2020 NFL Mock Draft: 3 QBs go in first 8 picks, Bucs replace Jameis Winston with Joe Burrow
The LSU standout makes his first appearance in our mock draft, now the question becomes how far will he rise
By
Ryan Wilson
•
1 min read
In our latest mock draft we have three quarterbacks going in the first eight picks and LSU's Joe Burrow cracks the first round for the first time this season. And while three teams are happy to land their franchise quarterback, one team -- the Titans -- are on the outside looking in based on their draft order. Does Tennessee overdraft a QB, like it did in 2015, or address one of its other needs? Keep reading to find out.
All told, only four passers go in Round 1 though seven wideouts are selected, including a newcomer, courtesy of Burrow's fantastic 2019 campaign. Also worth noting: In light of the Jalen Ramsey trade, three teams -- the Dolphins, Raiders and Jaguars -- now have multiple first-round picks.
Before you get angry at the draft order, please know that it's based on the current SportsLine Super Bowl odds projections and has nothing to do with us hating your favorite team.
Alright, let's get to it.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Tagovailoa has been playing out of his mind this season and the only real mystery to this point is how much of that success (2,011 yards, 27 TDs, 1 INTs, 73.6 completion percentage) is due to his talents and how much we should attribute to the first-round picks that are on the receiving end of his throws. There's still plenty of time for Justin Herbert or even Chase Young to end up going first overall, but at halfway into the college season -- and given the Dolphins' struggles -- Tua seems destined for this spot.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Feelings are mixed on Herbert, who has been much better in 2019 than he was last season. It's easy to see why NFL teams could fall in love too; Herbert's 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, incredibly athletic, has one of the best arms in the country and when he gets hot he's hard to stop. The question is consistency -- can Herbert play at a high level from one play to the next, something we've seen glimpses of this season.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Jeudy is an elite route runner who does everything well. If you're looking to nitpick, he doesn't have top-end speed, though you wouldn't know it to watch him in games. And while the Redskins need help on defense, it makes sense to get Dwayne Haskins as many weapons as possible.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
This would be best-case scenario for the Falcons, who are wasting Matt Ryan's prime years because the defense can't get off the field. Young has been dominant this season and is every bit the pass rusher as Nick Bosa was at Ohio State.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Wirfs, who has a little Cody Ford in his game, is surprisingly athletic for his size, and his combination of strong hands and quick feet allows him to control would-be pass rushers. If he gets his hands on you it's over, and he also has the ability to get into space and pave the way in the running game.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
DJ Humphries in the final year of his deal and he has been replacement-level at best. Thomas, the best offensive lineman in college football, not only looks the part at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, he plays like a dominant left tackle. He's again protecting Jake Fromm's blind side at Georgia through quick feet, athleticism and strength. Coming into 2019, Thomas has allowed just four sacks in two seasons and he can take over in the run game.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Emmanuel Sanders is 32 years old and in the last year of his deal. Lamb is an elite route runner, has some of the best hands in college football and his next-level body control allows him to adjust to throws in mid-air. He took over against Texas last week and he could end up being the first wideout taken by the time it's all said and done.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Bruce Arians may say he still has confidence in his quarterback but Jameis Winston threw 5 interceptions on Sunday and there's no way the Bucs re-up him. Burrow, meanwhile, has been the best player in college football over the first month and a half. And in that time he's gone from Day 2-pick-at-best prospect to putting himself into the Round 1 conversation.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Huge. Strong. Epenesa can rag-doll offensive tackles with a straight-arm and while he's not explosive, he has the strength to control the line of scrimmage. He's a high-motor edge setter in the run game who can't be contained by just one player. The Titans desperately need a QB but with three already off the board they address edge rusher.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Ryan Connelly was a pleasant surprise until suffering a season-ending knee injury, and David Mayo has been serviceable, but the middle of the defense improves immediately -- and immensely -- with the addition of Simmons, who is a hybrid capable of dominating the linebacker position with the athleticism to drop into coverage like a safety.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
A year ago, DJ Chark had 14 receptions and no TDs in 11 games. Through six games this season, he has 30 receptions and 5 TDs. Gardner Minshew has obviously been a big part of Chark's success, and adding another downfield weapon in Ruggs will only make life easier for Chark, Minshew and the rest of the Jags' offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Since Philip Rivers was drafted into the NFL in 2004, the Chargers have used exactly one first-round pick on the offensive line. ONE. And that was in 2013 when they selected D.J. Fluker 13th overall. Fluker's now in Seattle but the Chargers' offensive line is a complete and total disaster, and the group was exposed on national television against a Steelers team that was on its fourth-string quarterback. Leatherwood can play both guard and tackle and he's having a great senior season at Alabama where he's had no problem replacing Jonah Williams, who was the first-round pick of the Bengals in April.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
The big concern this offseason was whether the offensive line could protect Baker Mayfield. And while Mayfield has struggled, it's solely because of the O-line, which has been replacement level. But the safeties, which were also an offseason concern, remain so. The defense as a whole has flashed glimpses of brilliance, but the group still needs to play with more consistency. And adding the best safety in the draft should go a long way in helping this unit take the next step.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
The Raiders have been one of the biggest surprises of the first half of the season and while this unit is stout against the run, they're among the worst in pass defense. Okudah is one of the most athletic, physical corners in college football and he could be the first cornerback off the board.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
The Cowboys' defense is a liability and it starts up front. Kinlaw, who has five sacks in five games this season, is disruptive at the line of scrimmage and he has the ability to consistently push the pocket. He would give Dallas a much-needed presence in the middle of the defense.
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From
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1 - Pick 16
Gross-Matos has 5 sacks and 8 tackles for loss through five games and he gives the Dolphins something they desperately need: a legit threat off the edge. His long legs result in a powerful first step when he gets space. Gross-Matos shows good pursuit down the line of scrimmage, the ability to make backside tackles and uses his quickness to knife through the line. He needs to get stronger but has the quickness to regularly find himself making plays in the backfield.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Lions' defense has played well for Matt Patricia this season and adding Fulton would only bolster the secondary. He has quick feet, smooth hips and was arguably LSU's best cornerback last season even though he played across the field from Greedy Williams, the Browns' second-round pick this spring. Fulton's off-field history may give some NFL teams pause but his on-field abilities are undeniable.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 18
The Jags will need to replace Jalen Ramsey's production and that will will likely be a cornerbacks-by-committee effort. If Diggs didn't suffer an injury last season he would've been a first-round pick. At 6-1, 200 pounds, he has the prototypical size and speed for today's NFL cornerback and he has the strength, speed and athleticism that could see him go in Round 1 next spring.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
The Colts' linebackers struggled without Darius Leonard, who missed three games with a concussion, and Moses is arguably the best linebacker in this draft class. He suffered a torn ACL in August and he still may choose to return to Alabama, but he's a first-round talent should he decide to declare.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
The Rams won the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes. Terrell is a physical, athletic corner who fills a glaring need in Philly, where the secondary has been decimated by injuries.
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From
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 21
Shenault has been banged up this season but when he's healthy he's a game-changer. He lines up all over the field -- in the slot, offset tight end, H-back, quarterback. Shenault has strong hands -- he's made a living out of plucking the ball out of the air with a defender draped all over him. He can win at every level and is always one play away from taking it to the house. Think a stronger, more physical N'Keal Harry.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
McKinney is stronger, faster and more explosive than former Alabama teammate Deionte Thompson, and he's much more versatile.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
The Ravens hope they've solved their cornerback issues with the trade that brought them Marcus Peters, but they still need to bolster the pass rush and Weaver, who has 9 sacks in six games this season, checks all the boxes.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Brown is hard to move off the ball and has the strength to push the pocket, even against double teams. He doesn't have the dynamism of a 2019 first-rounders Quinnen Williams or Jeffery Simmons but he is a space-eater that is disruptive around the line and allows teammates around him to make plays.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 25
Halfway through the '19 season and Jefferson has 40 receptions for 670 yards and 8 TDs. A year ago he finished with 54/875/6. He's clearly benefitted from Joe Burrow's emergence but don't misunderstand: Jefferson is a playmaker who consistently makes contested catches.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Reagor is only averaging 3 catches a game but he's electric with the ball in his hands. The Packers are all stocked up on big wideouts but Reagor would give Aaron Rodgers a Randall Cobb-type playmaker who can do a little bit of everything.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Frank Gore can't play forever (we think) and Devin Singletary, while explosive, is a complementary back. Swift is an elite runner but he also excels at catching passes coming out of the backfield, which will provide Josh Allen with yet another weapon.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
The Seahawks currently have one player, and his name is Russell Wilson. The defense is a shell of its former self and that's due, in part, to struggles along the defensive line. Wilson has been one of the few bright spots on an otherwise forgettable Seminoles squad.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Drew Brees is 40 years old. Teddy Bridgewater is in the final year of his deal, as is Taysom Hill, who at 29 is two years older than Bridgewater. Fromm, as we've come to expect, has been efficient from the pocket, often making the right reads and delivering short and intermediate passes accurately and on time. Questions about his deep-ball accuracy remain, and he's coming off his worst effort of the season after Saturday's loss to South Carolina.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Hall suffered an ankle injury on Saturday but he came into the season as our CB1. The Chiefs' defense is a mess and one of the few bright spots has been Hall's former secondary mate at UVA, Juan Thornhill, who was Kansas City's second-round pick in the spring.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
The 49ers have been a fantastic story through the first six weeks but Jimmy Garoppolo could use a legit deep threat. Higgins, the 6-foot-4 playmaker with a huge catch radius can high-point the ball as well as anyone in this draft class.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
The Patriots are among the hardest teams to peg when it comes to their first-round pick, in part because Bill Belichick zigs when everyone else zags but also because the team regularly selects in the 30s. Adams is a behemoth who moves surprisingly well for his size and has the awareness athleticism to regularly get to the second level.
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