2020 NFL Mock Draft: Tua Tagovailoa's Injury Shakes Things Up
Tua Tagovailoa's injury created some chaos at the top of the 2020 NFL Draft. Things have changed, as the quarterback hierarchy has been shuffled and that's affected the rest of the first round. Here's our second mock of the 2020 draft following our first from last month.
1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB LSU
Andy Dalton appears done in Cincinnati and with the Bengals holding the top pick, it's time to invest in a young quarterback. Joe Burrow's stock is rising at an incredible rate and given head coach Zac Taylor's experience with Jared Goff, this fit is really nice. At 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, Burrow has the size and arm strength to make all the throws. Burrow is highly accurate and would fit with Taylor's system that relies heavily on accurate passing.
2. Washington Redskins: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
With Trent Williams on his way out of town, Washington needs a blindside protector for young quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Thomas is the best tackle in the draft and at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds he can be dominant.
3. New York Giants: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
Finding a No. 1 receiver for Daniel Jones is a priority, but the Giants can't pass up a chance to land Young here. The Ohio State edge rusher is the best player in the draft class. At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, he's got great size and quickness off the edge and can absolutely take over games. Young's suspension shouldn't hurt his draft stock at all.
4. New York Jets: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
The Jets need to help Sam Darnold and getting him a top-flight target on the perimeter is the first step. Jeudy is the best receiver in an absolutely loaded class. He's got decent size (6-foot-1, 192 pounds), great speed and is one of the best route runners to enter the draft in years.
5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
This is a "no trades" mock, so Herbert falls here. There's a strong likelihood someone will trade up to land him earlier, but for now, the Dolphins get their quarterback of the future. Herbert has the size (6-foot-6, 237 pounds) and physical tools to be a legitimate franchise quarterback.
6. Atlanta Falcons: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Atlanta's defense has been brutal this season and needs a playmaker in the secondary. Okudah is the best corner in the country by a considerable margin. He has the upside of a shutdown guy, which is exactly what the Falcons need.
7. Denver Broncos: Derrick Brown, DT, Alabama
The Broncos desperately need some help on the interior of the defensive line and the enormous Derrick Brown has the most potential as an interior disruptor in this class. Auburn's best defender is 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds of raw talent who is starting to show through in production. He hasn't proven he can get to the quarterback consistently, but he takes up a ton of space in the middle and could wind up being a perennial All-Pro if he develops.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Jameis Winston's disappointing tenure in Tampa has to come to an end. With Burrow and Herbert off the board, the Buccaneers get the man we're currently ranking as the third-best quarterback in the class. Tagovailoa's stock has dropped thanks to the season-ending hip injury he suffered over the weekend but, until we hear otherwise, we're going to assume it's not career-threatening.
Tagovailoa displays elite accuracy, can move really well in the pocket and has enough arm to make all the throws. When healthy this year, he was better than his outstanding 2018 campaign. If he can recover from the hip injury, he could still be a franchise quarterback.
9. Cleveland Browns: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
This isn't a particularly deep tackle class, but the Cleveland Browns desperately need to protect Baker Mayfield if they truly believe in him as their franchise quarterback. At 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, Leatherwood is huge and is a great athlete at the position. Leatherwood played guard in 2018 and shifted to tackle perfectly this year.
10. Arizona Cardinals: Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson
Simmons is a flat-out playmaker with an odd position fit. He's 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds and a converted safety. That said, he just makes things happen on defense and the Cardinals really need a guy like that. When you get your hands on someone that talented, you find a spot for him on the field.
11. Detroit Lions: Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Delpit is the leader of LSU's stellar defense and at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds he can do pretty much anything on a football field. He'd be a game-changer for the Detroit's defense.
12. Los Angeles Chargers: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
Chargers have one of the worst offensive lines in football and desperately need to upgrade both tackle spots. Wirfs is playing right tackle for Iowa and absolutely mauling the opposition. He might be able to shift to the left side, but if not, he's still one of the best tackles in this year's class. At 6-foot-5, 322 pounds he has the size to be an anchor.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
With Jalen Ramsey gone, the Jaguars have a huge hole in their secondary. Diggs is a big (6-foot-2, 207) corner who looks like he could be special in man-to-man coverage. The younger brother of Stefon, this Alabama product is also an excellent tackler.
14. Oakland Raiders (via Chicago): CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
The Antonio Brown marriage didn't work for the Raiders and they need to find a legit target on the perimeter. Lamb is big-time athlete who has exploded this season as Oklahoma's No.1 receiver. Through nine games this season, he has 44 catches for 983 yards and 13 touchdowns. That's an average of 22.3 yards per reception. At 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds, he has the size and playmaking skills to make an immediate impact in the NFL.
15. Tennessee Titans: Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
The Titans appear done with Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill probably isn't the long-term answer. Eason is big, has a huge arm and is decisive with his throws. At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds with a howitzer on his shoulder, the upside is worth the risk here.
16. Indianapolis Colts: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
The Colts have needs along their defensive front and Kinlaw would give them a big upgrade on the interior. The kid is scary talented and, well, just plain scary. He's 6-foot-6, 310 pounds and athletic. Kinlaw is already an outstanding run defender and has shown flashes as a pass rusher in 2019.
17. Philadelphia Eagles: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
The Eagles have multiple needs, but they badly have to upgrade their weak secondary. Fulton is an aggressive corner with decent size (6-foot, 200 pounds) and a knack for making plays on the ball.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Los Angeles Rams): Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama
The Jaguars boast one of the worst offensive lines in football. Wills is a big, strong tackle at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds. He's athletic and a bull in the run game and should give Jacksonville the punch it needs up front.
19. Carolina Panthers: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
The Panthers have needs along the offensive line, but the secondary is more pressing here. Henderson is as smooth as they come and has the size (6-foot-1, 202) to take on all receivers. He's a pure cover guy, so don't expect a ton of help in the run game, but he's got elite coverage ability.
20. Oakland Raiders: A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa
The Raiders have been without a consistently playmaker off the edge since they traded Khalil Mack away. Epenesa is a strong, big, relentless worker. At 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds, he can set the edge in the running game or get to the quarterback. He racked up 10.5 sacks in 2018 and has seven this season despite being the focal point of every offensive line he faces.
21. Dallas Cowboys: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
Like a lot of other teams on this list, the Cowboys need to beef up their secondary, especially with Byron Jones' impending free agency. Adebo is a fantastic corner, with long arms, a great work-ethic and a knack for breaking up passes. He's going to be an excellent pro.
22. Miami Dolphins (via Pittsburgh): Lucas Niang, OT, TCU
The Dolphins traded Laremy Tunsil to open the season and here they get their replacement at left tackle. Niang is massive at 6-foot-7 and 328 pounds and has developed into an outstanding pass protector. He should improve in the run game and has the strength to get there soon. He's played on both sides of the line, so he's got versatility if needed as well.
23. Kansas City Chiefs: Tyler Biadasz, G/C, Wisconsin
The Chiefs need to protect Patrick Mahomes at all costs while improving their ability to run block. Biadasz is an excellent run-blocker on the interior for Wisconsin who can also pass protect. He needs to continue to improve but this 6-foot-3, 321-pounder is the best interior lineman in the draft.
24. Buffalo Bills: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
Josh Allen has completed just 59.9 percent of his passes this season and doesn't look like he's going to improve. At the very least, the Bills need to get him help. Higgins is a big (6-foot-4, 205), explosive playmaker who can wreak havoc on opposing secondaries. He is also a huge red zone threat and has a knack for finding the end zone.
25. Miami Dolphins (via Houston): D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
Dolphins are rebuilding from the ground up, in this mock they've already got a franchise quarterback and a monster offensive lineman. Now they continue their offensive rebuild by grabbing Swift, who has separated himself as the best running back in this class. At 5-foot-9 and 215 pounds, Swift can plow over defenders or run by them. He's a dual-threat out of the backfield and is scheme-versatile. Swift's ability to get to full-speed quickly is elite and his one-cut running style fits the modern NFL.
26. Minnesota Vikings: Curtis Weaver, EDGE, Boise State
The Vikings have needs along the offensive line and in the secondary, but need to replenish their strength off the edge. At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds with a non-stop motor, Weaver will add punch to the team's pass rush. He's improved every season at Boise State and has 12.5 sacks as a junior in 2019. He is super strong and leverages both his power and speed when pass rushing while also showing the ability to set the edge against the run.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Julian Okwara, EDGE, Notre Dame
The Ravens desperately need an edge rusher and Okwara is a high-ceiling prospect who fits perfectly as a 3-4 outside linebacker. At 6-foot-5 and 248 pounds, Okwara is a rangy prospect who needs to fill out and continue to develop. He's already solid against the run, but needs to become more consistent as a pass rusher. He's raw but the upside here is tremendous.
28. New Orleans Saints: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
The Saints rely heavily on Michael Thomas in their offense, he needs help on the perimeter. Ruggs is just 6-foot and 190 pounds, but he's one of the fastest players I've ever watched film on. He's got blazing speed that can impact plays even when he doesn't touch the ball.
29. Seattle Seahawks: Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama
The Seahawks have a number of defensive linemen slated to hit free agency this offseason and will need an infusion of talent. Davis is huge at 6-foot-7 and 312 pounds, but is also super strong and can disrupt the interior of an offensive line with ease. There's a lot more potential to be unlocked here as well.
30. Green Bay Packers: Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn
The Packers need to improve the offensive line and work harder to protect Aaron Rodgers. They get a great value here in Prince Tega Wanogho, a 6-foot-7, 305-pounder with good feet, long arms and developing technique. He could play either tackle spot and should improve rapidly as a pro.
31. New England Patriots: Jared Pinkney, TE, Vanderbilt
The Patriots still have a Rob Gronkowski-sized hole at tight end. Pinkney changes that. A 6-foot-4, 260-pound pass catcher who runs good routes and can run away from defenders. Most of all, he's fantastic at going up and getting the ball. He's not a great run-blocker, but he can line up all over and make plays down field. Just like Gronk did.
32. San Francisco 49ers: Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado
Emmanuel Sanders has improved the 49ers' offense a lot, a versatile offensive talent on the perimeter will add even more punch. Shenault is big (6-foot-2, 220), incredibly fast and versatile. He's not a polished route runner, but he's the kind of game-changing playmaker the 49ers could use to help Jimmy Garoppolo.