It’s officially mock draft season! That final whistle you heard ending an entertaining Super Bowl LIV means all 32 teams are now looking forward to the 2020 campaign.
Here’s my first look at some of the player-team fits that would make sense on the first two days of the draft. Constructing a three-round mock draft before the NFL Scouting Combine (Feb. 27 to March 1 on NFL Network) is akin to playing the role of the game show contestant who hits the buzzer before the host has finished reading the question. You can look smart for anticipating the results — or not.
Based on career production and performance in the postseason all-star game circuit, these players have made the argument they deserve to be selected early on draft weekend.
NOTE: The third-round compensatory selections in this mock (Picks 97-104) are based on my projections. The NFL usually awards comp picks in late February.
School: LSU | Year: Senior (RS)
Now that the season is over, you’ll hear a lot of nitpicking about Burrow’s game, including his lack of elite arm strength. The
Bengals saw what he did against elite college competition, however, and will shut out the noise.
Chase Young – Edge
School: Ohio State | Year: Junior
Young’s the top defender in the class. This is an easy pick.
Jeff Okudah – CB
School: Ohio State | Year: Junior
Okudah’s speed, size and length offer a rare combination at the position. The
Lions allowed a league-worst 284.4 pass yards a game in 2019 and tied for the fewest interceptions in the league (seven).
CeeDee Lamb – WR
School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior
GM Dave Gettleman could go with an offensive tackle here, but Lamb may be too valuable a weapon to pass on with last year’s sixth overall pick, quarterback
Daniel Jones, entering Year 2.
Justin Herbert – QB
School: Oregon | Year: Senior
Herbert’s a strong pocket passer with mobility that he had not really unleashed until the Rose Bowl. His
Senior Bowl performance secured a landing spot in the top five.
Tua Tagovailoa – QB
School: Alabama | Year: Junior
Injury concerns may push Tua down the board a bit, but he has a very good arm and is an accurate thrower to all areas of the field.
Derrick Brown – DT
School: Auburn | Year: Senior
I could see new Carolina head coach Matt Rhule taking a quarterback here, but if the
Panthers hold off on addressing that position, Brown’s elite talent seems like a perfect fit. The team could lose multiple free agents on the defensive line.
Jedrick Wills – OT
School: Alabama | Year: Junior
Cardinals OTs
D.J. Humphries and
Marcus Gilbert are pending unrestricted free agents, so it won’t be a surprise to see the team use two early-round picks on the position. Wills made great strides in pass protection while maintaining his bullish attitude as a run blocker in his junior season, becoming a likely longtime NFL starter.
Isaiah Simmons – LB
School: Clemson | Year: Junior (RS)
Simmons could end up having the best NFL
Scouting Combine workout of any player. His versatility makes him a top-10 talent, and the
Jaguars might use two early-round picks to upgrade their linebacker corps in this draft.
Javon Kinlaw – DT
School: South Carolina | Year: Senior
The
Browns struggled to stop the run in 2019, ranking 30th in the league while giving up five yards a carry. Bringing in Kinlaw would give the team a strong rotation up front to fix the issue.
K’Lavon Chaisson – Edge
School: LSU | Year: Sophomore (RS)
Chaisson has nice bend and length off the edge, something the
Jets really need. He’s no wallflower against the run, either, having gained significant strength over the past couple of seasons.
Jerry Jeudy – WR
School: Alabama | Year: Junior
Jeudy’s top-notch routes, quickness and hands make him an elite talent — the kind of playmaker the
Raiders had hoped
Antonio Brown would be for them last year.
Jacob Eason – QB
School: Washington | Year: Junior (RS)
The
Colts find their future starter. Eason’s arm strength will look great to teams in his pre-draft workouts. A quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator will believe they can work on the rest of his game.
Mekhi Becton – OT
School: Louisville | Year: Junior
While it is unclear who will be playing quarterback for Bruce Arians’ Bucs in 2020, he should find a starting-caliber tackle at this point in the round. Becton’s massive frame and nasty attitude should make him a favorite among NFL offensive line coaches.
Henry Ruggs III – WR
School: Alabama | Year: Junior
Drew Lock gets a speedy partner on offense to make up for the loss of
Emmanuel Sanders, who requested and received a trade last season.
A.J. Epenesa – Edge
School: Iowa | Year: Junior
Epenesa can overpower tackles, hustle for sacks and hold the line of scrimmage. The
Falcons tied for the second-fewest sacks among all NFL squads in 2019 (28).
Xavier McKinney – S
School: Alabama | Year: Junior
McKinney’s ability to serve as a ballhawk and attack plays downhill could be a boon to Dallas’ secondary, which intercepted seven passes in all of 2019 (tied for the fewest in the league).
Andrew Thomas – OT
School: Georgia | Year: Junior
Rebuilding the offensive line must be a priority for the
Dolphins in this draft, as they tied for the league lead with 58 sacks allowed in 2019. Thomas’ thick frame and length give him a chance to succeed at LT or RT.
Patrick Queen – LB
School: LSU | Year: Junior
The
Raiders wanted
Vontaze Burfict to be an enforcer in the middle. Queen will be that hammer, and opposing ball carriers the nail.
Cole Kmet – TE
School: Notre Dame | Year: Junior
When
Nick Foles excelled with the
Eagles in 2013, he had very good tight ends in Brent Celek and
Zach Ertz. Kmet should be more than just a safety valve in the NFL.
Brandon Aiyuk – WR
School: Arizona State | Year: Senior
Carson Wentz is in need of more reliable targets. Aiyuk’s speed and quickness will make him a playmaker in the NFL.
Yetur Gross-Matos – Edge
School: Penn State | Year: Junior
With
Shaq Lawson heading toward free agency this offseason, the
Bills might look to the draft to keep the defense strong on the edge. Gross-Matos possesses the ability to stack his man on the line and beat him around the corner.
Ross Blacklock – DT
Jordan Love – QB
School: Utah State | Year: Junior (RS)
Sean Payton likes to make big trades in the first round, and it would not shock me if the
Saints gave up future picks to move up for a quarterback this year. Love might be a target for Payton, as the young passer’s skills could be honed behind
Drew Brees for a year if the NFL’s all-time leading passer returns.
Trevon Diggs – CB
School: Alabama | Year: Senior
The
Vikings‘ secondary is due for a reboot this spring. Diggs gets to take on his brother, Stefon, in practice on a daily basis, which will be good prep for taking on the rest of the league’s top wideouts.
D’Andre Swift – RB
School: Georgia | Year: Junior
A difference-maker in the backfield brings versatility to the
Dolphins‘ offensive attack.
Tristan Wirfs – OT
School: Iowa | Year: Junior
Wirfs may be the next Big Ten tackle to slip into the late stages of Round 1.
Bryan Bulaga (Iowa) and
Ryan Ramczyk (Wisconsin) have certainly been solid pickups for the
Packers and
Saints, respectively.
Zack Baun – Edge
School: Wisconsin | Year: Senior (RS)
Baun will fit with the
Ravens due to his versatility. He can attack the passer or play in coverage.
Ravens edge rusher
Matt Judon is due to become a free agent this offseason.
Josh Jones – OT
School: Houston | Year: Senior (RS)
Jones has the strength and mean streak to replace
Jack Conklin at right tackle, if the veteran leaves in free agency.
Kenneth Murray – LB
School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior
The potential departure of pending free agent inside linebacker
Blake Martinez could open the door for Murray in Green Bay.
Grant Delpit – S
School: LSU | Year: Junior
Delpit was inconsistent with his open-field tackling in 2019, but his overall skill set is too good for the Niners to pass up if he’s still on the board — the San Francisco secondary could have used his talents in the fourth quarter of
Super Bowl LIV.
Cesar Ruiz – OL
School: Michigan | Year: Junior
Protecting the league’s top player should play into the
Chiefs‘ draft plans every year. Ruiz possesses the strength and athleticism to play multiple positions up front.
Follow Chad Reuter on Twitter @chad_reuter.