The 2018 NFL draft will be here sooner than you think. With at least two games under most teams' belts, it's a good time to update my prospects ranking.
As Mel Kiper Jr. pointed out in his updated Big Board, these rankings will be more static throughout the season and we won't know the true heights and weights of players until the NFL combine -- which can certainly affect their draft stock.
Here are my top 32 NFL draft prospects right now:
Note: Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.
1. Sam Darnold, QB, USC*
Grade: 95 | Preseason rank: 1
Darnold has made some questionable decisions throwing the football this season (two interceptions in each game so far), but it hasn't changed my evaluation of him. He has made some big-time throws in the clutch, helping keep USC undefeated. His delivery still needs to be cleaned up, but his accuracy is phenomenal. He is the most complete quarterback in college football and a potential franchise signal-caller.
2. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming*
Grade: 94 | Preseason rank: 2
Outside of scouting circles, Allen was a relative unknown coming into the season. He didn't even have a Division I scholarship out of high school. His two appearances in the national spotlight this month (at Iowa, versus Oregon) haven't gone well, but it's not all on his shoulders. He has an elite arm and frame (listed at 6-foot-5, 233 pounds) and can make every throw. Darnold has been better this season, but the USC quarterback also has much more talent surrounding him.
3. Arden Key, DE, LSU*
Grade: 93 | Preseason rank: 3
The more I watch Key play, the more he reminds me of Miami Dolphins great Jason Taylor. Key missed spring practice for personal reasons and made his first appearance in 2017 this past week (shoulder surgery) against Mississippi State, notching half a sack. I look for his production to increase as he gets healthier.
4. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State*
Grade: 94 | Preseason rank: 5
Barkley hasn't played against terrific competition, but he has continued to look like the best running back in the nation this season. With good balance and terrific lateral agility, he can run away from the defense when he gets to the second level. And his 85-yard catch and run for a touchdown against Georgia State shows what he can do as a receiver. He's a complete player.
5. Derwin James, S, Florida State*
Grade: 93 | Preseason rank: 6
James has had only one opportunity to display his skills this season (in the opener against Alabama), but I was impressed with what I saw. He's one of the most versatile players we've ever evaluated. A third-year sophomore, James tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee in the second game of 2016 and received a medical redshirt.
6. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama*
Grade: 93 | Preseason rank: 8
Fitzpatrick played 14 of 15 games as a true freshman in 2015, started all 15 in 2016 (collecting a team-high six interceptions) and has started all three in 2017. He has an intriguing skill set and I need to see more of him against good competition. A strong 2017 season could land him in Round 1.
7. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA*
Grade: 92 | Preseason rank: 7
Rosen had a terrific 2015 season, becoming the first player to start at UCLA as a true freshman and throwing for 3,668 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. A shoulder injury cut his season short in 2016, and he has been solid through three games this season, throwing at least four TDs in every game (13 total). Rosen still needs to improve his decision-making under pressure, but he has shown tremendous poise with so much of the offense reliant on him.
8. Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College
Grade: 92 | Preseason rank: 4
Landry led the nation with 16.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles last season. I still have concerns about his size (listed at 6-3, 250), but he should be an every-down player in the NFL and teams will value his versatility. He has only one sack through three games in 2017.
9. Connor Williams, OT, Texas*
Grade: 92 | Preseason rank: 12
A true junior who started all 23 games in which he appeared coming into this season, Williams is a scheme-versatile blocker. Unfortunately, he suffered a sprained MCL and PCL in his left knee, along with a meniscus tear, against USC on Saturday. There is no timetable for his return.
10. Mo Hurst, DT, Michigan
Grade: 91 | Preseason rank: 9
Hurst is a quick and powerful one-gap penetrator who is highly disruptive against the run. He has a powerful upper body and disengages quickly. His production hasn't been there yet this season, but he is still causing issues for opposing defenses.
11. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU*
Grade: 91 | Preseason rank: 10
Guice has topped 100 yards rushing in two of LSU's three games and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He isn't Leonard Fournette, but he has great quickness and the ability to stick his foot in the ground and get upfield. He has four rushing TDs through three games in 2017.
12. Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Grade: 91 | Preseason rank: 11
Ridley doesn't get a chance to showcase his full potential in Alabama's run-heavy offense, but he has averaged 14.6 yards per catch this season. He also has scored two TDs. A player with outstanding foot quickness and a nightmare in the open field, Ridley also has good acceleration.
13. Christian Wilkins, DE, Clemson*
Grade: 90 | Preseason rank: 32
A disruptive run defender with the foot speed and quick hands to slip blocks rapidly, Wilkins is a high-motor guy who does a great job of getting his hands up in passing windows. He had 140 tackles (17.5 for losses) and 5.5 sacks over the past two seasons, and he already has 2.5 sacks in 2017. That's why he's my biggest riser.
14. Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama*
Grade: 90 | Preseason rank: 13
A big-time high school recruit, Scarbrough came on strong the final three games of 2016 before suffering a broken leg in the title game against Clemson. He runs behind his pads, and his body control and balance are outstanding. With only 33 carries so far in 2017, Alabama is easing him back into action as he comes back from injury.
15. Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State*
Grade: 89 | Preseason rank: 16
A former safety and linebacker who switched to end before the 2015 season, Hubbard has a quick first step with the speed to threaten the edge. He is a disruptive presence and his versatility and work ethic are why he is a potential first-round pick. He already has 2.0 sacks in 2017.
16. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
Grade: 89 | Preseason rank: 17
In 2016, McGlinchey moved from right tackle to the left side vacated by Baltimore's first-round pick Ronnie Stanley. An above-average zone blocker, McGlinchey plays angles well and gives good effort. He has first-round potential, but I need to see it on a more consistent basis this season.
17. Derrick Nnadi, DT, Florida State
Grade: 88 | Preseason rank: 18
A two-year starter, Nnadi is coming off his most productive season (49 tackles, 10.5 TFL, six sacks). He is an outstanding run defender and consistently displays a low center of gravity to occupy multiple blockers.
18. Vita Vea, DT, Washington*
Grade: 88 | Preseason rank: 19
Listed at 6-4, 346 pounds, the former high school running back is a space-eater in the middle of Washington's defense. I'll be curious to see how many snaps the Huskies give him as the season progresses.
19. Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M*
Grade: 88 | Preseason rank: 14
Kirk hasn't been running an NFL route tree at Texas A&M, but he's a solid all-around player and dangerous punt returner. He already has two TDs this season, though A&M hasn't faced the toughest of competition.
20. Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame*
Grade: 88 | Preseason rank: 20
Nelson is a road grader with the size (listed at 6-5, 325 pounds), strength, polish and toughness to start immediately in the NFL.
21. Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State
Grade: 87 | Preseason rank: 25
McFadden still needs to fill out his frame a bit (listed at 6-2, 198 pounds), but he's at his best in press coverage. He has the length to disrupt receivers and the top-end speed to run with most of them.
22. Malik Jefferson, OLB, Texas
Grade: 87 | Preseason rank: 21
Jefferson is an athletically gifted player with a high ceiling who had 8.0 sacks and 15.5 TFL in his first two seasons. Listed at 6-3, 240, he's not a true edge rusher, which makes his sack numbers more impressive. I'd like to see more physicality from him this season, however.
23. Josh Sweat, DE, Florida State*
Grade: 86 | Preseason rank: 23
Sweat amassed 82 tackles (16 TFL) and nine sacks while starting in 19 of the 25 games he appeared in coming into this season. He was disruptive in Florida State's only game this season, notching a sack.
24. Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama*
Grade: 86 | Preseason rank: 24
Harrison is player who really grew on me during film study. He has some tightness when playing man-to-man and his ball skills need to improve, but he has the potential to be a starting free safety in the NFL. He already has been productive this season, with 2.0 TFL, a sack and an interception.
25. M.J. Stewart, CB, North Carolina*
Grade: 85 | Preseason rank: 22
An instinctive cover corner, Stewart has average size (listed at 5-10, 195 pounds) but plays fast and has good recovery speed.
26. Trevon Young, DE, Louisville
Grade: 85 | Preseason rank: 26
Young is still a bit of a mystery after redshirting in 2016 as a result of a fractured hip. He is just OK as a run defender, but he has outstanding speed and athleticism as a pass-rusher. He has 1.5 sacks in three games and has should continue to produce as he gets healthier.
27. Billy Price, OG, Ohio State
Grade: 85 | Preseason rank: 27
An experienced three-year starter at guard heading into his senior year, he's a plug-and-play NFL starter who should be steady in the league. He's playing center for the Buckeyes in 2017.
28. Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma*
Grade: 85 | Preseason rank: 28
The son of the late Orlando "Zeus" Brown, the younger Brown is a better fit at right tackle in the pros, though he has played exclusively at left tackle in a run-heavy Oklahoma scheme. He is part of an offensive line that was extremely impressive in Week 2 against Ohio State's stout defensive front.
29. Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
Grade: 84 | Preseason rank: 29
A two-year starter and 2016 team captain, Chubb ended the '16 season ranked fourth in the nation with 22 tackles for loss. He isn't an elite pass-rusher, but he has a good first step and bends well for his size. He's another player who has been very productive, with 5.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks already.
30. Tremaine Edmunds, OLB, Virginia Tech*
Grade: 84 | Preseason rank: NR
I've been impressed with Edmunds so far this season. He has been flying around the field, with 27 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in three games. Edmunds had 18.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2016.
31. Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU*
Grade: 84 | Preseason rank: NR
My fifth-ranked wide receiver coming into the season, Sutton is a smooth route runner who has the ability to make the first defender miss. His production has dipped a bit this season, with only 11 catches for 185 yards through three games, and TCU shut him down in his last game.
32. Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State
Grade: 84 | Preseason rank: 30
There's a lot of buzz surrounding Rankin, who is a juco transfer and has only one year of SEC experience. He has the length to handle speed off the edge and the athletic ability to mirror inside pass-rushing moves. I want to see how he does against SEC competition throughout the season, including two big games coming up (at Georgia, at Auburn), but he has performed well so far.