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BIG BOARD: Kiper's Top 25 NFL prospects | Jan. 9
The last week has seen three juniors declare for the NFL draft and join the Big Board. DE Kenechi Udeze of USC is the latest, joining Ohio State CB Chris Gamble (No. 13) and Miami defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (No. 25). That brings the number of juniors in my Top 25 to 11, including seven of the top 14.

1. Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss (6-4, 210) | previous ranking: same
Manning has an outstanding arm and possesses tremendous pocket awareness. He has stepped up his intensity in the huddle as well as his leadership on and off the field. He's accurate, poised and intelligent. Manning began the season at No. 4 on my Big Board. His situation this year is comparable to Carson Palmer's last year. Palmer rose up the draft board and wound up becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft (to the Cincinnati Bengals). If Manning had declared for the draft last year, he could have been a late first-rounder. He's the younger brother of Colts QB Peyton Manning.

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