LSU-Alabama Has 20-25 'Slam Dunk' NFL Draft Picks Next Spring, According to NFL Scouts

The highly-anticipated game between LSU and Alabama on Saturday has drawn many comparisons to the same showdown between the teams when they played in regular season during 2011.

Both teams are ranked No. 1 and 2 in the Associated Press and Coached polls, just like eight years ago. Both teams are undefeated, and each will control their conference and national championship destiny with a win, just like 2011. The game is in Tuscaloosa and ESPN's College GameDay will be on campus for the national pregame show, just like back then.

And just like 2011, this year's game will be loaded with talent that's sure to find its way to the National Football League. Here's the comparisons, and some names to match.

The game in 2011 had 13 players chosen in the 2012 draft, including eight from Alabama. Also from that 2011 game, a 9-6 LSU win, the rosters from that day combined to include a total of 45 players drafted over the next few years.

This year's draft class could reach upwards of 25 players, perhaps even more depending on how many draft-eligible underclassmen declare for the draft.

"There's an estimation that 20-25 players on the field Saturday that will be chosen in next April's NFL Draft," said Mike Golic of ESPN's Golic and Wingo, citing NFL executives he had spoken with. "One NFL executive said there will be, of this year's draft, 13 slam dunk picks for Alabama and seven from LSU. Another executive said 14 from Alabama and 11 from LSU. So they're saying 20-25."

The current record for number of players drafted in one draft from a single college game the previous season is 21. That was from the 2014 Florida State-Louisville game. Florida State, which was No. 2 at the time, had 11 while unranked Louisville had 10.

ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper has seven players from Saturday's LSU-Alabama game on his top overall 15 who are draft eligible—five from Alabama and two from LSU. Four of those are in Kiper's top 10.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
4. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
6. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
9. Grant Delpit, S, LSU
12. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
13. Alex Leatherwood, Tackle, Alabama
15. Terrell Lewis, ILB, Alabama

Prominent players from the 2011 game who went on the NFL include (draft year):

Alabama (* first-round pick)
RB Trent Richardson* (2012)
S Mark Barron (2012)
CB Dre Kirkpatrick* (2012)
LB Dont'a Hightower* (2012)
CB Dee Milliner* (2013)
LB C.J. Mosely* (2014)
S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix* (2014)
RB Eddie Lacy (2013)

LSU
CB Morris Claiborne* (2012)
DT Michael Brockers* (2012)
DE Barkevious Mingo* (2013)
S Eric Reid* (2013)
WR Odell Beckham Jr.* (2014)
WR Rueben Randle (2012)
WR Jarvis Landry (2014)
DT Bennie Logan (2013)
CB Tyrann Mathieu (2013)

There are 28 total scouts from 19 NFL teams scheduled to be at the LSU-Alabama game Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa.