2020 Pre-Combine Mock Draft 1.0

First mock draft of the year. Doing one pre-combine from what I have heard and learned from many outlets like the Draft Network, Bleacher Report, ESPN, NFL.com, and independent twitter scouts and their clips, as well as my own dumb intuition. I have not watched my own film, so I have no idea about any of this. Just doing it for fun. No trades in the first couple of these. I will be watching the combine and paying attention to certain drills/measurables/etc. and will have a mock coming out the week following it.

1.       Cincinnati Bengals – QB Joe Burrow, LSU

Let’s not overthink this. I doubt this changes from now until Vegas.

2.       Washington Redskins – EDGE Chase Young, Ohio St

Same with the above. If Washington trades out of this, they will need a Wentz-like haul.

3.       Detroit Lions – CB Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio St

Once we get trades involved the Miami Dolphins will be selecting here. Am I biased? A little yes but it also makes too much sense. Lions don’t want to move too far and miss Young/Okudah. The QB talk is a smokescreen because Coach and GM will be fired if they don’t make the playoffs and Stafford is untradeable.

4.       New York Giants – OT Jedrick Wills, Alabama

Blocked Tua’s blindside (right side) but will be drafted to be the blindside (left) for Daniel Jones. Giants don’t trade in the 1^st and they get their choice of all the hog mollies. An upset pick I could see being here would be Derrick Brown.

5.       Miami Dolphins – QB Tua Tagovaiola, Alabama

Last don’t overthink this. This is happening. It has been happening since Gase was fired and Ownership said, “we are ok with only winning 3 games”. It was for this man. If the Lions select a player at 3, their will be a shirtless man in Vegas during the draft named Kyle.

6.       Los Angeles Chargers – QB Justin Herbert, Oregon

This pick… is interesting. Could see the Chargers going after Cam and Brady. But if they don’t get a QB I think the guy they will want is Herbert anyway (instead of Tua) because of the big arm (not that Tua doesn’t have that). This is written in light pencil until after free agency.

7.       Carolina Panthers – DL Derrick Brown, Auburn

This may end up being the best pick of the draft that no one talks about. Listen to this though. Carolina fires their coach and hires a first-time head coach to “rebuild” the team. Carolina distances themselves from their best/foundational/franchise players to create cap and flexibility. Carolina has a probable need at QB post-Cam. Carolina begins tanking. Carolina takes a DT in the first round of this draft in prep for tanking for Trevor. (Miami selected DT Christian Wilkins last year in the 1^st round) Sound familiar?

8.       Arizona Cardinals – DL Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina

I know CeeDee and Jeudy are both there and CeeDee played with Murray and they have a “need” at WR… I just don’t feel good about it. Derrick Brown I think is their guy, but they would be happy with Kinlaw as well. I don’t think they trade back but it would make a lot of sense for someone if they wanted Simmons (possibly Raiders). Kinlaw is a wrecking machine but if he falls to the teens because of injury scares don’t be surprised.

9.       Jacksonville Jaguars – LB/S/Playmaker Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

Jacksonville’s 2017 team is long gone. Way to get back to it? Address the defense (losing a lot of players this offseason like Campbell, Yannick, Bouye, Ramsey last year) and hope one of your QB raises their play. Simmons is probably the best defensive player this year but because he is so versatile teams need to have a plan of what they want to do with him. Learning from Myles Jack and being able to roam will be perfect for him.

10.   Cleveland Browns – OT Mekhi Becton, Louisville

I don’t know much about Andrew Berry the new GM. But if the Browns are drafting… generally I don’t trust them. Becton is simply huge. 6’7 300 thousand LBs and moves like a feather in the wind. He has shot up boards because of his ability to move and when he gets his hands on you… so long. But he doesn’t do that very often. To be honest, I think the Browns ruin this kid. I hope not.

11.   New York Jets – OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia

Copy paste the last 2 sentences but replaces Browns with Jets. I think the Jets will want a true tackle in Thomas rather than Wirfs because some people see him as a guard. He was a top 5 pick pre-2019 season but fell this year due to some inconsistencies on his tape. Some games he shows that top-5 player and others he just is kind of there. If Lamb is taken at #8 to Arizona… I would want to change this pick to Jeudy. It really depends on how much voice Gase has in the room on draft day.

12.   Las Vegas Raiders – WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama

Best player available falls right to them. Jordan Love may get some excitement out of Gruden but Jeudy is a stud and fills a huge need for this team who will be losing Tyrell Williams.

13.   Indianapolis Colts – WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

No one knows what the Colts are going to do. If Costanzo retires (or signs elsewhere), this could easily be Wirfs or any available OT. This is also a trade up spot for Jordan Love for another team to get ahead of Tampa. Colts could also take Love. But I feel they roll with Brissett. They have a ton of cap room and I expect them to sign a good bit of players, but the WR FA’s aren’t too great. Not as good as the possibility of Jeudy or Lamb for sure.

14.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers – EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU

I believe Bruce Arians when he says his primary focus is on the defensive side this offseason. But I don’t believe that Shaq Barrett is going to be in their price range even though he says he would take a hometown discount. If Shaq is back, I think this is Kinlaw’s floor, but he isn’t available and Chaisson is BPA. Bucs aren’t too far away if they can figure out their QB room.

15.   Denver Broncos – WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama

Courtland Sutton is a WR1. Lock is a lock to be their 2020 starter at QB. They have a couple good RBs and a shiny TE. Defense is 100% in play at this pick. Specifically, at corner or safety is Simmons leaves in FA. However, Lock’s ceiling is the floor if they can’t stretch the field.

16.   Atlanta Falcons – CB Kristian Fulton, LSU

Fulton has already played quite a few games in this shiny new stadium. Chaisson is the pick if he is here, but I think they stay away from Epenesa because he isn’t the bendy type of player Atlanta covets since they have been burned at EDGE in the draft in the past.

17.   Dallas Cowboys – DB Xavier McKinney, Alabama

Offseason Dallas Priorities: Sign Dak long term, sign/tag Amari, let Byron Jones walk because he will be a $14M+ a year player on the open market. Dallas has been looking for a safety for some time now and they get their pick between all of them. Delpit is also very much in this conversation.

18.   Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh Steelers) – OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa

Yea… this probably doesn’t happen. This is his floor though. However, his ceiling is probably 8 to Arizona. Dolphins obviously need to address the OL, so this isn’t a surprise. We may be looking at 4 new OL starters in 2020.

19.   Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago Bears) – LB Patrick Queen, LSU

It seems like this pick is already in sharpie to most people. However, if Simmons falls to them at 12 the whole draft may already be on its head and there could be a really good player available here like Ruggs. Queen is a sideline to sideline LB who has a couple of nice pass rush moves as well.

20.   Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams) – CB CJ Henderson, Florida

As I noted before, they lost Ramsey and may be moving on from Bouye as well. Time to get another press man corner. Henderson’s big knock is he doesn’t want to tackle and when he does, he isn’t good at it. But he was a top corner in press man this year, per PFF.

21.   Philadelphia Eagles – WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado

Corner or Wide Receiver. Whichever has the best player available, but these positions literally have crushed the possibility of another Super Bowl for the Eagles the last few years. Shenault is a Darren Sproles at WR. Guess who just retired from the Eagles? Yep…

22.   Buffalo Bills – WR Tee Higgins, Clemson

This one makes too much sense to me. Buffalo has a bunch of smaller guys. Higgins is a huge, outjump anyone type of guy on the boundary. He isn’t a route technician. But he will do a good job with big arm Allen throwing him deep.

23.   New England Patriots – DL AJ Epenesa, Iowa

I hate this. He is such a perfect fit for this system. Detroit, Miami would both love him, and he is in play at 18/26 or if Detroit takes one of these picks from Miami. Big edge player that also scooch inside for these multiple defenses that these teams like to play. A great run defender and a technician with his hands that still gets pressure on the QB.

24.   New Orleans Saints – iOL Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU

This team is so ready for a Super Bowl. Brees is back. The offense is intact. Teddy is gone. Taysom is not a franchise QB. But do the waste 1-2 years left of Brees to take Jordan Love for the future? Or do they go all-in to win the big game? I truly do not know. But I go with Lloyd here because this Saints team is very familiar with this LSU product and it fills a need. If Laviska is available, they are 99.9% taking him.

25.   Minnesota Vikings – CB Jeff Gladney, TCU

Not enough people know about this kid. Really good press man corner in a TCU defense that was often underrated. Vikings are likely losing Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes was in the toaster for too long this year. Time to replace them.

26.   Miami Dolphins (from Houston Texans) – RB De’Andre Swift, Georgia

Let me just say that I hate this pick. Happy with Gross-Matos or Diggs or Baun or Delpit or taking another tackle because I hate this so much. But the dolphins have “serious interest” in Swift. It is a huge need for sure, but not a big enough one that we can’t take Dobbins or Akers in round 2.

27.   Seattle Seahawks – EDGE Terrell Lewis, Alabama

Let’s just start this with, Seattle is trading back. However, this pick makes a lot of sense for wherever they trade back to. Terrell has first round talent, but major injury concerns as well. This could also address the interior OL as more of a safe pick but again you can get that type of player in a trade back.

28.   Baltimore Ravens – LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma

Ravens reload their defensive weapons every single year without a drop off. They cut Jefferson in the secondary. They may lose Judon at edge. However, the LBing core wasn’t reloaded as normal once CJ Mosley singed in NY.

29.   Tennessee Titans – OT Josh Jones, Houston

The Titans have major free agency issues this year. They are going to have to sign or tag both Derrick Henry and Tannehill. They have Conklin at RT who is the top tackle on the market and will get paid somewhere. I doubt Tennessee matches. Plus, they may lose Logan Ryan at slot corner. I believe they try to get their offensive weapons back and draft the best available tackle on the board. Jones falling to them won’t happen on draft day, but it happens here.

30.   Green Bay Packers – WR Justin Jefferson, LSU

Rodgers has WR weapons and this offense will hum again. Jefferson has strong hands at the catch point and isn’t afraid to run across the middle (Cobb role). Something that Rodgers was missing a lot this year.

31.   San Francisco 49ers – DB Grant Delpit, LSU

7 picks from LSU. Impressive. Delpit was a top 5 pick before this year. He won the Jim Thorpe Award this year based on name value though. He had a very down year and in the 2 Playoff games. For example, he was taking poor routes to get to open field rushers. Everyone saw Derwin James. San Fran could get the steal of the draft if he is 100% healthy (something that many people believe he was not this past year). However, the most likely scenario is a trade back. They have almost zero picks in this draft and not a ton of cap space to improve the team this offseason.

32.   Kansas City Chiefs – DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn

I don’t believe that the Chiefs will be able to afford keeping Chris Jones who was really the difference in the Super Bowl. If that is the case, iDL becomes the biggest need. Marlon Davidson isn’t your nose tackle. But he can line up everywhere on the line and put pressure on the QB which is what Chris Jones did best.