppers, who I believe is the best safety in the conference. The converted cornerback plays multiple roles in the Wolverines' secondary, where he has the range to hold up as the last line of defense and movement skills to match up in man coverage. Peppers also has been physical in run support and is the catalyst behind a Michigan defense that tops the nation in scoring defense and is coming off of three consecutive shutouts.

No. 5 pick: Muench takes Maliek Collins, DT, Nebraska

Not surprised to see Kevin trying to spin my Decker pick. To be clear, all things being equal, I prefer Conklin, but he's not healthy right now. Decker is one of the best tackles in the country and the best tackle in the conference this week, which is all that matters in this exercise -- just like Peppers might be the best safety in the conference this week but only because Michigan State's RJ Williamson tore his biceps earlier this year. That said, the rich get richer, because the 6-foot-2, 300-pound Collins is an absolute steal at No. 5. He's a heavyweight puncher who shows the ability to make quick work of offensive linemen whether he's rushing the passer or defending the run. He also covers a ton of ground thanks to his above-average range, motor and endurance.

No. 6 pick: Weidl takes Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State

Steve and I will agree to disagree about Williamson and Peppers -- I like Peppers more. I'll continue to dip into a loaded Ohio State roster here and add another versatile defender to my roster. Lee is a converted safety who has side-to-sideline range, an explosive closing burst and who holds up well in space. He brings excellent value on third downs, where he has above-average awareness and playmaking instincts in coverage and is an underrated blitzer who can generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. If you need to any reinforcement on Lee's impact for the Buckeyes' defense, look no further than the final three games of their national championship run in 2014, when he was all over the field.

No. 7 pick: Muench takes Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

Cook isn't the most talented quarterback in the conference. Ohio State's Cardale Jones and Penn State's Christian Hackenberg both have more upside. Plus, Cook is nowhere near as much of a threat to run as Nebraska's Tommy Armstrong Jr. or Ohio State's J.T. Barrett. He also faces a stingy Michigan defense that's playing at a high level this weekend -- he'll have his work cut out for him considering the hostile environment in the Big House and that his offensive line is banged up. So why take Cook? For all his flaws, he is 18-1 against Big Ten opponents and 29-3 overall since taking over as Michigan State's starter in 2013. He also led the Spartans' fourth-quarter 21-point comeback against Baylor to win the Cotton Bowl last year.

No. 8 pick: Weidl takes Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State

I know -- another Buckeye? But Thomas is too talented to pass up here. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, he has very good length and adequate strength. While he isn't a burner, Thomas is an extremely crafty route runner who has a great feel for the position and excellent ball skills. Thomas is also underrated after the catch. His production isn't through the roof this season, as he just cracked 100 yards receiving for the first time this season against Maryland last week. However, this is more of a reflection of the struggle at the QB position and the significant amount of other playmakers next to Thomas who are vying for one football.

No. 9 pick: Muench takes Austin Johnson, NT, Penn State

The 6-foot-4, 323-pound Johnson is powerful and does an above-average job of holding his ground when teams commit two blockers to him. But he doesn't just take up space. He's Penn State's second-leading tackler, and he has 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He's quick for his size, he's an effective hand fighter who makes it tough for offensive linemen to lock onto his frame, and he plays hard. Johnson also is an above-average athlete for his size, much like Collins. In fact, the big fella scooped up a fumble and rambled 71 yards for a touchdown against San Diego State earlier this year. Great defenses are built inside-out and I'm confident in my foundation with Collins and Johnson anchoring the middle.

No. 10 pick: Weidl takes Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State

Great pick, Muench. Clearly you've done your homework and watched the tape. In fact, it almost makes up for that reach for Decker at No. 3 overall. I was going to take Johnson here, but I'll go with Conklin, who really has no business still being on the board at this point. I'm not worried about his knee injury as much, as he could have played last week against Rutgers but was held out to make sure he was ready for the showdown with Michigan on Saturday. The former walk-on has a strong inline power base and can be a dominating run-blocker at times and is reliable in pass pro when his technique is sound. Conklin's strong performance against Oregon DE DeForest Buckner earlier in the year and his overall toughness will go a long way in his favor when we get into the evaluation process after the season.

No. 11 pick: Muench takes Aaron Burbridge, WR, Michigan State

No. 12 pick: Weidl takes Desmond King, CB, Iowa

No. 13 pick: Muench takes Eric Murray, DB Minnesota

No. 14 pick: Weidl takes Tyquan Lewis, DE, Ohio State

No. 15 pick: Muench takes Raekwon McMillan, MLB, Ohio State

No. 16 pick: Weidl takes LJ Scott, RB, Michigan State

No. 17 pick: Muench takes Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State

No. 18 pick: Weidl takes Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State

No. 19 pick: Muench takes Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State

No. 20 pick: Weidl takes J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State

Next best available

Muench: 1. Adolphus Washington, DT, Ohio State; 2. Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana; 3. Joe Schobert, OLB, Wisconsin; 4. Malik McDowell, Michigan State; 5. Jordan Canzeri, RB, Iowa.

Weidl: 1. Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State; 2. Vonn Bell, DB, Ohio State; 3. Shilique Cahoun, DE, Michigan State; 4. Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State; 5. Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB, Nebraska.

Rosters

Muench

QB: Connor Cook; Cardale Jones

RB: Ezekiel Elliott

WR: Aaron Burbridge

OL: Taylor Decker

DL: Maliek Collins; Austin Johnson; Carl Nassib

LB: Raekwon McMillan

DB: Eric Murray

Weidl

QB: J.T. Barrett

RB: LJ Scott

WR: Michael Thomas, Braxton Miller

OL: Jack Conklin

DL: Joey Bosa

LB: Darron Lee; Tyquan Lewis

DB: Jabrill Peppers; Desmond King

Totals

Most players selected (by school): 1. Ohio State: 10; 2. Michigan State: 4; 3. Penn State: 2; T4. Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska: 1 each

Muench analyzes Weidl's draft

I took Decker ahead of Conklin at No. 3 thanks in large part to Conklin missing the last two games with a knee injury. Kevin snatched Conklin up at No. 10, and if he plays up to his ability, he admittedly will be the steal of this draft. That said, I couldn't disagree more with Kevin's assertion that Decker isn't a good value at No. 3. Three-year starting offensive tackles with the power to create seams in the ground game and hold up one-on-one in pass protection aren't easy to find.

Outside of that pick I'm confident that I had the stronger draft. I knew I wouldn't get Bosa when I took Elliott first overall, but I couldn't have been happier with the other players I got in the first 10 picks, especially Collins and Austin Johnson. I also think I separated myself during during Nos. 11-20. I never would have thought I'd get Jones at No. 17 and Nassib at No. 19 heading into the draft.

On the other side of the ledger, this is the third draft we've done and Kevin has reminded me that the goal is to construct a team that win this Saturday, not the best pro prospects, a few times. I think he fell into that exact trap when he took Peppers fourth overall and Thomas eighth overall. Both are talented enough to be taken early, and they flash on tape, but I don't think they've reached their full potentials.

Weidl analyzes Muench's draft

The first pick wasn't an obvious choice, and I thought Muench did well taking Elliott over Bosa. While Bosa is the top prospect in our rankings, there isn't a player in the conference that has more impact for their respective team at this level than Elliott. I thought his best pick was Johnson at No. 9 -- he is a player that isn't getting a ton of national recognition right now but will be on the radar whenever it comes time for his evaluation process, whether it be this year or in the 2017 draft class. I've already stated my biggest issue with Steve's draft: I thought he really reached for Decker at No. 3. I don't want to take anything away from Decker, who I think is a very good player. But there were a handful of players I would have taken before him, including Ohio State teammates Lee and Thomas, as well as Michigan State's Conklin. Overall, though, I thought Muench had the best draft he's had in the three weeks we've been doing this exercise.

Finally, two things stand out to me overall. First, the talent Urban Meyer has assembled in Columbus is insane -- 10 of our 20 picks were from Ohio State. There were a lot of big names left off from that roster, as well, including Bell, Washington, Josh Perry, Eli Apple and Jalin Marshall. Secondly, Peppers was the only Michigan player on this list, which just shows what a remarkable job Jim Harbaugh has done through the first half of the season. Michigan doesn't yet have elite talent, but Harbaugh is still winning.