Evaluating talent is hard.

Every recruiting cycle there are guys like Denver Harris, who ranked as a five-star, but never pan out, whether that's because of on or off the field issues. Then there are guys like Derek Stingley, who come in as the No. 1 player in the class and leave as a top-three draft pick and become an All-Pro early in their career.

Then you have the Justin Jefferson's of the world, who are criminally under ranked coming out of high school and end up being one of the best football players in the NFL just a few years later.

So, I'll say it again: evaluating talent is hard.

With the NFL Pro Bowl Games beginning tonight with the skills competition, I thought we could go back and look at the eight former LSU Tigers who made the Pro Bowl and see how they were ranked coming out of high school.

Joe Burrow was a three-star recruit in the 2015 class and ranked as the 24th dual quarterback and the 29th best player in the state of Ohio. The Buckeyes kept the Athens native in-state, but he never got a chance to play before transferring to LSU, where he played two seasons and had the greatest single season we've ever seen from a quarterback.

Since leaving LSU, Burrow became the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, made the Super Bowl, was named a finalist for the 2022 MVP and is now a two-time Pro Bowler. Safe to say he was a bit under ranked as a high school recruit.

Jayden Daniels ranked as a four-star and the No. 57 overall player in the 2019 class. He was the No. 2 dual quarterback and the No. 7 player in the state of California before committing to Arizona State, where he'd spend three years before transferring to LSU. There, he became a Heisman Trophy winner and led the best offense in the nation in 2024.

Since leaving LSU, Daniels became the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft and led the Commanders, who won four games a year ago, to the NFC Championship game. He has already cemented himself as a top-five quarterback in the league and was named to a Pro Bowl as a rookie. Unfortunately, he has opted out and will not participate in the Pro Bowl.

Out of the four super star receivers LSU has put into the league in the past six years, Ja'Marr Chase was the highest-ranked recruit of them all, coming in as the No. 67 player and No. 12 receiver in the 2018 class. He played two seasons at LSU where he had over 2,000 receiving yards and won the 2019 Biletnikoff Award, but sat out the 2020 season before declaring for the NFL Draft.

Since leaving LSU, Chase was selected fifth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals and united with Joe Burrow. In his rookie season, he helped lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Rams. He's been named to two All-Pro teams and has made the Pro Bowl all four seasons he's been in the league.

Justin Jefferson was the lowest-ranked high school recruit on this list. The two-star receiver didn't receive a LSU offer until late in the process, but committed there anyways. He didn't see the field much as a freshman, but shined as a sophomore and junior, totaling 2,415 career yards and 24 touchdowns before declaring for the NFL Draft after the magical 2019 season.

Jefferson went on to be selected 22nd overall by the Minnesota Vikings and has become the best receiver in football in the five years since. He has made four Pro Bowls, four All-Pro teams and won Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Malik Nabers is yet another LSU receiver who was underrated coming out of high school. The four-star didn't rank in the top-250 players and was the No. 50 WR in the 2021 class before committing to LSU after receiving a late offer from the Tigers. There, he went on to become the program's all-time leading receiver and was snubbed of the Biletnikoff Award in favor of Marvin Harrison Jr.

He declared for the NFL Draft this past season and was selected sixth overall by the New York Giants. In his rookie season, Nabers missed two games, but still finished sixth in receiving yards and was named to his first Pro Bowl after Amon-Ra St. Brown opted out.

Brian Thomas Jr. was actually a higher-rated recruit of he and Nabers in the 2021 class, finishing as the No. 141 overall player and the No. 18 WR in the class. He took a bit more time to come around to the college level, but had an amazing junior season where he caught 68 balls for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Thomas declared for the 2024 NFL Draft with Nabers and was selected 23rd overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He went on to finish third in the NFL in receiving yards as a rookie and was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster.

This is one the evaluators got right. Derek Stingley came to LSU as the No. 1 overall player in the 2019 class and immediately dominated, picking off six passes as a true freshman. The COVID season slowed his production down and an injury sidelined him for most of 2021 before he declared for the draft as a junior.

Stingley was selected third overall by the Houston Texans and has since become one of the best corners in all of football. He was snubbed of a Pro Bowl appearance last year, but was named to his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro team for his play in 2024.

Finally, the oldest guy on this list is Danielle Hunter, who was unranked as a prospect and finished the 2012 cycle as the No. 21 defensive end in the class. He played three seasons at LSU where he wracked up 142 tackles 4.5 sacks before declaring for the NFL Draft.

Hunter was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft and has become one of the best pass rushers in the league. Over his nine-year career, Hunter has been named to four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team while finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2019.