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Mel Kiper's top prospects at each position for 2018 NFL draft

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Kiper expects big things from Darnold (0:42)

Mel Kiper Jr. compares USC QB Sam Darnold's "it-factor" to the likes of No. 1-overall picks John Elway, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. (0:42)

Time for a fresh update of my top prospects by position, the first since the preseason. A whole lot has changed ... dig in.

Important to note: This is a mix of seniors and underclassmen, but early on I separate the two so you see more senior players, as those are guys who are certain to be in the draft. By "underclassmen," I mean players who technically could return to school for another season. Those are true juniors and third-year sophomores. I've denoted the third-year sophomores with asterisks.

Quarterbacks

Seniors

1. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
2. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
3. Luke Falk, Washington State
4. Brandon Silvers, Troy
5. Mike White, Western Kentucky

Underclassmen

1. *Sam Darnold, USC
2. Josh Rosen, UCLA
3. Josh Allen, Wyoming
4. Lamar Jackson, Louisville
5. Kelly Bryant, Clemson

Mayfield is No. 1 in FBS in Total QBR (93.2), and Rudolph is No. 2 (89.1). The Sooner is one of my favorite college football players to watch. The first-year starter Bryant has a big frame (6-4, 200).

Running backs

Seniors

1. Royce Freeman, Oregon
2. Nick Chubb, Georgia
3. Akrum Wadley, Iowa
4. Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
5. Justin Crawford, West Virginia

Also considered: Sony Michel, Georgia

Underclassmen

1. Saquon Barkley, Penn State
2. Derrius Guice, LSU
3. Damien Harris, Alabama
4. Mark Walton, Miami (Fla.)
5. Bo Scarbrough, Alabama

Also considered: Bryce Love, Stanford; Ronald Jones II, USC

Wadley has rushed for 2,101 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career. Crawford has averaged 7.3 yards per carry on 224 rushes since the beginning of last season.

Fullbacks

Seniors

1. Dimitri Flowers, Oklahoma
2. Jaylen Samuels, NC State
3. Khalid Hill, Michigan
4. Austin Ramesh, Wisconsin
5. Daniel Marx, Stanford

Also considered: Garrett Dickerson, Northwestern; J.D. Moore, LSU

Underclassmen

1. George Aston, Pittsburgh
2. Winston Dimel, Kansas State
3. Alec Ingold, Wisconsin
4. Ryan Nall, Oregon State
5. Chandler Cox, Auburn

Flowers has 10 touchdowns on 37 career receptions.

Wide receivers

Seniors

1. Dante Pettis, Washington
2. James Washington, Oklahoma State
3. Anthony Miller, Memphis
4. D.J. Chark, LSU
5. Michael Gallup, Colorado State

Also considered: Cam Phillips, Virginia Tech; Cedrick Wilson, Boise State; Jake Wieneke, South Dakota State; Darren Carrington, Utah

Underclassmen

1. Christian Kirk, Texas A&M
2. Calvin Ridley, Alabama
3. Courtland Sutton, SMU
4. Deon Cain, Clemson
5. Deontay Burnett, USC

Miller had 95 catches last season, and Pettis had 15 touchdown catches. Burnett is Sam Darnold's favorite target -- he has 33 catches and five touchdowns this season.

Tight ends

Seniors

1. Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
2. Mike Gesicki, Penn State
3. Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin
4. Adam Breneman, Massachusetts
5. Christopher Herndon IV, Miami (Fla.)

Also considered: Ian Thomas, Indiana; Marcus Baugh, Ohio State; DeAndre Goolsby, Florida; Durham Smythe, Notre Dame

Underclassmen

1. Mark Andrews, Oklahoma
2. C.J. Conrad, Kentucky
3. Ryan Izzo, Florida State
4. Cole Herdman, Purdue
5. Hayden Hurst, South Carolina

Also considered: Josh Oliver, San Jose State; Dalton Schultz, Stanford

Conrad isn't used much, but he can be a weapon. The 6-5, 245-pounder has a 59-yard TD this season and had one for 72 yards in 2016.

Offensive tackles

Seniors

1. Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
2. Zachary Crabtree, Oklahoma State
3. Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan
4. Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State
5. Jamarco Jones, Ohio State

Also considered: Tyrell Crosby, Oregon; Mason Cole, Michigan

Underclassmen

1. Orlando Brown, Oklahoma
2. Connor Williams, Texas
3. Trey Adams, Washington
4. Mitch Hyatt, Clemson
5. Martez Ivey, Florida

Also considered: Nick Gates, Nebraska; Michael Deiter, Wisconsin; Lukayus McNeil, Louisville

This tackle class is shaping up to be better at the top than last year -- I have three in my top 25 so far. Williams could miss a few more games after hurting his knee in the loss to USC.

Offensive guards

Seniors

1. Braden Smith, Auburn
2. Cody O'Connell, Washington State
3. Austin Corbett, Nevada
4. Brendan Mahon, Penn State
5. Will Hernandez, UTEP

Also considered: Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech; Tyrone Crowder, Clemson; Tony Adams, NC State; Colby Gossett, Appalachian State; Sean Welsh, Iowa

Underclassmen

1. Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
2. Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama
3. Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin
4. Sam Jones, Arizona State
5. Chris Brown, USC

UTEP doesn't produce much NFL talent, but I really like Hernandez. He's a wall.

Centers

Seniors

1. Billy Price, Ohio State
2. Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
3. Scott Quessenberry, UCLA
4. Coleman Shelton, Washington
5. Bradley Bozeman, Alabama

Also considered: Jake Bennett, Colorado State; Austin Golson, Auburn; Brian Allen, Michigan State; Tejan Koroma, BYU

Underclassmen

1. James Daniels, Iowa
2. Will Clapp, LSU
3. Alec Eberle, Florida State
4. Brendan Moore, Maryland
5. Drew Kyser, Memphis

Price is a three-year starter at guard who moved over to center this season.

Defensive ends

Seniors

1. Bradley Chubb, NC State
2. Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State
3. Duke Ejiofor, Wake Forest
4. Da'Shawn Hand, Alabama
5. Chad Thomas, Miami (Fla.)

Also considered: Trevon Young, Louisville; Ebenezer Ogundeko, Tennessee State

Underclassmen

1. Sam Hubbard, Ohio State
2. Austin Bryant, Clemson
3. Ben Banogu, TCU
4. *Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
5. Josh Sweat, Florida State

Also considered: Hercules Mata'afa, Washington State; Rasheem Green, USC; Dorance Armstrong Jr., Kansas; Jalen Jelks, Oregon

The Clemson D-line is loaded. Bryant already has 5.0 sacks this season. Banogu has 6.0 tackles for loss.

Defensive tackles

Seniors

1. Maurice Hurst, Michigan
2. Derrick Nnadi, Florida State
3. Lowell Lotulelei, Utah
4. Justin Jones, NC State
5. Michael Hill, Ohio State

Underclassmen

1. Christian Wilkins, Clemson
2. Vita Vea, Washington
3. Trenton Thompson, Georgia
4. Da'Ron Payne, Alabama
5. Harrison Phillips, Stanford

Also considered: Kendrick Norton, Miami (Fla); Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame

The massive Vea (6-4, 346) is more than a space eater -- he has some quickness to get into the backfield.

Inside linebackers

Seniors

1. Shaun Dion Hamilton, Alabama
2. Josey Jewell, Iowa
3. Rashaan Evans, Alabama
4. Micah Kiser, Virginia
5. Chris Worley, Ohio State

Underclassmen

1. Cameron Smith, USC
2. Roquan Smith, Georgia
3. Kendall Joseph, Clemson
4. T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin
5. Deshaun Davis, Auburn

Jewell had more than 120 tackles in each of the past two seasons, and he has 5.5 tackles for loss so far this season.

Outside linebackers

Seniors

1. Harold Landry, Boston College
2. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma
3. Matthew Thomas, Florida State
4. Marquis Haynes, Mississippi
5. Corey Thompson, LSU

Also considered: Lorenzo Carter, Georgia; Uchenna Nwosu, USC; Jermaine Carter Jr., Maryland; Tegray Scales, Indiana

Underclassmen

1. Arden Key, LSU
2. Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech
3. Malik Jefferson, Texas
4. Jerome Baker, Ohio State
5. Porter Gustin, USC

Also considered:Justin Hollins, Oregon; Malik Reed, Nevada

Edmunds is all over the field for the Hokies. He has 4.5 tackles for loss this season.

Cornerbacks

Seniors

1. Anthony Averett, Alabama
2. M.J. Stewart, North Carolina
3. Duke Dawson, Florida
4. Greg Stroman, Virginia Tech
5. Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma

Also considered: Dee Delaney, Miami (Fla.); Darius Phillips, Western Michigan; Deatrick Nichols, South Florida

Underclassmen

1. Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State
2. Isaiah Oliver, Colorado
3. Jaire Alexander, Louisville
4. Quenton Meeks, Stanford
5. Denzel Ward, Ohio State

Also considered: Iman Marshall, USC; Donte Jackson, LSU; Derrick Baity, Kentucky; Nick Nelson, Wisconsin

Oliver is a new addition to my Big Board. Thomas had a poor game against Baylor, and he gets beat deep too often.

Safeties

Seniors

1. Armani Watts, Texas A&M
2. Kyzir White, West Virginia
3. Tre Flowers, Oklahoma State
4. Marcus Allen, Penn State
5. Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern

Also considered: Quin Blanding, Virginia

Underclassmen

1. *Derwin James, Florida State
2. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
3. Ronnie Harrison, Alabama
4. Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech
5. Chase Hansen, Utah

Edmunds has five interceptions since the beginning of the 2016 season.

Kickers

Seniors

1. Daniel Carlson, Auburn
2. Jonathan Barnes, Louisiana Tech
3. Jason Sanders, New Mexico
4. Drew Brown, Nebraska
5. Michael Badgley, Miami (Fla.)

Also considered: Griffin Oakes, Indiana

Underclassmen

1. *Eddy Pineiro, Florida
2. Emmit Carpenter, Minnesota
3. John Baron II, San Diego State
4. Parker Shaunfield, Southern Mississippi
5. Matthew Wright, Central Florida

Punters

Seniors

1. Johnny Townsend, Florida
2. JK Scott, Alabama
3. Trevor Daniel, Tennessee
4. Ryan Santoso, Minnesota
5. Joe Davidson, Bowling Green

Underclassmen

1. Jake Bailey, Stanford
2. Michael Dickson, Texas
3. Joe Schopper, Purdue
4. Mitch Wishnowsky, Utah
5. Dylan Klumph, California