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Football analyst- Mel Kiper has served as an NFL draft analyst for ESPN since 1984. He is a regular contributor on "SportsCenter," ESPN studio shows and ESPN Radio. He is the co-host of the First Draft podcast, and he writes regularly for ESPN+.
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senior NFL draft analyst- Todd McShay is a senior NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting reports on the nation's top pro prospects. He also serves as a college football field analyst on Saturdays in the fall. Todd joined ESPN in 2006 and contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live, College Football Live and ESPN Radio. He is a Massachusetts native and was a backup quarterback at the University of Richmond. You can follow Todd on Twitter via @McShay13.
The LSU Tigers' 46-41 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday had more implications than just who might make the College Football Playoff. The matchup featured more than 20 prospects for the 2020 NFL draft.
Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay share their thoughts about the SEC epic in Tuscaloosa, including whose draft stock rose the most, just how high Joe Burrow could go next April and whether we need to be concerned at all about Tua Tagovailoa's durability.
Jump below for their picks for biggest risers and under-the-radar prospects to watch.
What's your biggest takeaway from LSU's win over Alabama?
McShay: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow added another chapter to the best story in college football this season. We all had Day 3 grades on him coming into the 2019 season, but he's playing like a potential first-round pick and NFL starter. And if you somehow still hadn't noticed entering this weekend, Burrow led the Tigers to 9-0 with the win over Alabama by completing 31 of 39 passes for 393 yards, three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. The 6-foot-4, 216-pound senior is one tough kid, and he's playing with confidence at an all-time high right now. Nothing rattles him.
Burrow is displaying a quick trigger, hitting tight windows and showing control of the LSU offense, and you can thank the influence of passing-game coordinator Joe Brady for much of the Tigers' improvement. But the real difference-maker on Saturday? Burrow's ability to diagnose the defense and know when to tuck the ball to run. That 18-yard run on third-and-2 inside two minutes was huge and set up the would-be winning touchdown. He appears to be the real deal as the unquestioned biggest riser in the 2020 draft class.