In this edition of my Big Board: A new Alabama defender makes his debut, and a quarterback drops out.
A reminder: General scouting reports on these players won't change week to week unless my overall evaluation changes. I'll simply be updating performance notes and providing updates on key matchups to come.
One asterisk denotes a junior, and two asterisks denote a redshirt sophomore for the 2016 season.
1. *Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
Garrett suffered a high ankle sprain in late September and has missed two games since, including the blowout win over New Mexico State two weeks ago. In the Aggies' upset loss to Mississippi State over the weekend, he didn't look like himself. The injury has taken away some of the explosion that makes him such a promising talent. This shouldn't affect Garrett's draft status, though, if the injury doesn't linger past January. At 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, he has the length, strength and ability to bend the edge. He's a brilliant, natural pass-rusher who looks like a top-five lock.
2. *Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
A week after rushing for 284 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries against Ole Miss, Fournette was shut down by Alabama, rushing for 35 yards on 17 carries. The Tigers managed only 125 yards, and they didn't score a point. That says more about LSU's offensive struggles and Alabama's defensive dominance, though. Don't worry about Fournette. He's really special when he's healthy -- that was an issue the first half of the season, but he looks much more fluid after being limited by a gimpy ankle. At 6-1, 235 pounds, he has an incredible combination of size, speed and power that can make him look like a varsity player hanging with the JV. Mileage was a concern heading into the season, so the ankle injury could benefit him in NFL scouts' eyes. He had a whopping 300 carries in 2015.
3. **Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
What's it going to take to get Peppers to the Heisman ceremony? He won't win unless Lamar Jackson collapses, but there's a case to be made that he's the most valuable player in college football. He's the best prospect on the best defense in the country -- Michigan is giving up just 10.7 points per game. And Peppers (6-0, 210 pounds) is also playing a little bit of offense and is a dynamic returner, too. Could he become a Deone Bucannon type of linebacker at the next level? I expect him to test off the charts at the NFL combine.
4. Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
With a sack and a couple of tackles, Allen was again solid in the Crimson Tide's shutout win over LSU. He's consistently great and is up to seven sacks this season after having 12 last year. I wrote a couple of weeks ago about Allen's performance against Texas A&M, in which he had a signature sack and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Defensive end, defensive tackle -- Allen can play anywhere on the line. By April, he could be in the mix for the top pick.
5. Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
Foster is a big-time inside linebacker, and he might have been Alabama's best linebacker last season. Yes, better than Reggie Ragland, who went in the second round to the Bills in this year's draft and whom I had as the No. 24-ranked prospect. Foster (6-1, 240) has more range, runs sideline to sideline and is a more complete player. Expect him to follow in the footsteps of inside linebackers from Alabama who have gone in the first round, such as Rolando McClain, Dont'a Hightower and C.J. Mosley.
6. *Jamal Adams, S, LSU
Adams has been a little quiet this season and picked up his first interception of the season in Saturday's loss to Alabama. But he's a huge part of LSU's defensive success, even if it doesn't show on the stat sheet. The Tigers rank sixth in points allowed per game (14.4). Adams (6-1, 213) has great bloodlines -- his dad, George Adams, was the No. 19 overall pick in the 1985 NFL draft -- and he is built for today's NFL as a versatile safety who can play in the box effectively, make tackles against the run and move to the edges and track slot receivers. There is a premium on these monsterbacks.
7. *Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State
McDowell suffered an ankle injury in the Spartans' loss to Illinois on Saturday. He has had some growing pains, but he has matured into an elite-level prospect. McDowell is a fantastic athlete with a 6-6, 290-pound frame. Production has been his issue -- he has 1.5 sacks this season and only 7.5 in his career. I do see him overwhelming blockers one-on-one and/or winning with quickness, though. He's a talent.
8. Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama
Williams, the top-ranked prospect in my preseason Big Board, does one thing incredibly well: rush the passer. And that's what NFL teams are looking for. He's a fantastic pass-rushing talent who can be unblockable at times. But Williams showed some of his other talents in the Crimson Tide's win over LSU on Saturday. I wrote on Monday about his day, in which he showed that he can adequately take on blockers and play the run. I feel much better about his all-around game. After 10.5 sacks in 2015, when he played only about 20 percent of Alabama's defensive snaps, Williams has seven sacks this season. At 6-4, 250, he needs to show he can do the other things required from an outside linebacker, like setting the edge and playing the run.
9. Takkarist McKinley, DE, UCLA
Pac-12 offensive tackles are having nightmares about McKinley, who is a dominant speed rusher. At 6-2, 240, he's not huge, but his explosion off the line is suited for today's NFL. A former junior-college player, McKinley has really come on as a senior. He has nine sacks this season, including five in his past two games. In that same span, he has also forced three fumbles. McKinley has impressed me with his motor, too, even while dealing with multiple injuries.
10. *Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Cook (5-11, 213) is a home run hitter who can turn small creases into massive gains. He started the season slowly with only 228 yards in his first three games, but he has 906 yards in his past six games. Cook is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, and he has surpassed his catch total from last season, with 25 receptions for 388 yards. With good hands and the ability to find and pick up blitzes, he's versatile.
11. *Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
Barnett has been stellar after a slow start to the season. He has nine sacks, and he even had an interception in a loss to Alabama. At 6-3, 265 pounds, Barnett is an all-around defender who beats double-teams, makes plays in the run game and gets after quarterbacks. I see him as a 4-3 defensive end in the NFL, not a 3-4 outside linebacker, but that shouldn't hurt his value. He's a really good player.
12. **Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
Thomas, only a third-year sophomore, is the best player on Stanford's defense and one of the best defenders in the Pac-12. He plays like a veteran, causing disruptions in both the running and passing game. He has seven sacks this season while playing end, but at 6-3, 270 pounds, he could move inside and play tackle, too. The versatility is what stands out. And he has some speed -- check out this fumble return.
13. *Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
Trubisky made his debut in the Big Board in the previous update, and he has moved up a spot here. He's the only quarterback in my Big Board now. I've been looking for a QB to make the leap this season, and I found it in Trubisky, who has been the best signal-caller in the country -- yes, that includes Louisville's Lamar Jackson, who has missed too many throws overall. Trubisky (6-3, 220) is completing 70.3 percent of his passes in his first season as the full-time starter, even with the nightmare game while playing in Hurricane Matthew in which he was just 13-of-33. He has 19 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. He throws a nice ball, has some touch and velocity, and is mobile, too. He has five rushing touchdowns.
14. **Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
This is the year of the third-year sophomore, and Ohio State has two really good ones who could jump to the draft, including Buckeyes safety Malik Hooker, who was in an earlier Big Board. At 6-1, 190, Lattimore is a first-year starter who struggled with a hamstring injury during his first two years in Columbus. He has been fantastic this season, standing out in a group of talented defenders. He tackles well and has locked down receivers; he has three interceptions. The cornerback class for the 2017 draft could be special, and Lattimore is in the top tier.
15. *Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
Williams, my No. 1 receiver, has put behind him the scary neck injury that prematurely ended his 2015 season, and he's back to being Deshaun Watson's go-to target. He has 52 catches for 754 yards and five touchdowns so far this season. Williams has great burst and speed for his size (6-2, 225). He had more than 1,000 receiving yards as a sophomore in 2014 while averaging a whopping 18.1 yards per catch.
16. *Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn
A 6-2, 250-pound pass-rusher, Lawson has always been a spectacular talent, but he has had some injury issues. He missed all of 2014 with a torn ACL and missed six games in 2015 with a hip injury. Now healthy, he has 8.5 sacks for the Tigers so far. He's showing off the potential, even if his pass-rushing moves are still developing.
17. *Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
I'm not sure Robinson can be a left tackle in the NFL, but he could be a great right tackle. At 6-6, 327 pounds, Robinson was a starter from day one at Alabama, and he's already a known commodity around the NFL. He's battle-tested and extremely consistent. Robinson has the talent to be a top-10 pick and the first tackle off the board.
18. *Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
Harris has moved up and down on my Big Board a couple of times because his play has been up and down. The highlight of his season was his play in the Tigers' loss to Georgia in September. He was tremendously disruptive, with three sacks, a tackle for loss and a batted-down pass, and he showed off a variety of pass-rushing moves. That's how he can perform when he's at his best. Harris has 5.5 sacks on the season. A 6-3, 255-pound pass-rusher, Harris can stand up in a 3-4 or put his hand on the ground in a 4-3. He even moved inside to defensive tackle a few times to rush the quarterback. Last season, he led the SEC with 18.5 tackles for loss.
19. **Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
At 6-1, Humphrey is a big, lockdown corner. He had three interceptions as a redshirt freshman last season and was a key playmaker for the national champs. He has two interceptions this season, and the first was returned for a touchdown in the Tide's beatdown of USC in Week 1. Humphrey has great bloodlines: His father, Bobby, was a big-time running back at Alabama who was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 1989 supplemental draft.
20. *Elijah Qualls, DT, Washington
The 6-1, 321-pound defensive tackle is impressive. Qualls had 4.5 sacks in 2015, and he has two for the undefeated Huskies in 2016. He's not tall, but his frame allows him to eat up space and take on blockers, which helps the rest of the solid Washington defense. Qualls and the Huskies get a big test in red-hot USC on Saturday. Can they shut down a much-improved offense led by freshman quarterback Sam Darnold?
21. *Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
Tabor just makes plays. He showed up in big moments every time I turned on last season's tape, breaking up passes and locking down receivers. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 2015. He's all over the field this season, too. You could argue that Tabor was the most consistently effective Florida cornerback last season, and Vernon Hargreaves III went No. 11 overall to the Bucs. Tabor has four interceptions this season, including a 39-yard touchdown return vs. Missouri.
22. *Bucky Hodges, TE, Virginia Tech
Hodges is an unbelievable athlete. He was a quarterback in high school, and I think he'll be one of the fastest tight ends of the past few years when he runs at the combine. At 6-7, 245 pounds, he is imposing. He's productive, too, with 118 catches and 18 touchdowns in his career. In a great tight end class, Hodges might be the best.
23. *JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC
Smith-Schuster has been a little streaky this season, and he's dealing with a minor back injury now. All eight of his touchdowns have come in three games. He has the talent and ability to be an an elite wide receiver in the NFL. With a coveted combination of size (6-2, 220) and speed, Smith-Schuster is what teams look for in No. 1 wideouts.
24. O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
Howard hasn't been a prolific pass-catcher at Alabama, including just 23 catches this season, but he has all the tools scouts look for in an NFL tight end. At 6-6, 250, he is going to light up the NFL combine. He can stretch the deep middle of the field and become a more dynamic weapon. He could be a playmaker in the NFL. Just look at last season's national title game, in which he had 208 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
25. *Ryan Anderson, OLB, Alabama
Anderson, the seventh Alabama player and third Crimson Tide linebacker in this version of the Big Board, is a steady, complete defender. His numbers won't wow you -- he has 16 career sacks with a high of six in 2015 -- but he makes plays, and he's asked to do more than rush quarterbacks. Anderson (6-2, 255) is a fifth-year senior who is in his first season as a full-time starter. He had a sack against LSU on Saturday, and he forced an interception with another hit. I think he's a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level, and he could contribute immediately.