ESPN Senior NFL Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Very Bullish on LSU Football Prospects in 2021
Last week, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay released his big board and three LSU players made the cut. A week later, senior draft analyst Mel Kiper dropped his 2021 draft big board and the players were the same but the rankings were a bit different.
Kiper ranked receiver Ja'Marr Chase No. 4 overall, linebacker Jabril Cox No. 15 and defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin No. 25 overall on his top-25 prospects of the class.
Of course Chase and Shelvin made headlines this week when the pair elected to opt out of the 2020 season to focus on the draft. Chase's decision was met with surprise but understanding as he really has nothing left to prove at the collegiate level.
He'll be a top-10 pick no matter what after his 1,780-yard, 20 touchdown season that set records in the SEC in 2019.
"The competitor in me badly wants to play the season and go to war with my brothers, but during this time, with so much going on, this is what's best for my family," Chase wrote in a social media post on Monday. "I appreciate each and every one of my teammates for your hard work and pushing me to get better every day. There is nothing I want to do more than suit up in No. 7 for the LSU Tigers."
"He's stellar after the catch, breaking tackles and running away from defenders. As I mentioned in May, Chase dominated first-round pick A.J. Terrell in the national title game, catching nine passes for 221 yards and two TDs. He's a terrific prospect," Kiper wrote.
Shelvin's decision was a little more unexpected as an extra season in college could have really helped his draft stock. The 6-foot-3, 360-pound former No. 1 player in Louisiana out of high school has battled his fair share of weight issues over the years.
After playing most of the 2019 season at 330 pounds, Orgeron said on Tuesday that Shelvin reported to fall camp close to 370 pounds.
"I love him like a son. So I hope the best for him. He made that decision. I thought he should've stayed obviously, but that was his decision," Orgeron said. "So here's what I told him: I said, 'Hey, get your weight down to 330, make sure you're in shape and go have one heck of an NFL career and make us proud.' That's all I can say."
"With a massive frame, he eats up blockers, allowing linebackers to get free and make tackles. He's not going to give you much as a pass-rusher, but he has a role in the NFL, even if it won't be for every team," Kiper wrote.
Landing Cox was a stroke of genius by the LSU coaching staff and the early returns on his 2021 draft projections prove just that. After being ranked a week ago by McShay as the No. 21 best prospect, Cox earned even higher praise from Kiper.
"He's a classic run-and-hit linebacker who tackles well in space and could play inside or outside. I want to see more of him in coverage against SEC offensive weapons, though. Cox is a fun defender to watch," Kiper wrote.
"He's a great character young man, speaking to him on the phone, guys knew him so he came highly recommended,” Orgeron said of Cox. “The thing I saw on film was a big linebacker that can run and hit and key diagnose. I didn't know he was gonna be that good. I think this guy is gonna have an excellent year at LSU, he definitely is an SEC linebacker. Obviously he was overlooked in recruiting but here's his shot. I think the thing I like most about Jabril is his maturity."
Though two of these highly talented prospects are now gone, the team still has some top heavy talent but there's no doubt the Tigers face a steeper climb than this time a week ago.
