By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
The series continues with the Big10. The Big10 has been the best conference in the league for the past few seasons and they are hoping to keep that up this season. Let’s find out where these teams stand right now.
For those new to the draft, each team can draft until they hit the 26-man roster limit. Once they hit that, they are out of the draft. So, a few teams will only draft in the first round and some will have many picks to use.
Michigan
Number of Picks in the Draft: 4
Biggest Need: SS
Where They Draft: 5th
Michigan is going to be fun to watch in the draft. They have talent spread out across the team but could use depth at several positions. This means they could go anywhere with every pick and it wouldn’t be surprising. However, they do not have a strong safety on the roster, so that is their biggest need. They only have two free safeties too, which means they might go SS more than once.
Other places they could use depth include WR, TE, LB, and CB. Michigan is poised to have a comeback season, but a good draft is going to decide how big that comeback will be.
Michigan State
Number of Picks in the Draft: 5
Biggest Need: Depth
Where They Draft: 13th
It is hard to pick one glaring need for Michigan State right now. They have starters at every spot but need depth at several different spots. On offense, they could use another HB, TE, and WR. On defense, they could use depth everywhere but the defensive line.
Michigan State made a statement last season that they are going to be a contender in the Big10. A great draft could make them a favorite to win the conference.
Ohio State
Number of Picks in the Draft: 6
Biggest Need: SS
Where They Draft: 16th
Ohio State is coming off their first conference title since Season 6. They lost a lot of talent to graduation, but there is still a lot to love about this Buckeye team. While they need depth at several positions, safety has to be the biggest. They do have two stellar free safeties (Jeremy Schultz and Benjamin Carter) who will likely be the starters. However, they have nothing behind that.
Defensive tackle, wide receiver, and tight end will all be positions of need for Ohio State. It will be interesting to see how they address them in this draft.
Oregon
Number of Picks in the Draft: 8
Biggest Need: Defensive Line
Where They Draft: 3rd
The Ducks have one defensive lineman on the roster right now. DE Gavin Lussier is a great talent and his numbers speak for themself, but they need a lot of help at this spot. They should spend a few picks along the defensive line, especially since they will have to play several talented HBs in conference play.
The other two big needs are going to be at safety and cornerback. They currently have two of each on the roster, so depth is an issue they hope to solve in their secondary.
Penn State
Number of Picks in the Draft: 10
Biggest Need: Safety
Where They Draft: 10th
There isn’t a safety on the Penn State roster right now, which makes it by far their biggest need. You will likely see them grab at least three in the draft.
The defensive line is the next biggest need. DT Jonny Wang and DE Buck Bolden are the only defensive linemen on the roster currently. They need to add at least one starter depending on what defense they plan to run. Wide receiver, linebacker, and corner are also on the table.
USC
Number of Picks in the Draft: 1
Biggest Need: Best Available
Where They Draft: 24th
The CFSL’s reigning champion only has one pick in the draft this season. They have a pretty complete team at this point. They could go wherever they want with this pick. If a big name drops to the end of the first round, expect USC to pull the trigger.
With that said, a wide receiver or linebacker might be the most likely selection for the Trojans. They could use depth at both spots, but neither is a glaring need.
