Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been chugging beer around every turn since his Super Bowl victory because he earned it and he can. General manager Brett Veach will not have the same chance to celebrate. The work being done on the 2020 NFL Draft is far down the train tracks by now. Kansas City will narrow their focus on players that will allow them to return to the Super Bowl next year.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are looking for that one missing piece to help get Kyle Shanahan over the hump. It is going to be an NFL Draft that fans will not ever forget in Las Vegas.
Here are the picks your team could make in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Young is probably the most bust-proof prospect in this draft class. He combines great technique with freakish athleticism. Washington can improve their entire defense with the addition of one player.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Okudah matata. It means the cornerback will give Detroit no worries in their secondary. The Lions nearly traded Darius Slay at the NFL Trade Deadline a year ago after parting with Quandre Diggs. They are clearly looking to make some changes in the secondary. In all honesty, Detroit makes a lot of sense for teams looking to trade up for a quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
New York needs to improve Daniel Jones' protection on the edge and Wirfs seems like a Dave Gettleman pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Tagovailoa has great leadership and accuracy. If Miami is going to move forward and take the next step under head coach Brian Flores, they need a franchise quarterback. They have a lot of needs and two additional first round picks to address those.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Herbert has a lot of similar qualities to Philip Rivers. The Chargers did well with him for years but the marriage ran its course. Los Angeles gets to start over with a very talented but raw player.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Luke Kuechly retires and there is a ready-made linebacker down the road? If there were a perfect example involving Kuechly's retirement, this is it. Simmons is a tremendous talent that offers significant versatility to any team that acquires him.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Larry Fitzgerald is not going to play forever. Arizona is planning for the future, which already involves Kyler Murray. What could be better than providing Murray with his wide receiver at Oklahoma? Lamb has tremendous body control and provides big play-making ability.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Derrick Brown is a bigger defensive tackle but he is so strong and quick. Jacksonville took a chance on Taven Bryan, which did not pan out. Brown can help them apply some pressure up the middle.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
In nearly every mock draft scenario, the Browns are able to land one of the top offensive tackle prospects, which is all fans could ask for at this point. The consistency suggests that there is a strong chance it becomes reality in northeast Ohio.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
New York is committed to taking an offensive tackle. It may be too risky to remain at No. 12 overall and hope that one falls so moving up is an option that can not be ruled out. Thomas falling to them would be a dream.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Jeudy can take the top off the defense, which was the Raiders' hope with Antonio Brown. Brown's stay was short-lived but Jeudy can be a presence in Las Vegas for a long time.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Five quarterbacks being projected in the first round will become very common by the time April rolls around. Love can move the pocket and create opportunities downfield. He is a strong player that displays great touch.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Tampa Bay needs an offensive tackle if Jameis Winston is going to stay, which seems far from a given. Becton has received a lot of buzz recently because he moves so well for his size. There is room for growth though.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
What would one of my mock drafts be without a Ruggs to Denver projection? Make it happen, John Elway.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Epenesa is a Dan Quinn special. Atlanta is in need of pass rush help and there are not many better than the Iowa product.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Delpit is already being undervalued. He is a gifted player that suffered through an ankle injury this season. Dallas should take him at No. 17 overall and run. He will pay big dividends in the end.
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From
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1 - Pick 18
Miami has bigger needs than the defensive line but Kinlaw was the best player on the board. The Dolphins have too many needs to be drafting strictly on need. He can slide right in and play opposite Christian Wilkins.
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From
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 19
There has been a lot of conversation surrounding Burrow, Tagovailoa, Love and Herbert. The buzz surrounding Eason has been surprisingly low. His upside is probably the second highest behind Jordan Love. The Washington native has a big arm but spotty accuracy.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 20
The process has leveled out a bit for Henderson. He began the year as a top-10 prospect and slipped a bit during his final season. As we close in on April, his stock is rising to that No. 2 or No. 3 cornerback spot.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Few would have imagined Higgins lasting this long in the first round but a strong offensive tackle class and a rising group of quarterbacks pushed him down. The Clemson product has dealt with some injuries this season and that has to concern Philadelphia, who was hit hard by the injury bug over the last couple of years.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Buffalo exceeded expectations this season, which is a testament to their coaching staff. When you look at the roster, there are several areas in need of an upgrade. In an ideal world, the best prospect available would be a wide receiver but that is not the case. Instead, they build out their secondary with Xavier McKinney, who is capable of playing the boundary and field cornerback positions as well as either safety role.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins are both free agents. Murray is more of an off ball linebacker but New England would have zero difficulty integrating him into their defense because he is such an active, opportunistic linebacker.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Chaisson would not need to travel far to don his professional digs. His upside is off the charts if he can stay healthy. New Orleans needs more pass rush on the edge, which Chaisson will provide in spades if they cut him loose.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Minnesota needs another edge rusher and potentially two before long. Gross-Matos is a long player that can apply some pressure around the edge.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 26
Miami desperately needs an offensive tackle and in this case, it works out for them. Jones happens to be one of the best players on the board. The Dolphins land Tua Tagovailoa, Javon Kinlaw and Jones with their three first round picks.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Seattle has been trying to find an answer at tight end with Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson on the roster in recent years. Will Dissly has been a solid player but he can't stay healthy. It is time for them to take a bigger swing and add a player that could be with the organization for quite some time.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Tennessee fans are going to be mad that Terrell Lewis is off the board one pick before theirs. Baltimore is poised to watch Matt Judon leave so Lewis steps in to fill the void. It is fitting that an Alabama player would be the choice considering Ozzie Newsome frequented the program so often when he was making the draft picks.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Bryan Bulaga is a free agent this offseason so the Packers may reasonably need a replacement. Jackson is a really athletic tackle prospect with room to grow. He donated bone marrow to his younger sister in July to treat Diamond-Blackfan anemia so there had been a lot weighing on his mind and body in 2019.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
The league is progressively becoming more pass-friendly, which means that depth at the cornerback position helps. San Francisco has several cornerbacks scheduled to hit free agency this offseason and Richard Sherman is not getting any younger. Hall is a viable, long-term addition.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Kansas City won the Super Bowl but it does not mean that they are without their flaws. The interior offensive line needs to be upgraded. It is currently a makeshift group comprised of throw aways from other teams.
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