Kiper and McShay's guide to the college football season: 25 NFL draft questions

Who says we have to wait until next year to talk about the 2020 NFL draft? ESPN draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay tell you what you should be watching (and when) this college football season.

Who are the quarterbacks to know in the 2020 class? What about the pass-rushers who could break out, and the under-the-radar prospects to watch? Kiper and McShay answer 25 questions:

2020 NFL draft rankings:
Kiper's Big Board | McShay's Top 32

1. OK, the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 class right now is ...

Kiper: There's no consensus top prospect. There are some elite players across the board, though. You have the quarterbacks in Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) and Justin Herbert (Oregon), plus a few guys who could rise. You have the pass-rushers in Chase Young (Ohio State) and A.J. Epenesa (Iowa). There are a couple of dominant offensive tackles to watch, and it could be a strong defensive back class.

My top prospect right now is Tagovailoa's receiver Jerry Jeudy, a phenomenal playmaker and talent. But 1996 was the last year a receiver went No. 1 overall in the draft, and it would take a lot for it to happen again. Let me also say this: Todd is going to disagree with me, but Tagovailoa is far from a lock to be the top quarterback in this class.

McShay: Easy there, Mel. Tagovailoa is the real deal. He's not the clear-cut overall prospect just yet -- like Nick Bosa was last year -- but he is definitely the top quarterback in the class at this point. Sure, no QB has a better supporting cast, and he didn't have the strongest finish to the 2018 season after injuries piled up. But his field vision and accuracy -- especially downfield -- are distinctive traits. I see a lot of Drew Brees in him. He is a special talent and my preseason No. 1 prospect.

2. Will Herbert's decision to return to Oregon pay off?

McShay: Yes, Herbert's decision-making and accuracy were too erratic last season. He has a rare combination of size (6-foot-6), mobility and arm strength. He's tough and will stand tall in the pocket. But he also needs to improve his touch and trajectory on certain throws, and he still trusts his arm strength too much at times. The senior has to learn that a 6-yard checkdown on first down is perfectly fine, too.

Kiper: Totally agree, Todd. He was just too inconsistent. Herbert is an elite talent -- and if he puts it together, consistently, he's going to be a Heisman contender and top-five pick. And he has the talent around him to help him get there.

3. What's the one thing you want to see from Tagovailoa this season?

Kiper: We know he has outstanding touch, but I want to see a little more zip on his throws. I want to see him improve the velocity on his fastball. He's never going to have elite arm strength, but can he get it to above-average? I know NFL teams are watching him closely in Year 2 as the Bama starter.

McShay: The biggest things for me are whether he can stay healthy all season and sustain consistency late in the year. His play clearly regressed late last season when the hits started to add up. With a deep QB class like this one, Tagovailoa will need to play well for the entire season -- and stay on the field -- to hold off Herbert & Co. as the top quarterback prospect.

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4. Who's the under-the-radar QB who could rise up draft boards?

McShay: Stanford's K.J. Costello is intriguing. He shows good touch and anticipation on throws. But the 6-foot-5 senior struggles with some intermediate throws, and with very little mobility, Costello needs to get the ball out on time and improve his consistency when under pressure. That Oct. 21 matchup with Herbert and Oregon will be fun to watch.

Kiper: Sorry, Todd, I'm going to name two guys. There is already some NFL buzz around Washington's Jacob Eason, a 6-foot-6 Georgia transfer who was just named the starter. He has a huge arm, and he has the talent around him to help boost his stock. Utah State's Jordan Love is a talented passer who is going to have to show he can excel without big-time playmakers -- he lost his top five receivers from last season to graduation. He and the Aggies get a big test as they travel to LSU on Oct. 5.

5. Which transfer QB are you most excited to watch?

Kiper: How can it not be Jalen Hurts at Oklahoma? He went 27-2 as the starter at Alabama, and now he gets to learn from Lincoln Riley, who just produced back-to-back Heisman winners and No. 1 overall picks. Can Hurts take a big leap as a passer under Riley? He'll have to if the Sooners want to win their fifth straight Big 12 title.

McShay: I'm definitely interested to see what magic trick Riley can pull off with Hurts. The Alabama transfer is a very good athlete and a proven winner, but Hurts has never shown NFL-caliber arm talent. Keep an eye on Justin Fields at Ohio State, too. New coach Ryan Day knows how to develop quarterbacks, and I think that OSU offense is going to be wide open this season. The Buckeyes lost some talent at receiver, but there's still a lot left, starting with sophomore K.J. Hill. Fields could be in for a great year.

6. Which Week 1 game should I watch for 2020 prospects?

McShay: I'll be working the Alabama-Duke game, but Georgia vs. Vanderbilt (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network) is the one to watch for NFL talent. The Bulldogs have three players in my top 50 (offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, running back D'Andre Swift and quarterback Jake Fromm), and Vandy has a surprising amount of skill on offense. The Commodores have had only six draftees in the past five years, but four prospects -- tight end Jared Pinkney, running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn, quarterback Riley Neal and wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb -- could go in the 2020 draft.

Kiper: Give me Auburn vs. Oregon (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC and the ESPN App). It's Oregon and Justin Herbert against a really strong Auburn defensive line, led by tackle Derrick Brown and end Nick Coe, both of whom could be first-round picks. The Ducks also have three offensive linemen in my top 10 at their positions: center Jake Hanson, Shane Lemieux and tackle Calvin Throckmorton. Can Herbert dice up the Tigers? Should be a fun one.

7. What's the one game you have circled on your calendar this fall?

McShay: Any time Alabama or Clemson play a good team, it's must-watch football. But man, that Ohio State vs. Michigan game (Nov. 30) is going to be good. Both schools are tied for the second-most top-100 draft prospects (seven, with Clemson and Michigan State) right now behind Bama (10). And that Buckeyes defense has two players in my top five: cornerback Jeff Okudah (No. 4) and defensive end Chase Young (No. 5).

Kiper: LSU at Alabama on Nov. 9. With top-25 prospects Grant Delpit and Kristian Fulton, the Tigers have the defensive talent to pull off an upset in Tuscaloosa. Can they get enough from their offense? And Bama is loaded again, with six prospects on my preseason Big Board. This one could decide the SEC West -- again.

8. Which non-powerhouse is loaded with talent for the 2020 class?

Kiper: TCU has some intriguing prospects. Wide receiver Jalen Reagor is in my top 40, and he could rise if he cuts out the drops. Offensive tackle Lucas Niang has first-round potential. Cornerback Jeff Gladney and defensive linemen Ross Blacklock and Corey Bethley will also get drafted.

9. Which position is the strongest in the 2020 class?

McShay: Wide receiver appears to be absolutely loaded. I'm setting the over/under for first-round wideouts at six; the last time that many went on Day 1 was 2015. The 2020 class is that good. Alabama's Jerry Jeudy (my No. 2 prospect overall) and Henry Ruggs III (No. 11), Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb (No. 8), Colorado's Laviska Shenault Jr. (No. 16), Clemson's Tee Higgins (No. 24) and TCU's Jalen Reagor (No. 25) all have first-round potential. And don't be surprised if others rise to that level, including Ohio State's K.J. Hill and Oklahoma State's Tylan Wallace.

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10. Who is the most explosive prospect in this class?

Kiper: Alabama's Ruggs can fly. I've been told he could run below 4.3 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. He's also a good all-around player and underrated route runner.

11. Who's the most freakish athlete?

McShay: Clemson's Higgins is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver who can make guys miss with his sheer strength, and he has great hands, too. Put the ball in his neighborhood, and he's catching it.

12. Kentucky's Josh Allen broke out with 17 sacks last season. Is there a pass-rusher who can do the same?

Kiper: Ohio State's Chase Young, the No. 2 prospect on my Big Board, jumped off the tape for the Buckeyes last season while he filled in for Nick Bosa. He's the kind of twitchy edge rusher who could put up huge numbers -- I could see him getting 15 sacks.

13. Last year's class was loaded with defensive linemen. Who are the names to watch this year off the edge?

McShay: Well, start with Young. Kiper's right -- the 6-foot-5 pass-rusher is quick off the edge. But Iowa's A.J. Epenesa (No. 9) and Notre Dame's Julian Okwara (No. 17) are going to be forces coming around the corner, too. Epenesa is a really active hand fighter, and Okwara flashes good speed to power when getting after the quarterback. And don't sleep on Boise State's Curtis Weaver (No. 27), either. No one will mistake this for last year's pass-rusher class, but there's still a lot of talent here.

14. Auburn DT Derrick Brown went back to school despite being a potential first-round pick. Could he go top 10 in 2020?

Kiper: He definitely could, but he has to show he can get sacks. NFL teams want their first-round defensive tackles to stuff the stat sheet. Brown had only 4.5 sacks in 2018. We know he's powerful and great against the run, but he can take his game to the next level with a few more pass-rushing moves -- and finishes.

15. Which school will produce the most first-rounders in April?

McShay: To no one's surprise, I'd say Alabama. Nick Saban has produced 11 first-rounders over the past three years, and six Bama prospects are in my top 25, including the top two spots. The Crimson Tide could own April's NFL draft.

16. Who's the newly draft-eligible offensive prospect you can't wait to watch?

Kiper: Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin had a huge 2018 season, rushing for 1,642 yards and 16 scores while catching another 35 passes. And old pal Herm Edwards raves about the true junior. Benjamin could rise if he does it again.

17. What about newly draft-eligible defensive prospect?

McShay: Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah jumps out on tape, and I can't wait to see more of him this season. He's so underrated, and OSU just keeps pumping out good NFL defensive backs. At 6-foot-1, Okudah has great size and length, and he's fluid in coverage. He's the best man-to-man cover corner I've studied this summer, and checks in at No. 4 on my prospect rankings.

18. Who is the top defensive back in the class and what makes him special?

Kiper: Okudah is in my top 15, but I'll pick a safety instead. LSU's Grant Delpit, who is No. 3 overall on my Big Board, has received comparisons to former Tiger Jamal Adams, and it makes sense. Both are complete safeties. But what makes Delpit special is his playmaking abilities. He had five sacks and five interceptions last season; Adams had five picks in his three-year LSU career.

19. Which running backs have the best chance to sneak into Round 1?

McShay: There's definitely some talent in the backfield this year, and Georgia's D'Andre Swift and Clemson's Travis Etienne are the top two on my board, each having the potential to be selected in the first 32 picks. Swift was even No. 26 in my preseason rankings. Both tailbacks have the explosive qualities that NFL teams are looking for, and Etienne knows how to find the end zone. Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor and Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins also have the chance to rise into consideration.

20. Could an offensive lineman go No. 1?

Kiper: No. Not with the quarterback talent in this class. But there could be two tackles in the top 10. Andrew Thomas (Georgia), Tristan Wirfs (Iowa) and Walker Little (Stanford) are my top three.

21. The 2019 draft had two first-round tight ends. Who are you eyeing for 2020?

McShay: The tight end class is not as talent-rich, but I do really like Vandy's Jared Pinkney. I think he's an underrated player, partially because he doesn't get as much national attention. But he is my No. 22 prospect right now, and flashes as a talented route runner with good body control. Also keep an eye on Missouri's 6-foot-5 Albert Okwuegbunam, who could be a matchup piece in the NFL.

22. Which FCS prospect will you be watching most closely?

Kiper: Two to watch from my early evaluations:

• Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn is a tall, rangy center fielder who has nine career interceptions.

• James Madison cornerback Rashad Robinson missed all of 2018 because of a foot injury, but he had seven picks in 2017. I want to see how he bounces back this season.

23. Let's look ahead: Who's the one 2021 prospect you want to see?

McShay: Trevor Lawrence is the guy. If the Clemson quarterback were eligible for this past draft, I believe he would have been the No. 1 overall pick over Kyler Murray. Seriously. But NFL teams will have to wait to see the 6-foot-5 Lawrence for a little bit longer.

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24. What about a 2022 prospect?

Kiper: This is all projection, but I really want to see the No. 1 recruit in the country, Oregon freshman edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. He looks like Myles Garrett physically, but let's see how he looks against Pac-12 offensive tackles. He's a special talent.

25. OK, plant your flag for the 2020 draft: Who's going to be your guy throughout the process?

Kiper: If I can pick only one, I'll take Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, my No. 12-ranked prospect. The more I watched Bama last season, the more McKinney stood out. He's a really gifted player. Remember this when McShay is talking him up in January.

McShay: How about Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons? This dude is a physical freak with great range both in coverage and versus the run. He's a perfect fit for the pass-heavy NFL (he used to be a safety) and has the potential to be the future leader of a pro defense. And I expect his technique and recognition to improve this season. Watch him rise up draft boards this season.

Bonus! What is your early College Football Playoff pick?

McShay: I'm going with Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Texas in the CFP, with Alabama winning its third CFP title in five years.

Kiper: My top four is: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State. And I'll take Bama over Clemson -- again -- in the title game.