History Is on the Line This Week for LSU Football at the 2020 NFL Draft
LSU just completed one of the most dominant, record-breaking seasons in college football history. On their way to a fourth national championship, the Tigers became the first SEC team to go 15–0 in a season while quarterback Joe Burrow broke the NCAA record for touchdown passes (60).
The offense as a whole set an NCAA record for points scored in a single season (726) en route to perfection. After such an incredible run, naturally, the draft eligible players were expected to be in high demand and will be chasing a little more history this week at the 2020 NFL draft.
Since the draft moved to seven rounds in 1994, there's only been one team that has seen 14 players selected in the same draft, the 2004 Ohio State Buckeyes. This year, the 2020 LSU Tigers have a chance to break that record with as many as 19 players selected.
Now only 16 received invites to the NFL Combine and mock drafts have projected that as many as 13 players could be drafted. In Mel Kiper's latest mock draft, he has seven LSU players being drafted in the first two rounds alone.
The sure-fire bets to go on either day one or day two of the draft (Rounds 1-3) are Burrow, edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson, receiver Justin Jefferson, linebacker Patrick Queen, cornerback Kristian Fulton, safety Grant Delpit, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and center Lloyd Cushenberry.
That makes eight players right there and guard Damien Lewis, tackle Saahdiq Charles, defensive end Rashard Lawrence, tight end Thaddeus Moss and linebacker Jacob Phillips are all day-two or day-three prospects.
With 13 players expected to be selected in the draft, it would take just two more players that are on the draft bubble to give LSU the record. Linebacker Michael Divinity and tight end Stephen Sullivan are two names that would make sense to go as draft and stash prospects.
Despite not posting great numbers their senior seasons, Sullivan had a tremendous combine and is a 6-foot-5 tight end with great hands that can go up and make contested catches. Divinity led the team in sacks as a junior (5.5) in 2018 but was let go because of “eligibility” issues in 2019 and wasn’t ruled eligible until the national championship against Clemson.
If Divinity and Sullivan were to be drafted, that’d make 15 players total which would break the Buckeyes record.
LSU is also in position to potentially tie the University of Miami with the most first-round picks in the same year. Miami saw six players drafted in the first round in 2004 and Burrow, Chaisson, Jefferson, Queen, Fulton and Delpit are all players that are either first-round locks or on the bubble.
For a draft with already a ton of excitement to it, for LSU fans, the potential record setting class of Tigers will be an added element to keep an eye on.
