Five LSU Players Appear in Mel Kiper's 2021 NFL Draft Big Board/Best Available by Position Rankings

The 2020 NFL draft was a glowing success considering the circumstances and while we don't know what next year's draft will look like, we have a pretty good indication of who will be in it.

On Tuesday, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper released his first 2021 draft big board as well as the top-five prospects at every position. Five LSU players made the cut, headlined by receiver Ja'Marr Chase.

Ja'Marr Chase (No. 4 overall, No. 1 receiver)

Chase enters his junior season at LSU with history on the line as he needs 909 yards and four touchdowns to hold the program records in each category. Those numbers shouldn't be all that hard to surpass this year but with a new quarterback and practically new offensive line, you never know.

I studied a lot of tape of the LSU offense leading up to the 2020 NFL draft, and Chase is hard to miss. He makes highlight-reel catches look easy. He's stellar after the catch, breaking tackles and running away from defenders. And he has physicality that can't be taught. Chase caught 84 passes last season, leading the FBS with 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also dominated first-round pick A.J. Terrell in the national title game, catching nine passes for 221 yards and two TDs. Chase is a big-time wideout prospect.

Chase will be the guy each and every defense LSU faces next season prepares for, which could open up success for his teammates like Terrace Marshall and Arik Gilbert.

“This is a kid with great talent, he’s the AJ Green, Julio Jones potentially of this draft class," Kiper said on SportsCenter last week. "You saw Ja’Marr Chase just dominate when the games were most important. You saw what he did against AJ Terrell, who was the 16th pick in the draft out of Clemson."

Tyler Shelvin (No. 17 overall, No. 2 defensive tackle)

Shelvin eats up offensive linemen with his massive 6-foot-3, 346-pound frame and will be one of the top returning defensive players for the Tigers in 2020.

Shelvin is a classic run-stuffing nose tackle in the vein of Haloti Ngata and Vita Vea. With a massive frame, Shelvin 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. Remember: Vea went No. 12 overall in 2018. It only takes one team to like you, and Shelvin is clearly the top nose tackle in the 2021 class.

In the 4-3 defense LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini will implement, Shelvin's role up front will be a vital component to success. His ability to attract multiple offensive linemen in the middle will allow his teammates on the outside more one-on-one matchups to get pressure on the quarterback.

Pelini said in a recent interview on “Hangin’ With Hester” that Shelvin reminds him a lot of one of the great d-lineman to grace LSU's campus, Glenn Dorsey.

"I think he can be as good as he wants to be," Pelini said. "I think he is a really talented kid. I am excited about him. He does some things, now. He is way bigger than Glenn was at this point in his career, but there are times you see that 72 and he reminds me of Dorsey."

JaCoby Stevens (No. 5 ranked safety)

Kiper listed Stevens as the No. 5 ranked safety in the 2021 draft class, a bit surprising considering the breakout junior season from Stevens. He did spend most of his time closer to the line of scrimmage and like Grant Delpit in 2018, just made plays.

He recorded 92 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, five sacks and three interceptions in 2019. With Todd Harris back to assume that deep safety role, Stevens could see similar success in the slot which could boost his draft stock as the season progresses.

"The installs are getting me excited with how aggressive we're gonna be and how loose we're going to be able to play," Stevens said this week on “LSU Sixty.”

Tory Carter (No. 4 ranked fullback)

The fullback position is relatively lost in modern football but Carter has found other ways to see the field, primarily on special teams. Known to have one of the more eccentric personalities on the team, Carter transitioned to a backup tight end role in 2019 and appeared in 10 games for the Tigers.

Carter has brought in 12 career receptions for 115 yards and two scores in his three years with the team. He'll be a veteran presence in the locker room but will continue to impact the team through his hard nosed play on special teams and the occasional reception.

Zach Von Rosenberg (No. 2 ranked punter)

Von Rosenberg will be entering his fourth season as the Tigers punter and he's amassed quite the resume in that time. Holding a career net average of 44 yards per punt, Von Rosenberg was a second team All-SEC player in 2018 and named to the freshman All-SEC team back in 2017.

Last season his services weren't an every game need as the LSU offense often found itself in the endzone at a historic rate. Von Rosenberg only punted 40 times in 2019, dropping 18 of those 40 punts inside the 20-yard line with just three touchbacks the entire season.