I am officially mocking again.
This is Mock Draft 1.0 for me this year. It's the first of several to come before the 2020 NFL Draft in April, with a schedule of one every other week. I am not Ryan Wilson, Chris Trapasso or Josh Edwards, my CBSSports.com colleagues who crank out mock drafts year round and seemingly every week. One every other week is good enough for this guy.
This first one is pretty straightforward. There are no trades, nothing outrageous to get clicks -- just teams staying in their spot to pick players.
I have LSU quarterback Joe Burrow going first to the Cincinnati Bengals, even in the middle of all this talk that Burrow might not want to play for the Bengals. Too bad for him, since they are taking him. Other than sitting out the season -- which he won't do -- he has no other options.
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So forget the internet babble that Burrow won't play for the Bengals. For that reason, he's the easiest pick here. He's the best player in this draft and he fills a major long-term need for the Bengals. Don't hold me to the rest of this mock.
Hell, the NFL Scouting Combine hasn't even taken place yet. It's way too early to be locked in on anything -- other than Burrow.
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Should the Redskins really trade the No. 2 pick? What should they get in return? It's Mock Draft Monday, and Ryan Wilson joins Will Brinson to break it all down on the Pick Six Podcast. Listen below and be sure to subscribe for daily NFL goodness.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Joe Burrow
QB
LSU
• 5
• 6'4"
/ 215 lbs
This is an easy pick. He's the best quarterback in this class and the Bengals have a need for a young player to build around.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Chase Young
EDGE
Ohio State
• 5
• 6'5"
/ 264 lbs
They are moving to a new scheme with Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator, and that means they could use another outside edge player. Young is that guy.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Auburn
• 5
• 6'5"
/ 320 lbs
They could consider corner here, but Brown is too good to pass up. He is a force who might end up being the best defensive player in this draft.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Alabama
• 5
• 6'4"
/ 307 lbs
He played right tackle in college, but I think he could also play the left side. They need to upgrade that line in front of Daniel Jones.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Alabama
• 5
• 6'1"
/ 227 lbs
Tanking for Tua worked in this scenario, just a little differently than what they thought. If he checks out medically, this makes perfect sense for Miami.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Oregon
• 5
• 6'6"
/ 236 lbs
With Philip Rivers moving on, they have to get a quarterback of the future. They could still take Herbert here even if they land a veteran free agent.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Javon Kinlaw
DL
South Carolina
• 5
• 6'5"
/ 319 lbs
The Panthers were awful against the run last year and Kinlaw is the type of player who can fix that. He is a powerful inside defender.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Clemson
• 5
• 6'4"
/ 238 lbs
He is perfect for a defense that has had coverage issues for a long time. Simmons can line up all over the field, having played safety, but could call linebacker home.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Mekhi Becton
OL
Louisville
• 5
• 6'7"
/ 363 lbs
They would consider corner Jeffrey Okudah here, but they have to find a left tackle to be able to move Cam Robinson inside.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Iowa
• 5
• 6'5"
/ 320 lbs
Their tackle spots were a disaster last season. They have to protect Baker Mayfield better and Wirfs could step in and start right away.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Jeff Okudah
CB
Ohio State
• 5
• 6'1"
/ 202 lbs
Their corner play wasn't good last year. Okudah would give them a nice cover player for Gregg Williams and his aggressive approach.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Jerry Jeudy
WR
Alabama
• 5
• 6'1"
/ 193 lbs
They need to get outside help for their passing game, no matter who plays quarterback. Jeudy gets a slight edge over CeeDee Lamb.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
CeeDee Lamb
WR
Oklahoma
• 5
• 6'2"
/ 200 lbs
They have to get receiver help for whoever plays quarterback. Lamb would pair with T.Y. Hilton to give them a nice 1-2 punch.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
K'Lavon Chaisson
EDGE
LSU
• 5
• 6'3"
/ 254 lbs
The Bucs have three free agents among their edge players, including Shaq Barrett, who had 19.5 sacks last season. Chaisson is a raw, athletic player who has the speed off the edge.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Alabama
• 6'0"
/ 190 lbs
His deep speed is exactly what the Broncos and Drew Lock need in their offense. He is the fastest receiver in this class. Watch him blow up the combine with his 40 times.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Terrell Lewis
EDGE
Alabama
• Sr
• 6'5"
/ 262 lbs
He can play a variety of spots and the Falcons need somebody to amp up that pass rush. They've addressed this position a bunch, but they have yet to hit the big home run.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Alabama
• 5
• 6'0"
/ 201 lbs
They have to improve on the back end of their defense, and this is the kid to do it. He can play the pass, but he's also a willing run player.
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From
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1 - Pick 18
A.J. Epenesa
EDGE
Iowa
• 5
• 6'6"
/ 260 lbs
They have to amp up their pass rush. When Taco Charlton is your best edge rusher, you have issues.
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From
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 19
Florida
• 5
• 6'1"
/ 204 lbs
They need help at corner and Henderson is considered the second-best corner in this draft by many scouts. They could also consider another pass rusher here.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 20
TCU
• Sr
• 6'5"
/ 307 lbs
He is a big power player who would fill a major need. The Jaguars were awful against the run last year, and they will be letting Marcel Dareus walk if they can't agree on a restructured deal.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
LSU
• Sr
• 5'11"
/ 197 lbs
Their corner position was a disaster last season and their starters are all free agents. This is a need in a big way for the Eagles.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Tee Higgins
WR
Clemson
• 5
• 6'4"
/ 219 lbs
They have a bunch of smaller receivers, but they need to get a bigger one for Josh Allen. Higgins is 6-foot-4, so he fits, even if he isn't a burner.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
LSU
• 5
• 6'3"
/ 208 lbs
He didn't play as well as expected last season, but he's still a big-time talent. With Devin McCourty possibly gone, getting a versatile player to take over for him makes sense.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Colorado
• 5
• 6'1"
/ 224 lbs
They have a great receiver in Michael Thomas, but they need more help outside. Shenault is a physical player who would make a nice complement.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Georgia
• 5
• 6'5"
/ 315 lbs
They had big problems on their line last season, and they need to get bigger. Thomas could play guard or tackle since some scouts think he needs to kick inside.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 26
Josh Jones
OL
Houston
• 5
• 6'5"
/ 319 lbs
He would be an immediate starter on the left side for a team that has major line issues. After getting the young passer in Tua Tagovailoa, you need to get him help up front.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Yetur Gross-Matos
EDGE
Penn State
• 5
• 6'5"
/ 265 lbs
They will likely lose Jadeveon Clowney, so taking a young edge player makes sense. They always seem to find good pass rushers, either in free agency or the draft.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Oklahoma
• 5
• 6'2"
/ 241 lbs
They got by after picking up Josh Bynes and L.J. Fort on the inside of their linebacker group last year, but they need an upgrade from that. Murray fits what they are looking for, which is a fast, athletic player.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Trevon Diggs
CB
Alabama
• 5
• 6'2"
/ 195 lbs
Their last game was the AFC championship, where they couldn't slow down the Chiefs passing game because of their corner play. They also have two of their top corners set to hit the market.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Arizona State
• 5
• 6'0"
/ 200 lbs
The inability of Marquez Valdes-Scantling to step up as a viable option opposite Davante Adams really impacted the offense. Aiyuk plays fast and tough and will be a big help to the offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Bryce Hall
CB
Virginia
• 5
• 6'1"
/ 202 lbs
They need help at the corner opposite Richard Sherman, who isn't a kid anymore either. Hall has the type of skill set that would fit the 49ers scheme, but he did suffer a broken ankle that cut his season short in 2019.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Auburn
• Sr
• 6'3"
/ 303 lbs
Davidson can play outside and inside and would give the Chiefs a nice versatile player who can continue to help the pass rush improve.
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