Kiper’s Big Board drops

Mel Kiper prefaced the update by stressing this Big Board is a talent-focused top-25 ranking — “not a mock draft” — and that his list reflects scouting reports compiled after combine and pro-day work. (espn.com) Kiper wrote that he moved Fernando Mendoza up from No. 2 following the College Football Playoff semifinals and cited Mendoza’s 2025 line: 72.0% completion rate, 3,535 passing yards, 41 TDs, six interceptions and seven rushing TDs, plus a drop in sacks allowed from 41 in 2024 to 25 in 2025. (espn.com) Kiper’s No. 2 placement for Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love includes his 2025 totals of 199 carries for 1,372 rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs, 27 receptions for 280 receiving yards, 60 forced missed tackles and a reported 4.36 breakaway speed on tape. (espn.com) A number of recent first‑round mocks now project only two quarterbacks to be taken in Round 1, a scenario laid out in Joel Klatt’s mock and echoed in Sports Illustrated’s latest full‑round projection. (foxsports.com) NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s March 17 mock places Love inside the top five, and additional post‑combine mocks from Sporting News and Yahoo have boosted Love into first‑round range, creating multiple credible draft boards that value running backs much higher than earlier in the cycle. (nfl.com) Kiper’s overhaul followed the combine and pro days — he removed Oregon’s Dante Moore after Moore announced he would return to school, and Kiper said the combine/pro‑day window prompted significant reordering across his top 25. (on3.com)