Last week, ESPN’s venerable NFL Draft star Mel Kiper released his first 2013 NFL Draft top 25 big board.
Mel Kiper releases first 2013 NFL Draft big board: Biggest omission?
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As you can probably guess, Kiper's big board is Insider protected, but you can view it here. As you'd also expect, Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley comes in at No. 1.
Barkley has been considered by almost every draftnik as the top prospect for 2013. But unlike Andrew Luck in 2012, there could be some fluidity at the top. Namely, it won't be a surprise if another quarterback leapfrogs Barkley. Whether it's Logan Thomas of Virginia Tech or Tyler Wilson of Arkansas, Barkley will get some competition. Both players are on Kiper's big board. That means no Tyler Bray of Tennessee or Geno Smith of West Virginia. Should either player be rated that highly?
Kiper's list features several defensive linemen, led by Georgia's Jarvis Jones and the dynamic LSU pair of Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery.
No team is more-represented in Kiper's top 25 than Michigan State. Among Spartans are cornerback Johnny Adams, defensive end William Gholston and (most surprisingly) running back Le'Veon Bell. Each are outside of the top 10. Having Adams at No. 14, and the second-best cornerback behind David Amerson, is somewhat bold.
Among teams, both Southern California (Barkley and Robert Woods) and LSU have two players in the top 10. Somewhat surprisingly, Alabama only has one player in the top 25. In this year's draft, the Tide had four players taken in the top 25. So they have some players – like linebacker Nico Johnson, safety Robert Lester and defensive lineman Jesse Williams – who could break through once the season starts.
As expected, the SEC has the most players in the top 25 with nine. They’re followed by the Big Ten with seven players in the top 25.
Kiper's list features zero Big 12 players. That means no Landry Jones and Tom Wort of Oklahoma or Terrence Williams of Baylor. Texas A&M gets a player in the top 25 in offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, but the Aggies are now SEC members.
So the biggest omission? Maybe one of Texas' pass rushers, either Jackson Jeffcoat or Alex Okafor. Okafor, in particular, dominated Joeckel last season.
Other quick thoughts:
Two running backs, Bell and South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore. No Montee Ball of Wisconsin. One running back to watch to rise quickly is Alabama's Eddie Lacy.
Most expect the 2013 tight end class to be very good. But Kiper's list only has one in Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert.
Kiper's list has no interior offensive linemen. That means no fan favorite Barrett Jones of Alabama or Khaled Holmes of USC.
We’ll be rolling out 2013 NFL Draft rankings starting this week, culminating in a top 75 (or 100 if I feel like it) sometime next week. Check out Kiper’s top 25 here.
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