Underclassmen will likely dominate the top of the 2018 NFL draft, with a total of 106 players electing to forgo eligibility and enter the NFL before finishing their senior, and sometimes junior, seasons.
NFL draft 2018: Full list of declared underclassmen released
Quarterbacks Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson all opted against staying for their senior seasons.
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That’s an all-time high and it’ll likely be non-seniors at the top of the class.
Among the headliners are a handful of quarterbacks who opted to skip their senior seasons: USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.
In the latest mock draft from SB Nation’s Dan Kadar, the top four picks — Darnold, Rosen, Penn State RB Saquon Barkley, and Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick — are all underclassmen.
According to NFL rules, a player is not eligible for the draft until they are three years removed from high school. That makes redshirt sophomores and juniors eligible.
Florida State safety Derwin James is among the sophomores who opted to enter the 2018 NFL draft after only two seasons on the field.
On Friday, the NFL released the full list of underclassmen entering the draft:
2018 NFL draft underclassmen
Player | Pos. | College |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Adams | RB | Notre Dame |
| Olasunkanmi Adeniyi | DE | Toledo |
| Jaire Alexander | DB | Louisville |
| Mark Andrews | TE | Oklahoma |
| Dorance Armstrong | DE | Kansas |
| Jerome Baker | LB | Ohio State |
| Saquon Barkley | RB | Penn State |
| Jessie Bates | DB | Wake Forest |
| Orlando Brown | T | Oklahoma |
| Taven Bryan | DT | Florida |
| Deontay Burnett | WR | USC |
| Deon Cain | WR | Clemson |
| Antonio Callaway | WR | Florida |
| Geron Christian | T | Louisville |
| Simmie Cobbs | WR | Indiana |
| Keke Coutee | WR | Texas Tech |
| Vosean Crumbie | DB | Nevada |
| J.J. Dallas | DB | Louisiana-Monroe |
| James Daniels | C | Iowa |
| Sam Darnold | QB | USC |
| Carlton Davis | DB | Auburn |
| Michael Dickson | P | Texas |
| Tremaine Edmunds | LB | Virginia Tech |
| DeShon Elliott | DB | Texas |
| Minkah Fitzpatrick | DB | Alabama |
| Matt Fleming | WR | Benedictine |
| Nick Gates | T | Nebraska |
| Rashaan Gaulden | DB | Tennessee |
| Frank Ginda | LB | San Jose State |
| Rasheem Green | DT | USC |
| Derrius Guice | RB | LSU |
| Ronnie Harrison | DB | Alabama |
| Quadree Henderson | WR | Pittsburgh |
| Holton Hill | DB | Texas |
| Nyheim Hines | RB | North Carolina State |
| Jeff Holland | LB | Auburn |
| Mike Hughes | DB | UCF |
| Hayden Hurst | TE | South Carolina |
| Joel Iyiegbuniwe | LB | Western Kentucky |
| Ryan Izzo | TE | Florida State |
| Donte Jackson | DB | LSU |
| J.C. Jackson | DB | Maryland |
| Josh Jackson | DB | Iowa |
| Lamar Jackson | QB | Louisville |
| Derwin James | DB | Florida State |
| Richie James | WR | Middle Tennessee |
| Malik Jefferson | LB | Texas |
| Courtel Jenkins | DT | Miami |
| Kerryon Johnson | RB | Auburn |
| Ronald Jones | RB | USC |
| John Kelly | RB | Tennessee |
| Arden Key | LB | LSU |
| Christian Kirk | WR | Texas A&M |
| Du’Vonta Lampkin | DT | Oklahoma |
| Jordan Lasley | WR | UCLA |
| Chase Litton | QB | Marshall |
| Tavares Martin | WR | Washington State |
| Hercules Mata’afa | DE | Washington State |
| Ray-Ray McCloud | WR | Clemson |
| Tarvarus McFadden | DB | Florida State |
| R.J. McIntosh | DT | Miami |
| Reginald McKenzie | DT | Tennessee |
| Quenton Meeks | DB | Stanford |
| Kolton Miller | T | UCLA |
| D.J. Moore | WR | Maryland |
| Ryan Nall | RB | Oregon State |
| Nick Nelson | DB | Wisconsin |
| Kendrick Norton | DT | Miami |
| Isaiah Oliver | DB | Colorado |
| Dwayne Orso-Bacchus | T | Oklahoma |
| Da’Ron Payne | NT | Alabama |
| Kamryn Pettway | RB | Auburn |
| Eddy Pineiro | K | Florida |
| Trey Quinn | WR | SMU |
| D.J. Reed | DB | Kansas State |
| Justin Reid | DB | Stanford |
| Will Richardson | T | North Carolina State |
| Calvin Ridley | WR | Alabama |
| Austin Roberts | TE | UCLA |
| Korey Robertson | WR | Southern Mississippi |
| Josh Rosen | QB | UCLA |
| Bo Scarbrough | RB | Alabama |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | Stanford |
| Tim Settle | DT | Virginia Tech |
| Andre Smith | LB | North Carolina |
| Roquan Smith | LB | Georgia |
| Van Smith | DB | Clemson |
| Breeland Speaks | DE | Mississippi |
| Equanimeous St. Brown | WR | Notre Dame |
| Josh Sweat | DE | Florida State |
| Auden Tate | WR | Florida State |
| Maea Teuhema | T | Southeastern Louisiana |
| Trenton Thompson | DT | Georgia |
| Kevin Toliver | DB | LSU |
| Travonte Valentine | NT | LSU |
| Leighton Vander Esch | LB | Boise State |
| Vita Vea | NT | Washington |
| Mark Walton | RB | Miami |
| Denzel Ward | DB | Ohio State |
| Chris Warren | RB | Texas |
| Toby Weathersby | T | LSU |
| Jordan Whitehead | DB | Pittsburgh |
| JoJo Wicker | DT | Arizona State |
| Jalen Wilkerson | DE | Florida State |
| Connor Williams | T | Texas |
| Eddy Wilson | DT | Purdue |
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