With the overall uncertainty of the 2020 college football season, and the weekly cancellations or postponements, it's been tough to evaluate players in a traditional sense. And that will make things interesting in the coming months as we get closer to the 2021 NFL Draft.
Where there is no confusion, however, is at the top of the draft, where Trevor Lawrence will hear his name called first. The drama begins immediately after that; does Justin Fields go off the board before Zach Wilson? Could another team desperate for a quarterback be willing to trade up? With four NFL teams having already fired their general managers and several more expected to follow suit, there's more uncertainty this draft season than we've seen in some time, at least in terms of what organizations value most as they build their draft boards.
With that in mind, here's our latest mock draft (in case you're keeping score, this is version 13). And remember, the draft order is based on team record, strength of schedule and the subsequent tiebreakers.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
The Jets' remaining schedule is against teams with winning records and a Week 17 matchup vs. the Patriots. 0-16 is a very real possibility. The biggest remaining question is, how will the Jets put Lawrence in the best position to have success?
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Lawrence has been cemented into the No. 1 spot since the start of the college season and that won't change. Meanwhile, the No. 2 QB spot could be up for grabs. For now, we really like Justin Fields, who has shown a lot of improvement from 2019 to 2020.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 11, which reinforced the idea that Cincy has to protect the future of their franchise. The team should draft several O-linemen this spring because Burrow took a lot of hits as a rookie.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Dallas desperately needs help in the secondary and Surtain, who has been solid this season for Alabama, is our CB1.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Only cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Chris Harris are under contract after the 2021 season and Farley, a former wideout who has opted out of the '20 season, has the potential to be a physical playmaking presence on the perimeter.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Teddy Bridgewater has been really good, but if the Panthers don't consider him the long-term answer, they could draft his replacement with plans on letting Wilson take over the job in 2022.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
We know, we know, the Eagles don't draft linebackers in the first round, but they have very little depth at the position and Micah Parsons is one of the best players in this class.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Would the Football Team take a high-upside franchise quarterback this high, especially since they're just two years removed from drafting Dwayne Haskins? Lance is a special talent who played just one season at NDSU, but he can do it all. Unfortunately for WFT, he'll need at least a year of seasoning before assuming the starting gig.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are all in the final year of their deals. And while the Lions will almost certainly keep Golladay, adding Waddle would certainly be welcome by Matthew Stafford -- or whomever ends up under center next year should the new regime decide to go in a different direction. Waddle had been our WR1 before his season-ending injury and there's still a chance he ends up there.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
The Falcons got off to another sluggish start, and most of their shortcomings have been on the defensive side of the ball. Paye is a freakish athlete who looks much improved in 2020 and could be the first edge rusher off the board.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 11
Rousseau, who opted out before the season, came out of nowhere in 2019, logging 15.5 sacks for the Hurricanes. He's new to the position but there's a lot to work with and he'd give Miami a much-needed spark off the edge.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
The Broncos focus on shoring up their secondary here. Rookie CB Michael Ojemudia has been a pleasant surprise and Horn, who opted out recently after beginning the season with the Gamecocks, is a physical corner who had two interceptions in seven games in '20.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
The Vikings have needs along the interior offensive line and Slater, who was dominant at left tackle last season -- he played right tackle the two seasons before that -- has the versatility to line up anywhere. In fact, his future may be inside at guard.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Mac Jones is the best deep-ball passer in college football and he could very well work his way into the first round by next spring. Yes, there are questions about his athleticism, and him constantly throwing to wide-open WRs, but he's also incredibly consistent, which is exactly what the Bears need right now.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
The Patriots need a QB but five are already off the board. Instead, they recommit to the tight end position and take Pitts, who plays a lot like Darren Waller but may be a better athlete.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
The 49ers have five cornerbacks headed for unrestricted free agency (including Richard Sherman and Jason Verrett) and two more as exclusive rights free agents. Kendrick, who is still learning the position, has been a standout on the Tigers defense in 2020.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Raiders have struggled to get to the quarterback this season and Ossai has consistently shown the ability to get into the backfield for the Longhorns.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
It's hard to imagine Ja'Marr Chase falling this far but Justin Jefferson, a legit OROY candidate, wasn't taken until No. 22. Put another way: If Chase somehow is still on the board the Ravens will sprint to the podium to take him. Baltimore's offense has floundered this season, in part because of the lack of chemistry between Lamar Jackson and his young wideouts.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
The Giants demoted Will Hernandez on Sunday and if the plan is to protect Daniel Jones, the offensive line remains a priority. Vera-Tucker, who is playing tackle this season for USC, excelled inside at guard the previous two seasons.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Patrick Peterson, Dre Kirkpatrick and Johnathan Joseph are in the final year of their current deals, and Campbell is a long CB who is just scratching the surface on his potential.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Injured Vita Vea will be back in 2021 but there won't be much depth behind him and adding an interior presence like Barmore, who is one of the most athletic defensive linemen in this class, will only make an already young and physical defense even more so.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
We mentioned Jaylen Waddle as a possible WR1 but DeVonta Smith also deserves to be in that conversation. He's been unstoppable so far this season and Tua Tagovailoa would welcome a reunion with his former Alabama teammate.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
Darrisaw's been impressive this season for the Hokies -- especially against Miami edge rusher Quincy Roche, who could be a Day 2 pick. Anthony Castonzo still has two years left on his deal but there's not much depth behind him.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Owusu-Koramoah is listed as a linebacker but you can find him all over the field. He's having a great 2020 campaign and he can come off the edge and has the athleticism, speed and change of direction to be an asset in coverage.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 25
The Jags get their QB in Justin Fields and they give him a middle-of-the-field security blanket in Pat Freiermuth, who can stress the defense at every level.
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From
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 26
Oweh is still learning the position but he has the strength and athleticism to be a really good player at the next level. The Jets have needs just about everywhere and while a WR would make sense here, the WR class is much deeper than the pass-rusher class.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
The Titans could also look to bolster the defensive line, especially pass rusher, but their pass defense ranks 25th, according to DVOA, and Stokes, who is a long CB, would give Tennessee another young CB a year after drafting Kristian Fulton.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Bolton is one of the best players no one talked much about heading into the SEC season and he's quietly been very good in 2020 too. Imagine his speed and explosiveness alongside Tremaine Edmunds.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
After opting in to start the season, Bateman recently opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. He came into the 2020 season as one of the best pass catchers in college football and he would give Rodgers something the Packers QB didn't get in the 2020 draft: a wideout.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
The Chiefs don't have a lot of holes on offense but Kelechi Osemele is an unrestricted free agent after the season and Andrew Wylie will be a restricted free agent. Davis is a road grader who is a Day 1 starter.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Yes, Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are currently on the roster, but imagine what Rondale Moore, who is also a threat in the return game, would bring to Sean Payton's offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Basham is raw but he has snaps where he absolutely dominates. He looks like a Steelers edge rusher, and the team may be in the market for one if they can't re-sign Bud Dupree, who has been downright unblockable this season.
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