2020 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Giants, Jets both tackle needs on O-line
We take our first trip to MiniMockville fully prepared to expect the unexpected.
The 2020 NFL Draft will no longer be under the Vegas bright lights, but Roger Goodell has declared that the show will go on April 23-25, probably from the Commissioner’s McMansion.
NFL teams are adjusting to life without Pro Days and Top 30 visits, spending time with prospects on videoconference chats amid the COVID-19 restrictions. It’s not ideal, but clubs have already invested countless hours researching players over the past couple years. The Jets and Giants will both walk away winners if they could land one of the coveted offensive line prospects.
Here’s a look at how the early part of the draft could unfold in a few weeks:
1. Bengals: LSU QB Joe Burrow
The Heisman winner has drawn comparisons to some of the best quarterbacks in the league. Burrow looks like the most pro-ready signal caller since Andrew Luck, but that doesn’t guarantee anything. Burrow could give Zac Taylor a fighting chance to finally turn around the franchise.
2. Washington: Ohio State DE Chase Young
Ron Rivera isn’t going to reach for a quarterback when his team has a litany of holes. Young is the consensus best player in the draft. He should be a foundation piece.
3. Dolphins (via trade with Lions): Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa
Miami uses its mountain of draft capital to trade up two spot to secure the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner and address its most glaring need. Ryan Fitzpatrick should be a solid bridge for Tagovailoa, who’s been medically cleared for football activities four months after hip surgery.
4. Giants: Louisville OT Mekhi Becton
Dave Gettleman will be a kid at a candy store picking among the top handful of offensive linemen. He probably wouldn’t go wrong with any of the top four prospects in the trenches, but Becton offers freakish size (6-7, 364 pounds, 17% bodyfat) and athleticism (5.10 seconds in 40-yard dash) that is simply too tantalizing to pass up.
5. Lions (via trade with Dolphins): Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah
Matt Patricia needs to replace cornerback Darius Slay in the worst way after shipping the Pro Bowler to Philly. Patricia has little chance to get off the hot seat if the league’s worst ranked pass defense from a year ago doesn’t significantly improve. Enter Okudah, who would instantly become the Lions’ No. 1 corner.
6. Chargers: Alabama OT Andrew Thomas
Anthony Lynn is still looking for a long-term replacement for Philip Rivers, but grabbing Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert at this spot is a little too rich. So, L.A. takes the best left tackle on the board. Becton would have been a solid choice if he were still available. But Thomas could be a bedrock for the ffuture.
7. Panthers: Clemson LB/S Isaiah Simmons
Matt Rhule will be tempted by Auburn DT Derrick Brown, but Simmons offers too much versatility and speed to pass up if he falls. (If Simmons is gone, Brown would be a slam dunk.) New defensive coordinator Phil Snow will have a field day using Simmons’ athleticism to his advantage.
8. Cardinals: Alabama OT Jedrick Wills
Kliff Kingsbury would have likely snatched up a wide receiver here if not for his blockbuster trade for DeAndre Hopkins. The goal now seems clear: Beef up Kyler Murray’s protection. Wills is a plug-and-play right tackle.
9. Jaguars: Auburn DT Derrick Brown
Brown is a top-five prospect in a vacuum. Only the Panthers allowed more than Jacksonville’s 5.1 yards per carry last season. Brown would be a welcomed presence in the trenches.
10. Browns: Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs
Wirfs, whose athleticism was on full display at the Combine, would become Baker Mayfield’s blindside protector from the jump, completing a new tackle tandem with freeagent right tackle Jack Conklin.
11. Jets (trade down to No. 15 with Broncos) Houston OT Josh Jones
Joe Douglas & Co. are keeping their fingers crossed that Williams gets traded to the Browns so that one of the top four tackle prospects slides to them. Wirfs is the guy that they’re circling.
The Jets could grab Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson or one of the top wide receivers. However, Joe Douglas would love more draft capital, so he opts to drop down. A quarterback-needy club with an eye on Justin Herbert would be an ideal trading partner. But Douglas opts to slide down just four spots by dealing with Denver, which forks over one of its three third-round picks, either No. 77 or No. 83 overall. Denver leapfrogs the Raiders (No. 12) and 49ers (No. 13) to get Alabama wideout Jerry Jeudy.