Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor, January 14, 2016
When Mel Kiper Jr. releases an NFL Mock Draft, both college and NFL football fans take notice.
[MORE: Top replacements for 2016 | What are J.T. Barrett's Heisman outlook? | Big Ten's 2015 football season stands out | Final 2015 football standings ]
The ESPN NFL Draft guru released his initial first round mock draft today, and it features six Big Ten names.
Check out his Kiper's full 2016 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 here.
Highlighting the list is Ohio State DE Joey Bosa, who Kiper has going No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans.
"Every team wants great D-linemen, and Bosa has the upside of a star," Kiper says. "He's a dominant pass-rusher who piled up 51.0 tackles for loss over three seasons despite running into a steady supply of double-teams, and he's also outstanding against the run. You can move him around on the line at will. The son of a former first-round pick, he comes in ready to contribute."
The only other Big Ten standout Kiper has in his top 15 is Michigan State OL Jack Conklin, who he pegs going No. 14 to the Oakland Raiders.
Both Bosa and Conklin declared early for the draft after their junior seasons.
Here is a look at where Kiper has Big Ten stars going.
1. DE Joey Bosa, Tennessee Titans
14. OT Jack Conklin, Oakland Raiders
18. OT Taylor Decker, Indianapolis Colts
26. CB Eli Apple, Seattle Seahawks
27. DT Austin Johnson, Green Bay Packers
29. RB Ezekiel Elliott, Denver Broncos
Other names to consider: QB Connor Cook (Michigan State), DE Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State), DB Vonn Bell (Ohio State), LB Darron Lee (Ohio State), WR Michael Thomas (Ohio State), OT Jason Spriggs (Indiana), Maliek Collins (Nebraska).