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Football analyst- Mel Kiper has served as an NFL draft analyst for ESPN since 1984. He is a regular contributor on "SportsCenter," ESPN studio shows and ESPN Radio. He is the co-host of the First Draft podcast, and he writes regularly for ESPN+.
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senior NFL draft analyst- Todd McShay is a senior NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting reports on the nation's top pro prospects. He also serves as a college football field analyst on Saturdays in the fall. Todd joined ESPN in 2006 and contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live, College Football Live and ESPN Radio. He is a Massachusetts native and was a backup quarterback at the University of Richmond. You can follow Todd on Twitter via @McShay13.
Five weeks into the college football season seems like a good time to start identifying prospects who could play Round 1 sleeper in April's 2020 NFL draft. Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay go back and forth naming some talented players who are lurking just outside their first 32 picks. One such player jumped out this weekend with a career day for Alabama.
See who Mel and Todd think have first-round upside, along with their draft board risers and under-the-radar prospects to keep an eye on.
FIRST-ROUND SLEEPERS
DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
OK, so maybe we can't call Smith a sleeper anymore. No, not after he had five touchdown catches in Saturday's rout of Ole Miss. And these weren't easy TDs -- he scored on plays of 74, 25, 23, 33 and 27 yards.
Best known for his walk-off 41-yard touchdown catch in the national title game as a true freshman, Smith isn't as fast as Henry Ruggs III or as explosive as Jerry Jeudy, but he has smooth speed and creates separation on every route. He has also shown the ability to break tackles in space, and he's a good route runner. At 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, he still has room to grow into his body.
This is a really deep class of receivers, and I want to see what Smith runs at the combine. Right now, I have him graded as a second-round pick, but he could definitely rise. Tua Tagovailoa has incredible weapons, and Bama could have three first-round receivers. -- Kiper
