Where LSU Football Players Land in Latest ESPN 2021 Mock Draft Exercise
The NFL draft is less than 10 days away as teams are finalizing draft boards and preparing for a stressful three days of trades and draft picks. For LSU, a number of the top prospects in this draft class will go in the first three or four rounds of the draft.
While names like Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall should be called in the first round on April 29. ESPN's analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay recently conducted an exercise where they took turns mocking the the first three rounds of the NFL draft. Throughout the piece, a total of three LSU prospects were selected, all coming in the top 60 picks of the draft.
Here's where the duo have the top prospects landing.
Ja'Marr Chase (No. 6 overall- Miami Dolphins)
The Dolphins need weapons for second year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and with tight end Kyle Pitts off the board and the Cincinnati Bengals electing to go offensive line, Chase drops to Miami. He would be the perfect fit alongside Will Fuller and DeVonte Parker.
There could be an argument to grab Tagovailoa's former Alabama teammate Devonta Smith but after posting stellar numbers at the NFL Combine, including a 4.38 40-yard dash and 41-inch vertical at LSU's pro day.
It's been over a year since Chase has taken the field for competitve evaluation after opting out of the 2020 college football season. In that time, he's lost a little weight so that he could improve his speed but he doesn't think he's lost any of the physicality or explosiveness that made him college football's best in 2019.
"I was working on a lot of my speedwork. I stopped lifting so I could keep my twitch in my body and my legs, so that was the cause of me losing a little weight and looking a little slimmer," Chase said. "But on the other note, I feel good. I was confident in my drills today. I feel good about my drills. I just wanted to go out there and put on a show for them."
Terrace Marshall (No. 27 overall- Baltimore Ravens)
The Ravens have been a popular destination for Marshall, who would be reunited with former teammate Patrick Queen, but most importantly give Lamar Jackson a vertical, redzone threat for a passing offense that really struggled a season ago.
Marshall came in as a fringe first round pick but after an extremely productive pro day, it would be surprising if Marshall fell out of the top 32 picks. He ran an absurd 4.38 40-yard dash and lept 39 inches on the vertical jump, surpassing many expectations. With his 6-foot-4 frame, those are elite level scores and with all 32 teams in attendance, likely made quite an impression.
"What separates me from everybody is that versatility on the field. You’re just going to be getting a great teammate overall, you’re going to be able to get a hard worker," Marshall said. "If not the hardest (worker) in the room, one of the hardest workers in the receiver room. You’re just going to get that dog, someone who takes advantage of the opportunities you’re given and don’t take it for granted. Overall, a great person, great leadership, I’m going to make everyone around me better.”
Jabril Cox (No. 60 overall- New Orleans Saints)
The Saints are in search of a linebacker to complement Demario Davis and Cox is the kind of playmaker that would be perfect for New Orleans. With Kwon Alexander being released and Alex Anzalone now with the Detroit Lions, the Saints need to rebuild depth throughout the roster through the draft.
Cox is a playmaker in the middle of the field and one of the top coverage linebackers in the class who could be utilized on a number of NFL teams. In a recent interview with WWL's Doug Mouton, Cox said that one of the teams that has shown significant interest in him is the New Orleans Saints.
“No they’re definitely really interested,” Cox said. “I’ve been on multiple Zoom calls with them, they’ve said they’ll be down there for my pro day when I have it on the April 26, so the interest is there with them.”
