Taking stock of draft with 1 week to go
NEW YORK: With one week left in the regular season, the NFL’s 2020 draft picture is a lot like the AFC play-off picture: The top six mostly set with plenty of room for movement come Sunday.
Like the Baltimore Ravens, who can rest regulars Week 17 knowing they have the No.1 seed in the play-offs locked up, the Cincinnati Bengals can begin draft preparation as they will have the No.1 pick come April. But after that it gets interesting, particularly with two teams holding so many cards, and two players viewed by many as head and shoulders above the rest of the draft class.
The Bengals (1-14), as of now, are expected to take Heisman Trophywinning quarterback Joe Burrow of LSU after seeing what 2019 fourthround pick Ryan Finley could (and couldn’t) do while taking over for Andy Dalton midseason.
The Washington Redskins have the inside track to the No.2 pick, sitting at 3-12 and a half-game worse than the 3-11-1 Detroit Lions. The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins currently sit at Nos.4 and 5, respectively, with 4-11 marks. But that is where things could get interesting.
The Dolphins actually hold three picks in the first round after trading offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Houston Texans and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those picks currently project to be Nos.19 and 25, but with the Texans in the play-offs and the Steelers still with a shot at the No.6 seeds, those slots can move quite a bit.
The clear No.2 prospect on most boards is Ohio State defensive end Chase Young (who has yet to declare for the draft), and the Redskins seem likely to take him with 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins at quarterback. But should the Dolphins want to move up to No.2, are those three No.1s enticing enough to get them there? Or if the Redskins beat the Cowboys on Sunday and slide down in the draft, does the team that lands at No.2 entertain calls from Miami?
The Dolphins themselves could finish the season tied for the secondworst record in the NFL. That gives them a shot at Young — or the chance to move down and acquire even more picks.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only other team with a shot a top-five pick, although the best they could do is move up to No.4. The Jaguars are also holding more cards than most teams, having grabbed the Los Angeles Rams’ No.1 pick in the midseason Jalen Ramsey trade.
While Burrow and Young should be off the board by No.4, the Jaguars shouldn’t be lacking for options when it comes to potential trade partners. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the draft’s wild card, with his talent seemingly unquestioned but his health in question following an injury-filled season that ended with a dislocated hip.
Should Tagovailoa enter the draft and convince enough scouts he will be fully healthy in time for next season, he could be the one player teams try climbing up to get. With Nick Foles under contract for three more seasons and surprise rookie Gardner Minshew likely to get a shot at the starting job in Jacksonville, the Jaguars might not be looking for a quarterback with their first pick.
Like the Dolphins, Jacksonville could increase theirs draft stock by moving out of their spot.