LSU Football: Record-breaking 2020 NFL Draft a sign of things to come

LSU football had an awesome season which translated to the NFL Draft. It is a sign of things to come for Ed Orgeron and the Tigers.

According to NFL.com, the LSU Tigers had 18 draft prospects this season. Of those 18, 14 were drafted and the other four were signed as undrafted free agents. The Tigers sent players to the NFL on an Alabama-like level this season.

They fell one player short of Miami’s record of six first-round draft picks set in 2004. This, however, is not a one-time occurrence for the Tigers; it’s a harbinger of things to come.

The NCAA rule states that players have to be three years removed from their high school graduating class to be eligible for the NFL draft. Let’s look at LSU’s last three recruiting cycles to see the talent the LSU recruiting staff have brought to Baton Rogue.

Both JaMarr Chase and Terrace Marshall will be draft-eligible next year. If Chase has another incredible season, he’ll be a first-round pick almost surely. They might not have a high number of picks in 2021, but in 2022 and 2023 you will see higher numbers.

There are three five-stars from the 2019 class who will be draft-eligible including Derek Stingley Jr. who, barring injury, could be a top pick like Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah was this season. Both John Emery Jr. and Marcel Brooks will get more playing time this season with the mass exodus of players.

The Tigers are recruiting among the nation’s elite once again. As they recruit at a top-five level nationally, more and more of their players will get drafted early.