2020 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 (@jamfed)
4/12/20 by James Fedewa (www.NationalFanatic.com)
Here is my latest 2020 NFL Mock Draft. How far will Tua Tagovailoa fall?
| # | Team | Player | Pos. | Univ. | Notes and Explanations |
| 1 | Cincinnati | Joe Burrow | QB | LSU | I do like Andy Dalton as a starting NFL quarterback, and I do not think his game-play earned the Bengals the first pick in the draft, but the Bengals are in full-rebuild-mode, so trading Dalton is probably the only option. Burrow had a phenomenal 2019 in college and he will be Cincy’s New Hope… |
| 2 | Washington | Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State | Young is probably the best (and safest) player in the 2020 draft, and the sky is the limit for him to excel in the NFL. He is the perfect pass rushing blend of speed and power and will be a superstar in this league. Redskins may play around with some draft day trades, but they will draft Young |
| 3 | Detroit | Isaiah Simmons | LB | Clemson | For the last several months, Tua Tagovailoa’s draft stock has been climbing, so Detroit’s #3 pick could be traded to a QB needy team. But in fact, Tua’s injuries have many teams skeptical, and very limited trade offers ever come through. Yes, the logical pick here is Jeffrey Okudah, but Simmons versatility excites Detroit too much. |
| 4 | New York Giants | Javon Kinlaw | IDL | South Carolina | General Manager Dave Gettleman generally drafts what he “likes” (not what fans demand). Gettleman drafts using his gut feelings vs. overall projections/stats or team needs (which makes him very unpredictable). With this year’s draft, the G-Men draft by gut-feelings again (but with this pick, we’ll keep the the Hog-Molly’s in mind) with Javon Kinlaw. Sure, O-Line is the biggest need, but Gettleman does what he wants and Kinlaw is that “terrific-beast.” His size, speed and story are just too good to pass up. |
| 5 | Miami | Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon | Dolphins prefer Herbart over Tua (only because of Tua’s health concerns). Herbert is very compelling and gifted QB prospect; he has the moxie and leadership skills you want in a QB, let alone a great arm, amazing speed and looks the part (but simple mechanics fail but only sometimes). Herbert is just a safer QB selection at #5 (even though he kind of plays like a taller Ryan Tannehill). Good game to watch: Washington vs. Oregon game (Eason v. Herbert / and Herbert steals the show) |
| 6 | LA Chargers | Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State | Most people believe Tua will be the pick here, but GM Tom Telesco is not willing to put his job (& the franchise success) on the line with another injury-prone rookie. In my last mock draft, I had the Chargers trading down with Miami (which could very well be the case with these results). Okudah is a very good prospect and is the BPA (exactly how Telesco drafts). Michael Davis shows potential, but Okudah could be better than all the DB’s on an amazing DB team. #jackboys just got more jacked |
| 7 | Carolina | Derrick Brown | IDL | Auburn | Carolina has a new coaching staff, a new QB and another good wide receiver, now it time to focus on the defensive side of the ball. Derrick Brown creates problems for any offensive unit. He’s big and quick, and nearly unlockable (and could go as early as #3 overall). Panthers get a run stuffing DT, but Bronw is a lot more than that. He’s more of a Play-Wrecker. |
| 8 | Arizona | Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia | With Kinlaw & Brown both already drafted and off the board, O-Line is the choice for Arizona. Andrew Thomas is a mauler and will probably help running game more than the passing game. I imagine him playing left tackle immediately, shifting DJ Humphries over to Right Tackle and possibly Gilbert to guard. |
| 9 | Jacksonville | Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama | Tua does slide in the draft, only because of his medical. Before his last injury (dislocated hip, concussion and broken nose) he was the #1 overall prospect in the draft. Plus, he had knee and ankle injuries prior (and to add he’s a lefty and undersized). He is very talented, yes, but can he hold up in the NFL? (who knows, but he does manage to say within the top 10). However, I do believe Gardner Minshew can be a super QB for the Jags (with more experience and some better protection), but also a Tua and Mr. Mustache could also help each other with a fierce QB competition to dive each other to improve. |
| 10 | Cleveland | Jedrick Wills Jr. | OT | Alabama | Protecting Baker Mayfield is this season primary goal. Wills will shift from his normal right tackle spot in college, and he is more than capable of being an NFL left tackle. Wills has the best technique out of the top four OT’s, but he’s not overwhelmingly athletic. He’s more of a blue collar “getter-done” dude.. |
| 11 | New York Jets | Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama | Jeudy is the TOP wide receiver, in an amazing receiver draft. I think the Jets can go offensive lineman here too, but after losing WR Robbie Anderson, they’ll need a WR1 more than anything. The Jets have already signed four free agent / veteran O-linemen, so that problem is “temporarily” fixed (specifically, if you’re paying Fant $10MM per season to play left tackle – wow!). |
| 12 | Las Vegas | CeeDee Lamb | WR | Oklahoma | What will Mike Mayock do here? As a former “NFL Draft Guru,” Mayock was one of the BEST at evaluating player-prospects (and mock drafting NFL teams), but as a general manager for the Raiders, he has been very unpredictable (especially with all the first-round draft picks he has used). Lamb might be the best receiver in this draft, and he can catch anything. |
| 13 | San Francisco | Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa | WR, DT or CB could be the target here, but Wirf’s has elite physical traits (and possibly Joe Staley’s eventual replacement). Wirfs has great upside, and had a great combine, but his tape has many flaws (that could be fixed with more coaching). |
| 14 | Tampa Bay | Mekhi Becton | OT | Louisville | Becton is huge and very quick for a man his size. He played left tackle in college but could shift to right tackle to developed in the pro game. If you watch his tape, he engulfs pass rushers. |
| 15 | Denver | Henry Ruggs III | WR | Alabama | Deep threat or defensive line? Hmmm… I really think A.J. Epenesa would make a great 5 tech DE in Denver, replacing Derek Wolfe, but Elway needs some playmakers on offense. Ruggs is FAST, very fast, speed demon receiver, that will dramatically help their young QB Drew Lock. |
| 16 | Atlanta | Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU | Falcons have already had a pretty good off-season, but they are thin in the secondary. Fulton is a big CB that can earn a starting spot very quickly. |
| 17 | Dallas | C.J. Henderson | CB | Florida | Dallas could go many directions here, (including QB, DE or Safety) but their cornerbacks needs some upgrading. Henderson is too appealing and a very good fit for the Dallas defense. |
| 18 | Miami | Josh Jones | OT | Houston | Jones had a very good Senior Bowl, driving his stock way up, vaulting him into the first round. Miami needs a new left tackle for Herbert. Jones is nasty. |
| 19 | Las Vegas | Jeff Gladney | CB | TCU | The Raiders cornerbacks are filled with no-names and they really need some quality and talent Gladney is a nice addition. |
| 20 | Jacksonville | Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn State | After losing several key defenders over the last couple of years, once a team strength is now really a team vacancy. DT’s and CB’s are going to be heavy targets in this draft but using your two first round picks on a new QB and big pass rusher is a good new beginning. |
| 21 | Philadelphia | Justin Jefferson | WR | LSU | Philly could select multiple receivers in this draft. To be perfectly honest with you, I think Laviska Shenault Jr. should be the pick here, but he does have a injury history |
| 22 | Minnesota | A.J. Epenesa | EDGE | Iowa | Epensea’s combine was not exactly awesome, but that does not mean he is not a good defensive end (his game tape proves that). He is a very good edge setter, more power than speed, plus he is also a good personality in the locker room. He might be better off as a 5-Tech DE, which could have him going to a 3-4 team. |
| 23 | New England | Jacob Eason | QB | Washington | Eason has many NFL scouts and GM’s drooling over his size and arm. He is really being undervalued within the draftnick community, which is odd to me. If you watch full games of Eason, you can see his tremendous potential and I think he has the most upside to any of the 2020 NFL draftees. Sure, running QB’s are the craze these days, but big pocket passing QB’s with big arms generally have longer careers in the NFL. The Patriots get another STEAL in the first round and have a new cornerstone at the QB position. |
| 24 | New Orleans | Kenneth Murray | LB | Oklahoma | The Saints, on paper, are one of the best teams, again. There are not a lot of holes on the roster, other than age. Murray fits a need, but he also has the leadership ability you want in an MLB. |
| 25 | Minnesota | Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson | Lose Diggs, OK… What about a bigger WR to fill his void, sure that’ll work… Higgin’s is the big receiver the Viking’s have lacked (a good red zone threat, other than Rudolph). – Laviska Shenault Jr. might also be a great selection here. |
| 26 | Miami | K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU | Chaisson many have slid a bit in this draft, because of his lean size, but he does have several pass rush moves with makes him a highly rated pass rusher. With some time in an NFL weight room and if he can bulk up a bit, he could become an even better pro player. |
| 27 | Seattle | Grant Delpit | S | LSU | Seattle will probably be able to resign Clowney, so they do not exactly need a DE yet, but could reexamine their safety position. A healthy Delpit could be Earl Thomas 2.0. CB could also be the target here (like Diggs), but Seattle tend to find quality CB’s throughout the draft. |
| 28 | Baltimore | Julian Okwara | EDGE | Notre Dame | Plug him in as a starting 3-4 Pass Rushing linebacker for the Ravens and Okwara will produce. |
| 29 | Tennessee | Jaylon Johnson | CB | Utah | The Titans need to build up their CB corps. Logan Ryan’s new replacement. |
| 30 | Green Bay | Denzel Mims | WR | Baylor | Packers can go ILB or even QB here but adding more weapons for Rodgers might be a better option. |
| 31 | San Francisco | Jalen Reagor | WR | TCU | Reagor can fill the open E.Sanders spot here. Reagor has good size and speed, and Jimmy G needs some better weapons. And again, I do like Laviska Shenault Jr. with this pick too. |
| 32 | Kansas City | Cesar Ruiz | C | Michigan | Ruiz will start day one in KC. They really need a new center for the defending Champs. |
Posted on April 12, 2020, in NFL. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
National Fanatic 
Last year Kyler Murray bought more time than any other NFL QB by far, and every week his play improved, in large part because he was able to completely exhaust every defense he played by the start of the 4th quarter, sometimes earlier, then complete the kill because of his arm strength and accuracy Hopkins is the best WR Arizona could have added for Kyler, because no one is as good as he is at being able to get open when a QB scrambles. Arizona fans who watch their team closely know that something that’s missed by national pundits: Discounting the first 4 games, where Kyler was still figuring things out, most of the pressures/ sacks vs Kyler, came very late in the play, because teams consistently played press D vs Arizona. Adding Hopkins now makes playing press vs Arizona incredibly risky, likely impossible, because of all the big plays opponents will give up. At the end of the year, Rookie Kyler Murray was playing QB as well as any QB in the NFL. This year, Kyler will likely be making a huge jump, helped my Kliff who looks to be a spectacular play caller. Bottomline: Arizona’s offense morphs into one of the NFL’s best, so long as Kyler stays healthy. During the entire preseason and regular season, Kyler showed just how special his skill set was, namely: opponents never got a clean on him ALL YEAR, because Kyler played like he had eyes not only in the back of his head, but on both sides as well.
What killed Arizona last year, was a defensive Front 3 that consistently got destroyed vs the run, and got almost no pressure vs the passer. That failure forced the coaching staff to do things with their back 8 that scheme was never designed to do, dooming it to failure. Needs along the offensive line can be addressed later in the draft. Arizona needs to spend all their top picks ON DEFENSE. No. 1 and No. 2 on Arizona’s board are Derek Brown and Simmons. Kinlaw isn’t that far behind. If Derek Brown and Simmons are gone, Kinlaw would make a great addition. As I’ve heard it, Arizona would like to use both their 1st and 3rd round pick on their DL. If Arizona takes Simmons, they could actually go D with their first 3 picks, by adding another space eater with their 3rd and 4th. For how they play their D, IMO Raekwon Davis would be an ideal 3rd round pick. Fortunately for Arizona, there are a lot of really talented big uglies to choose from.
I have been following Mock Drafts closely, and you’re the first one I’ve seen to put Kinlaw at No. 4 or anywhere close.
Last year, I thought Quinton Williams would go #1 to AZ (and Bosa made a lot of sense too). Keim pissed me off with the Rosen trade, but I get it. AZ has needed more talent with their D-line for several years. With my first 2020 mock draft, I had Kinlaw going to AZ, but I think both him and Derrick Brown will be gone before AZ picks.
If Kinlaw, Brown and Simmons are gone by #8, AZ has to draft an OT, right?