Record number of underclassmen to hit NFL Draft

The NFL granted special eligibility to a record number of underclassmen, who will flood the first round with talent. The official number of underclassmen is 106, breaking the record of 98, set in 2014. There were 96 underclassmen eligible for the draft in 2016 and 95 last season. In reality, though, 123 players gave up college eligibility for the 2018 NFL Draft, including 13 who earned degrees and four who didn't need special eligibility. Beyond the record quantity, there is high quality. NFLDraftScout.com rates 21 of the underclassmen among the top 25 prospects in the draft, including redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold at No. 1, Penn State junior running back Saquon Barkley at No. 2 and UCLA junior quarterback Josh Rosen at No. 3. The top-rated defensive player comes next -- Alabama junior defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. NFLDraftScout.com tabs North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb as the best senior prospect, No. 5 overall. LSU lost seven players with eligibility to the draft, the most of any team, including edge rusher Arden Key and running back Derrius Guice, both potential first-rounders. Florida State lost six underclassmen, as did Texas, including running back Chris Warren, who announced at the end of the season he would transfer. Five players from national champion Alabama departed early, with four among the top 32 prospects, according to NFLDraftScout.com: Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle Da'Ron Payne, receiver Calvin Ridley and safety Ronnie Harrison. Here are the 106 underclassmen granted special eligibility into the NFL Draft: 1. Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame 2. Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, DE, Toledo 3. Jaire Alexander, DB, Louisville 4. Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma 5. Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas 6. Jerome Baker, LB, Ohio State 7. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State 8. Jessie Bates, DB, Wake Forest 9. Orlando Brown, T, Oklahoma 10. Taven Bryan, DT, Florida 11. Deontay Burnett, WR, Southern California 12. Deon Cain, WR, Clemson 13. Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida 14. Geron Christian, T, Louisville 15. Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana 16. Keke Coutee, WR, Texas Tech 17. Vosean Crumbie, DB, Nevada 18. J.J. Dallas, DB, Louisiana-Monroe 19. James Daniels, C, Iowa 20. Sam Darnold, QB, Southern California 21. Carlton Davis, DB, Auburn 22. Michael Dickson, P, Texas 23. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech 24. DeShon Elliott, DB, Texas 25. Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama 26. Matt Fleming, WR, Benedictine 27. Nick Gates, T, Nebraska 28. Rashaan Gaulden, DB, Tennessee 29. Frank Ginda, LB, San Jose State 30. Rasheem Green, DT, Southern California 31. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU 32. Ronnie Harrison, DB, Alabama 33. Quadree Henderson, WR, Pittsburgh 34. Holton Hill, DB, Texas 35. Nyheim Hines, RB, North Carolina State 36. Jeff Holland, LB, Auburn 37. Mike Hughes, DB, Central Florida 38. Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina 39. Joel Iyiegbuniwe, LB, Western Kentucky 40. Ryan Izzo, TE, Florida State 41. Donte Jackson, DB, LSU 42. J.C. Jackson, DB, Maryland 43. Josh Jackson, DB, Iowa 44. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville 45. Derwin James, DB, Florida State 46. Richie James, WR, Middle Tennessee 47. Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas 48. Courtel Jenkins, DT, Miami 49. Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn 50. Ronald Jones, RB, Southern California 51. John Kelly, RB, Tennessee 52. Arden Key, LB, LSU 53. Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M 54. Du'Vonta Lampkin, DT, Oklahoma 55. Jordan Lasley, WR, UCLA 56. Chase Litton, QB, Marshall 57. Tavares Martin, WR, Washington State 58. Hercules Mata'afa, DE, Washington State 59. Ray-Ray McCloud, WR, Clemson 60. Tarvarus McFadden, DB, Florida State 61. R.J. McIntosh, DT, Miami 62. Reginald McKenzie, DT, Tennessee 63. Quenton Meeks, DB, Stanford 64. Kolton Miller, T, UCLA 65. D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland 66. Ryan Nall, RB, Oregon State 67. Nick Nelson, DB, Wisconsin 68. Kendrick Norton, DT, Miami 69. Isaiah Oliver, DB, Colorado 70. Dwayne Orso-Bacchus, T, Oklahoma 71. Da'Ron Payne, NT, Alabama 72. Kamryn Pettway, RB, Auburn 73. Eddy Pineiro, K, Florida 74. Trey Quinn, WR, Southern Methodist 75. D.J. Reed, DB, Kansas State 76. Justin Reid, DB, Stanford 77. Will Richardson, T, North Carolina State 78. Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama 79. Austin Roberts, TE, UCLA 80. Korey Robertson, WR, Southern Mississippi 81. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA 82. Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama 83. Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford 84. Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech 85. Andre Smith, LB, North Carolina 86. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia 87. Van Smith, DB, Clemson 88. Breeland Speaks, DE, Mississippi 89. Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame 90. Josh Sweat, DE, Florida State 91. Auden Tate, WR, Florida State 92. Maea Teuhema, T, Southeastern Louisiana 93. Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia 94. Kevin Toliver, DB, LSU 95. Travonte Valentine, NT, LSU 96. Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State 97. Vita Vea, NT, Washington 98. Mark Walton, RB, Miami 99. Denzel Ward, DB, Ohio State 100. Chris Warren, RB, Texas 101. Toby Weathersby, T, LSU 102. Jordan Whitehead, DB, Pittsburgh 103. JoJo Wicker, DT, Arizona State 104. Jalen Wilkerson, DE, Florida State 105. Connor Williams, T, Texas 106. Eddy Wilson, DT, Purdue The following 13 players notified the league office they have fulfilled degree requirements. They are eligible for selection: 1. Jordan Akins, TE, Central Florida 2. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming 3. Kyle Allen, QB, Houston 4. Will Clapp, C, LSU 5. Terrell Edmunds, DB, Virginia Tech 6. Taylor Hearn, G, Clemson 7. Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State 8. Sam Jones, G, Arizona State 9. Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame 10. Brian O'Neill, T, Pittsburgh 11. Christian Sam, LB, Arizona State 12. Tre'Quan Smith, WR, Central Florida 13. Courtland Sutton, WR, Southern Methodist The following players inquired about their draft status and are eligible for selection without the need for special eligibility: 1. Juante Baldwin, DB, Pittsburg State 2. Tanner Lee, QB, Nebraska 3. Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford 4. Byron Pringle, WR, Kansas State