Originally Published: January 18, 2008

Arkansas' junior backfield debuts on Big Board

Junior running back Darren McFadden is the No. 1 prospect on Mel Kiper's Top 25 Big Board. However, that doesn't necessarily mean he thinks the Arkansas running back will be the top pick in April's NFL draft.

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Jr. By Mel Kiper Jr.
ESPN.com
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My latest Big Board now reflects the underclassmen who have declared for April's draft, and they make up almost half of the top 25. Junior Darren McFadden is the No. 1 prospect in the draft, but that doesn't mean he will be the first overall pick. Also with underclassmen, accurate and official mearsurables (height, weight, vertical leap) won't be available until the combine workouts. Right now, their spots on the Big Board are based on performance and potential at the next level.

Few interesting notes from the latest top 25 Big Board:

• Nine of the top 13 players are linemen (six defensive, three offensive).

• Notable schools currently not represented in the top 25 are Florida, Texas, Georgia, West Virginia and Tennessee

• There are only three schools with more than one player on the Big Board: USC (4), Miami (2) and Arkansas (2).

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