Kiper's Big Board: Jan-21

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CGI_Ram

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Burger man
http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2016/in...rson-wentz-mel-kiper-2016-big-board-nfl-draft

The biggest mover this week is Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State. He's not a new name, of course -- we profiled him here months ago -- but he'd been out a while with a wrist injury and played well in his return. Wentz is no recent riser; he's been on the radar of evaluators going back to early last season. He's certainly having his moment now as the draft process approaches.

A couple reminders: General scouting reports on these players won't change much week to week, unless my overall evaluation changes. Also, the Big Board is not a prediction of where guys will be drafted, only where I have them ranked.

An asterisk denotes a player who was a junior for the 2015 season. Two asterisks denotes a redshirt-sophomore.

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1. *Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State Buckeyes

No change here. Bosa's final college game was a downer, but he left it healthy. He's an explosive pass-rusher who has power and awareness and is consistently disruptive against the run. Bosa has size and versatility that will fit any scheme, as well as the ability to go around blockers or right through them. He's been double- and triple-teamed. When he's one-on-one he wins, period.

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2. *Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State Seminoles

Status quo all season after the move back to cornerback. A does-it-all talent who had already started 28 college games heading into this season. I would have rated him the top safety taken in the 2015 draft, but this season he's at cornerback. He has the length, range and exceptional instincts to make plays all over the field; indeed, he has enjoyed an expected smooth transition to corner. He is a truly gifted athlete.

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3. *Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss Rebels

Missed a lot of time, but not due to injury. And looked good upon return. The entire skill set is there. He is flexible, quick, powerful and long. I still think he's the best pass-blocker in the draft at this point in my evals, a guy who wouldn't look out of place if he had to play on Sundays this season. Nimble but strong, he has all the traits you look for at that spot.

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4. DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon Ducks

I think he's a top-10 lock if he does well in workouts. Love his motor and his production while dealing with a lot of blocking attention. Similar to Bosa in that regard. At 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, he has an impressive frame and with another year of polish could be a fit in almost any kind of system.


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5. *Jared Goff, QB, California Golden Bears

I think the Senior Bowl could help Wentz and bring the group closer, but Goff is still my top QB. The arm can be special, as Goff can not only drill the ball down the field and into tight windows with ease but also has a changeup and proper trajectory. He has good movement skills and anticipation and he sees the whole field. He can also move defenders with his eyes pretty well and will continue to get better.

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6. *Myles Jack, ILB, UCLA Bruins

A gifted athlete, he's a linebacker with quickness you would get from a smaller safety, and that extends to his ability to cover, as well. He can attack the backfield and is a physical kid, but he's especially good at anticipating and covering ground quickly to make plays across the formation and in coverage. Yeah, he got hurt, but he didn't fall on my board.

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7. A'Shawn Robinson, DL, Alabama Crimson Tide

A versatile talent, he was special over the second half of this season. Robinson isn't just a block-occupying force against the run. If he gets to your shoulder, he can push you aside and fly into the backfield. He'll be good in any scheme and has really come on for Kirby Smart's defense.

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8. Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

He marries prototypical length with impressive movement skills. He moves well laterally and can flash great hand use. I thought consistency was the problem last year, but he put things together in 2015. He could push to become the top tackle available.

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9. *Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss Rebels

Has been in the top spot among wide receivers all year and has momentum into the draft process because he's healthy. He looked a little leaner this year, and showed explosiveness because of that. He has size, speed and tremendous hands. Physical player.

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10. *Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State Spartans

I had him down a bit lower, but you go back to the tape and he's just not making mistakes. At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, he moves well -- he was a good basketball player in high school -- and is most impressive in his consistency. He just doesn't give up sacks and is showing more pop as a run-blocker. The one-time walk-on is a great story.

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11. *Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida Gators

A gifted cover man, Hargreaves lacks size but mostly makes up for it with instincts and effortless fluidity in moving with receivers. Of course, at 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, he's not small; he just lacks a margin for error compared to some. A starter since he arrived, he's still the best pure cover corner in the draft class at this point.

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12.*Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson Tigers

Full arsenal. Quickness, spin moves, rips, power. Lawson also has a special knack for finding the ball early. Lawson has tremendous quickness for his size (275 pounds), which means you can use him as an edge rusher in a 4-3 setup. He'll gain polish, but there's a lot to work with here.

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13. Jarran Reed, DL, Alabama Crimson Tide

Tough to move and with a great on-field instincts for the ball, Reed plays with leverage and has a sixth sense. A juco transfer who started a little slow for Smart's D last season, he has become arguably its most important player up front and has been really good every week since the light came on last year.

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14. Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama Crimson Tide

The tape is really stacked up for the productive Ragland. He just makes plays. Ragland doesn't blow anyone away with speed, limiting his range to the edges, but he is quick and flows quickly to the ball, anticipating early and making plays on time. He is a great assignment football player, and he hits gaps and gets off blocks, all while maintaining vision beyond what's directly in front of him.

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15. *Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Ole Miss Rebels

Had to drop him recently on off-field questions, and it's not just some lame scolding. You have to be able to trust your top players. It's all in the eval. He's a talent, but you need the reliability. Powerful, quick, football smart, disruptive when he's 100 percent, he's a talent. The draft process will be interesting.

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16. *Jaylon Smith, OLB, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

He's an absolute stud, and he's essentially just here in limbo as we wait to see where his knee is at. A rare player at his position who could be drafted this high. Jumps off the screen. It's really hard to pick out serious flaws, aside from a missed tackle here and there and occasional overpursuit. Smith is making a case to be a versatile linebacker you can select safely knowing he can be plugged in right away. He can be moved around, has good length and can flat-out fly for a linebacker, with sub-4.5 speed.

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17. *Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State Buckeyes

Elliott has outstanding vision, durability, patience and pad level, and we know he has breakaway speed in the open field. He shows a passion for blocking, as well as maybe the best hands of any back in this draft, both of which will endear him to evaluators. The big plays are there, but I think quickness in space will be something to watch.

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18. Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State Bison

Great size, big arm, exceptional mobility, and there's enough tape where you can remove him from the surroundings with your eyes and know he's a success. Put him in the SEC or Pac-12 and you're still talking about a great prospect. Senior Bowl will be huge.

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19.*Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis Tigers

A so-so end of the season didn't help, but the kid has talent. Lynch has good size with room to fill out. He not only has a strong arm but also the ability to get the ball out fast. He has the height to see the whole field quickly without creating space, and he throws well on the move when he needs that space. It sounds trite, but the talent for the position is so clear, and the decision-making has been very good.

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20. Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State Buckeyes

Decker could have been in the mix to go in Round 1 last year but came back to school and added some more good tape to his résumé. Defenders were able to use his length against him in the past, but I think he's become better with his hands, and he's a really good run-blocker. Does he stay on the left side? We'll see, but he's a solid tackle.

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21. *Austin Johnson, DT, Penn State Nittany Lions

I spent more time on the Penn State defensive line toward the end of the season, and it was Johnson who really stood out even though he's often overshadowed by other names. Now definitely in the mix as a first-rounder. He won't be chasing down quarterbacks, but he'll just eat you alive in the run game if you're coming his direction.

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22.**Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson Tigers

I waited a little while to add him, given he is a redshirt sophomore, but there's no way around discussing his NFL prospects at this point. I'm not sure a cornerback outside of Ramsey and Hargreaves has been better this season. He was hurting in the title game and might need to be cautious on working out in Indy. We'll see.

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23. *Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson Tigers


Not only did Dodd put up almost the same numbers as his teammate Lawson, he was actually No. 2 in the nation in tackles for loss. Yep -- Lawson was the only player ahead of him. Dodd does a great job of creating space for himself and does have the speed to beat a tackle upfield and turn the corner. Give the Clemson staff credit for getting these guys so good with their hands.

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24. *Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State Buckeyes

Apple has plus length, an extra gear to catch receivers who create space over the top, and is fluid enough to stick with guys all over the field. What I really like: he tackles. Apple will attack the play in front of him and make plays.

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25. *Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA Bruins

Incredibly powerful with tremendous lower-body strength and also a good deal of burst off the line. When he plays with leverage, you need more than one blocker to move him; and he's tough to handle one-on-one and can throw you to the side. I had him too low at first, but after spending more time seeing him play, I have moved him up accordingly
 

PressureD41

Les Snead's Draft Advisor
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We should be able to land one of these QBs . Love how we built the OL 1st. Im so jacked for next season!
 

12intheBox

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Sep 12, 2013
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Wil Fay
would you settle for the top WR?

WR1 is a sexy get, no doubt about it - but we need a QB and nothing is going to be OK until we get one.

Of all of the non - QB talents in the draft, Ronnie Stanley keeps calling my name for some reason.