Where Will LSU Football's Top Players Land in 2021 NFL Draft?
LSU might not reach the historic numbers it produced at the NFL draft in 2020, but this is still a pretty loaded class out of Baton Rouge all things considered. The Tigers have four players who could easily fall anywhere from the first through fourth rounds in April's 2021 NFL draft.
In order to gain more insight, we caught up with the team over at NFL Draft Bible to pick their brains on where each of the players could fall in this spring's draft and why their draft grade is what it is.
Ja’Marr Chase (Top 15)
Every team could use a player like Ja’Marr Chase. The biggest conversation surrounding the dynamic boundary receiver is how much opting out of the 2020 season will hurt him and the opt outs in general. In a vacuum, Chase is a physically gifted pass catcher who is very worthy of a top ten selections.
He isn’t your classic instant separator but Chase dominates at the catch point, playing with an alpha mentality to win through contact and in the air. There are some parallels to DeAndre Hopkins and how he wins. What Chase was able to accomplish in 2019 at the age of 19 in the SEC speaks volumes to how special he is as a prospect.
JaCoby Stevens (Rounds 2-4)
Stevens is a little bit of a tough projection. He was obviously vital to the LSU defense over the last two seasons, working as a Swiss Army knife on the back end. Lining everywhere from SAM backer, single high, mid hole, in the slot and as a blitzer, Stevens brings an insane amount of versatility.
The question is what position fits his skill set best. In the trend of positionless football, Stevens is quite simply a dynamic second level defender who can do a lot for a defense. If he tests the way he says, you could see Stevens sneak into Round Two.
Terrace Marshall Jr. (Late First-Early Second)
With Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase out of the equation, Marshall was firmly out of the shadow. He clearly made the most of his opportunity in the seven games he played during the 2020 season.
Talent has never been a question mark for Marshall. Blessed with outstanding size and length, Marshall has a second gear that can take you off guard. He is that vertical element to your offense that can win both with long speed and size down the football field. He’s the type of player that the NFL will fall in love with, especially if he tests well for his size.
Jabril Cox (Second-Third round)
In a season where there were a lot of things stacked against players, putting into question if we would even have a season at certain points, LSU linebacker Jabril Cox took advantage of every opportunity. After spending his first four seasons with North Dakota State, Cox opted to graduate transfer to LSU for his final season.
For as dominant as Cox was as a Bison, there were some questions how his athletic profile would translate to the next level. He alleviated all of those question marks, showing that he is one of the more athletic and top pass coverage linebackers in the 2021 NFL Draft class. He was also one of the big winners at the Senior Bowl a couple of weeks ago. In an ever evolving passing league, Cox ability to impact passing downs is a huge asset.
