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ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has several SEC players among top offensive prospects for 2017
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Last week, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. released his “way-too-early” big board for the 2017 class, which was absolutely loaded with SEC players.
On Thursday morning, he doubled down and published his top 10 offensive players at each position for next year’s draft, and the story remains the same: the SEC fares exceptionally well, this time with 20 total players listed.
Unless you’re an ESPN Insider, you won’t be able to see his rankings. But don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Here are his position-by-position rankings for offensive seniors and underclassmen, with SEC prospects in bold:
Quarterbacks
Seniors
1. Davis Webb, Cal
2. Mitch Leidner, Minnesota
3. Chad Kelly, Ole Miss
4. C.J. Beathard, Iowa
5. Cooper Rush, Central Michigan
Underclassmen
1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson
2. Brad Kaaya, Miami (Fla.)
3. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
4. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
5. Pat Mahomes, Texas Tech
Running Backs
Seniors
1. Justin Davis, USC
2. Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego State
3. Corey Clement, Wisconsin
4. Elijah McGuire, UL-Lafayette
5. Shock Linwood, Baylor
Underclassmen
1. Leonard Fournette, LSU
2. Nick Chubb, Georgia
3. Jalen Hurd, Tennessee
4. Dalvin Cook, Florida State
5. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
Wide Receivers
Seniors
1. Corey Davis, Western Michigan
2. Mike Williams, Clemson
3. Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
4. Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M
5. Travin Dural, LSU
Underclassmen
1. JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC
2. Malachi Dupre, LSU
3. Darren Carrington, Oregon
4. Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech
5. K.D. Cannon, Baylor
Offensive Tackles
Seniors
1. Zach Banner, USC
2. Conor McDermott, UCLA
3. J.J. Dielman, Utah
4. Adam Bisnowaty, Pittsburgh
5. Jon Heck, North Carolina
Underclassmen
1. Cam Robinson, Alabama
2. Roderick Johnson, Florida State
3. Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
4. Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
5. Orlando Brown, Oklahoma
Centers
Seniors
1. Ethan Pocic, LSU
2. Dan Voltz, Wisconsin
3. Kyle Fuller, Baylor
4. Tyler Orlosky, West Virginia
5. Cameron Tom, Southern Miss
Underclassmen
1. Mason Cole, Michigan
2. Nick Linder, Miami (Fla.)
3. Alan Knott, South Carolina
4. Austin Golson, Auburn
5. Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama
Guards
Seniors
1. Pat Elflein, Ohio State
2. Dorian Johnson, Pittsburgh
3. Greg Pyke, Georgia
4. Dan Feeney, Indiana
5. Nico Siragusa, San Diego State
Underclassmen
1. Brian Allen, Michigan State
2. Braden Smith, Auburn
3. Tyrone Crowder, Clemson
4. Damien Mama, USC
5. Billy Price, Ohio State
Fullbacks
Seniors
1. Frieddie Stevenson, Florida State
2. Prescott Line, SMU
3. Nate Iese, UCLA
4. Sam Rogers, Virginia Tech
5. Kenneth Goins, Jr., Maryland
Underclassmen
1. Chris Herndon, Miami (Fla.)
2. Jaylen Samuels, NC State
3. Dimitri Flowers, Oklahoma
4. J.D. Moore, LSU
5. Austin Ramesh, Wisconsin
Tight Ends
Seniors
1. Jake Butt, Michigan
2. O.J. Howard, Alabama
3. Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas
4. Jordan Leggett, Clemson
5. Evan Engram, Ole Miss
Underclassmen
1. Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech
2. DeAndre Goolsby, Florida
3. Brandon Lingen, Minnesota
4. Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin
5. Jeb Blazevich, Georgia
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
