A pandemic, paranoia, and prospects. What a combination spring has offered so far. Welcome to this third and final version of my 2020 Mock Draft series. The initial report came out on December 26th, 2.0 followed on February 17th, and now here we are about 10 days away from the Draft becoming real. I mention these dates because this is my first year doing mocks, as a replacement for not having the time to do my yearly NFL Draft Prospect Profile series. There probably should have been a total of five mocks, which is something I will look to do next year. I also decided against fabricating my own trades in these. There is already so much speculation with these picks, making up trades felt like it was bringing a whole different level of fiction, which also potentially alters the board too much. Besides, we have already seen some major blockbuster transactions, which already did enough to change things since 2020 NFL Mock Draft 2.0.
It is amazing how much the world has changed in such a short period of time, but fortunately the NFL Draft is something that can still be pulled off in the midst of social distancing and quarantining. All eyes will be on an already popular event. Have fun with it, stay safe of course, and hopefully your team makes you proud. XTB will have a few different twitter threads and live reactions happening, so stay tuned. And don’t forget to check out our new content coming very soon with our rollout of Season 2! Superior Stats. Dominate Football. Period.
For any comments, or additional questions, please find me on twitter @PeoplezPen
There have been rumors circling for weeks now, that Burrow has no desire to play for the Bengals and has been voicing this to team officials behind scenes. I do not think there is any truth to these rumors, for several reasons. Burrow has shown to be an electric, not eccentric team leader. He also goes to a better than it seems system, with some veterans in place, and a young QB guru in Head Coach Zac Taylor. This pick has not changed in any way, shape, or form.Â
Maybe the one player suffering most from the Covid Freeze, is phenom Chase Young. Think about it, how much buzz have you heard surrounding his name in the past few weeks? The room has been quiet. He hasn’t gotten any better, nor any worse, but mums the word on any trade activity or doubt he goes off the board in this spot. The only real buzz was when new Head Coach Ron Rivera teased about being interested in Tua Tagovailoa, presumably to get the Dolphins to trade up. That has quickly been silenced. Â
The Lions needed a Cornerback before letting Darius Slay walk, and while they have since added veteran Desmond Trufant, Okudah absolutely fits the bill. By far the best at his position, in what is a very good class for corners, Okudah should be a stud for the next decade. There is a chance the Lions could flirt with Matt Stafford’s successor, but there is unlikely to be a team blowing their minds with a trade offer to jump into this spot.
So many have speculated what Dave Gettleman will do in this draft, and if it is even his decision to make anymore. My belief is that it still is his draft to run, that’s just the way the Giants do business, and he is much more of a cavalier than his reputation would indicate. He does of course love his “hog mollies”, but he also has never been afraid to take who he thinks is the best player and purest athletic talent. The Defense has been woeful, and while attention has been payed to it, Simmons is a hybrid player for the next generation of football. He is the equivalent of Saquon on the other side of the field.
Despite all of the smoke screens, the Dolphins still end up with their guy. I do believe there is much more risk of Justin Herbert being the selection, but if both were to fail, the forgiveness for Tua would last longer. He is assumed the better player, and the pick the fans want, and he has been for a while. I do think Herbert fits more what Head Coach Brian Flores became accustomed to in New England, but ultimately it is Chris Grier’s pick, and it will remain Tagovailoa.
Regardless of what the team says in support of Tyrod Taylor, he has been more of the leagues 33rd best QB, rather than one of the Top 10. He is much closer to Ryan Fitzpatrick than Ryan Leaf, or Matt Ryan. I have no doubt they are comfortable with him as their starter, but they need their QB of the future to build the franchise and fan base around. Justin Herbert is right out of central casting for this role, and at the perfect time. There is a chance of Jameis Winston or Cam Newton coming to L.A., but the Chargers need a home grown face, not a retread.Â
No one likes this pick anymore, it seems, but Brown is exactly what the Panthers need. They added their new franchise QB, and a dynamic WR to form a dangerous trio. They need to solidify the defense, especially with the surprising announcement of Luke Kuechly retiring. Isaiah Simmons would have been a great addition here, while Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen would be a bit of a reach still. I would peg Carolina as a prime candidate to trade out of this selection for someone looking to get ahead of Arizona for the first Offensive Tackle.
Who would have thought a late October trade sending a 6th round draft pick for Kenyan Drake would have led to so much fluctuation. Myler Murray proved to be the starting QB many (myself included) thought he was. Additionally, his scrambling ability watered down David Johnson‘s role on the team, and the combination of Drake and Chase Edmonds proved to be reliable. The tea leaves indicated a potential reuniting with WR CeeDee Lamb here, but a blockbuster trade to acquire DeAndre Hopkins all but confirms the Cardinals solidify their offensive line. Wirfs is the most versatile and ready made Offensive Tackle in this class, and his selection starts a run of the other top candidates at the position.
It’s almost crazy to think the Jags are just 3 years and 4 points removed from nearly making it to the Super Bowl. Even crazier is how much the identity of the franchise has changed in that short time. While I hope Gardner Minshew can continue to be as good as he’s shown, and D.J. Chark can continue to overachieve, the blueprint that won games for Jacksonville was playing through Leonard Fournette and the run game. This is exactly where Jedrick Wills wins, and what makes him the ideal and safest selection for DUUUVAL.
I swear I am not doing this for clicks. I am astonished at how much talent the Browns have been able to collect in the past couple of seasons. It truly is astonishing to see their depth chart, and then add players like Hooper and Conklin to it. I initially had them going big and taking the massive Left Tackle Mekhi Becton. However, the persistency of the Odell Beckham trade rumors just will not go away. While there haven’t been many specifics as to landing spots, the DeAndre Hopkins deal came out of nowhere. I firmly believe Beckham may not be long for the Browns, and pairing Lamb back up with his freshman QB gives Cleveland the perfect ammunition to move OBJ.Â
I wish the Jets could split this pick like 11’s in Black Jack. I am a huge Jerry Jeudy fan, and at the same time a huge Andrew Thomas fan. Both are needed, both make a ton of sense, both would make me happy. Given the Jets offseason so far, it seems more and more likely the team is trying to get by with serviceable linemen to get Sam Darnold his new best friend. I wouldn’t be disappointed either way, but would be much more visibly excited if Jeudy ends up with Gang Green.
The Raiders could go in so many different directions, owning multiple first round picks, and having a plethora of needs. Al Davis is no longer with us, but one would have to imagine Ruggs would be his guy. The Raiders made a sneaky under the radar deal in acquiring former USC stud Agholor, but the position still needs lot more, and Ruggs speed cannot be matched.Â
I was pretty stunned when the Niners traded Buckner to get into the Colts selection at 13. The mainstay on the defensive line was going to draw a pretty penny with a contract extension, so while San Francisco saves a little on cap space, do they have an actual plan or target in mind here? A mountain to add to the line to solidify the run game for years to come. This trade worked out well.
Mekhi Becton would have been a great addition for the Bucs run game, but the Niners swooped in and stole that possibility. Nevertheless, Tampa gets a steal as Thomas slides down with the run on WRs, and a needed layer of protection for Brady is in tact.
Many have the Broncos taking a WR in the first round, and if it’s Jeudy, Lamb, or Ruggs I would wholly agree. But outside of those three, the Broncos need to shore up their secondary, once a focal point of their team. Henderson lands in their lap at a perfect time, as he arguably holds top honors past Okudah. The drop off from CB is much steeper than WR, and the addition of bringing in Melvin Gordon stands to take some pressure off the passing game.Â
Much like Jacksonville’s accelerated drop-off, what happened to the Falcons Defense?! They have never recovered from the Tom Brady Super Bowl comeback, and are now in the midst of an entire remake. Adding the rejuvenated Fowler is a nice replacement for losing Beasley, but supplementing the LB corps with Patrick Queen could bring Deion Jones back to All Pro levels. Â
The Cowboys have made the long term commitment to Zeke, and now Amari, and realistically Dak as well. Their secondary was a glaring weakness last season, and bringing in Clinton-Dix should solidify some depth, but adding another Bama guy in Diggs will surely plug that major hole. Diggs, brother of Stefon, is a large and physical corner, who should specialize in pressing receivers at the line. His aggressiveness should be magnified with the help of Clinton-Dix and Xavier Woods watching his back over the top.
Typically coaching trees are grown out of success, and it’s hard to imagine HC Brian Flores deviating too much from what he learned under the hooded master in New England. I mentioned this with the Dolphins first pick, and now they get a Patriots type of guy in Epenesa to hold down their defensive line for years. I ultimately think his beef and strength land him on the interior, but right now he can play on the EDGE and is a solid addition for the quick remodeling Miami is doing.
After major upgrades to their woefully thin Linebacker group, it’s hard to imagine the Raiders drafting one this high right now, but what a complete 180 this group could be by adding Murray to the mix. A true speedster in the middle, he could immediately make Oakland one of the deepest and most versatile defenses at the second level. A CB is much more of an immediate need, but this would be great value, and creating a distinct weekly advantage.
A massive presence on the defensive interior, Kinlaw is a highly sought after day one starter. The Jags have had some luck in developing Abry Jones, but we are talking a different pedigree here, who makes this defense pretty good against the run to potentially great against it. There are a few directions the Jags could go here, but if Kinlaw is still around this late, he would be hard to pass up. Â
The Eagles have a lot to address in both their own passing game, as well as defending against it. They also need to make a splash. Both the secondary and wide receivers were exposed last year as not having much depth at all. The add an All Pro corner in Slay, giving them the luxury to go after a quickly rising receiver in Jefferson.
It seems there are a few teams desperate for help at Cornerback, but maybe none more than the Vikings. Unfortunately, they are in a spot where they do not have their pick of the litter, but they still can get in on the end of the second tier. It would seem there is a bigger need at Wide Receiver, but the drop off at this position is more significant, and Terrell is a big and physically imposing shut down corner with championship pedigree.
For those that say the Patriots have never taken a QB this high and will not, I would tend to agree. However, they also had the luxury of knowing Tom Brady was their franchise for so long, they never had to. Despite that security, they still did spend a 2nd rounder on Jimmy G. Moral is, I wouldn’t bet on it, but I wouldn’t bet against it either. Jordan Love is believed by some to be the most talented QB in this class, and if Belichick thinks he can mold him, he will be taken here. If not, he gets a steal with a player who can be just as imposing as Chase Young in very near future.
The Pats loss is the Saints gain. Similarly to New England, New Orleans now has nothing behind Brees, unless you truly believe Taysom Hill can be an every down passer. I do not, and if Love is still here, Sean Payton won’t be able to refuse.
As good of a pro as Stefon Diggs has become, Aiyuk has an arguably higher ceiling. This is a phenomenal pick to replace Diggs, and with the addition of Terrell to replace Xavier Rhodes, the Vikings would get an A from me for getting younger without missing a beat.
So far the Dolphins have solidified starters for much needed holes on their roster. With their final pick in the first, they take a small gamble on the upside of Jackson. A year from now, Jackson could be rated as the #1 Tackle in the draft. This year he is not, and is still more of a project than a guarantee. When you have three picks in the first, you can afford to take that gamble.Â
Seattle seems to have struck gold with last years pick of D.K. Metcalf, and while the combo of he and Tyler Lockett is formidable, it still lacks depth. Russell Wilson needs targets in abundance. Enter Higgins, who seems to have been forgotten about, but has just as good a pedigree as almost any receiver in this class. It is a 1-2 punch that should keep Wilson and the Seahawks near the top of the standings for another 5+ years. Â
Injuries have plagued the Bama EDGE rusher, but he is still a great talent with massive upside. Signing Calais Campbell buys some time to let Lewis develop, and he adds some needed depth to the recently depleted linebacking corps in Baltimore. Wisconsin riser Zack Baun, and Lenoir-Rhyne Safety Kyle Dugger could be options here as well.
A bit of an over-achiever, or a player just coming into his own after developing into a new primary position? Either way, Baun is rising up draft boards at the right time, and gives the strong Titans Defense another toy to utilize on the edge. It’s possible Baun is gone by this time, especially to the Ravens one spot ahead.
I fear Claypool is more of a great test taker than game day difference maker, but the Pack could desperately use some talent at the Wide Receiver position, and Claypool has been the talk of the NFL Combine. I got to see him first hand at the Senior Bowl, and he was solid but unspectacular for me. There was talk of him transitioning to Tight End, but his 40-yard dash quickly erased most of that. If he can be something of a hybrid, a la Evan Engram, and pair with Jace Sternberger in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers could be set for a revival tour. The Notre Dame product would be an instant fan favorite in Lambeau.
I want to buy into the Niners taking a Wide Receiver here, and Denzel Mims would be a nice addition, but there is a greater immediate need for them at Corner. Fulton lands in their lap at a perfect time, and the drop off from CB is much steeper than WR. It is also very likely this pick could be for sale in an effort to stockpile more.
The most likely scenario is the Chiefs trade this pick for more draft assets, considering they currently only have five in this year’s pool. If they were to hold onto it though, the defending Super Bowl champions could make a booming splash by taking the insanely productive Taylor, who is now considered to be the best Running Back in the class. They watched the impact their division rival Raiders were able to make by taking Josh Jacobs last year, and Andy Reid would have arguably his most versatile ball carrier ever to add another dimension to this potent offense.
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A jack of all trades in the Fantasy Sports industry, covering football, baseball, and the NFL Draft. Has written, edited, podcasted, and produced over 1,000 videos for his various series, in addition to dozens of guest appearances and collaborative pieces. A top ranker on Fantasy Pros for both Football & Baseball, avid fan of mining for MLB prospects, and former D1 College hoops player, Andy is a native New Yorker, who has served as a firefighter in the FDNY for the past 20 years and counting.
