In this edition of my Big Board for the 2018 NFL draft: two new entrants from my last update, plus a shuffling in the top five. There's also a new No. 1 pass-rusher.
A reminder:
The write-ups here won't change much week to week.
Keep in mind that several prospects listed here have started only one season, so my projections are based on size, athletic ability, statistics and what I hear from people around the league.
Speaking of size, what's listed here is provided by the schools. These numbers could vary greatly when players show up at the NFL combine. True height and weight really matter for almost every position.
Note: One asterisk denotes player is a junior, and two asterisks denote player is a redshirt sophomore for the 2017 season.
1. **Sam Darnold, QB, Southern California
Previous rank: 1
Todd McShay and I went in depth on the quarterback class earlier this week. It has a chance to be special. Darnold is still my top guy -- he has everything NFL teams want in a starter. He has a big frame (6-foot-4, 225 pounds), makes quick decisions and is an accurate, natural passer. He completed 67.2 percent of his passes last season and ranked second in the nation in Total QBR (86.8). Darnold has thrown too many interceptions to start the 2017 season -- nine in six games -- and needs to be more consistent. His Total QBR has dropped because of the turnovers (68.5). The third-year sophomore is an exciting prospect who could go No. 1 overall in April's draft.
2. *Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Previous rank: 2
Barkley is a lights-out athlete with a great lower body and quick feet who shows tremendous balance. He rushed for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns last season and had 1,076 yards as a freshman. He already has 1,044 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns this season. Barkley (5-11, 230) also will help out in the passing game; he has 29 catches already this season after having 48 in his first two seasons at Penn State. He plays extremely hard, too.
3. *Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Previous rank: 3
Coming off a stellar freshman season in 2015, Rosen was a sleeper pick to win the Heisman Trophy last season. Things didn't go well, as he had only 10 touchdown passes in six starts before injuring his shoulder and missing the rest of the season. He has a had a great 2017 so far, with 17 touchdown passes and five picks. He leads the FBS in passing yards (2,135). The 6-4, 218-pound Rosen throws a great ball and he has rare arm talent. There aren't many quarterbacks who can make the throws he does. The gap has closed between Darnold and Rosen on my board.
4. **Derwin James, S, Florida State
Previous rank: 5
James played only two games in 2016 after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee. The former five-star recruit was terrific as a freshman for the Seminoles with 91 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. FSU coaches are using the 6-3, 211-pound James all over the field this season, and it started in the opener versus Alabama.
5. *Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
Previous rank: 6
Fitzpatrick (6-1, 203) has played both corner and safety at Alabama, but I think he'll be a safety at the next level. The versatility is a plus, and coach Nick Saban loves him. I wrote about Fitzpatrick after his great game against Texas A&M last weekend. He's really a defensive coordinator's dream -- a modern-day big corner who plays safety. He's versatile enough to line up in the slot and lock down receivers, but he can also be a center fielder. Fitzpatrick had eight interceptions from 2015 to 2016 (including four that were returned for touchdowns), so he has elite ball skills. He's not afraid to make a tackle, either, which is why I think he'll be a top-five pick in April. I also like that Fitzpatrick will get after it on special teams. He had 11 special-teams tackles in 2016.
6. *Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Previous rank: 4
Allen (6-5, 233) is super raw, but he can really sling it. His numbers weren't great last season -- 28 touchdown passes, 15 interceptions while completing 56 percent of his passes -- and his numbers aren't great this season, either -- six touchdown passes, three interceptions while completing 55.4 percent of his passes -- but NFL teams will take into account the talent around him. The Wyoming offense lost 47 touchdowns from last season's team, along with its center. The schedule hasn't been kind to the Cowboys, either, with a game at Iowa and one versus Oregon. I think Allen's numbers will be much better in an NFL offense with NFL players.
7. Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
Previous rank: 12
I wrote about Chubb's performance against Florida State last month -- he was dominant with two sacks and a forced fumble. Chubb (6-4, 260) could have entered the 2017 draft and been in the first-round discussion. He had 10.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss last season after posting 5.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2015. Chubb shows good takeoff from the edge as a pass-rusher, and he has an excellent mix of speed and power. He already has 13 tackles for loss this season, which ranks second in the country.
8. *Arden Key, OLB, LSU
Previous rank: 8
The 6-6, 265-pound Key is a fantastic pass-rushing talent who can close quickly on quarterbacks. He had 17 sacks in his two seasons (12.0 in 2016). He needs to improve against the run, but that should come in time when he adds weight to his frame. After taking a leave of absence from the LSU team in the spring, Key had shoulder surgery and missed the beginning of the season.
9. Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College
Previous rank: 10
After leading the nation in sacks (16.5) last season, Landry could have been a late first- or early second-round pick if he had entered the 2017 draft. He also had 22 tackles for loss. There is value in his versatility. The 6-3, 257-pound Landry can play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense or end in a 4-3. He has 5.0 sacks -- including three against Virginia Tech in his last game -- and 8.0 tackles for loss so far in 2017.
10. *Christian Wilkins, DL, Clemson
Previous rank: 7
Clemson just keeps producing first-round picks. Wilkins could be next. At 6-4, 300 pounds, he moves inside and outside for the Tigers. He is a Jonathan Allen-type lineman. He could be an end in a 3-4 defense or a 3-technique tackle in a 4-3. Wilkins had 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss last season. He has 2.5 sacks so far in 2017.
11. *Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
Previous rank: 11
I wrote about Brown earlier this season, when the 6-8, 345-pound left tackle was outstanding in the Sooners' win at Ohio State. He helped protect OU quarterback Baker Mayfield from a defense that is loaded with future NFL talent. Brown is nimble for a big man, getting to the second level with ease. He has great feet and can slide easily outside to pick up blitzing linebackers. Don't worry about Brown having to move to the right side in the NFL -- I think he's a left tackle all the way.
12. *Connor Williams, OT, Texas
Previous rank: 13
After digging into Williams' 2016 tape, I really liked what I saw. He's a pure left tackle prospect with great feet and balance, and he just didn't get beat in pass protection. But Williams (6-6, 315) didn't have a great game to open the season against Maryland. He did get beaten in that game, and that was discouraging. Williams suffered a sprained MCL and PCL in his left knee at USC and could be out for a while longer.
13. *Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama
Previous rank: 16
Harrison has gone overlooked at times on a loaded Crimson Tide defense, but he's a really good player. He's aggressive and loves to hit. Harrison (6-3, 216) can cover, too. He had two interceptions last season, including a pick-six at Tennessee. He has two interceptions, 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks so far this season.
14. *Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
Previous rank: 9
Guice isn't the athletic specimen Leonard Fournette is, but I liked everything I saw from him last season. Guice rushed for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns -- and averaged 7.6 yards per carry -- while Fournette battled injuries. Guice (5-11, 218) showed good burst running between and outside the tackles, and he's a physical runner. He picked up a knee injury early this season and it has been "nagging" him, according to coach Ed Orgeron.
15. *Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
Previous rank: 14
Kirk's size (5-11, 200) might ding him in the eyes of scouts, but he's a tremendous receiver and return man with excellent speed. He had 163 catches and 16 receiving touchdowns in his first two collegiate seasons, plus three punt-return TDs in 2016. His 576 yards after the catch last season ranked eighth in the country. He has 27 catches and five receiving TDs -- plus a kickoff-return TD -- so far this season, on a team with inconsistent quarterback play. From everything I've heard, Kirk is a studious guy, too.
16. *Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Previous rank: 15
With 161 catches and 14 touchdown receptions in his first two collegiate seasons, the cat-quick Ridley (6-1, 188) has been one of the nation's top wide receivers since he stepped onto the field. What I really like about him is his competitiveness. He's a nightmare to try to tackle in the open field. He torched Florida State's talented secondary in the season opener with seven catches for 82 yards and a touchdown, and he has 29 catches for the season.
17. *Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
Previous rank: 19
Sutton is a phenomenal talent, but he has been inconsistent this season. He had 76 catches and averaged 16.4 yards per catch last season and had 19 total touchdowns in 2015-16. But he was almost shut out in a loss to TCU (one catch for zero yards), the best defense he'll face all season. The 6-4, 215-pound Sutton is a big-bodied matchup nightmare on the outside when he's at his best.
18. Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
Previous rank: 20
The Wolverines had a senior-laden defensive line in 2016, and Hurst didn't start. But the 6-2, 282-pound tackle had 4.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss and stood out while consistently splitting double-teams and getting into the backfield. Now a starter, Hurst impressed in the Wolverines' win over Florida in Week 1, in which Michigan gave up only 192 yards. He has 5.5 tackles for loss this season.
19. Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
Previous rank: 21
You might remember McGlinchey from my preseason Big Board last season. He decided to remain in school for his senior year. McGlinchey is a massive athlete (6-8, 315) who looks like a tight end with pads on. He could probably play tight end in a pinch. He played right tackle in 2015, then replaced first-round pick Ronnie Stanley on the left side last season, and he has stayed at left tackle in 2017. I think his NFL future might be at right tackle, however.
20. *Tremaine Edmunds, OLB, Virginia Tech
Previous rank: 18
At 6-5, 250 pounds, Edmunds is a gifted athlete and physical specimen. And he lives in the backfield. A year after recording 106 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, he has 50 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks this season. His brother, Terrell, is also an NFL prospect -- he's my fifth-ranked underclassman safety.
21. *Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State
Previous rank: 22
McFadden was tremendous in his first season as a starter at FSU, picking off eight passes in 2016. He doesn't have an interception through two games this season, but he has five pass breakups. At 6-2, 198, McFadden is a big corner with ball skills. Those are two traits NFL teams love. He's athletically gifted. He also returns punts.
22. *Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado
Previous rank: 23
Oliver was the Buffaloes' third corner last season behind Day 2 draft picks Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon, and his talent shows on film. He's long and athletic (6-1, 190). He also competes on the Colorado track team and has twice been All-Pac-12 in the decathlon. He also contributes as a punt returner -- he had a TD on a return in 2016. Oliver has two interceptions and eight pass breakups this season. His father, Muhammad, was a ninth-round pick by the Broncos in 1992.
23. *Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
Previous rank: 17
I was asked a lot about the reigning Heisman Trophy winner last year, and I said I wanted to see major improvement in Jackson's passing to consider him an NFL quarterback prospect. Well, it's early, but his start to the season has been promising. Jackson's completion percentage is way up (62.2 from 56.2 in 2016), he has put on some good weight and his delivery looks more fluid. And he has done all of that while retaining his dynamic athleticism and speed. Jackson is a gifted athlete, but it's going to take some time before he's ready to start in the NFL. He's the most raw of the top quarterback prospects.
24. *Ben Banogu, DE, TCU
Previous rank: NR
Banogu is an intriguing pass-rushing talent. He started as a redshirt freshman at Louisiana-Monroe in 2015 and had 5.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. Then he sat out the 2016 season after transferring to TCU, and now he has been one of the top newcomers in the country in 2017. He has 4.0 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss. At 6-4, 245, the fourth-year junior is still developing, but he has a lot of talent. He's a big reason TCU is 5-0 and atop the Big 12.
25. *Damien Harris, RB, Alabama
Previous rank: NR
I really like watching Harris play. He's consistent. He's reliable. He's workmanlike. All Harris does is produce. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry last season, and all anyone wants to talk about is Bo Scarbrough, his talented backup who has flashed, but hasn't been consistent. Harris (5-11, 214) is averaging 8.5 yards per carry this season and has seven touchdowns. The Crimson Tide have produced six running backs since 2011 who have been drafted in the third round or higher, and Harris is next on that list.