College football's season is almost set to kick off, which means that the 2018 NFL draft will be here sooner than you think. Those of us at Scouts Inc. -- Steve Muench and I -- spent the summer evaluating tape and ranking the top players at each position from a draft perspective.
Here is our preseason evaluation of the top 32 players for next year's draft. A lot can -- and will -- change between now and next April, but this will give you a good starting point on where the best guys stand going into the season.
Note: Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.
1. Sam Darnold, QB, USC*
Grade: 94
After being inserted in the starting lineup, Darnold took a 1-3 USC team and led it to a Rose Bowl appearance last season. Completing 67.2 percent of his passes (10th nationally), he threw for 3,086 yards and posted a 31-9 TD-INT ratio. Darnold capped the season with an impressive performance against Penn State in the Rose Bowl, tossing five TDs and going 10-of-10 for 135 yards in the fourth quarter. He can improve his ball security (nine fumbles, five lost), and his delivery is a bit long, but his accuracy is outstanding. He's an early Heisman Trophy favorite and is a more complete player than Josh Allen at this point.
2. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming*
Grade: 94
Allen is the best quarterback most college football fans have never heard of, and he can do everything on the field. He didn't have a single Division I scholarship offer in high school but transferred to Wyoming after a year at Reedley College. Allen has an elite arm and frame (listed at 6-foot-5, 233 pounds) and is surprisingly fast and athletic for his size. He can make any throw, and his accuracy is terrific when his feet are set. A little bit of a gunslinger at times, he has all the tools to be an elite NFL quarterback. If he comes out, he'll be in the running for the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL draft.