2020 NFL Mock Draft: Three quarterbacks among first 11 picks; Jake Fromm is making his case
The Georgia QB doesn't have the measurables of Justin Herbert but could he be a better NFL passer?
By
Ryan Wilson
•
1 min read
For the first time this draft season we have three quarterbacks going in the top 11 picks. And one of those passers is Jake Fromm, whose 2019 campaign hasn't been flashy but it has been consistent. And in the NFL, where big-name starters are find themselves sidelined with injuries, having a competent backup is more imperative than ever. (Just ask the Panthers ... and the Steelers.)
Keep reading our latest 2020 mock draft to see where these quarterbacks land, as well as how the Dolphins and Raiders use their 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
At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Tagovailoa is undersized by traditional NFL standards but thanks to Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, his lack of ideal height won't prevent him from going first overall. As luck would have it, the Dolphins already appear in the market for a franchise QB despite giving up a second-round pick for Josh Rosen this spring.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
An explosive first step off of the edge allows Young to get into the backfield quickly and often. He already has seven sacks this season and imagine him lining up opposite Montez Sweat, the Redskins' 2019 first-rounder.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
It's easy to fall in love with Justin Herbert. He'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. But following a pedestrian junior campaign (he completed just 59 percent of his throws after connecting on 68 percent of passes as a sophomore) he's back on track, completing 74 percent of his passes through four games.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
The best offensive lineman in college football, Thomas 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 5
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. The Raiders need help at wideout with Amari Cooper now tearing it up in Dallas and Antonio Brown enrolled in online college courses.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Somehow Vic Fangio has one of the NFL's worst defenses. Delpit can line up anywhere -- in centerfield, the slot, near the line of scrimmage, off the edge -- and wherever he ends up he consistently makes plays. He's best coming downhill but he'll continue to improve the other aspects of his game and his long, lean frame coupled with his fluid movements make him look like a natural playmaker.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
At 6-foot, 200 pounds, Okudah is a physical cornerback who excels in man coverage. He earned his first college interception last week and he has 11 passes defended dating back to last season. Patrick Peterson's contract expires after the 2020 season when he'll be 30.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
The Giants have to protect Danny Dimes. 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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From
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1 - Pick 9
CeeDee Lamb: 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. And while he needs to put on weight and get stronger, he's a willing blocker. Either way, the bottom line is that Lamb is a game-changer.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Okwara, who plays bigger than his listed 240 pounds, shows good hand usage and quick first step around the edge and has the athleticism to sink hips and blow past the offensive tackle. He's quick-twitch explosive, not easily blocked, and even when he doesn't get to the quarterback his hands are up trying to make a play. Shaq Griffin is on a one-year deal but even if the Bucs bring him back you can never have too many edge rushers.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
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, even when the opponent is incapable of providing much in the way of competition. Either way, the Titans could be moving on from Marcus Mariota.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Who knows where Jalen Ramsey plays next season. Fulton, who considered entering the 2019 NFL Draft, 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. According to Pro Football Focus' metrics, Fulton allowed just 41.5 percent of the passes thrown in his direction to be caught and held receivers to 49 yards after the catch during the '18 season. Fulton's off-field history may give some NFL teams pause but his on-field abilities are undeniable.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Imagine Moses lining up alongside Luke Kuechly -- assuming he doesn't return to Alabama in 2020. The linebacker will miss the 2019 season after suffering a torn ACL in August. That said, he is the prototypical NFL inside linebacker in that he's explosive, extremely athletic and has sideline-to-sideline playmaking abilities. He can rush off the edge and has the ability to sift through trash and knife would-be blockers to make plays in the backfield. Moses was the best inside linebacker on Alabama's defense a season ago (and that included Browns fifth-rounder Mack Wilson).
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Simmons is a hybrid capable of dominating the linebacker position but with the athleticism to drop into coverage like a safety. He even stood out on Clemson's stacked defense from last season's national championship team and Simmons should only get better in 2019. If Dylan Moses returns to Alabama in 2020, Simmons is the top-rated linebacker.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
The Browns have to fix their offensive line. Niang started 13 games last season and didn't allow a sack, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the best pass-blocking tackle in the Big 12.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Give Jacoby Brissett another downfield weapon to go with T.Y. Hilton and Paris Campbell. 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 17
Regularly the fastest player on the field, Ruggs is a YAC monster who dominates short and intermediate routes and must be accounted for on every play. Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay both have contracts that expire after the 2020 season.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
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 19
A tall, physical corner who isn't afraid to gamble. Last season he played mostly off-coverage in zone looks but showed the instincts and athleticism to come off his responsibility to make plays. He's also stout against the run and is a solid open-field tackler. If Hall had come out after his junior season there's a chance he would've been a first-round pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Hard to move off the ball, Brown has the strength to push the pocket, even against double teams. He doesn't have the dynamism of a 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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Round 1 - Pick 21
Thirty-one-year-old Malcolm Jenkins and the Eagles' defense have gotten off to a slow start this season. (Jenkins' grade, according to Pro Football Focus, is the lowest its been since the 2012 season.) And his contract is set to expire after the 2020 campaign. McKinney is stronger, faster and more explosive than former Alabama teammate Deionte Thompson, and he's also much more versatile.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Biadasz has few flaws and would've probably been a first-rounder if he declared for the 2019 draft. And if the plan is to protect Jimmy Garoppolo, who is starting to shine in Kyle Shanahan's system, the 49ers should upgrade the O-line.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 23
Yetur Gross-Matos: 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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From
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 24
Terrell is disruptive and aggressive, and has a chance to be better than Trayvon Mullen, the Raiders' second-round pick in the spring.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Adebo had a forgettable outing against UCF two weeks ago, but he is a physical ballhawk who began his career as a wide receiver, and would fit right in with this Ravens secondary.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
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 will likely see him go in Round 1 next spring.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
The Vikings used their 2019 first-rounder on center Garrett Bradbury and they continue the rebuild with Leatherwood, who has played left tackle, right guard and left tackle again during his college career.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
The Packers' defense is arguably its best unit, and knowing that why not give Aaron Rodgers another weapon? In a word, Swift is explosive. He has the ability to bounce it to the outside using both speed and strength, which sometimes comes with a stiff arm. He can also run between the tackles and he uses his quick acceleration through the hole to get a head of steam and that makes him even tougher to bring down. And while he may not be a burner, his one-cut ability can leave defenders flat-footed.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Long-legged and long-armed, Henderson can flip his hips, get in and out of breaks against top-flight receivers, and displays good mirroring skills. He's strong in man coverage, and while he isn't a ballhawk (two INTs, five passes defended in '18) he has the hands of a wide receiver. Henderson sometimes struggles to disengage from blocks to make tackles in the run game and he'll need to add weight to what can be described as a slight frame, at least by NFL standards.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Jeff Heath is in the final year of his rookie deal. Jones is a thumper who is more comfortable near the line of scrimmage who can also cover running backs and tight ends in the passing game.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Kinlaw is stout at the line of scrimmage and has the ability to consistently push the pocket. His strength can be disruptive, pushing linemen into the backfield and affecting timing of both run and pass plays. The offense has to account for him on every snap, often double-teaming him with mixed results.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
The Patriots haven't replaced Rob Gronkowski but Pickney is an outstanding blocker who has soft hands, the ability to get in and out of breaks despite his size, and can make defenders miss once the ball is in his hands.
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