Big Board readies for bowl season

This is the calm before the storm. Although there was some maneuvering, the 25 names on the Big Board remain the same. However, that will begin to change in the coming weeks, once juniors begin to declare for the 2006 NFL draft.

Updated: December 15, 2005, 4:31 PM ET

By Mel Kiper Jr. | Special to ESPN Insider

There are a few minor changes to the Big Board this week, although nothing really significant. The big moves on the board will begin to occur once the high-profile juniors make their decisions about returning to college for another season or enter the 2006 NFL draft.

Remember: the upcoming bowl games, which begin Tuesday, represent the final opportunity for the top juniors to showcase their skills with their pads on. Underclassmen are not eligible to play in any of the postseason all-star games.

Make sure you keep a close eye on the top-five position boards for both the juniors and seniors because I update these ratings every week. Obviously, at the this time of the year, this is reflective of what I see on film when studying players that particular week.

My entire Big Board:

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