The latest Big Board is out from Mel Kiper, Jr. over at ESPN and that means it's time to talk about the 2012 NFL Draft. The Big Board is a rundown of the NFL Draft analyst's favorite players, listing Kiper's top 25 prospects. This year, quarterbacks come early and often on the list. That's good news for another player from the Big 12 in Landry Jones.
Andrew Luck is the obvious first choice and takes first place on the latest Big Board, but a bit farther down the list at No. 6 and No. 7 are Landry Jones of Oklahoma and Matt Barkley of USC. Given the attention paid to Barkley lately for some big USC wins, it's a good sign for Jones that Kiper still likes him more. He writes, "He misses Ryan Broyles. I like the way he's battled so far in 2011, but he has some interceptions and has made some odd decisions. Accuracy is still very good. Good size, strong arm but needs to improve footwork, particularly in traffic."
Oklahoma has had a less than stellar year, suffering unexpected losses to Texas Tech and Baylor, which means the spotlight isn't as bright on Jones. Yet when it comes time for the NFL Scouting Combine and other preseason workouts, he will be just fine and rise back where he belongs. Kiper will have kept an eye on him the entire time.