Barring any recent news the NFL draft is scheduled to start on April 23rd with the first round then rounds two and three on the 24th then four through seven on the 25th. To get ready for the draft I am going to highlight two games to watch before the draft that includes the most prospects.
LSU vs. Alabama
This game should have been obvious from the title alone. In an early November match up the LSU Tigers went down to Tuscaloosa and beat Alabama in a thriller 46-41. The dizzying array of talent on both sides is incredible. In terms of NFL players, both schools are one and two in producing NFL talent. As many as fifteen to twenty players could be selected from this game in the first two rounds. Highlighting that group are quarterbacks Joe Burrow from LSU and Tua Tagovailoa from Alabama who are both expected to go in the top five. In addition to the quarterbacks is that as many as twelve prospects could be drafted in the first round alone. What separates both schools is the depth of prospects. If you look at positional rankings for prospects at Alabama or LSU player is listed in the top five in every position* Individual and positional matchups feature some of the best players in the country. Alabama has two first-round picks at receiver (Jerry Judy and Henry Ruggs) matching up with LSU’s secondary featuring Safety Grant Delpit and corner Kristian Fulton who are first-round talents themselves. Down in the trenches tackle Jedrick Wills from Alabama takes on edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson of LSU. What is absurd about this game are the players that will be drafted in the next few years; watching this game is essentially watching the future of the NFL.
Clemson vs. Ohio State
While the LSU/Alabama game is an obvious pick for number one; this game is an obvious number two. In one of the best games of the season, Clemson won a squeaker against the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff. Whereas LSU/Alabama was highlighted by offensive players. This game was highlighted by defensive players. Defensive end Chase Young, Corner Jeffrey Okudah from Ohio State, and Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons could all go in the top five of the upcoming draft. Also within this game is the individual matchup between Okudah and another first-rounder in Wide Receiver Tee Higgins. Ten more players from this game could all go in the first three rounds of the draft. This game also features potentially the number one and number two pick next year in quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Justin Fields of Ohio State.
*Tight end, Fullback, Kicker, and Punter are the exceptions
**I took an average of several websites to use has totals for big boards, projections, and positional rankings (ESPN, Tankathon, Drafttek, Walter Camp)
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