Best NFL prospects in CFP title game, where they could be drafted
Scoop Jackson looks ahead to the showdown between Georgia and Alabama and what a national championship would mean for each team's legacy. (1:23)
6:07 AM CT
Mel Kiper Jr.
Todd McShay
The College Football Playoff national title game is loaded with NFL prospects -- and not just for the 2018 NFL draft. Alabama and Georgia are consistently among the best programs in recruiting high school talent and developing players into NFL prospects, and Monday night's game (8 ET, ESPN/WatchESPN) shows that.
We asked ESPN NFL draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay to break down the best Alabama and Georgia prospects for the upcoming draft, and they came up with a list of the top 12 players who could be picked before Day 3 of the draft right now. They added a few more to the list, too.
Remember: These scouting reports will change as the draft nears. There are a few underclassmen on this list, and they have until Jan. 15 to declare their intentions to enter the draft. The combine begins in late February, and the draft is April 26-28.
Here are the top prospects for the 2018 draft, in order of their early Scouts Inc. rankings (asterisk denotes the prospect has remaining college eligibility):
1. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama*
2017 stats: 55 tackles, one interception, seven tackles for loss, eight pass breakups
McShay's take: Fitzpatrick has an NFL build, closes well and plays with an edge, and he's solid defending the run and pass. Although he intercepted only one pass in 2017, he's a difference-maker who picked off eight passes and returned four of them for touchdowns in his first two seasons at Alabama. Fitzpatrick (6-foot-1, 203 pounds) is at his best lining up over the slot and playing close to the line of scrimmage. He injured one of his kidneys in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, but he said he's ready to go for the title game.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 4 | Where he projects in the draft: Top-10 pick
2. Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama*
2017 stats: 59 catches for 935 yards (15.8 YPC) and four touchdowns
Kiper's take: Ridley will be the top receiver in this draft class if he decides to leave Alabama a year early. He's a nightmare to try to tackle in the open field -- he has almost 400 yards after catch this season. At 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, he has the size and speed to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL. He hasn't gotten as many targets in 2017, but he has made the most of them. If Jalen Hurts can get him the ball Monday night, he will be a difference-maker.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 14 | Where he projects in the draft: First round, maybe even the top 10
3. Roquan Smith, ILB, Georgia*
2017 stats: 124 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble
McShay's take: Georgia's leading tackler is an active playmaker with the quickness to disrupt plays in the backfield and the range to go sideline to sideline. Smith is a three-down player, has good cover skills and possesses the closing speed to pressure the quarterback. He's also a really reliable and fundamentally sound tackler. Smith (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) will probably fit best as a weakside linebacker at the next level.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 17 | Where he projects in the draft: First round
4. Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama*
2017 stats: 70 tackles, three interceptions, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four pass breakups
Kiper's take: Harrison has been overlooked at times because of how talented the Alabama secondary is; he's a really solid and reliable player. He can lay out running backs at the second level, and he can cover receivers and tight ends in space. At 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, Harrison is big and physical, and he could play either safety spot in the NFL. Harrison could still return for another season in Tuscaloosa, but if he tests well at the combine, I could see him sneaking into the first-round discussion.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 23 | Where he projects in the draft: Second round
5. Rashaan Evans, ILB, Alabama
2017 stats: 66 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, one forced fumble
McShay's take: Evans leads the team in TFL despite missing two games. He has continued to make great strides since moving into a starting role late last season, and he's coming off an impressive performance against Clemson. Evans (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) is a rangy run-defender who rallies to the ball with great effort and tackles well. The versatile linebacker has lined up on the inside and the outside in addition to flashing as an edge rusher, and he has above-average range in coverage.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 34 | Where he projects in the draft: Second or third round
6. Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama
2017 stats: 42 tackles, one interception, seven pass breakups
Kiper's take: Both of Alabama's primary corners -- Averett and Levi Wallace -- are going to be drafted, but Averett is a better prospect. He's versatile and can play in the slot, and he tracks the ball well and shows good anticipation in coverage. Where he goes in the draft will depend on his combine workout. I think he's a Day 2 pick at this point.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 40 | Where he projects in the draft: Second or third round
7. Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama*
2017 stats: 47 tackles, one interception, one sack, eight QB hurries
McShay's take: Payne is an excellent run-stuffer who is tough to move off the ball and has the upper-body strength to control blockers. He's also athletic enough to serve as a lead blocker in short-yardage situations, and he caught a touchdown pass against Clemson. The downside is Payne (6-foot-2, 319 pounds) is a relatively one-dimensional defender who has three career sacks and doesn't regularly generate pressure as a pass-rusher.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 42 | Where he projects in the draft: Second or third round
8. Lorenzo Carter, OLB, Georgia
2017 stats: 57 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, nine QB hurries
Kiper's take: Carter is asked to do a lot of things in the Georgia defense. He'll rush the quarterback, but he'll also drop into coverage and get his hands on running backs and tight ends. He doesn't have a ton of sacks -- just 9.5 for his career -- but he's athletic and can bat down passes. At 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, I think he's going to test well at the combine. He's probably a true outside linebacker in a 3-4 in the NFL.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 47 | Where he projects in the draft: Second round
9. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
2017 stats: 205 carries for 1,320 yards (6.4 YAC), 15 TDs; three catches, 31 yards
Kiper's take: Chubb looked like a potential top-10 pick when he rushed for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman in 2014, but he suffered a gruesome knee injury in 2015 and has leveled off a bit as a prospect. I like Chubb, but I think his teammate Sony Michel will be taken a little bit higher. Michel is more dynamic. Chubb (5-foot-10, 225 pounds) is going to get his shot on an NFL roster, though.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 60 | Where he projects in the draft: Third or fourth round
10. Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
2017 stats: 142 carries for 1,129 yards (8.0 YPC), 16 TDs; nine catches, 96 yards, one TD
Kiper's take: Michel has moved up this season. Like I said above, he's a better prospect than Chubb on my board. He has showed great burst, and he can run inside and outside the tackles. He didn't see many targets in the passing game this season, but he had 48 catches from 2015-16, so he has proven that he can contribute there. I could see Michel (5-foot-10, 220 pounds) being the second running back taken after Penn State's Saquon Barkley.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 74 | Where he projects in the draft: Second round
11. Damien Harris, RB, Alabama*
2017 stats: 129 carries for 983 yards (7.6 YPC), 11 TDs; 10 catches, 70 yards
McShay's take: Alabama's leading rusher each of the past two seasons, Harris (5-foot-11, 221 pounds) is a determined runner who runs behind his pads and drives his legs on contact. He doesn't have an elite second gear, but he's a north-south runner who is quicker than fast. He has averaged better than 7 yards per carry each of the past two seasons. Like his teammate Bo Scarbrough, he needs to continue to develop his ability to contribute on passing downs.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 77 | Where he projects in the draft: Fourth or fifth round
12. Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama*
2017 stats: 120 carries for 573 yards (4.8 YPC), eight TDs; 16 catches, 108 yards
McShay's take: Scarbrough runs through and bounces off would-be tacklers, thanks to his size, strength and balance, plus the big, 6-foot-2 back has quick feet for his build. He's still developing as a receiver, but he has some upside in that area, and he's a willing pass-blocker with the strength to excel with refined technique. Alabama's third-leading rusher this season, Scarbrough didn't put up the numbers most expected, but he's a more talented player on tape than his production suggests. Scarbrough's medical tests will play a key role in where he is ultimately picked.
Scouts Inc. ranking: 108 | Where he projects in the draft: Fourth or fifth round
More 2018 Alabama prospects to keep an eye on:
Da'Shawn Hand, DL
Levi Wallace, CB
Shaun Dion Hamilton, ILB (out for the season)
Tony Brown, CB
JK Scott, P
More 2018 Georgia prospects to keep an eye on:
Trenton Thompson, DT
Dominick Sanders, S
Davin Bellamy, OLB
Isaiah Wynn, OG
Javon Wims, WR
John Atkins, DT