Penn State defensive end Deion Barnes, a three-year starter for the Lions, is foregoing his final year of eligibility in college to enter the NFL draft. JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-News

Mike Hull, Jesse James, Donovan Smith top the list of Penn State players who are eligible for the 2015 NFL draft.

But where will they and the rest of the draft-eligible Nittany Lions end up in the draft?

Over at CBSsports.com, there are first-round mock drafts posted by Rob Rang and Dane Brugler -- there are no Lions projected to go in Round 1 -- and there is also a list of prospects by position and where each prospect is projected to go.

Let's take a look at the draft-eligible Lions:

Penn State tight end Jesse James caught 38 passes this season. A third-year player, James has declared early for the NFL draft. Joe Hermitt, PennLive

TE JESSE JAMES. A third-year player who recently declared early, James has ideal size (6-7, 254) to play at the next level. He caught 38 passes for 396 yards (10.4 average) and a team-high three touchdown passes.

Ranking: James is ranked the No. 6 tight end, the 117th-best player overall, and projected to go in the third or fourth round.

Worth noting: Two Big Ten tight ends are ranked ahead of James -- Minnesota's Maxx Williams (No. 45 overall) and Rutgers' Tyler Kroft (No. 106).

OG MILES DIEFFENBACH. A team captain and one of Penn State's most popular players, Dieffenbach's final season with the Lions was limited to a few games after he suffered a serious ACL injury last spring. The 6-3, 303-pound Dieffenbach was a three-year starter.

Ranking: Dieffenbach is the No. 8 guard in the 2015 draft class -- he is ranked No. 146 overall and he is projected to go in the fourth round.

Penn State linebacker Mike Hull, who moved from the outside to the middle in 2014, led the Lions in tackles last season. Joe Hermitt, PennLive

Worth noting: The Lions' offensive line was the weakest link on the 2014 team yet Dieffenbach is the top-rated Big Ten guard in the draft class.

OT DONOVAN SMITH. Smith started at left tackle for PSU for three seasons but caught many by surprise with his decision to leave school a year early. He is listed at 6-5, 335 but played heavier in 2014, according to PSU head coach James Franklin. Smith is one of three Lions who will play in the January 24 Senior Bowl along with linebacker Mike Hull and Adrian Amos.

Ranking: Smith is the 12th-ranked offensive tackle on the CBSsports.com list and is projected to go in the fourth round. Smith is ranked 134th overall.

Worth noting: Iowa star Brandon Scherff is the top-rated tackle from the Big Ten, checking in at No. 6 overall. Pittsburgh tackle T.J. Clemmings is a projected first-round pick.

DE DEION BARNES. Another Lion who is leaving a year early, the 6-4, 255-pound Barnes, a fourth-year player and a starter since 2014, registered 12.5 tackles for loss.

Ranking: The defensive end group is a deep one and Barnes is the 20th-ranked player at this position, and that means he is projected to go in the fifth or sixth round. Barnes is ranked No. 192 overall.

Worth noting: Fellow PSU defensive end C.J. Olaniyan, a senior and a productive player with the Lions, didn't even qualify for the CBSsports.com draft-eligible rankings. Nebraska underclassman Randy Gregory is the top-ranked end (No. 4 overall) and Michigan State's Shilique Calhoun (No. 39) is also ahead of Barnes on the list.

LB MIKE HULL. Penn State's leading tackler and a first-team All-Big Ten choice, Hull moved inside in 2014 after spending a few seasons at the outside linebacker position.

Ranking: The 6-0, 230-pound Hull will play inside in the NFL and he is ranked No. 8 overall at the inside linebacker position, which slots him in either the fifth or six round, according to the CBSsports.com rankings.

Worth noting: Hull is the top-ranked inside linebacker from the Big Ten.

S ADRIAN AMOS. A factor at Penn State since his true freshman season of 2011, Amos played cornerback and safety with the Lions and that versatility may help him in the NFL. Amos started all 13 games in 2014 and finished with 42 tackles and three interceptions.

Ranking: The 6-0, 210-pound Amos is the No. 7 free safety in the 2015 draft class and the 184th-ranked player overall.

Worth noting: Michigan State's Kurtis Drummond (No. 120 overall) is the only Big Ten safety ranked ahead of Amos.

PK SAM FICKEN. Ficken capped a memorable run at Penn State with a clutch, game-tying field goal late in regulation against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl and then delivered the game-winning extra point in the first overtime.

Ficken converted 24 of 29 field-goal attempts in 2014 and he was 9-for-11 from 40-plus yards. He was also effective as PSU's kickoff specialist.

Ranking: Kickers are not priorities in the draft and Ficken is ranked -- he is the No. 10 kicker -- but he has a free-agent grade.

Worth noting: Only four kickers are listed as possible draft picks -- Florida State's Roberto Aguayo, Colorado State's Jared Roberts, Louisiana-Monroe's Justin Manton and Notre Dame's Kyle Brindza.