With the college football season nearing the end, this means it is time to start talking about the 2018 NFL Draft. The Big Ten is loaded with talent and below are five players who will be no doubt first rounders in the upcoming draft.
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1.) Saquon Barkley - RB Penn State
No surprise here, Barkley is the top running back in college football. He has the speed, agility, balance, vision, and power that leaves the NFL scouts drooling and I'd be surprised if he didn't go top five in the 2018 NFL Draft. The NFL comparison I see when watching Barkley is LaDainian Tomlinson or for a more recent comparison, David Johnson. Barkley is truly that special.
2.) Sam Hubbard - DE Ohio State
Hubbert is a big physical defensive end for the Buckeyes and his ability to get after the quarterback is why he will be drafted in the first round. He has the size and the length at 6"5" 265 pounds with the speed to compliment the size. In a quarterback-driven league, there is a high demand for pass rushers who can get to the quarterback at a high rate. Hubbard still needs to improve his ability to stop the run and at times doesn't close gaps to stuff running backs.
3.) Denzel Ward - CB Ohio State
Ward has been the most consistent corner for the Buckeyes this season and is one of the most important pieces to that defense after Ohio State lost so much secondary talent in the draft. He has the frame of an ideal NFL corner with the long arms but is still a little thin and struggles with physical wide receivers especially in press coverage. His agility and ability to accelerate quickly and break up passes is the reason why Ward will be going in the first round.
4.) Maurice Hurst - DT Michigan
Hurst is the best defensive tackle in all of college football if you ask many scouts. He is a big bodied defender with surprising quickness and great explosion off the line. He is a monster in the trenches and one of the smartest defenders in the NFL draft with his ability to identify plays. However, he is smaller than most NFL defensive tackles and is scheme specific. The goods greatly outweigh the bad and for that reason, Hurst will have his name called on day one of the NFL draft.
5.) Jamarco Jones - OT Ohio State
With Jones, he has the ideal build of a lineman for the NFL. He has that big block build to him with long arms and sneaky athleticism which gives him the ability to keep defenders away from him. He is smart in the sense of creating good angles and using his foot quickness to keep a clean pocket for the quarterback. The issue with Jones is he is a little upright and lacks balance. He is a very talented prospect with upside to be a great NFL tackle.
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Mitchell Renz is the Senior Writer & On-Air Host at Chat Sports check out his article archive and live videos on Chat Sports Facebook page. Please follow him on Twitter @MitchellRenz365.
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