2020 NFL Mock Draft (Trades Are Projected)

1) Cincinnati Bengals- Joe Burrow, QB LSU

The Bengals need a franchise quarterback to rebuild around. Burrow checks off every single box for all the traits you want your franchise quarterback to have. Throw in the fact that he’s a hometown favorite from Ohio which resonates well with the fans and this is a slam dunk pick for the Bengals. Unless a team like the Dolphins gives up a king’s ransom for this pick I would be stunned to see this go any other way.

2) Washington Redskins- Chase Young, DE Ohio State

Although the regime that drafted Dwayne Haskins is gone and Tua Tagovailoa could be very intriguing here, I think it is a little too early to give up on Haskins. Young is a generational talent as well as the highest-rated player in the class on my board. He is the top edge rusher I’ve evaluated in recent memory and comes from a program where edge rushers such as Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa have had great success their rookie years which gives him an extremely high-floor to go along with his All-Pro potential.

3) Miami Dolphins (Via Detroit)- Tua Tagovailoa, QB Alabama

This is where it gets interesting. The Dolphins have a ton of draft ammunition and I think they use it to make a move to secure their quarterback of the future. There is a ton of buzz about the Dolphins liking Justin Herbert better but I think that's just smokescreen. Tagovailoa does come with well-known injury concerns but had he stayed healthy he would have arguably been rated higher than Burrow. Drawing heavy comparisons to Drew Brees, if he is 100% healthy and can stay that way this is a steal for the Dolphins to draft a quarterback of his caliber at this spot of the draft.

4) New York Giants- Isaiah Simmons, OLB Clemson

Although I think they should draft an offensive tackle here, all signs point towards Simmons being the pick. Not only is Simmons an athletic freak who posted jaw-dropping numbers at the combine, he is the definition of versatility as he frequently lined up at Linebacker, Safety and even cornerback for Clemson last year. For a Giants defense that ranked 30th in Points Allowed last year, adding a versatile playmaker like Simmons will definitely help shore up that side of the ball. However, don’t be surprised to see one of the top Tackles here such as Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton or Jedrick Wills as GM Dave Gettleman loves his “Hog Mollies.”

5) Detroit Lions (Via Miami)- Jeff Okudah, CB Ohio State

With Matthew Stafford already on the roster, I think the Lions trade down a couple spots here and acquire extra picks from a QB needy team. Matt Patricia loves to play man-to-man coverage and after trading Darius Slay the Lions need a shutdown corner to replace him. Enter Okudah. He is far and away the best corner in this class with prototypical size and length for a No. 1 corner and elite coverage skills. He’ll be tasked with playing on an island against the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver the moment he steps on the field.

6) Los Angeles Chargers- Justin Herbert, QB Oregon

After deciding to part ways with longtime starting quarterback Philip Rivers, the Chargers are officially moving into a new era as they move into their new stadium in Los Angeles. Herbert is a really big, mobile quarterback with a big arm in the mold of recent prospects Josh Allen and Carson Wentz. He’s a little raw compared to the other top QB prospects in this class, but I think with an offense molded around his strengths and a good supporting cast like the one he’ll have here he should be able to find success early and develop into a long-term starter.

7) Carolina Panthers- Derrick Brown, DT Auburn

After losing key contributors on defense such as Luke Keuchly, Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe and James Bradberry, the Panthers have a lot of work to do to rebuild their defense. Adding the SEC Defensive Player of the Year is a good place to start. Brown is an absolute load on the interior of the defensive line who will immediately help a run defense that ranked 29th in the league. He has extremely high character that should fit in perfectly with the culture new head coach Matt Rhule is trying to build in Carolina.

8) Arizona Cardinals- Jedrick Wills, OT Alabama

The Cardinals addressed their need of getting a No. 1 receiver for Kyler Murray in a big way in trading for Deandre Hopkins. Now, they can turn to focusing on protecting Murray by taking an offensive lineman with this pick. Based on what I saw on film, Wills is the most pro-ready O-Line prospect in the draft with great footwork and technique. He played right tackle at Alabama which is where he’ll step in here with DJ Humphries on the left side. He also has all the necessary tools to be able to transition over to left tackle when the time comes.

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Via Jacksonville)- Tristan Wirfs, OT Iowa

When you sign a 42 year-old Tom Brady to be your starting quarterback it means you are going all in on winning now. I think the Bucs will be extremely aggressive here to ensure they end up with one of the top O-Linemen to protect Brady since they have Demar Dotson at right tackle. Wirfs is a freak athlete who posted a sub-5 second 40 time and had record-setting explosiveness at the combine. Although his technique is inconsistent at times he should be able to slide into the void left by Dotson and contribute right away.

10) Cleveland Browns- Andrew Thomas, OT Georgia

Protecting Baker Mayfield was a major issue for the Browns last year and is something that will need to improve if they want to compete in a loaded AFC North. They signed Jack Conklin to fix the right side, now they’ll draft Thomas to fix the left side. A 3 year starter at Georgia, he consistently shined in both pass protection and in the run game against defensive fronts loaded with NFL talent. He is a plug and play starter at left tackle, this should be a no brainer for the Browns.

11) Denver Broncos (Via New York Jets)- Henry Ruggs III, WR Alabama

If the Broncos really are committed to Drew Lock as their franchise quarterback, they need to put together a solid supporting cast around him to help accelerate his growth. After investing in the O-Line and the running game in free agency, I think making a move up to get Ruggs makes perfect sense. An explosive playmaker who takes the top off of defenses with his sub-4.3 speed that scored on nearly 25% of his catches in college is the perfect compliment for Courtland Sutton. When you’re in the same division as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, these are the type of playmakers you need to compete.

12) Oakland Raiders- Ceedee Lamb, WR Oklahoma

After the bizarre Antonio Brown situation last season, the Raiders find themselves again in need of a No. 1 receiver for Jon Gruden’s offense. Luckily for them, they end up with the best receiver on my draft board. Although he lacks top-end speed, Lamb is a crisp route runner with outstanding hands that help him make contested catches and has led to Deandre Hopkins comparisons. He is an absolute beast with his ability to break tackles after the catch and should be the best receiver on this team from day one.

13) San Francisco 49ers- Jerry Jeudy, WR Alabama

This is a dream scenario for Niners fans and a nightmare for the rest of the NFL. Jeudy is the exact definition of the No. 1 receiver head coach Kyle Shanahan has been coveting in his offense the moment he got to San Francisco. Far and away the best route runner in the class, Jeudy will seamlessly fit next to George Kittle and Deebo Sameul and all of a sudden this Niners pass attack looks pretty similar to the explosive Atlanta Falcons passing game that Shanahan had rolling with when they made the Super Bowl a couple years ago.

14) Jacksonville Jaguars (Via Tampa Bay)- Javon Kinlaw, DT South Carolina

The Jaguars have so many holes to fill on both sides of the ball that they would be wise to trade down a couple of spots to acquire some extra draft picks to be able to fill those holes. At this point of the draft I feel like Kinlaw is the best player available and he fills a major need as a versatile defender on the line for a defense that lost multiple starters across the D-Line this offseason. Kinlaw does come with some concerns about his effort being inconsistent at times but when he’s at this best he has the potential to be the best defensive player in this class. This is a steal for the Jaguars in this spot of the draft.

15) New York Jets (Via Denver)- Mekhi Becton, OT Louisville

The Jets had the worst offense in the league last year averaging a pedestrian 273 yards per game and just lost their best receiver in Robby Anderson. Trading down a few spots makes sense for them so they can get some extra picks to load up on talent on the offensive side of the ball. In what possibly is the deepest receiver class ever, the Jets can afford to wait to take a receiver so they can draft what potentially will be Sam Darnold’s blindside protector for the next 10 years. A 365 pound mammoth of a man, Becton moves extremely well for someone his size and is an absolute mauler in the run game. Although he is very raw in pass-protection and his drug test at the combine just got flagged, the Jets can't pass up Becton's All-Pro upside as he could easily wind up being the best tackle in this draft class.

16) Atlanta Falcons- K’Lavon Chaisson, OLB LSU

The Falcons desperately need young talent to rejuvenate their pass rush as they’ve ranked in the bottom half of the league in sacks the past two years and just lost their best pass rusher in Vic Beasley. Unless Derrick Brown or Javon Kinlaw are on the board which is very doubtful at this point, Chaisson should be a no brainer pick for the Falcons here. Although a bit undersized, he has tremendous upside as his elite speed allows him to make an impact both as a pass rusher and when dropping into coverage. He’s a high character guy who plays with a lot of passion and will be a versatile chess piece for the Falcons defense.

17) Dallas Cowboys- CJ Henderson, CB Florida

After Byron Jones priced his way out of town, the Cowboys snag his replacement here in Henderson. With sub-4.4 speed and elite coverage instincts he rarely gets beat which makes him a good fit in an aggressive defensive scheme like the one new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will run in Dallas. He has all the traits and coverage skills to be a top corner in the league but if he wants to be a consistent starter he needs to continue to add strength as his tackling ability and physicality in general left a lot to be desired.

18) Miami Dolphins- Josh Jones, OT Houston

After trading up to snag their quarterback of the future, the next step for the Dolphins is to find somebody to protect him. Josh Jones had the highest pass-blocking’s grade out of all the offensive tackle prospects in this draft class. Although there are concerns about him playing against inferior competition, he dominated at the Senior Bowl against much better competition than he faced at Houston. He has good size and has great hand usage in pass-protection that should help him transition to the next level.

19) Baltimore Ravens (Via Oakland)- Kenneth Murray, ILB Oklahoma

It’s no secret that Oakland is trying to trade back out of one of their two first-round picks and with two second rounders coming off a 14 win season the Ravens pounce on the opportunity. If there is a glaring hole on their roster it’s at linebacker where they haven’t replaced tackling machine CJ Mosely. In this case, they jump ahead of the Eagles who are also rumored to have heavy interest in Murray. By making this trade, they’re getting another physical playmaker who’s a tackling machine with great sideline-to-sideline range. His coaches and teammates at Oklahoma raved about his leadership and tremendous character. Although his skills in coverage are a big question mark as to if he can be a true 3-down linebacker, he has a great work ethic and is a good enough athlete that I think he can figure it out.

20) Jacksonville Jaguars- Kristian Fulton, CB LSU

The Jags traded away both their starting corners this past year so it would not surprise me to draft one with one of their two first round picks. Coming off a breakout season, Fulton is an extremely aggressive cornerback who excels playing press man-to-man coverage. He’s very patient at the line of scrimmage and mirrors receivers extremely well to where he can use his length to disrupt passing windows. He’s a physical corner who plays with a lot of swagger and I think he can be used similarly to how the Jags used Jalen Ramsey during his time with the team.

21) Philadelphia Eagles- Justin Jefferson, WR LSU

Injuries and lack of depth at receiver killed the Eagles last year as none of their receivers caught more than 43 balls or even reached 500 yards. Carson Wentz needs more reliable weapons to work with and that’s exactly what Jefferson is. An extremely versatile playmaker who led the FBS in touchdown catches last year, he has outstanding hands and a ridiculous catch radius that helps his ability to make contested catches. He’s also very elusive and is super slippery after the catch. Jefferson’s biggest knock against him coming into the draft was his speed and he shut that down with a 4.43 40 time at the combine. I think he might need some time to adjust to the NFL but over time can develop into a reliable target for Wentz out of the slot.

22) Indianapolis Colts (Via Minnesota)- Jordan Love, QB Utah State

Somebody is going to take Jordan Love in the 1st round, the question is who? Teams like the Patriots, Packers and Saints had been mentioned but I think the Colts need a long-term answer quarterback and are a perfect fit. Love has all the physical traits you look for in a franchise quarterback but his decision-making and accuracy have some ways to go before he is ready to start in the NFL. A raw talent they can have sit and learn behind Philip Rivers for a year or two is perfect for this Colts team and if Love can put it together he will be a serious problem for the rest of the league as he has drawn numerous comparisons to Patrick Mahomes.

23) New England Patriots- AJ Epenesa, DE Iowa

Although I do think the Patriots need to take a quarterback in this draft, after the Colts jumped ahead of them to take Jordan Love they can wait till later in the draft to get someone to compete with Jared Stidham. The Patriots could use some pass-rush help as no returning player on the roster averaged more than 5.5 sacks last year. AJ Epenesa is a pure power rusher who’s great against the run. He has a lot of schematic versatility as he can line up as a base 4-3 end or as a 5 technique in a 3-4 alignment. He has a lot of Trey Flowers to his game and is a perfect fit in Bill Belichick’s scheme. He’s not very quick or explosive but he’s very violent with his hands and although he doesn’t have the highest upside he’s got a really safe floor.

24) New Orleans Saints- Patrick Queen, ILB LSU

Looking at the Saints roster I can’t seem to find any glaring weaknesses as they have quality talent and depth on both sides of the ball and just added Emmanuel Sanders to an already loaded roster. If I were to nitpick, they could use some youth and speed at linebacker especially with their best linebacker Demario Davis being 31. Although a bit undersized, Queen makes up for it with elite speed that has him flying up draft boards. He’s a high-effort playmaker with great sideline-to-sideline range and is athletic enough to drop back into coverage. These types of fast, athletic linebackers who can cover are what NFL defenses are trending towards and Queen is exactly that.

25) Minnesota Vikings- AJ Terrell, CB Clemson

We all know how much the Vikings love drafting cornerbacks. Even with all the investments they made at the position including two recent 1st round picks, the position is still a major need on the roster especially after losing their top 3 corners this past offseason. Terrell has prototypical size and length at the position which helps him in press coverage. He moves very fluidly and I love how quickly he breaks downhill on short routes as he closes the gap fast and is really physical playing through the receivers’ hands to challenge at the catch point. However, he tends to overcrowd receivers at times which allows them to get a step on him and leaves him vulnerable on deep routes. He’s not as versatile as some of the other top corners in the draft but I think he has a lot of positives to his game that can help him contribute quickly.

26) Miami Dolphins- DeAndre Swift, RB Georgia

With their last first round pick, the Dolphins decide to go all-in on offense and jump-start their run game that averaged an atrocious 3.3 yards per carry last year. Swift is the most complete running back in this class and is simply the total package. He’s a natural runner with great vision and is so explosive out of the hole he’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball. I love his combination of breakaway speed and power and when you throw in the fact that he’s a good route runner with soft hands and you have a 3-down back ready to contribute right away. Georgia has been a factory producing Pro-Bowl level talent at running back lately and Swift should be at that level in no time.

27) Yetur Gross-Matos, DE Penn State

The Seahawks pass-rush has been an issue for a while now and their sack totals went down this past year even with the addition of Jadeveon Clowney. With uncertainty regarding Clowney’s return, edge rushers are definitely a need for Seattle. Gross-Matos is extremely raw as he is very inconsistent as a pass-rusher but he has all the physical traits and ridiculous length to develop into a great pass rusher. He does set the edge extremely well and based on his film I liked what I saw from him in the run game. I think he’ll need some time to develop his pass rush moves and his ability to process the game but he should eventually be able to become an impact player by year 2 or 3.

28) Oakland Raiders (Via Baltimore)- Xavier McKinney, FS Alabama

Regardless if they trade down from No. 19 like reports are suggesting they will, this Raiders secondary was absolutely horrendous last year and needs to make significant improvement if they want to compete in a division loaded with pass-catching talent. Jon Gruden loves productive players from big-name programs and that’s exactly what McKinney is. The best defensive back left on the board, he’s an extremely versatile playmaker as he frequently lined up in the a lot matched up against receivers in and as a run-support defender in the box on top of his natural free safety position. He’s got tremendous football IQ and should be an instant impact player for a Raiders defense that is in desperate need of some playmakers.

29) Tennessee Titans- Isaiah Wilson, OT Georgia

The Titans can go a couple different ways with this pick, but with all the depth at corner and wide receiver I think they’ll take an offensive tackle to replace Jack Conklin, especially after making a big investment in QB Ryan Tannehill. Wilson is one of the fastest rising prospects in this draft. He is a massive man standing at 6’7” while weighing in at 340 pounds. When he’s able to get his hands in the right place on defenders he has so much power which makes him a mauler in the run game. He needs work in pass protection as he doesn’t move very fluidly and his hand placement and technique could use some refinement, but he plays with a ton of effort as you’ll never see him give up on a play. The Titans have had a good history developing tackles lately and I think Wilson should be able to step in at right tackle for them pretty soon.

30) Green Bay Packers: Tee Higgins, WR Clemson

Outside of Davante Adams and Aaron Jones the Packers did not have many playmakers on offense and they lacked the firepower to compete with other Super Bowl contenders. As Aaron Rodgers gets older and their championship window starts to close, they need to get him some playmakers to help make it easier on him. Higgins is very similar to Adams in terms of being a big bodied receiver with an insane catch radius and he can really get up there and make contested plays. For such a big guy I wanna see him be a little more physical at the line of scrimmage but he’s great at creating separation using his body positioning which will at the very least allow him to give Rodgers another guy who can make plays in the red zone right away, but with the upside to be a No. 1 receiver down the line.

31) San Francisco 49ers: Trevon Diggs, CB Alabama

The Niners could also go with a defensive tackle here but I think the Super Bowl exposed some holes in their secondary that they need to address. Diggs is the little brother of star wide receiver Stefon Diggs. A former receiver in high school, he’s got great size and has really long arms which makes him effective as a press corner at the line of scrimmage. Given his receiver background he high-points the ball really well and is good at using his length to break up passes a lot of corners wouldn’t be able to. He is extremely physical at the line of scrimmage but that can come back to bite him at times as evidenced in the LSU game where he got beat off-the-line for big plays a couple times. He lacks ideal quickness for a No. 1 corner but his size and range give him a very high upside and I think being in the same position room with Richard Sherman would be beneficial for him.

32) Kansas City Chiefs: Zack Baun, OLB Wisconsin

The Chiefs are returning 20 out of 22 starters from their Super Bowl winning season so there are not many holes on this roster. If I were to nitpick, the Chiefs could really use an every down linebacker who’s aggressive and makes plays in the run game but that has the versatility to drop into coverage as well. I think Baun is an extremely underrated prospect as he’s so explosive off the edge and lives in the backfield as evidenced by his 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss this past season while playing great competition in a loaded Big 10 conference. He’s great with his hand technique and his non-stop motor and effort make him a perfect fit in Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive defense and he should welcome Baun’s versatility the moment he steps in the building.