TUSCALOOSA, AL – NOVEMBER 24: Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Auburn Tigers draws a facemask penalty as he is sacked by Quinnen Williams #92 and Mack Wilson #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The National Championship Game will be littered with future NFL players and these are the top draft-eligible prospects on Alabama and Clemson.
When Alabama and Clemson take the field on Monday for the National Championship Game, many NFL scouts and general managers will be watching. Many of the headliners in the game like quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence as well as skill position players Jerry Jeudy, Travis Etienne and Justyn Ross, there will be plenty of players who will be playing on Sundays in the near future.
As for the players who will be hoping to hear their name called in April’s draft, the best prospect playing in the National Championship Game is Alabama defensive lineman and Outland winner, Quinner Williams.
He kicks off the list of the top NFL Draft prospects to keep an eye on Monday night that could be playing for your favorite NFL team next season.
1. Quinnen Williams, Defensive Lineman, Alabama
Williams is considered by many to be the most NFL-ready player to come out with this year’s NFL Draft class, and his reputation is topped only by that of Ohio State’s Nick Bosa. However, the Crimson Tide is playing in the National Championship, and the Buckeyes aren’t, so Williams makes the list as who I think will be the highest drafted player on this list.
Williams has big star potential and excels as a rush-man on the interior in almost any defensive setting. Williams has had an incredible season so far from the Tide and has been essential unblockable for opposing guards thanks to great hands, a strong physicality, and size-defying speed off the line of scrimmage. Look for Williams to go very early in the first round.
2. Clelin Ferrell, Edge-Rusher, Clemson
The NCAA class of 2019 is stacked with talent at the defensive line. In other years, guys like Ferrell and Williams may go as the top prospects overall. Their potential shouldn’t be short-changed, however, as they each have the ability to transform a franchise, and their draft positions will show that.
Ferrell has been one of the most impressive linemen Clemson has seen in recent years, and his consistency is almost unmatched. He matches excellent power with shifty moves on the line. Ferrell is just about as complete a player as you can hope for after his four years at Clemson (though he will graduate as a junior) where he has played all 14 games in each of his last three seasons, accumulating 27 sacks to go with 49 tackles for loss. He could be a nice pick in the Top 10 of the draft.