National Championship Game: Top 15 NFL Draft prospects to watch on LSU and Clemson

6. Grant Delpit, LSU safety

Grant Delpit was way up on analysts’ boards heading into the 2019 season as a do-it-all safety with the ability to play on the back end and near the line of scrimmage. His ball skills and range were excellent last season on tape and many expected it to continue. Alas, it hasn’t been the case. Delpit has dropped significantly on boards after a disappointing 2019 despite winning the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. He played injured for most of the year and struggled to make tackles in space while less than 100 percent.

Delpit has been getting healthier the last few weeks and the extra time off between the SEC Championship Game and Peach Bowl before the title game should have him close to 100 percent. Delpit has the range and instincts to play on the back end, so if he can make plays baiting one of the best quarterbacks in the country, Delpit could find his way back into the first half of the first round. Until then, he remains a tough evaluation right now in the draft process.

7. Travis Etienne, Clemson running back

The 2020 running back class is starting to officially gain steam, as Dobbins, Swift, and Taylor have all declared. It will be interesting to see if Travis Etienne follows suit after the National Championship game. Etienne is an explosive player with the burst and speed to take any carry to paydirt, as his 7.9 yards per carry over three seasons show. Etienne has had some issues in the passing game in his career, especially with drops. In the semifinal, he caught a couple of key passes, including the game-winner from Lawrence. Another game showing his three-down ability may get some teams to reconsider their running back boards entering the 2020 NFL Draft.