Mel Kiper Jr., Football analyst 5y

Kiper's preseason Big Board and position rankings for the 2020 NFL draft

NFL, NFL Draft, College Football, Alabama Crimson Tide, Iowa Hawkeyes, Ohio State Buckeyes

The 2019 college football season is about to kick off, which means it's time for my preseason ranking of the best prospects in the 2020 NFL draft. This class is going to be quite a bit different from 2019's, which was dominated by pass-rushers.

A few notes on my new Big Board for 2020, in which I rank my top 25 prospects:

  • These aren't detailed scouting reports just yet. I still have a lot of work to do on these players, and what they do this season really matters.

  • Keep in mind that several prospects here have started only one season, so a lot of projection is involved.

  • Height and weight are based on what we have from schools. We don't get official numbers until the 2020 combine in March.

I've also included my position-by-position rankings below my top 25 overall. You can jump to those rankings here.

Note: One asterisk denotes that the prospect is a junior, and two asterisks denote that the prospect is a third-year sophomore.

1. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama*

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 192 | Previously: 1

The last time a receiver went No. 1 overall? It was Keyshawn Johnson in 1996. Now, I'm not saying that's going to be Jeudy in 2020, but he has that kind of talent. I said in May that he's the most talented receiver to enter the NFL since the duo of Julio Jones and A.J. Green went in Round 1 in 2011. Jeudy can run every route, has elite ball skills, and he dominates SEC defensive backs every week -- he had 68 catches for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Here's a great nugget from my friends at ESPN Stats & Information: Tua Tagovailoa's QBR was 94.1 with Jeudy on the field last season. Without Jeudy? Tagovailoa's QBR was just 41.2.

Week 1 matchup: vs. Duke, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC and the ESPN app.


2. Chase Young, DE, Ohio State*

HT: 6-5 | WT: 265 | Previously: 3

The NFL loves twitchy edge rushers who can get after quarterbacks, and that's Young. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go off the board first next April. He caught my eye as a true freshman in 2017, and he really came on last season, picking up the production with Nick Bosa sidelined. Young finished with 9.5 sacks and 14.5 total tackles for loss, and he should be even better in 2019. Watch his first step off the ball against Lane Kiffin's FAU team in the Buckeyes' opener -- he's going to wreak havoc.

Week 1 matchup: vs. Florida Atlantic, Saturday, noon ET, Fox.

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