Video: Mel Kiper Reveals Trevor Lawrence, Top 5 2021 NFL Draft Prospects

Not surprisingly, Clemson star Trevor Lawrence sits atop the early 2021 draft board for ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.

Days removed from the 2020 NFL draft, Kiper provided a look at his top five players for the upcoming season. Lawrence was followed by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons:

Whereas Joe Burrow skyrocketed up draft boards over the course of the 2019 season, overtaking Chase Young and Tua Tagovailoa in the process, Lawrence is likely to maintain a tight hold on the No. 1 spot.

Football fans have counting down the days until he'll be draft-eligible from the moment he wrapped up his freshman season, particularly after his performances in the 2018 College Football Playoff. He threw for 674 yards and six touchdowns in wins over Notre Dame and Alabama. 

Lawrence was even better as a sophomore, throwing for 3,665 yards, 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

A team that already has a long-term plan in place at quarterback may pass on Lawrence were he on the board in the first round.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller listed Lawrence third in his first 2021 mock draft, with the Cincinnati Bengals selecting Sewell and the Washington Redskins adding Chase. The Bengals just took Burrow, while the Redskins used a first-rounder on Dwayne Haskins in 2019.

Lawrence's value could be such, however, that a team would be willing to pay a steep price in order to move up to the top of the draft and make him the centerpiece of the offense.