2020 NFL Mock Draft: Chargers, Saints replace veteran quarterbacks with Senior Bowl standouts
Justin Herbert and Jordan Love answered a lot of questions in Mobile as they continue to make their case
By
Ryan Wilson
•
1 min read
The Pro Bowl is in the books and only one game remains on the NFL calendar: Super Bowl LIV. That means we'll be officially into draft season a week from now as the 32 teams all refocus their energies on free agency and then the 2020 NFL Draft. We're also days removed from the Senior Bowl, where many players improved their draft stock with strong performances, starting with Justin Herbert and Jordan Love.
But it wasn't just the quarterbacks who benefited from a week in Mobile; Javon Kinlaw, Josh Jones, Terrell Lewis and Neville Gallimore all had strong showings and, as the old saying goes, made themselves some money.
All told, four QBs go in the first round of our latest mock draft, and we have three newcomers to the top 32. Keep reading to see who goes where.
Super Bowl Week is here, and there's a lot to go over. John Breech and Sean Wagner-McGough breakdown 49ers-Chiefs storylines, answer questions from the listener mailbag and more. Listen below and be sure to subscribe for daily NFL goodness.
The draft order is based on team records through the conference championship games.
Alright, let's get to it.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
The Bengals staff coached Justin Herbert and the South team at the Senior Bowl, but even though Herbert shined during practices, there is no way they're not drafting Burrow here, right?
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Burrow had a phenomenal 2019 season but Young remains the No. 1 player on our draft board because he's such an incredibly special talent. He has Bosa brothers-level ability and would be the easiest pick in this draft.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
The Lions are coming off a three-win campaign and coach Matt Patricia needs to have a solid showing in 2020. Detroit has needs along the defensive line, and Brown is the top player at that position after a strong showing with the Tigers in '19.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
The Giants cut ties with Janoris Jenkins late in 2019, and DeAndre Baker struggled through much of his rookie season. We've usually had New York targeting an offensive tackle at this spot -- and for good reason -- but the dearth of cornerback talent could make Okudah tough to pass up. Put another way: The depth at OT is much deeper than the depth at CB in later rounds.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
This will all come down to Tua's health, but agent Leigh Steinberg expects the quarterback will be able to throw for teams at some point before the draft. For now, though, this is the best-case scenario for the Dolphins, who won five of their last nine games. However, if Tua gets a clean bill of health, things get interesting as other teams could be looking to trade up ahead of Miami to land him.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
We asked Herbert at the Super Bowl what NFL teams wanted to see from him during the week. He didn't say, 'Be more consistent in my reads,' or, 'Make better decisions with the ball.' He said, 'Leadership.' That's been the knock on Herbert during much of his college career, and after a strong showing in Mobile, if he can prove he has what it takes to command the huddle, he'll not only be a first-round pick, he'll likely find himself among the top 10 players taken. And with the Chargers and Philip Rivers parting ways, L.A. has a sudden need for a young quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Gerald McCoy appears headed for free agency along with Vernon Butler after the Panthers didn't pick up his fifth-year option. The team has needs along the offensive line, at cornerback and wide receiver, and possibly at quarterback depending on Cam Newton's health, but Kinlaw is coming off a dominant Senior Bowl week that could see him end up going in the top 10.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
The Cardinals need to get better up front; the O-line ranked 21st in run blocking and 26th in pass blocking, according to Football Outsiders. Wills had a strong junior season for the Crimson Tide and was arguably one of the best players on the roster.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Telvin Smith retired last offseason and the Jags' linebackers corps struggled mightily, including Myles Jack, one of the league's best athletes. Simmons is a physical freak who can line up anywhere on the field, including deep safety, where he's often spotted in Clemson's defense. Simmons is also coming off dominating performances in the bowl games against Ohio State and LSU.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
At 6-foot-7 and 360 pounds, Becton is a mountain of a man, but he moves like someone who weighs more like 260, which pairs nicely with his footwork, balance and strength. The Browns have myriad problems, and fixing the offensive line is as good a place as any to start. Ultimately, this team's success comes down to Baker Mayfield, but protecting him might make that a lot easier.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Lamb had three fewer receptions in one fewer game than a season ago, but he had 169 more yards and three touchdowns, and he averaged 21.4 yards per catch. With Robby Anderson and Demaryius Thomas apparently headed for free agency, the Jets get the most dynamic pass catcher in this draft class.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Our top prospect coming into the 2019 season, Jeudy was good, just not great. It's not entirely his fault; he played alongside Henry Ruggs and DeVonta Smith, two first-round-caliber wideouts, and despite lower production there's still no denying his dynamism. Which is why he makes a ton of sense for the Raiders, who currently lack a consistent downfield playmaker outside of tight end Darren Waller.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Anthony Costanzo's contract will expire in March, and if Jacoby Brissett is the Colts' QB of the future (and that's still up for debate) he'll need to be protected to have a chance to succeed. Wirfs can play either right tackle or left tackle and he's coming off an impressive season for the Hawkeyes.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Thomas was a three-year starter at Georgia, where he was dominant at times in protecting Jake Fromm and blocking for D'Andre Swift. In Tampa, Demar Dotson will be a free agent in March and Donovan Smith has two years left on his rookie deal. Now the Bucs just need to settle on a quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Von Miller will be 31 next year and has two years left on his deal, and Bradley Chubb is rehabbing from an ACL injury that limited him to just four games last season. The Broncos have a big need at wide receiver, but this class is so incredibly deep that they can find quality players in subsequent rounds. There are far fewer quality edge rushers and Chaisson is among them.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
The Falcons have needs at edge rusher, defensive line and linebacker too, but Diggs, one of the most physically imposing CBs in this class, could be too good to pass up here.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Cowboys desperately need to bolster the secondary, especially at safety, and McKinney is arguably the best one in this draft class. He can play centerfield or closer to the line of scrimmage, and he brings a physicality that was on display week in and week out during the Crimson Tide's '19 season.
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From
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1 - Pick 18
Jones had an outstanding season for the Cougars and that carried over to the Senior Bowl. He has the type of strength and athleticism that translates well to the NFL. In Miami, he'd be part of a rebuilding effort that would begin with protecting the new face of the franchise, Tua Tagovailoa.
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From
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 19
The Raiders very quietly had one of the best rookie draft classes last season, and they'll look to build on that this spring. Murray is an athletic linebacker with sideline-to-sideline speed, and his addition to the defense would give Las Vegas one of the youngest, most athletic units in the league.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 20
Our colleague Pete Prisco will tell you that the Jags need 'bigs and bigs' -- offensive and defensive linemen, preferably with those two first-rounders. We don't disagree, but given the way the board fell, Jacksonville ended up with two pretty solid consolation prizes: linebacker Isaiah Simmons at No. 9 and long, tall, physical cornerback C.J. Henderson with the 20th pick. Henderson won't replace Jalen Ramsey, but he's a cover corner with ball skills.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry were the Eagles' two most efficient pass rushers, according to PFF, but Graham is 31 and Curry appears headed for free agency. Lewis was able to stay healthy in 2019 after suffering injuries in the two previous seasons and he looked pretty good. He looked even better at the Senior Bowl last week, and that will only help his draft stock.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
John Brown can stretch the field and Cole Beasley can man the slot, but Josh Allen needs another downfield target. Ruggs is one of the fastest players on the Alabama roster and he's a threat to take it to the house from anywhere on the field.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
The Patriots defense was the one of the best in the league but with so much depth at WR New England takes a great unit and makes it ... greater. Epenesa can play on the edge or kick inside and it's that mix of versatility and athleticism that would make him attractive to Bill Belichick.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Both Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater could return in 2020 -- and that would be ideal for Love, who will need a season or two on the bench before he's ready. He's drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes because of his athleticism, arm strength and play-making abilities, but Love is coming off a rough junior season for the Aggies, though he looked much sharper in Mobile during the Senior Bowl
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Linval Joseph is the Vikings' best defensive lineman, but the unit ranked 30th against the run, according to Football Outsiders. Gallimore is a fire plug with a non-stop runner who excels against both the run and the pass.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 26
The Dolphins need help just about everywhere. Hall was our CB1 coming into the season. He's since suffered an ankle injury that cut short his '19 campaign, but he should be fully recovered by the spring.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Madubuike declared for the draft earlier this month after an impressive season for the Aggies. His low center of gravity coupled with strength, quickness and surprising athleticism for someone his size makes him a favorite to go on Day 2 and could even sneak into Day 1. The Seahawks, who have a history of bucking convention in Round 1, also have needs along the defensive line after the unit ranked 21st against the run and 30th in pass rushing last season, according to Football Outsiders' metrics.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Queen flashed early and often during the national title game, and those 60 minutes of football served as a microcosm of his 2019 season. The Ravens defense improved as the season progressed, and while Josh Bynes played out of his mind this season, he's 30 and on a one-year deal after spending the previous two seasons in Arizona (and the three before that in Detroit).
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Logan Ryan and Tramaine Brock are two of the Titans' top three cornerbacks, and both will be out of a contract in March. But even if Tennessee brings back one (or both), you can never have enough defensive backs on the roster. Fulton would've been a likely first-rounder had he come out a year ago.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Shenault is two inches taller and five pounds heavier than Deebo Samuel, who does many of the same things that made Shenault so dangerous in college. The Buffs standout battled injuries during the '19 season, but he's a four-down player who can (and does) line up anywhere -- out wide, in the slot, H-back, running back and even QB. The Packers need to add playmakers alongside Davante Adams, and Shenault fits the bill.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Just what this offense needs: more playmakers. Dobbins' improvement from 2018 to 2019 was hard to miss, and he improved in the passing game too, where 19 percent of his total receiving yards came after contact.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Same as last week. Delpit, who entered the season as the top safety in this class, battled through an ankle injury and struggled to consistently make tackles. When he's on, however, he can be one of the best players on the field.
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