My latest Big Board for the 2017 NFL draft is up, and so are my updated position rankings. This is the first one with seniors and underclassmen combined.
One asterisk denotes a junior, and two asterisks denote a redshirt sophomore for the 2016 season.
Quarterbacks
1. *Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina
2. *Deshaun Watson, Clemson
3. **DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame
4. *Brad Kaaya, Miami (Fla.)
5. *Luke Falk, Washington State
6. *Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech
7. C.J. Beathard, Iowa
8. *Jerod Evans, Virginia Tech
9. *Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
10. *Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
I wrote in my updated Big Board about why Trubisky has moved up to No. 1. Kizer has all the tools to be an NFL starter, but the 17 interceptions over two seasons are worrisome. Check out the numbers in the duel Saturday night between Mahomes and Mayfield. It was like they were passing against ghosts.
Running backs
1. *Leonard Fournette, LSU
2. *Dalvin Cook, Florida State
3. *Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
4. *Royce Freeman, Oregon
5. *Nick Chubb, Georgia
6. Matthew Dayes, NC State
7. *Wayne Gallman, Clemson
8. *Akrum Wadley, Iowa
9. *D'Onta Foreman, Texas
10. Corey Clement, Wisconsin
Listed at 249 pounds, Foreman is a big kid who is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and has run for more than 100 yards in every game this season. The Georgia offense has struggled at times, but Chubb could be a really good pro.
Fullbacks
1. *Jaylen Samuels, NC State
2. Sam Rogers, Virginia Tech
3. Nate Iese, UCLA
4. *Dimitri Flowers, Oklahoma
5. *Austin Ramesh, Wisconsin
6. Anthony Firkser, Harvard
7. Chris Herndon, Miami (Fla.)
8. *Christian Payne, Georgia
9. *Daniel Marx, Stanford
10. *Khalid Hill, Michigan
Some crafty NFL team is going to find a role for the undersized Samuel (5-11, 223). He has 33 catches this season after totaling 65 in 2015.
Wide receivers
1. *Mike Williams, Clemson
2. *JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC
3. Corey Davis, Western Michigan
4. **Courtland Sutton, SMU
5. *Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech
6. *John Ross, Washington
7. *Curtis Samuel, Ohio State
8. Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma
9. Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M
10. Amara Darboh, Michigan
All Davis (6-3, 213) does is score touchdowns -- he has 44 in his career. Sutton (6-4, 215) is an interesting prospect who is averaging 18.2 yards per catch for the Mustangs. Samuel (5-11, 197) does it all for the Buckeyes. He's averaging 8.2 yards per carry on 64 rushes and has 37 catches, too.
Tight ends
1. O.J. Howard, Alabama
2. *Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech
3. Jake Butt, Michigan
4. Evan Engram, Mississippi
5. Jordan Leggett, Clemson
6. Cole Hikutini, Louisville
7. Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas
8. Gerald Everett, South Alabama
9. *Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin
10. Pharaoh Brown, Oregon
This is a really good class, led by two great athletes in Howard and Hodges. Brown didn't play at all in 2015 after suffering a major knee injury near the end of the 2014 season. At 6-6, 250, he has an NFL body.
Offensive tackles
1. *Cam Robinson, Alabama
2. *Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
3. Dion Dawkins, Temple
4. **Orlando Brown, Oklahoma
5. *Roderick Johnson, Florida State
6. *Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin
7. Adam Bisnowaty, Pitt
8. Chad Wheeler, USC
9. Conor McDermott, UCLA
10. Julie'n Davenport, Bucknell
I wrote recently about Dawkins (6-5, 315), who could be a first-round pick depending on his combine workout. Davenport (6-7, 315) is a four-year starter in the Patriot League and an intriguing prospect.
Offensive guards
1. **Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
2. *Billy Price, Ohio State
3. Dan Feeney, Indiana
4. Dorian Johnson, Pitt
5. *Braden Smith, Auburn
6. Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky
7. Nico Siragusa, San Diego State
8. *Damien Mama, USC
9. Greg Pyke, Georgia
10. *Sean Welsh, Iowa
Johnson (6-5, 315), a big-time recruit coming out of high school, is a three-year starter.
Centers
1. Ethan Pocic, LSU
2. Pat Elflein, Ohio State
3. *Mason Cole, Michigan
4. Jon Toth, Kentucky
5. Tyler Orlosky, West Virginia
6. Chase Roullier, Wyoming
7. Cameron Tom, So. Mississippi
8. *Bradley Bozeman, Alabama
9. *Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
10. Kyle Fuller, Baylor
At 6-6, Pocic is tall for a center, but he's the clear No. 1 here. He's agile enough to start early in the NFL.
Defensive ends
1. *Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
2. Jonathan Allen, Alabama
3. Takkarist McKinley, UCLA
4. *Derek Barnett, Tennessee
5. **Solomon Thomas, Stanford
6. *Carl Lawson, Auburn
7. *Charles Harris, Missouri
8. Dawuane Smoot, Illinois
9. Isaac Rochell, Notre Dame
10. *Bradley Chubb, NC State
The top seven here are in my latest Big Board. There are pass-rushers galore in this class. McKinley (6-2, 265) is pure speed. Chubb (6-4, 275) had three sacks in NC State's win over Notre Dame.
Defensive tackles
1. *Malik McDowell, Michigan State
2. *Elijah Qualls, Washington
3. Chris Wormley, Michigan
4. **Greg Gaines, Washington
5. *Davon Godchaux, LSU
6. Carlos Watkins, Clemson
7. *Caleb Brantley, Florida
8. *Charles Walker, Oklahoma
9. Montravius Adams, Auburn
10. *Nazair Jones, North Carolina
Gaines (6-2, 318), another third-year sophomore, is an important piece on Washington's stellar defense. Walker (6-2, 304) hasn't played since suffering a concussion on Oct. 1.
Inside linebackers
1. Reuben Foster, Alabama
2. *Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State
3. *Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt
4. Kendell Beckwith, LSU
5. *Azeem Victor, Washington
6. *Anthony Walker, Northwestern
7. *Shaun Dion Hamilton, Alabama
8. Keith Kelsey, Louisville
9. Hardy Nickerson, Illinois
10. Ben Gedeon, Michigan
Beckwith (6-3, 247) is one of the top tacklers in the SEC. Gedeon (6-3, 245) hasn't made a ton of starts, but I like what I see in the middle of Michigan's D.
Outside linebackers
1. Tim Williams, Alabama
2. Jarrad Davis, Florida
3. Ryan Anderson, Alabama
4. Vince Biegel, Wisconsin
5. Devonte Fields, Louisville
6. Steven Taylor, Houston
7. Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee
8. *Marquis Haynes, Mississippi
9. *T.J. Watt, Wisconsin
10. *Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma
Fields (6-4, 242) hasn't put up big sack numbers, but he's more than capable. He had 10 sacks as a freshman at TCU in 2012, then 11 last season for the Cardinals.
Cornerbacks
1. **Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State
2. **Marlon Humphrey, Alabama
3. *Teez Tabor, Florida
4. Jourdan Lewis, Michigan
5. *Sidney Jones, Washington
6. Desmond King, Iowa
7. Tre'Davious White, LSU
8. Cordrea Tankersley, Clemson
9. *Quincy Wilson, Florida
10. Damontae Kazee, San Diego State
Lattimore (6-1, 190) makes a big jump, as I wrote about in my latest Big Board. There are a bunch of potential NFL starters in this group.
Safeties
1. **Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
2. *Jamal Adams, LSU
3. **Malik Hooker, Ohio State
4. Marcus Maye, Florida
5. Justin Evans, Texas A&M
6. Eddie Jackson, Alabama
7. Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado
8. *Marcus Williams, Utah
9. Johnathan Ford, Auburn
10. *Donovan Wilson, Texas A&M
Look at the youth at the top. Two sophomores and a junior. Jackson (6-0, 194) broke his leg in Alabama's win over Texas A&M. He played some corner early in his career.
Kickers and punters
1. *Daniel Carlson, Auburn (Kicker)
2. *JK Scott, Alabama (Punter)
3. Zane Gonzalez, Arizona State (Kicker)
4. *Trevor Daniel, Tennessee (Punter)
5. *Johnny Townsend, Florida (Punter)
6. Jake Elliott, Memphis (Kicker)
7. Cameron Johnston, Ohio State (Punter)
8. *Jonathan Barnes, Louisiana Tech (Kicker)
9. Justin Vogel, Miami (Fla.) (Punter)
10. Austin Rehkow, Idaho (Kicker and Punter)
Johnston leads the country with 49.5 yards per punt. Townsend and Scott are tied for third (47.5).