2017 NFL Draft: Big Ten’s All-Draft Team

The Big Ten Conference is loaded with talented football players. This All-Big Ten team will focus on the top NFL Draft-eligible players at each position.

It’s that time of the year again, when conferences and the NCAA pass out awards to players for the accomplishments during the past season. Fans celebrate when their school receives accolades and even more frequently feel like their favorite players aren’t getting their just due. There’s lots of debating and emotions typically run high.

This is not that type of list.

Instead, this list of team of players isn’t about what a they have done, but more about what they are going to do. While I am using the format of an “All-conference team”, the focus has some important distinctions.

First, this is a compilation list of only 2017 NFL draft-eligible players who play in the Big Ten. So when you don’t see Saquon Barkley (Penn State) as a first team running back on this list, remember he is only a sophomore and is not eligible for the 2017 NFL Draft. While this list is based on being eligible for the 2017 draft, that doesn’t mean everyone included will or is even expected to leave school to enter the 2017 NFL Draft. Keep that in mind.

Second, they are ranked based on their NFL potential not their college career. We are still five months away from the NFL draft (April 27-29, 2017) and there is plenty of evaluating still to do. But, as of now this is where I believe these players stand going into draft season.

Finally, I used a “Pro Style” scheme as my offensive format and a “Nickel Base” for my defensive format. I chose these schemes because they are used by the majority of teams in the NFL and how most teams approach the NFL draft.

The Big Ten is loaded with NFL talent and the chances are some of them will be playing for the Detroit Lions on Sunday in 2017. So, click-through the pages, have some fun, and get ready because the NFL Draft will be here before you know it.