It's Senior Bowl Week, which may seem like an odd thing to say a day after the Chiefs and 49ers earned trips to Super Bowl LIV but a year ago we were in Mobile, Alabama, and Deebo Samuel was proving to any lingering doubters that he was, in fact, fast enough to play in the NFL. He had a great week, parlayed that into a second-round selection, and went on to have a phenomenal rookie campaign for the 49ers.
This is something to keep in mind as we begin draft season; quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Jordan Love will be at the Senior Bowl, and a strong showing could mean the difference between going in Round 2 or having their names called in the top 10. In our latest mock draft, we have four quarterbacks going in the first 32 picks, starting up top with Joe Burrow. We also see a run on offensive linemen, defensive backs, edge rushers, and wide receivers.
Who will Tom Brady and Philip Rivers play for next season? And who should you bet on in Super Bowl LIV? Jason La Canfora and Kenny White join Will Brinson to break it all down on the Pick Six Podcast. Listen below and be sure to subscribe here for daily NFL goodness fired into your eardrums.
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
Burrow proved himself over the last five months. Don't be surprised if he chooses not to work out at the combine and has a heavily scripted pro day. In fact, the Bengals would be smart to start negotiating with him now and get him a playbook as soon as possible.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Is edge rusher the Redskins' biggest need? No, but Young is going to be special. We're talking, "better than the Bosa brothers"-type talent. The biggest question is whether Washington will listen to trade offers from other teams looking to move up for a quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Okudah's effort vs. Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl earlier this month was the closest thing we've seen to a shutdown corner this season; he put the clamps on Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross for most of the night and solidified his place as the No. 1 cornerback in this draft class.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Wills is not only one of the best players on Alabama's roster, he's arguably the top offensive linemen in this class. The right tackle quietly had an outstanding 2019 campaign and he'll upgrade a Giants offensive line in desperate need of some consistency.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
This will all come down to Tua's health, but agent Leigh Steinberg expects that 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.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Yes, the Chargers used a first-round pick on Jerry Tillery last April, and yes, the team needs upgrades along the offensive line, but L.A.'s D-line ranked in the bottom third in the league in stopping the run and getting after the quarterback, and Brown, one of the best players in this class, is coming off a dominant 2019 season for the Tigers.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
The Panthers have needs in the secondary and along the defensive line but we still don't know when Cam Newton, who has one year left on his deal, will be healthy. And with the addition of new OC Joe Brady, getting Newton's successor would make some sense. Herbert will need a year to grow into a starting role but he has all the physical tools teams look for in a franchise passer.
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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; Andrew Thomas was a three-year starter at Georgia where he was dominant at times in protecting Jake Fromm and blocking for D'Andre Swift.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
This might be a tad high for Kinlaw but the Jaguars have needs along the defensive line and the South Carolina standout was one of the best pass-rushing interior players in the country.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
It sounds like the Browns won't re-sign Joe Schobert, and even though they drafted linebackers Mack Wilson and Sione Takitaki there's still room for Simmons, who can line up anywhere, including safety, which is also a need for this Cleveland defense.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Both left tackle Kelvin Beachum and right tackle Brandon Shell have contracts that will expire in a few weeks and Wirfs is one of the best players in this class; he played primarily right tackle at Iowa but is also a capable left tackle. Wherever he lines up he'll immediately upgrade New York's O-line.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Jordan Love is coming off a forgettable 2019 season but his 2018 tape offers glimpses of just how good he can be. He's drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes and if he has a strong Senior Bowl week he'll have a chance to convince critics that he can play with more consistency at the next level. And if the Raiders are looking for a Plan B after Derek Carr before the move to Vegas, this could be it.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
The Colts have needs on defense, for sure, but T.Y. Hilton missed six games and Zach Pascal led the team in receiving. Jacoby Brissett needs help and Lamb, a YAC monster, would certainly solve a lot of problems in Indy's downfield passing attack.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
The Bucs' 2019 draft class was defense-heavy and the results were immediate; the unit was the No. 5 defense in the league but the D-line could look completely different next season; Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Rakeem Nunez-Roches are all soon-to-be free agents. Chaisson will need to add 10 pounds to his frame but he's already an explosive, disruptive presence off the edge.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Courtland Sutton is an emerging star who is a bona fide deep threat. Noah Fant is the dynamic tight end entering Year 2. Phillip Lindsay is the backfield playmaker, and Drew Lock is the quarterback who appears ready for the full-time job. Why not add one more weapon to this offense -- the most exciting player in this draft class -- Jerry Jeudy.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
The Falcons 'D' played better down the stretch but the need for an edge rusher remains, especially with Vic Beasley in the final year of his contract. Epenesa isn't a quick-first-step pass rusher in the mold of Beasley; he's built more like J.J. Watt and he wins with good hand usage and sheer power. Added bonus: Epenesa can also kick inside and takes snaps at defensive tackle, which he did at times for the Hawkeyes.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Cowboys have needs at wide receiver, tight end and in the secondary, but Demarcus Lawrence can't do it by himself along the defensive line. Robert Quinn and Michael Bennett will have their contracts expire in March and Gross-Matos is an edge-setting pass rusher who logged nine sacks this season. He's still learning the position, which means he will only get better.
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From
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1 - Pick 18
At 6-foot-7, 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. 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
Makes too much sense not to happen -- Ruggs is a burner and a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. The Raiders suddenly have a lot of questions, especially on offense, but Ruggs would give Jon Gruden an immediate deep threat to pair with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow and, possibly, a new quarterback (see above).
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 20
Jones had an outstanding season for the Cougars and has the type of strength and athleticism that translates well to the NFL. Former second-rounder Cam Robinson, whose contract expires in 2021, is coming off an up-and-down season, and Jones would bookend right tackle Jawaan Taylor, the road grader taken in Round 2 last spring.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
The Eagles were hobbled by injuries in the secondary all season and Fulton, who would have been in the first-round conversation had he declared a year ago, remains one of the best cornerbacks in this class.
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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 a big downfield target. At 6-4, Higgins is that and then some; he high-points the ball better than anyone in this class and Allen would certainly welcome him to Buffalo. The Clemson standout, who battled injuries in the Fiesta Bowl and the national title game, had his best showing of the season in the ACC title game, hauling in nine passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
The Patriots' dominant D adds another playmaker. Lewis battled through knee and elbow injuries that forced him to miss most of the previous two seasons, but he showed in 2019 just how disruptive he could be off the edge. If he's healthy, there's a good chance he finds his way into Round 1.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
We've usually penciled in a WR to the Saints here but Eli Apple and P.J. Williams will have their contracts expire in a few weeks and Patrick Robinson has just one more year left on his deal. Yes, Marson Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins will return but you can never have enough quality cornerbacks, especially with such a deep wide receivers class. Diggs, Stefon's brother, is a physical cover corner who had eight passes defended and three interceptions in 2019.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander are in the final year of their contracts, and Xavier Rhodes struggled for much of the season. Adding help at cornerback will be a priority this offseason. Hall was our CB1 coming into the season. He suffered an ankle injury that cut short his '19 campaign but he should be fully recovered by the spring.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 26
Raekwon McMillan and Sam Eguavoen both have one year left on their current deals and Jerome Baker's contract expires in two years. None rated better than average, according to Pro Football Focus' grades and Murray, who has sideline-to-sideline speed and can take over games in the middle of the field, would give the Dolphins a much-needed playmaker on defense.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
It's clear the Seahawks need to upgrade their defense and Henderson is a long, physical corner who fits Seattle's physical style. He had a better 2018 than 2019 campaign but he still flashed at times last season, especially in man coverage, and he's only going to get better.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
The Ravens have needs at edge rusher and linebacker and Baun fills both needs. He's listed at 235 lbs., which means he's better suited for weakside linebacker at the next level. Wherever he lines up, Baun is a playmaker; he had 11.5 sacks and 55 QB pressures in 2019. This sounds like someone Wink Martindale can work with.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
The Titans would love a CB here but five are already off the board. Instead, they bolster the safety position -- yes, Kevin Byard remains a star and rookie Amani Hooker could be very good, but Kenny Vaccaro was just average, according to PFF's grades, and he has just one more year left on his deal. McKinney could end up being the best safety in this class in part due to his versatility; he can play deep centerfield or near the line of scrimmage.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Shenault battled injuries during the '19 season but he's a -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
Chris Jones has been the Chiefs' best defensive tackle, but he's in the last year of his deal and there isn't much depth behind him. Gallimore, who has the athleticism and quickness to get into the backfield, moves effortlessly for his size and is coming off a strong season for the Sooners.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
We've typically had Xavier McKinney going to the 49ers here but he's already off the board. 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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