This is my first mock draft of 2020 and yes I’m making an assumption the 49ers beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Never good to assume these things but I had to put the last two teams in some order. You will see this 1st round is pretty heavily dominated by WRs, it’s an excellent receiver draft. I’m also assuming Tua Tagovailoa gets a clean bill of health on his hip injury. I will also fully admit two of my favorite prospects in this draft (besides the Iowa guys) are Georgia OT Andrew Thomas and Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy is going to be a star. There is no one I completely hate in this draft but I’m not all that sold on the CB class after Jeff Okudah. There are a lot of mock drafts putting two more QBs in the first round, Jordan Love and Jacob Eason, I’m not on that bandwagon. I like Eason better than Love but someone is really going to have to be desperate to take either one in the first round. Truthfully, I’m not really sold on Justin Herbert either but he’s going to have plenty of fans in the first round.
2020 NFL Mock Draft 1.0
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- Cincinnati Bengals (2-14): Joe Burrow QB LSU
The Bengals had a terrible first season under new coach Zac Taylor and obviously Andy Dalton isn’t the future for this team. In the middle of the year the team even benched him to give rookie Ryan Findley a shot at the job but he flamed out too and they went back to Dalton. Burrow has been absolutely masterful at LSU this season under new passing game coordinator Joe Brady. His seven touchdown 1st half against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinal was insane and I can’t see how any team could watch him play this year and not draft him. The Bengals need a new face of the franchise and Burrow happens to be an Ohio native, this match is simply too perfect. Chase Young will certainly be a consideration but don’t overthink it Bengals, take Joe.
- Washington Redskins (3-13): Chase Young DE Ohio St.
If Burrow hadn’t been so unbelievable this season Young would be the runaway choice at #1 but QBs trump pass rushers, even ones as great as Young. He had a monster season at Ohio St. and even though the last month of the season he wasn’t quite as dominant as he was at the beginning of the year that simply doesn’t matter. The Redskins got their QB last year (Dwayne Haskins) from Ohio St. and now they go back to the Buckeyes to get their elite defensive player. New head coach Ron Rivera had some great defensive linemen in Carolina and he knows their value. New defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will be transitioning the defense back to a 4-3 look and Young is the perfect DE to build that transition around.
- Detroit Lions (3-12-1): Jeff Okudah CB Ohio St.
The Lions are led by Matt Patricia who is supposed to be a defensive minded coach but their defense was atrocious. Patricia is making a number of changes to his staff on both sides of the ball but what he really needs on defense is talent. Each level needs help so taking the best available player on defense is the smart move. Darius Slay has been a mainstay at CB for years and he can be great but he’s been doing it alone his whole career and he’s 29 so he can’t do it forever. Okudah is the best defender in the draft not named Chase Young. He’s a lockdown corner with size and incredible instincts. He won’t fix all that ails the Lions defense but he is a very strong start. The Lions have to make major strides next season or Patricia won’t survive.
- New York Giants (4-12): Andrew Thomas OT Georgia
For some reason the Giants fired their head coach but kept GM Dave Gettleman. The team is deficient in some key areas of the team like offensive line and the entire defense. While they were equally terrible on offense and defense this season and they should just go with the best player available, Gettleman is likely to address the offensive or defensive line. It just so happens that Thomas is one of the best players available at any position and while they have Nate Solder at LT, he is 31 and far less reliable than he used to be. Thomas could slide in at RT as a rookie but he will eventually be the starter at LT. QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley deserve more talent in front of them and while this team also needs to address the WR position on offense it won’t matter who lines up there if they can’t block up front. Thomas is a monster and he’s one of my favorite players in this draft.
- Miami Dolphins (5-11): Tua Tagovailoa QB Alabama
Well this pick is completely dependent on the medical evaluation of Tua’s hip injury by the Miami medical staff. There is no doubt that the Dolphins need a QB of the future and there is no doubt a healthy Tua is worthy of a top 5 pick. At the moment it seems things are trending towards Tua getting a clean bill of health and that means Miami has their QB. He’s an accurate passer with a solid arm and good athleticism. That athleticism might be affected by his hip injury but we will see on that. The team is likely to bring Ryan Fitzpatrick back to serve as a mentor and he can start the season if Tua isn’t fully healthy. The team embraced the all-out rebuild last season so there is no reason to hurry Tua’s rehab.
- Los Angeles Chargers (5-11): Jedrick Wills Jr. OT Alabama
The Chargers could look for Phillip Rivers replacement with a pick like Justin Herbert but despite the team’s bad record last season they are actually ready to win now if they get healthy. I think they bring Rivers back for one more year and if they do, they need to protect him better. Wills is a late rising prospect and while I like Tristan Wirfs better, I think Wills may end up going higher. He would be an immediate starter at RT and really improve the protection up front. He would also help the run game. He wasn’t the Alabama OT everyone had pegged at the beginning of the season as a possible first round pick but Alex Leatherwood decided to stay in school and it was Wills that had a breakout season.
- Carolina Panthers (5-11): Isaiah Simmons LB Clemson
The Panthers are going through a coaching change and part of that change is moving back to a 4-3 defense under new coordinator Phil Snow. The Panthers will need some personnel changes to make that happen and that became much more difficult with the retirement of future Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly. With him gone and some of their OLBs likely transitioning to DE the team really only has one true LB and that’s Shaq Thompson. That’s a good start but they need playmakers and there isn’t a better one than Simmons in this draft. Simmons is fast, athletic and versatile and Phil Snow can dream up ways to use his vast skills. Simmons and Thompson would form a nice pair of athletic LBs who could do many things.
- Arizona Cardinals (5-10-1): Derrick Brown DT Auburn
There are going to be a lot of mock drafts that have the Cardinals taking a WR to pair with Kyler Murray but this is an exceptionally deep WR draft and this team needs help on defense, everywhere on defense. Brown could play any of the three positions on their defensive line and he would be an upgrade. He would give them someone up front to take a little pressure off of Chandler Jones and Brown can stop the run and push the pocket. He also has the benefit of arguably being the best available player left on the board. Brown is a legitimate top five prospect and here he goes 8th overall. I could make a pretty strong case for them taking Tristan Wirfs because they need better blocking for Kyler Murray but I feel Brown is too good to pass up.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10): Javon Kinlaw DL South Carolina
The Jaguars are a team in flux as they have to make a decision at QB between going with last year’s expensive free agent Nick Foles or sparkplug rookie Gardner Minshew at QB. The offense has plenty of pieces to work with once they pick a QB but the defense needs some attention. They need LB help and if Simmons falls here, he’s a no-brainer. They should probably address the CB position after trading Jalen Ramsey last year so Kristian Fulton, Trevon Diggs or Bryce Hall could be in play here. I think the better value is at defensive line. Javon Kinlaw doesn’t get the ink Chase Young or Derrick Brown get but he’s a phenomenal player. He’s a pocket crushing interior lineman and the Jags aren’t exactly stacked on the inside. Taven Bryant hasn’t broken through yet and the rest of the group is pedestrian at best. Also, DE Calais Campbell is aging and Kinlaw could slide outside in certain situations and replace Campbell if needed.
- Cleveland Browns (6-10): Tristan Wirfs OT Iowa
The Browns are once again starting over with a new coach and while Kevin Stefanski might be the guy to restart Baker Mayfield’s progress it will be a whole lot easier if the team fixes the offensive line. Greg Robinson simply isn’t a starting LT for a good NFL team and while Wirfs mostly played RT at Iowa I think he can flip over to LT full-time. He’s a better option than Robinson and if he can’t be a LT in the NFL, he’s a better RT than Chris Hubbard. Either way he improves the offensive line. Wirfs is big and powerful and he’s still a young guy who will only get better as he grows. The Browns are a team that has way too much talent to end up with six wins so with a better offensive line and better coaching they could make a significant jump next season.
- New York Jets (7-9): CeeDee Lamb WR Oklahoma
The Jets are almost as desperate for offensive line help as the Browns and if this draft falls the way I have it they will be kicking themselves because they miss out on Thomas, Wills and Wirfs. The Jets could be a prime candidate to trade up a few spots to get one of those OTs. If they are gone the team needs WR help just as badly. I like Jerry Jeudy the best of all the WRs but some teams will have CeeDee Lamb ranked above him. Jeudy is a tactician while Lamb is a deep speed playmaker. Robbie Anderson is a free agent and Lamb would be the perfect replacement and a likely upgrade in terms of consistency, something Sam Darnold would appreciate. Lamb is long, lean and tracks the deep ball especially well. If the Jets can’t get Darnold some protection they can certainly give him better playmakers to work with.
- Las Vegas Raiders (7-9): Justin Herbert QB Oregon
The Raiders need help on defense, especially at LB and CB. However, the team will be moving to Las Vegas and there is talk Jon Gruden isn’t enamored with QB Derek Carr. What better way to open in a new city than with a new franchise QB? Herbert was a major prospect coming into the year with the possibility of being the #1 overall pick, he didn’t progress that far and there are questions about his game. He’s still a bit underdeveloped but that won’t stop Gruden. It should be pointed out that Carr may have been better if his best receiving weapon wasn’t his TE Darren Waller. It would be fitting to have Herbert be the starting QB on the first NFL team in Vegas, he’s the ultimate big bet, he may be a huge jackpot or you go broke.
- Indianapolis Colts (7-9): AJ Epenesa DE Iowa
If either Tua or Herbert were to fall here the Colts could certainly grab a QB to replace Jacoby Brissett. That’s not happening in this mock draft. I also couldn’t fault the team for grabbing a WR here and I love Jerry Jeudy, however, there is a really good defender left on the board. AJ Epenesa is good enough to be a top 10 pick and represents great value at 13th overall. The Colts were not great at getting to the QB last season and both Jabaal Sheard and Justin Houston are on the wrong side of 30. Epenesa is a powerful DE with good speed and burst and would give the Colts a piece to build their defensive front around for the future.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9): Grant Delpit S LSU
Todd Bowles should get an award for what he was able to do as the defensive coordinator of the Bucs. They surprisingly had one of the better defenses in the league even though they were lacking talent in key positions. One area that really needed some help was at safety. The position isn’t usually valued in the draft like others but Todd Bowles is an excellent secondary coach and he will see the value in Grant Delpit. Delpit is a smart, ball-hawking safety who would look great playing in Tampa’s defensive secondary. He would help cover up mistakes of other players and while he got off to slow start last season at LSU because of an injury, he came on late in the year when he got healthy and the secondary was fantastic down the stretch.
- Denver Broncos (7-9): Jerry Jeudy WR Alabama
The Broncos have bigger needs than WR but Jeudy is too good to pass up. He should be a top 10 pick but some teams are going to value CeeDee Lamb more than him and so he may fall. Jeudy isn’t the biggest or fastest WR in this draft but he’s the best route runner and he will immediately be one of the best route runners in the NFL. The Broncos may have found their QB in Drew Lock and getting him another weapon would help him out tremendously. They have RBs Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay, TE Noah Fant and WR Courtland Sutton. Jeudy would be an excellent complement to Sutton and he would make Lock’s life easier. The offense would be pretty set at the skill positions and they can all grow together.
- Atlanta Falcons (7-9): K’Lavon Chaisson DE LSU
The Falcons have needed another edge rusher for quite some time and now they could lose the best one they do have in Vic Beasley. Chaisson is young and needs some time to grow but he’s a long, lean and fast and the Falcons prioritize speed on defense. It’s possible they will go with Yetur Gross-Matos but I think Chaisson profiles more to their liking. He isn’t the most refined pass rusher but he has skills to work with and he can get to the QB.
- Dallas Cowboys (8-8): Xavier McKinney DB Alabama
The Cowboys offense is good and even new head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t going to mess with it, he is bringing back Kellen Moore as the coordinator. The defense is a different story. They need help for Demarcus Lawrence on the defensive line and they need safety help too. CB Byron Jones is also a free agent but the team is hoping to bring him back. McKinney is a bit of a hedge against the possibility of losing Jones because McKinney can play both safety and corner. If Jones departs, they could use McKinney at CB but if they re-sign Jones, McKinney steps in at his better position, safety. He will immediately upgrade their secondary in the middle.
- Miami (from Pittsburgh): Austin Jackson OT USC
If the Dolphins invest the #5 overall pick in Tua they have to spend some draft capital on their offensive line. LT is a good place to start and while Jackson isn’t the level of Thomas, Wirfs or Wills he is a legitimate starting option at LT. He has the size, length and athleticism you look for in an OT and he’s a major upgrade over everyone on the Dolphins offensive line. That’s no setting the bar very high but I like Jackson’s potential to be a long-term solution at LT.
- Las Vegas (from Chicago): Kristian Fulton CB LSU
The Raiders ended last season with Daryl Worley and Trayvon Mullen as their top two CBs, that’s not an ideal set up. Fulton isn’t the biggest or the fastest CB you’ll find in this draft but he’s talented and tough and he can matchup with just about any WR. He will be the top CB for the Raiders on day one and that’s all the reason they need to draft him.
- Jacksonville (from LA Rams): Trevon Diggs CB Alabama
The Jaguars are going to count on a new offensive coordinator to figure out how to better utilize the talent they have on that side of the ball. On defense they need some more new blood. Jalen Ramsey was traded last year and AJ Bouye wasn’t great so they need help at CB. Diggs isn’t a household name but he’s a big CB at 6’2 and he learned at Alabama, that’s a pretty solid resume.
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-7): Tee Higgins WR Clemson
As badly as the Eagles need help in the secondary, and they really need help in the secondary, the value is at WR. They also need help at WR and it’s almost as bad as it is at CB and luckily for them Tee Higgins is still available. Higgins is a big, physical WR at 6’4 215 lbs. and he will become Carson Wentz’s favorite target on the outside very quickly. Higgins is also fast and has a large catch radius and will make Wentz’s life easier. He’s a higher rated prospect than the CBs left on the board at this point (Bryce Hall, CJ Henderson) and Higgins is a steal at this point.
- Buffalo Bills (10-6): Yetur Gross-Matos DE Penn St.
The Bills had a very good season with 10 wins and their defense was a large part of that. The offense is young and still coming together but they have players to around like Josh Allen and Devin Singletary. They could use some help at WR because John Brown and Cole Beasley aren’t exactly young by NFL standards. That need can wait given the depth at the position. What they really need to address is their pass rush. On the edge, they have Jerry Hughes who is aging and Trent Murphy who isn’t all that great. Gross-Matos would bring a guy who can bend the edge and he’s a better player than Shaq Lawson, a guy the Bills may let walk in free agency.
- New England Patriots (12-4): Henry Ruggs III WR Alabama
While there are some good TEs in this draft; Cole Kmet, Brycen Hopkins and Hunter Bryant, none of them rate as highly as Henry Ruggs III overall. No matter who lines up at QB for the Patriots next season (I’m still betting on Brady), they need more help in the passing game. Julian Edelman or bust is not a passing game philosophy that’s sustainable. Ruggs is a deep speed threat who can take the top off the defense. His presence would open up the middle of the field for Edelman and complement N’Keal Harry’s mid-range power game quite well. Ruggs can play both inside and outside receiver and working around Julian Edelman would be quite helpful in refining his route running.
- New Orleans Saints (13-3): Laviska Shenault Jr. WR Colorado
Shenault has been described as a swiss-army knife type of receiver because he can play every receiving position and can even line up in line like a TE. He’s a big guy at 6’2 220 lbs. and runs like a RB once he catches the ball. He’s lined up in the backfield and even taken snaps as a wildcat QB at times. Does anyone fit the description of a Sean Payton player better than that? Shenault would take a lot of pressure off of Michael Thomas just by being a legitimate WR threat on the opposite side but Payton would take great pleasure in drawing up plays for a guy who can do pretty much anything on offense.
- Minnesota Vikings (10-6): Bryce Hall CB Virginia
Hall isn’t a name a lot of people are talking about because he was injured back in October and didn’t play the rest of the year. If he had been healthy, we may be talking about the second-best CB in this draft behind Okudah. Hall isn’t the most athletically gifted player with his speed or agility but he’s a top-notch cover guy who won’t back down from anyone. The Vikings got a less than stellar season from Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander are free agents this off season. CB could be a major need for the team if Rhodes doesn’t bounce back and even if he does, they may have to replace Waynes, Alexander or both.
- Miami (from Houston): Jonathan Taylor RB Wisconsin
The Dolphins need so many things it’s a good thing they have three first round picks. My picks for them have a theme, offense. The get a QB with Tua, a left tackle with Austin Jackson and now a RB. Most teams avoid RBs in round one anymore but this is the Dolphins third pick so that shouldn’t apply. The team doesn’t have a legitimate starting RB on the roster and Taylor is a star. He will need more help, they have to draft multiple offensive linemen in this draft, but he’s an immediate starter and he becomes Tua’s favorite teammate. Any time you have a back who can carry the ball 25 times a game for your rookie QB that’s a good thing. Taylor only gets stronger as the game goes and he really started to expand his game this last year by becoming a better pass catcher. He’s everything you want in a RB and Brian Flores supposedly wants to simplify the Dolphins offense, nothing simpler than hand it to Taylor and get out of the way.
- Seattle Seahawks (11-5): Mekhi Becton OT Louisville
The Seahawks patched together their offensive line throughout the year as they dealt with a number of injuries. They survived it to the tune of an 11-5 record but they should address their depth. LT Duane Brown will be 35 next season and they weren’t great at RT no matter who lined up there. Becton is a huge human being at 6’7 369 lbs. and despite his size he’s a very athletic player. He can still be a bit raw at times but he has future stalwart LT written all over him. Russell Wilson would feel a whole lot better with Becton in front of him and his future blindside would be well protected.
- Baltimore Ravens (14-2): Kenneth Murray LB Oklahoma
Clearly, a team that goes 14-2 on the year has a pretty good team and not a lot of issues to deal with. There is the possibility they lose pass rusher Matt Judon in free agency and that would be a major hole to fill. They could look to get some slot receiver help with Willie Snead not having a great connection with Lamar Jackson this season. I think they go best player available and Murray is a stud at LB and in their defense he could step in for well-traveled veteran Josh Bynes. Patrick Onwuasor has played well at the other ILB spot and Bynes is a steady presence but hardly a playmaker. Murray would add something special to the middle of the Ravens defense.
- Tennessee Titans (9-7): CJ Henderson CB Florida
The Titans had a magical run at the end of the year and into the playoffs and they most certainly need to retain free agents QB Ryan Tannehill, RB Derrick Henry and RT Jack Conklin and that might mean they don’t have the ability to retain CB Logan Ryan. They were so thin at CB they picked up Tremaine Brock off the street late in the year so with or without Ryan they need CB help. Henderson is a long, wiry corner who is willing to play physical and isn’t afraid to tackle. At 6’1 202 lbs. he still has some filling out to do so he could become an even better run defender on the edge. He can be used as a blitzer and he doesn’t back down from anyone.
- Green Bay Packers (13-3): Jalen Reagor WR TCU
The Packers relied heavily on their running game and their defense to get them to the NFC Championship game but that wasn’t enough to get them to the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers is still an elite talent at QB but he other than Davante Adams he has no weapons that scare anyone. One of the things he misses most is a slot receiver over the middle. Reagor would be an excellent addition because he can be an elite slot guy while also being good enough to flip outside when needed. They have to get Rodgers some weapons and while they also need a TE I think Reagor is a better player than any of the TEs available in the draft. They could also look at Justin Jefferson as he would also be a great option in the slot.
- Kansas City Chiefs (12-4): D’Andre Swift RB Georgia
The Chiefs need a CB and if they lose Kendall Fuller in free agency the situation might become dire. The problem is that at this point the quality drops off a bit, I still like AJ Terrell from Clemson but he’s not good enough to pass up Swift. Swift would be an unbelievable addition to an already incredible offense. LeSean McCoy is not the solution and Swift is like an upgraded version of Damien Williams. Adding him to the Chiefs offense is almost unfair. The team could grab Terrell or another CB or even go after an interior offensive lineman or an edge rusher to pair with Frank Clark. However, Andy Reid is a “take the best available player” type of guy and when your team just made the Super Bowl that’s a pretty solid plan.
- San Francisco 49ers (13-3): Justin Jefferson WR LSU
The 49ers passing game is clearly not the strength of the team. The got better when they traded for Emmanuel Sanders but he’s 32 and going to be a free agent this off season. Whether he returns or not this team needs playmakers besides TE George Kittle. Jefferson isn’t the elite athlete most of the WRs ahead of him in this draft are but he wins with technique and instinct. He can play on the outside and even at 6’3 he can be very effective from the slot. If the 49ers bring back Sanders it would give them three WRs (Sanders, Deebo Samuel and Jefferson) who are all very versatile. They could really use some help at safety but unless McKinney or Delpit fall there isn’t another 1st round level safety.
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