Kiper & McShay answer five big NFL draft questions after LSU-Bama

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.

Kiper: My biggest takeaway? It's that Brady should win the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. An LSU offense that ranks second in the entire FBS in passing yards per game (379.3)? And ranks fourth in the FBS in yards per play (7.5)? The 30-year-old has done wonders with this offense, and he has been a crucial part of quarterback Burrow's surprising rise from fringe NFL prospect to potential No. 1 overall pick. The Tigers just put up 46 points on Bama when Nick Saban & Co. had an extra week to prepare. It doesn't quite feel real. Brady, who is also the team's receivers coach, has done a great job developing his unit, with Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase emerging as two of the best wideouts in the country.

Could Burrow really go No. 1 overall?

Kiper: Yes. There's no question in my mind. In fact, when I unveil my updated Big Board rankings in a couple of weeks, I'm going to have Burrow ahead of Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert as the top-ranked quarterback for the 2020 draft. I had already moved up Burrow to No. 6 overall before Saturday's game, but I was waiting to see what he did against Bama before I pulled the trigger to make him No. 1. I'm ready to make the call now.

How could anyone watch that game and say otherwise? He has all the tools to be an elite NFL quarterback, from size to accuracy and touch to athleticism. What I like most about Burrow is that he's ultra-competitive while staying calm and collected. He didn't blink against a loaded Crimson Tide defense. I've made the comparison to Tony Romo before, and I'm sticking with it. Throw out Burrow's numbers from last season and focus on the improvement in 2019. This is a great quarterback prospect.

McShay: Can we really doubt this kid in any regard at this point? He was a fringe prospect just three months ago. Now we're talking about him in the same breath as Tagovailoa and Herbert, and answering questions about whether he's bound for No. 1 next April. In short, yes, it's possible. Tagovailoa is the most natural passer in this QB class, and Herbert comes with the best combination of size and arm strength, but Burrow belongs in the conversation atop the class. One thing is for sure: NFL teams looking for a new quarterback will have plenty of high-end options.

Is there any long-term concern about Tagovailoa's play and injured ankle?

McShay: Yes, there absolutely have to be some concerns, but let's not get carried away, either. Tagovailoa overcame a brutal start to the LSU game in which he looked rusty after time off and ended up with 418 passing yards and four touchdowns. He battled through it all, too. Tagovailoa got Bama back into that game after trailing by 20, and he made it really interesting at the end when he dropped a perfect pass to DeVonta Smith for an 85-yarder that pulled the Crimson Tide within six. That's no joke.

Now for the bigger picture. I love Tagovailoa's instincts. I love his touch. I love his suddenness. And his deep accuracy is elite. But he's still a young quarterback who is learning to deal with adversity and how to play through pain. Tagovailoa should be a very high-level NFL starter, and there's no reason to question that right now. But everyone has flaws, and every great QB has had to learn how to mask those flaws and how to overcome adversity. That's what Tagovailoa faces now.

Kiper: Totally agree with Todd here. Tagovailoa is still an elite prospect and potential top-10 pick, and Burrow moving up is not a criticism of Tagovailoa's play; it's all about what Burrow has proved as he has risen to the top of the Big Board.

The other thing to mention is that quarterback evaluations are subjective for NFL teams. There will be teams that like Tagovailoa over Burrow and Herbert. There will be teams that have Herbert as their top QB. We're a long ways off from the Bengals, Dolphins and other teams settling in on their preferred signal-caller. I can't wait for April.

Which prospect helped his stock most Saturday?

McShay: Tigers running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the most underrated player on the team, and he showed it on Saturday afternoon. The 5-8, 209-pound junior ran for 103 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, and he added 77 more yards and another score on nine catches in the receiving game. He even returned a kick for 19 yards in the first quarter.

Edwards-Helaire has great quickness, an effective spin move and the ability to make catches out of the backfield. And every time I watch him, I appreciate his toughness and contact balance more. He has such a great center of gravity and runs so low to the ground that it's extremely difficult for defenders to get clean shots on him. On the season, Edwards-Helaire has rushed for 11 touchdowns and is averaging 5.8 yards per tote on the ground. He's rising quickly, and I like him for Day 2 right now.

Who was the top prospect from the game not eligible for the 2020 class?

Kiper: LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has a chance to be the top receiver in the Class of 2021. The 6-1, 205-pound true sophomore was outstanding against Alabama, catching six passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. He ranks second in the SEC in receiving touchdowns (10) and third in receiving yards (889).

I like to throw out the numbers that receivers put up against bad teams and focus on how they fare against the best of the best. Chase has 29 catches and four 100-yard-receiving games against the ranked teams LSU has beaten this season. He is a top-tier receiver prospect.

Prospects on the rise

These are the 2020 NFL draft prospects moving up boards:

Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin

I put Biadasz in my list of first-round sleepers last month, but his play since has shown that he's the clear top center in this class and a potential top-20 pick in April, if he enters the draft. The fourth-year junior is an integral part of an excellent Badgers running game, which just put up 300 yards on Iowa. He moves extremely well for his 6-3, 321-pound size -- he can pull to get to the edge with ease -- and he anchors well in pass protection. Biadasz, who has started 36 games, has gotten better each season. -- Kiper

Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU

Blacklock is one of the more underrated prospects in the country. He's an athletic 6-4, 305-pound interior lineman with power. Blacklock plays with good effort, tallying 33 tackles this season, including 9.0 for loss and 3.5 sacks. And he has made an impact in three consecutive games against ranked opponents, most recently recording 1.5 tackles for loss in a three-overtime loss to Baylor on Saturday. It's starting to look like Blacklock has a chance to be top-50 pick in April. -- McShay

Under-the-radar prospects to know

Keep an eye on these potential Day 2 or Day 3 picks:

Tyler Johnson, WR, Minnesota

Gophers receiver Rashod Bateman is the better pro prospect, but don't sleep on Johnson, who caught seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota's huge win over Penn State. While he doesn't have elite size (6-2, 205), length or top-end speed, he gets open underneath, runs hard after the catch and flashes the ability to make tough contested catches downfield -- like he did on a 38-yard touchdown on Saturday. And he isn't afraid to do the dirty work in the middle of the field. Johnson grades out as a sub-package receiver with midround value in the 2020 draft. -- McShay

Cam Gill, OLB, Wagner

Gill has been a sack machine for the Seahawks, with 11.5 as a sophomore, 13.5 as a junior and 7.5 more this season. He was stellar against Sacred Heart on Saturday, racking up eight tackles and a sack. At 6-3, 240 pounds, Gill is a true edge-rushing threat with power in his hands and the ability to explode off the line of scrimmage. He's a nuisance in the backfield and is great at lateral pursuit. The senior is a nice Day 3 prospect for the 2020 class. -- Kiper