Alabama Star Tops Mel Kiper's First 2020 Big Board and it's Not Tua Tagovailoa

The 2019 NFL Draft just happened, but that doesn't mean people aren't already looking at the 2020 draft. That includes ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who just released his big board for next year's draft.

You'd imagine that Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa would be a lock for the top spot, as he's got a strong case for being the single best player in college football. But it's one of his teammates that actually gets the honor instead.

Hmmmm. Bama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is in the top spot, and Tua is down all the way to No. 4 behind LSU safety Grant Delpit and Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.

Following at No. 5 is Iowa defensive end AJ Epenesa, with Penn State pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos, Standford lineman Walker Little, Florida cornerback CJ Henderson, and Georgia tackle Andrew Thomas following right behind. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, who famously opted to return to school after getting major draft buzz this past year, is Kiper's No. 10.

Remember, this is not a mock draft; this is a big board which lists the best overall players in the draft pool as rated by Kiper without regards to any specific team's needs. But a wide receiver (even an incredibly gifted one like Jeudy) topping the list a few spots ahead of a famous gunslinging teammate is intriguing.

Now, if the draft happened tomorrow, there's no doubt in my mind that Tua would be selected with the No. 1 overall pick. Hell, that possibily would have happened this year if he was eligible to come out. However, it appears that at this moment Kiper doesn't fully believe in him as the top player until he sees a bit more from the guy.